MKT8

Posted: August 29th, 2013

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Marketing

The change of venue for a major hockey club or any other business entity is bound to bring challenges, which if not properly dealt with, could result in the ultimate failure of the organization or institution. The main issues to be implemented are those that are mainly tied to the change of venue. The first issue is the loss of home supporters and fan base. It has been evidenced that most of the fan bases in the hockey league are usually located or comes from the same state as the hockey club they support. Relocating an entire team to another state would lead to a loss in loyalty and appreciation among the current fan base. However, some of the fans could be salvaged by providing season tickets where the team covers the additional traveling costs on behalf of the staunch Tennessee fans.

The strategy of understanding the different customer segments in Huston Texas and then design a product aimed for the target market could be faced with some implementation issues. This is because the current community dwelling in Huston is not very conversant with hockey. As stated, there are basketball teams, baseball teams but no major hockey team. However, this can be approached by associating with one of the major basketball or baseball teams. Sports fanatics are known to enjoy more than one sport. With this in mind, they can be able to acquire a strong fan base and the relevant information pertaining to the requirements and needs of the potential customer or fan.

The strategy of marketing the predator brand to a mass audience through undifferentiated marketing is also plagued by some issues. Undifferentiating marketing usually reaches a large population but has no staunch following. In order to have success in sales, it is best to establish loyalty and command a following in the customer base. The use of undifferentiated media could also lead to loss of resources since it may not prove to be as effective. It is prudent to continue with the above strategy of first identifying a segment of the Houston area population and then concentrating on the chosen segment by meeting its needs and requirements. Specialization enables a company understand the target market and therefore identify the best and effective marketing media. This may also minimize the loss of resources given identification of the most effective marketing media.

The strategy of using the luxurious Toyota centre as their home base could bring about several issues in its implementation in the future. The first is that the centre is also host to other major sports teams namely Houston Rockets of the NBA, Houston Wranglers of the AHL, and Houston Comets of the WNBA. The addition of the Predators in the list could bring about the issue of double booking when the fixtures of the NHL tend to clash with those of the NBA, AHL or WNBA. To avoid this issue, the team administration should look up the other league’s fixtures and identify if there are any instances where the match fixtures are not in harmony. If there is such, the management could meet with the centre’s management and try to acquire the rights for holding the matches in the said venue during these times.

The strategy of turning casual fans into loyal fans is extremely prudent. However, this strategy could be faced by several hurdles in its implementation. The first is that staunch and loyal fans are not acquired overnight but come about as a process. Surveys indicate that only clubs that have stood the test of time have very staunch and loyal fan bases. However, the team could use their reputation and achievements at Nashville, Tennessee, to spring board them in acquiring enough history for the acquisition of staunch and loyal fans. The team should market itself using achievements in the past and history so as not to be identified as a new hockey club.