Wardrobe Update: Unlocking the Digital Potential of Apparel đđ˛
The future of apparel wonât just involve fit, function and comfort. Itâll involve content, access, and experiences, ushering in a completely new era of fan engagement, writes Alex Sargent
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Sports Pundit MBA is a (approx) fortnightly series of content in partnership with the MBA Sport Business Alliance.
MBA SBA is comprised of current MBA students and alumni from 10 premier business schools across the United States.
Through this content partnership, Iâm working directly with them to provide you with high-quality sports business content from a variety of sharp, next-gen perspectives.
This weekâs member is Alex Sargent was an MBA Candidate at University of Notre Dame. Having previously worked at the Cincinnati Reds as a ticketing coordinator and G3 Marketing as an operations coordinator, he now works as a business development manager at Avery Dennison.
By Alex Sargent
When the Covid-19 Pandemic hit in 2020, the whole world was immediately forced indoors. As the months went by and restrictions started to ease, trips to restaurants and cafĂŠs involved a new, digital experience â thanks to social distancing. Scanning QR codes situated on the menu or table enabled customers to quickly access the relevant web pages to place their order while minimizing human contact.  Â
Whilst restaurants and the like can âdigitally enableâ menus by putting QR codes on them, the same can be done in apparel, too.
You could simply put a QR code on the tag of a t-shirt. Itâs something that is already there, and it is easy enough to do. Taking it a step further, you could design a QR code into the shirt itself. Instead of a tag that is immediately ripped off and thrown in the trash, this digital trigger would be permanent within the design of a shirt, perhaps in a jock tag or the interior of the neck. Or finally, you could digitally enable a shirt using something besides a QR code. Something invisible.
This is where near-field communication (NFCs) chips step in.Â
NFCs are small chips that enable a digital experience with any device that interacts with it at close range.Â
Using the same technology that enables an iPhone user to use Apple Pay, an NFC chip can be embedded within a piece of apparel and trigger a digital interaction with a phone. It can direct that phone to a certain website or app, and clubs or brands can tailor that experience to whatever they want.
So, imagine tapping your phone to the crest on your favourite European football clubâs kit. Doing so then pulls up exclusive behind the scenes content, a discount that can be used for tickets to the next game, or a chance to meet your favourite player. The possibilities truly become endless.
The question then becomes âwhy?â Why would a fan want digitally connected apparel? And why would the club?
For the fan, itâs the opportunity for connection and exclusivity. The opportunity to earn exclusive content or experiences as a passionate fan and engage at a deeper level is highly enticing. As weâve seen over the past few years with the launch of experiences using VR or NFTs, the line between the physical and the digital has become increasingly blurred (to meet/ service this demand). The introduction of digitally enabled apparel allows that collision of physical and digital to happen with far less technical friction than before (i.e., no headset or crypto wallet required).
For the clubs, there are undoubtedly benefits as well.Â
Firstly, if fans are more engaged, that is a huge positive. Theyâll be more likely to attend additional games, purchase merchandise, and tell their friends about their experiences.
Another huge benefit is the demographic that this sort of activation would attract. Clubs and leagues are constantly trying to go after the next generation of younger fans, and what better way to do that than by meeting them where they are in the digital world.
And finally, there is the most valuable resource of all: Data.
Yes, clubs already have data on their ticket buyers. They know how many games they attend, where they sit and what time they get there. They often know who they are, where they live, and how old they are. But what happens if a ticket buyer buys six tickets? What does the club know about the other five people? What happens if he or she is a season ticket holder, but doesnât attend every game? Or what happens if the season tickets fall under a corporation, and not an individual?Â
As fanbases become increasingly global, you also need to consider the fans that may never attend a game. How much do you know about the fans you have in Australia, India, or the Philippines?Â
If a club can digitise a promo item or a retail item and the digital content or experience is enticing and valuable enough, a fan will willingly engage with it and, in the process, give you (the club) their data.Â
For example, in exchange for behind-the-scenes access to a player interview, a fan may enter their email address or phone number. Or perhaps there is a prize giveaway hosted by a sponsor and in exchange for entering into the prize draw, a fan is willing to share insight into their purchase intentions (i.e. when they next plan to buy a car or where they want to go on holiday).
From the clubâs perspective, this brings in fans a whole host of ânewâ (or previously unidentified) fans who had never previously bought a ticket into their database and ecosystem - as well as better engaging with the attending fans who were already in their ticketing system.Â
Gone are the days of just functional benefits of apparel.Â
The future of apparel wonât just involve fit, function and comfort. Itâll involve content, access, and experiences. Apparel wonât just let people know that youâre a fan of a certain club, itâll usher in a completely new era of fan engagement.
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JOB BOARD
Global Football Apparel Designer - New Balance (Warrington, UK)
Live Director - British Basketball (London, UK)
NFL Lead Trader - DraftKings (London, UK)
Senior Brand Manager, Sports - Paddy Power (London, UK)
Project Development Manager Adventure & Extreme Sports - Extreme (UK)
Sporting Director - San Antonio Football Club (San Antonio, US)
Director of Product, Sports - BetMGM (Jersey City, US)
Do you have a job youâd like to promote to the amazing readers of this newsletter? Drop me a note at andy@sportspundit.org
More on the MBA Sports Business AllianceâŚ
MBA SBA is a mission-driven non-profit that is building an extensive pipeline of MBA talent within the sports industry from premier business schools, including;
Michigan Ross
Duke Fuqua
Texas McCombs
USC Marshall
UCLA Anderson
MIT Sloan
Vanderbilt Owen
NYU Stern
Notre Dame Mendoza
Oregon Lundquist
MBA SBA is guided by the core values of âConnect. Educate. Lead.â and prepares its members to become future sports business leaders by providing them access to best in class recruiting resources, educational events, and professional development opportunities.