Mistargeting Sports Voters

             After the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and the Labor Day Weekend, many political pundits believe that the Presidential campaigns begin in “earnest”. No, this does not mean that the campaigns can seem to be as ridiculous as the plotlines in an Ernest movie like Ernest Scared Stupid. Despite the millions of dollars spent by each campaign, only now do many voters start really paying attention to the Presidential race. Therefore, both the Obama and Romney campaigns are looking for ways to connect with people to win their votes for the November election.

            One common strategy that campaigns have used in the past to present their candidates as “regular guys” was to have them attend sports games or watch games with fans at local bars. In a recent Politico article, Jonathan Martin and Maggie Haberman describe how this can be a particularly effective tactic for President Obama in showing how he is different from Governor Romney. While the President is enjoying a White House Honey Ale (yes, the White House now does brew its own beer) with Washington Nationals fans, he can remind voters about who does not seem to like bars or sports: “It’s the other candidate running for president, the guy who happens to be a teetotaler and who refers to ‘sport’ as though he were doing an impression of Mr. Burns or an English Olympics official.”

            Martin’s and Haberman’s point is that watching sports is a great way for the President to establish himself as a regular guy because the Average American loves to watch sports. There is just one problem with this analysis. The average sports fan is not really the average American. Despite what many people may see and hear on sports talk television and radio, the average sports fan is usually more affluent and more educated than the average American. According to 2011 NHL league data, “the average household income (HHI) for an NHL fans is $104,000, highest of the four major sports, followed by Major League Baseball ($96,200), the NBA ($96,000), and the NFL ($94,500). Sixty-eight percent of NHL fans have attended college, a significantly higher percentage than the other three sports (ranging from 60.4 percent to 63.6 percent).” According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income for the United States was $50,054 and the median percentage of people who attended college was 44 percent.  

And this does not just count fans of the four “major” professional sports leagues – the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. According to Scarborough Sports Marketing, “[Mixed Martial Arts] fans have sound financials. They are 15 percent more likely than the average American adult to have a household income of $75k+ and 10 percent more likely to own a second home.”

We are not questioning whether political campaigns should present their candidates as “regular” people. We are questioning whether using sports is an effective channel to connect with “regular” people. The reason that this practice will likely continue to occur is the popular perception that sports fans and average Americans are the same type of people. Therefore, campaigns and the media should portray candidates watching, participating, or commenting on sports as a way to prove that they are “regular” people.

Taking this approach to sports fans can and often has backfired with political campaigns. For example, John Kerry famously said that “I just go for Buckeye football, that's where I'm coming from,” while talking to crowds in Michigan. Governor Romney said that London might not be prepared to hold the Olympics only days before the event. Neither of these candidates may have made these gaffes if their campaigns did not try to use sports as a way to connect with “regular” voters.   

   Sports organizations can also learn a lesson from these mistakes and misperceptions. Many sports managers do know that their fans are affluent and educated. It is usually part of their ticket, media rights, and sponsorship sales documents and agreements. Yet, they can often fail to complete an audience analysis when it comes to other elements critical to the fan experience. This can lead to organizations making significant investments in areas that have little value for audience stakeholders. For example, many sports organizations are making significant investments in wireless and location based technologies at their venues. Yet, technology may actually be taking away from fan’s enjoyment of the game. As Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban states, “I can’t think of a bigger mistake than trying to integrate smartphones just because you can. The last thing I want is someone looking down at their phone to see a replay.” 

            Again, we are not saying that sports organizations should not invest in technology. It is critical, however, to make sure that technology is actually what its customers, fans, and stakeholders want to improve their experience. Whether it comes to politics or sports, completing an audience analysis is critical to ensuring your organization employs the right strategy and tacti