Every day teams try to find new ways to utilize technology in order to better evaluate their fan base more analytically. The days of of solely relying on face-to-face focus groups or mailed surveys are virtually non-existent. Additionally, with a lot more overhead as a result of these in-person informational gatherings, it is in the teams best interest to be well versed with acquiring this information digitally.
Teams would benefit from using “CheckinLine,” a new app created in Australia. This company is offering the best game tickets to fans waiting in line in exchange for them to “check in” over an interval of time.
This technology works on the premise of incentivizing the ticket-buying experience through gamification. The longer fans are in line, the more willing they are to expend their time to respond to questions that will net them a better reward. CheckinLine asks fans to answer objective questions via a Facebook app. The more questions they respond to during this duration, their chances to win tickets increases.
Gamification, though, isn’t a new concept. It is something businesses have employed in order to gain certain data or boost sales and productivity. In principle, gamification is a process that compels people to connect in a desired way through a series of interactive activities, levels of completion, or credentials. The derivative, “game”, says it all: turning something into a game that’s fun or rewarding within a structure.
“Because the (online ticketing process) is broken, there is a natural incentive for customers to give away something in exchange for the opportunity to go into an early lottery to buy tickets,” said Steven Noble, founder of Australian startup, “Hack the Gong.”
Consequently, CheckinLine presents a great opportunity for American sports to tap into as well. Specifically, collegiate athletics and the NFL.
Collegiate athletics is a prime target for benefiting from this “give” and “receive” buying experience. While some schools have launched a social media rewards program, that’s just an initial step towards enhancing their online profile. There’s a plethora of universities that are either a basketball or football factory, few with both. How many times do you see kids in Tobacco Road or Lexington camp out for days, sometimes longer than a week just to land basketball tickets? CheckinLine provides college sports a streamlined outlet to evaluate their fan bases better, while offering a discounted ticket to game day.
Secondly, the National Football League is in a class of its own in terms of popularity. Despite recent noise from the referees labor dispute and concussions, everyone is glued to their TVs on Sundays. As successful as the NFL is, there’s still one league event that could use a facelift: the Pro Bowl. Considering that there isn’t another American sporting event in the realm of the Super Bowl, the NFL could use this platform as leverage with fans to enhance their deflated all-star game. With CheckinLine, the gamification application would do wonders to the droves of fans intent on buying Super Bowl tickets. The league simply has to reserve a certain amount of tickets that fans would wait in line for, which are low-priced and feature extra amenities for the swap of responding to a strategically-conceived survey about how to improve the Pro Bowl.
The value of high-profile sporting events, gamification, and this fact made by Chandler all combine to make CheckinLine a worthwhile app. The functionality crosses over well to the American ticket-buying industry. Now leagues and teams have another tool to better grasp their tech-savvy fans.
(Photo Courtesy of checkinline.com.au)
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