San Francisco-based mobile marketing company Phizzle has struck a large-scale partnership with German software giant SAP to create a comprehensive digital marketing solution for sports and entertainment properties.
The three-year deal will merge technology from the 18-month-old Phizzle Platform, which tracks fan interactions across multiple channels, with SAP’s high-powered Hana computing platform. The result blends customer relationship management, digital and social media profiling and marketing, analytics, and data visualization.
“We’ve taken all the core components of 21st-century marketing and developed a one-stop solution,” said Ben Davis, Phizzle chief executive. “We think we’ve built something that really separates us from the more specific, single-function products.”
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the agreement is based on revenue-sharing components. Both Phizzle and SAP will market and sell the combined solution, which does not yet have a brand name.
The Charlotte Hornets, two undisclosed NBA teams and one NHL club are using the combined Phizzle/SAP product, Davis said.
SAP had considered building its own fan research product upon starting its sports and entertainment industry solutions group several years ago. But after seeing the progress that Phizzle had already achieved, SAP instead began to pursue a partnership.
“We think we can take this global, as there is a great need for this kind of capability around the world in addition to just North America,” said Frank Wheeler, SAP global vice president and head of business development for media, sports and entertainment.
The Hornets have had the new Phizzle/SAP product for a month.
“There are so many databases that touch our brand, whether it be the website, buying a ticket, buying a hot dog from our concessionaire, or whatever. All told, we’re probably talking about 15 or 20 different types of data directly dealing with our fan base,” said Chris Zeppenfeld, Hornets director of database marketing and analytics. “It’s been a real challenge to bring all that data together and then make sense of it in a meaningful way, but now that’s beginning to happen.”
