For a brand to say it listens to customers is one thing. To truly listen to customers, while acquiring keen behavioral insights that can be leveraged for positive results in the future, is “absolutely critical” for officials with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer (MLS).
Cory Dolich, Senior Vice President of Business Operations for the Timbers, talked to Loyalty360 about the profound impact that listening can have on a brand’s emotional connection with its customers.
“As stewards of a sports brand, listening to our supporters is absolutely critical,” Dolich explained. “We’re fortunate to have a very engaged community that actively participates in surveys and other more formal opportunities to share feedback. I think the challenge (and this isn’t specific just to surveys) is getting feedback from everyone, not just the fans, on the ends of the positive-negative feedback spectrum. How do you engage the group in the middle that isn’t as willing to share? For us, we try and address that challenge by having a proactive outreach approach by our service staff via phone and in-person conversations.”
What’s more, Dolich said a brand must be accessible and responsive to fans/customer 24/7, and it can’t just be through one communications vehicle.
“You need to provide a variety of platforms, be it surveying, email, social,” he added. “A one-phase approach doesn’t work and isn’t customer-centric.”
Specifically, from a match day perspective, fan engagement, Dolich noted, starts the moment that individual starts thinking about the game, not just the in-match experience.
“How can we provide and engage with them before they get to the stadium through the end of that match window … which depending on the outcome, or what happens in the match, could be a day or two afterward,” he said. “For example, if there is an amazing goal that happens, and our supporters want to re-live that moment, what type of videos/content are we providing on our site/social platforms to extend that experience. It’s not just the two- or three-hour window at the match–it’s got to be a more holistic and wide-ranging approach.”
Customer loyalty is a core component of the Timbers.
“It’s part of who we are and part of our mission statement, and, as a result, permeates all aspects and areas of our organization,” Dolich said. “We look at a variety of key indicators, including, but not limited to retention rate, show rate (at matches), digital engagement (via social and web), and net promoter score. We also conduct a variety of surveys throughout the year and ensure we consistently reach out and have conversations with our supporters too. The 1-to-1 conversations are extremely important and valuable.”
Mobile creates a level of access that didn’t exist previously, Dolich said.
“We’ve tried to be unique with sharing special content to keep the brand top-of-mind throughout the day,” he explained. “Last year, we created a web-based Timbers-themed video game (can be played at setpiece.com) and a custom messaging app with a team-themed emojis. It’s about trying to create fun, engaging and evergreen content that our supporters can engage with outside of just the game experience. The biggest challenge is time–specifically, ensuring your product, platform, experience, etc. remains a priority for that specific individual given all the other competing forces out there. The biggest opportunity is access–you have an immediate link to people and can speak to them very specifically.”