Eight of the dozen schools in the Pac-12 have joined the conference’s fan data program and the other four are expected to be on board by next year.
The initiative launched two years ago at a time when schools across the country were beginning to outsource their data analytics needs. Using its internal resources and a staff of five analysts, the Pac-12 created the department to help its member schools understand trends and share best practices. The league’s chief marketer, Danette Leighton, has overseen the program since it began, along with Mark Kramer, vice president of engineering and technology for Pac-12 Networks.
“The idea is to be able to see trends that could be applicable to other schools, and by being quick and nimble, we can share those trends with other schools,” Leighton said.
School officials view the information on a dashboard that can be accessed via desktop, laptop or phone. Schools do not pay directly for the service; costs are covered by conference revenue.
Pac-12 schools, which use Domo, a business intelligence software, primarily have used the data to learn more about ticket-buying trends like velocity — the rate at which tickets are being purchased during certain times of the year.
For example, Southern Cal typically offers season-ticket holders an eight-week renewal window each spring. Data shows that renewals are brisk in the first two weeks and the final two weeks, regardless of how the Trojans finished the previous season. Knowing that, USC can steer its marketing efforts in other directions during that four-week lull when they know renewals will be slow, said Craig Kelley, the Trojans’ CMO.
“Once you put all of this data together, you realize how much you have and then you have to figure out what to do with it,” Kelley said. “How do you engage with the fans; how do you monetize it?”
Tommy Gray, Stanford’s executive associate athletic director, external relations, has used the data to better inform the staff about social media, including insight on the best time of day to post content and the right frequency of posts.
Having one platform to access data, whether it’s ticket sales, marketing or social media, provides each school with efficiency it didn’t have before.
“It’s definitely helped us move from being an instinct-driven organization to a data-driven organization,” Oregon State Deputy AD Zack Lassiter said.
Lassiter spent several years in ticketing, so he understands how time-consuming it can be to run ticket sales reports for other departments. Now, all of that information is collected on the Pac-12 software, giving schools and their department heads a one-stop shop for data.
“I don’t have to call our ticket manager four times on Monday and ask how sales are going,” Lassiter said. “It’s all accessed online or on your phone, and it keeps everyone in the loop.”
