You must be living under the proverbial rock if you have not heard about ChatGPT – an AI-powered chatbot developed by OpenAI. It is a large language model that is capable of understanding natural language and generating responses that are appropriate and relevant to the user's input. ChatGPT has been trained on a massive dataset of human language and can therefore understand and respond to a wide range of topics and questions.
So as requested I asked it a question – What Do Sports Fans really want from their Team?
The response was illuminating:
“Sports fans want their team to be successful and win games. Winning provides a sense of pride, satisfaction, and validation for fans. However, it's not just about winning. Fans also want to see their team play with passion, effort, and heart. They want to see their favorite players show resilience in the face of adversity and give their all, even in defeat.
{So far so good}
“In addition to on-field success, fans want to feel a sense of connection to their team. This can come from a variety of sources, including team history and tradition, community involvement, player personalities, and team culture. Fans also appreciate transparency and honesty from their team's management and ownership, particularly when it comes to decisions that affect the team's direction and success.”
Ultimately, what sports fans want from their team is a sense of belonging and identity. They want to feel like they are a part of something larger than themselves, and that their support and passion for their team matters. Winning is important, but it's the connection to the team that keeps fans engaged and loyal over the long term."
{Wow}
Belonging, identity, involvement, community, history, tradition, connection - keep fans engaged and loyal. Concepts that go straight to the heart of membership and rewards. Successful sports loyalty programs are not about the points. They offer a route to building connection between the fan and their team - feeding the sense of belonging and identity.