Madison Square Garden Inc. is enhancing its mobile marketing campaigns for the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Liberty, regional television networks MSG and MSG Plus, and the company?s digital marketing database the MSG Insider.

MSG tapped mobile marketing service provider Phizzle to power it mobile initiatives. A communications platform geared toward providing revenue opportunities and a compelling fan experience, Phizzle?s Web-based PhizzleMobile lets MSG?s brands bring real-time mobile interactivity to engage audiences, both in-arena and out.

?Last year, we really focused our efforts across all of our sports, entertainment and network properties in the mobile and social media space with our campaigns,? said Scott Richman, senior vice president and general manager at MSG Interactive, New York. ?We?re looking at portability in terms of consumers and fans staying connected with our brands, so you don?t have to be at your desktop to stay in touch with our brands.

?We leveraging online, in-arena, network, out-of-home signage and mobile media to support our whole ?Stay Connected? initiative,? he said. ?We like to be as leading-edge as possible when it comes to engaging with our fans, and mobile plays an increasingly more important part of the portability for consumers.

?Phizzle and the technology they employ and the flexibility they provide let us do more for our fans, to better target and be more efficient in the ways we acquire mobile customers, figuring out how best to collect fans? mobile numbers and communicate with them.?

Madison Square Garden is a fully-integrated sports, entertainment and media business comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Entertainment and MSG Media.

MSG Sports consists of owning and operating sports franchises, including the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL).

MSG Entertainment creates, produces and presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes. 

MSG venues include Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, the Chicago Theatre and the Wang Theatre.

MSG Media consists of the MSG Networks (MSG, MSG Plus, MSG HD and MSG Plus HD) regional sports networks and the Fuse Networks (Fuse and Fuse HD), a national television network dedicated to music.

Mobile will be integrated across all of these business units.

In addition to Madison Square Garden, Phizzle?s clients include the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Oakland Raiders, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, Fox Sports, Comcast-Spectacor and DirecTV Sports Networks.

SMS can still impress
Phizzle will help MSG incorporate a variety of text-messaging campaigns to create a participatory audience experience, including text-to-win promotions, text-to-vote polls and surveys, and text-to-screen.

To enhance the audience experience via the mobile device before, during, post-event, Phizzle will provide MSG with a set of mobile and SMS marketing tools to create integrated, multichannel mobile marketing programs for fans, event sponsors and local advertisers.

Phizzle will work with MSG to engage the entire mobile ecosystem to create real-time dialogue with audiences at games, concerts and during live broadcasts.  

?Phizzle allows us to take our mobile initiatives to the next level,? Mr. Richman said. ?Mobile is a key element of Stay Connected, as text messaging and promotions to fans is becoming more and more important.

?Knicks, Rangers, Radio City, the Garden?as they crave more analytics and data, and that?s what these guys really provide,? he said. ?Mobile is where smart marketers are going, and we?re placing bets in mobile and the portable social media space, which is really important.?

MSG?s goal is to use mobile to create customer loyalty and increase revenues by encouraging fan participation and initiating one-to-one dialogues with their fan base.

Mr. Richman said that mobile provides better audience segmentation and helps MSG process consumer feedback.

One of MSG?s primary goals is to significantly increase its opted-in SMS database. It also asks fans to register their email address to participate in various campaigns.

MSG is also in the process of launching mobile Web sites, although details have yet to be announced.

Phizzle is helping MSG put up mobile programs quickly, from last-minute ticket promotions, seat upgrades and creating a multi-screen experience blending in-arena, TV and mobile.

MSG is focused on attracting sponsors for its mobile programs, and offering a mobile component to existing sponsors.

Mr. Richman said that as the Garden brings in brand partnerships, more and more sponsors are looking at digital services and integrations to activate their relationship with MSG, and mobile is a crucial part of that.

?MSG?s first goal is to increase their SMS database?that?s the main goal for mobile engagement,? said Ben Davis, CEO of Phizzle, San Francisco. ?Beyond that it?s to drive revenue and drive campaigns for their sponsors and advertisers.

?The real benefit of the mobile programs is giving their sponsors and advertisers the chance to ramp up their campaigns for their entire audience and create a complete experience for their fans,? he said.

?It will involve out-of-home marketing as well, billboards and posters at bus stops with mobile calls to action.?

Final Take
Dan Butcher, associate editor, Mobile Marketer

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