In the game of sports, engagement with fans is paramount, whether it’s a G League team striving to build its brand or an established NBA team aiming to deepen connections with its audience. While both leagues have distinct characteristics and fan bases, there’s an opportunity for synergy between their marketing strategies that can benefit all parties involved, given that, most likely, one is affiliated with the other in most states’ cases.

What’s the big deal? G League teams often face unique challenges in engaging fans due to factors such as small budgets, limited resources, and low visibility compared to their NBA counterparts. They often rely on grassroots efforts, community outreach, and digital marketing to connect with fans and build a loyal following.

NBA teams have large budgets, broader reach, and established fan bases, and more often than not a team of big names with a huge following to leverage. They utilize various channels, including social media, email marketing, and experiential events, to engage fans and drive revenue before the game, during it, and even after.

By aligning their marketing strategies, G League and NBA teams can create a more beneficial relationship that is valuable to both parties. One of the most cost-effective ways to achieve this alignment is through integrated marketing automation platforms like Marketo Engage from Adobe.

Take this scenario for example, let’s consider a scenario where a G League team and its affiliated NBA team collaborate on a fan engagement campaign using Marketo Engage:

Unified Fan Database: Both teams can consolidate their fan databases within Marketo Engage, allowing for a comprehensive view of their audience across both leagues. This enables personalized marketing efforts tailored to each fan’s preferences and behavior.

Cross-Promotional Campaigns: The teams can collaborate on cross-promotional campaigns in which fans of the G League team are incentivized to attend NBA games and vice versa. Marketo Engage’s automation capabilities can streamline the execution of these campaigns, from email marketing to targeted digital ads.

Exclusive Offers and Experiences: Leveraging Marketo Engage, the teams can create exclusive offers and experiences for fans who engage with both leagues. For example, fans who attend a G League game may receive a special discount on tickets to an upcoming NBA game, enhancing their overall fan experience.

And the beauty is that they are consolidating platforms, which more than likely reduces expenses. They are collecting more and better data on the database members, making segmenting and targeting more effective, which increases revenue. And they are improving engagement metrics to better keep fans experience ongoing before, during and after the game and the season.

To learn more about how G League and NBA teams can leverage Marketo Engage and other marketing automation tools to enhance fan engagement, consider attending the Sports Industry Night on the 27th. Leadous, a leading marketing automation agency, will share insights and strategies tailored to professional sports marketers.

G League and NBA teams can create a unified fan experience that fosters loyalty, drives attendance, and ultimately benefits the greater sports community.

Connect with us to get the juice on how Leadous can elevate your sports marketing efforts!