No sports themed restaurant operator can deny the ubiquitous nature of fantasy football.
From August’s first pre-season NFL games until the season ends, you can see guests scanning multiple TVs and immersed in their phones to check how their teams are faring.
The problem, for most operators, remains how do I translate that into revenue for my business? If you didn’t join our Football Marketing Bootcamp on June 27th, then you missed some terrific solutions to that challenge.
We have taken the three of the best insights from the Leveraging Fantasy Football session and shared them here.
Surveys
If your goal is to win the loyalty of fantasy football players then it is imperative you get to know them. According to Frank Cortez of Draft Party USA, there is no better way to do that than by working with their league commissioners to craft the perfect draft party.
If you are smart, you have kept contact info from previous draft event organizers. Jump start their interest in hosting their draft at your place by asking their opinion on what makes for the perfect party. This way you can take those insights and translate them into the packages you offer.
Additionally, you can customize the events based on the individual commissioners’ response. Service is just as important for these events as any other, so providing an event that perfectly fits the commissioner’s vision is just good process. It doesn’t hurt that you are reminding them early on that your location is draft party friendly and putting your services top of mind. There is no shortage of competition for these draft events, so get the commissioners on your side and respond to their opinions by delivering a tailor made event.
Coupons, Coupons, Coupons
The natural kick off to every fantasy season is the draft party. Many of you make a lot of hay beginning in late-August as the various league commissioners book their draft events. It’s the ideal opportunity to present all the attendees with a reason to return. During our session on fantasy football, Charlie Francus of Springzy explained, one terrific way is to create a coupon book for all 17 weeks of the season and provide it as a gift to all attendees. Vary the offers weekly and give them fun choices, like a pitcher of beer coupled with a food purchase, or a discount based on the size of their group.
The key is to make each coupon expire at the end of the corresponding NFL week, so it’s use it or lose it. We all know that as the season wears on many fantasy players become less engaged as their teams lose ground. Consequently, you may also consider escalating the offers as the season progresses to deliver greater incentive for a return visit
Another fun coupon idea, provided by Francus, is to give each league commissioner a prize book that he can deliver to the players during the season. Here you can be creative and give positive performance coupons or rewards for the most pathetic outcomes – or perhaps even both.
There is no better way to stay relevant with the league than by offering fantasy players more incentive to visit your establishment. The bonus is that you are regularly a part of the league banter as the commissioner doles out you coupons to the players in his league.
Post-Season Awards Party
Any fantasy football league worth its salt includes bragging rights for the season’s winner. During the Football Marketing Bootcamp, Francus discussed the value of offering a post-season awards banquet package to fantasy leagues. These parties take place in early January when every sports bar could use a boost. The parties act as a bookend to a season spent visiting your restaurant. The key to marketing is giving guests ample reason to return and often.
The awards banquet can be booked at the same time as the draft party and even turned into a complete fantasy football package. By packaging both events, you are guaranteeing future business, connecting the league to your place and providing real value to your guests.
Fantasy football has always been a challenge for operators. Once the season is underway, you lose touch with the players and the leagues. That is why it’s imperative to leverage the natural opportunities that draft parties deliver to their maximum value. Any of these three tactics will help support your football traffic all season. Together, they create a real strategy to reach that goal.
You can get more tips like this by registering to watch the Football Marketing Bootcamp on-demand stream.