Personalized email
2012
real
business
· 9
“
The US Open may be a media magnet, but it’s
only the tip of the iceberg when you consider
all we are doing to grow the game of tennis,”
said Sue Hunt, USTA’s Chief Marketing Officer.
“
Our key initiative focuses on all the changes
to youth tennis and how we’re introducing
the game to our next generation of players
through our
10
and Under Tennis
program.”
10
and Under Tennis
features tennis sized right, with smaller
courts, kid-sized rackets and slower bouncing tennis balls to
make the game more fun for kids from four to 10 years of age.
Sizing the sport right lets kids feel competent from day one,
which means they will enjoy the game from the start.”
The USTA and the entire tennis industry have been focused
on promoting 10 and Under Tennis. “We were delighted
when Xerox came to us with a proposal to test a one-to-one,
multichannel tennis event marketing campaign as part of its
USTA sponsorship,” said Hunt.
A Personal Appeal with a Local Flavor
Extensive customization is at the heart of the data-driven
campaign. “We accommodate the varying needs of a diverse
set of tennis facilities,” said Xerox’s Megan Steenburgh,
who’s managing the program. “Some are private, and others
are public or community run. Although the personalized
campaigns have a similar look and feel, the facilities can
promote their own unique type of event. One facility is
hosting a Tennis Jamboree, while others are calling it a
Tennis Festival or a Tennis, Pizza and a Movie Night. Each
facility’s marketing goals are driven by its demographics
and its experience with children’s programs.”
The campaign’s execution provides the economy of scale
that comes with the marriage of variable data to one set
of templates. The theme is integrated through creative
pieces that range from personalized email invitations with
registration PURLs to a memento magnet bearing the child’s
name. A marketing intelligence portal reports pre- and post-
event analytics.
A Turnkey Strategy for Future Growth
For 2012, 10 facilities across the U.S. are participating in
the 10 and Under Tennis event program. “The key is to get
kids in and hitting balls,” said Sue Hunt. “Xerox designed the
campaign and manages it so that the USTA and the tennis
facilities can focus on tennis rather than reinventing the
marketing wheel. It’s a great 1:1 marketing solution that
provides flexibility with consistent branding and messaging.
“
Who knows? Today’s invitation
might lead to a Flushing
Meadow championship court
in September 2032.”
–
Sue Hunt
CMO, United States
Tennis Association
Personalized magnet with child’s
name and facility information
Personalized direct mail postcard
Program t-shirt and tennis ball
Poster with facility’s information
“
Miranda, Get in the Game!”
Welcome to the personalized face of one-to-one marketing. The solution
Xerox created for the USTA provides a host of ways to get closer to
customers.
XMPie
software enables tennis centers to target their appeal
down to the level of household and child. USTA’s promotion automatically
inserts each center’s identity, hours and other specific information into
a standardized design. While not used for the 10 and Under Tennis
program, the system provides the ability to customize graphics and
imagery down to the individual level in print with multichannel Web
components to help ace the serve and generate a response.