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INDUSTRY LEADERS JOIN FORCES TO REVEAL ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS INTO FAN PASSION
May 13th, 2008
TNS Sport and the ESPN Sports Poll incorporate Octagon’s Passion Drivers® questions to provide marketers comprehensive understanding of fan trends and motivation
NORWALK, CT. and HORSHAM, PA. (May 13, 2008) – Two leaders in their respective fields, Octagon and TNS Sport, will be working together to incorporate their proprietary research methodologies to provide marketers more in-depth analysis and understanding of sports fans. For the first time, the ESPN Sports Poll, which TNS Sport has conducted for the past 14 years, will also provide insights into fan passion and motivation based on Octagon’s Passion Drivers® research.
“We’ll now be able to provide marketers with quantifiable data explaining ‘why fans are fans’ based on responses to over 50 Passion Drivers questions to go along with ESPN Sports Poll data which has historically tracked the ‘who, what, where and when’ of fans and how they connect with their favorite sports,” said Robert Fox, Senior Vice President of TNS Sport. “By integrating the Passion Drivers data with all of the behavioral data from the ESPN Sports Poll, we can provide sports sponsors, rights-holders and others with meaningful insights on distinct fan segments based on combinations of attitudes and behaviors,” he said.
The ESPN Sports Poll tracks fans across 30 different sports and more than 50 major events. Octagon, which is a member of The Interpublic Group (NYSE:IPG), has conducted Passion Drivers research in the United States, Canada and six other countries. In the U.S., studies have been conducted among fans of professional and college football and basketball, professional baseball, hockey and soccer, NASCAR, golf, tennis, action sports and the Olympics.
“Passion Drivers research quantifies the key emotional connections that fans have for different sports. This knowledge helps marketers think like a fan when developing sponsorship activation strategies and programs,” said Simon Wardle, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Strategy & Insights for Octagon who created the study. “More marketers, especially those investing in sports content, are embracing the power of passion-based marketing. Sponsors can more effectively engage consumers with their brands when they understand why they care about their favorite sports,” he explained.
According to Fox, results of the Passion Drivers questions will be available to every ESPN Sports Poll subscriber. To understand how the Passion Drivers research is used to identify fan segments, subscribers can work with Octagon directly. “Sponsors and properties can use this information to target messages to their customers in ways that speak to them directly. It is like hitting a bull’s-eye instead of simply landing somewhere on the target. This increases the likelihood of achieving the ultimate aim of influencing behavior,” said Fox.
About TNS:
TNS is a global market insight and information group.
Our strategic goal is to be recognized as the global leader in delivering value-added information and insights that help our clients to make more effective decisions.
As industry thought leaders, our people deliver innovative thinking and excellent service to global organizations and local clients worldwide. We work in partnership with our clients, meeting their needs for high-quality information, analysis and foresight across our network of over 70 countries.
We are the world’s foremost provider of custom research and analysis, combining in-depth industry sector understanding with world-class expertise in the areas of new product development, segmentation and positioning research, brand and advertising research and stakeholder management. We are a major supplier of consumer panel, media intelligence and internet, TV and radio audience measurement services.
TNS Sport is TNS' international division dedicated to sport, events and sponsorship research.
TNS is the sixth sense of business.
www.tnsglobal.com
About Octagon
Octagon is the world’s leader in sports and entertainment marketing with global expertise in consulting, athletes & personalities, event management, property representation, marketing solutions, licensing and merchandising and talent procurement. As part of The Interpublic Group (NYSE:IPG), one of the world’s leading organizations comprised of advertising and marketing services agencies, Octagon employs marketing specialists based in major markets on six continents. For further information please visit: www.octagon.com.
About ESPN Sports Poll
ESPN Sports Poll has been providing intelligence to the sports and entertainment industry for more than 14 years. It has been our experience that the foundation of all sport, event and sponsorship evaluation for major corporations begins with the ESPN Sports Poll. All major leagues and America’s top corporate sponsors subscribe to the ESPN Sports Poll. The information produced by the Poll is an invaluable resource to facilitate and re-new corporate sponsorships. The ESPN Sports Poll is considered the industry standard for measuring fan interest and event activities.
