My presentation of marketing chess for women beginners at the #work4chess online conference 18.9.2021. Use case: protyping, mvp, content marketing, non-profit lean canvas.

1. Chess for
Women
Beginners
I’ve always wanted to learn chess…
I don’t know where to start
It’s so difficult…
Am I smart enough?
Case study by Heli Sirkiä

2. Heli Sirkiä
• Marketing Chess for Women -project at the Finnish
Chess Federation in 2021.
• Background in Coaching, Marketing and Research.
• BBA and MBA degrees from Aalto University.
• ECU101 School Chess Teacher Certification
• Inspired by Netflix’s Queen’s Gambit to try chess
after 30 years – not a strong chess player, but
curious and eager to learn.

3. Chess has many
faces
• Competitive Chess
• Educational Chess
• Online Chess
• Streaming and Entertainment
• Long Tournaments
• Blitz and Bullet
• … etc
So what do we mean by
Marketing Chess?

4. It can be …
• Sharing information about events
• Social Media activity
• Writing news and blog posts
• Arranging online events and
webinars
• Word of mouth
• Paid advertisement

5. …or it can be
• YouTube or Email marketing
• Search optimization
• Content creation
• List building
• Online sales
What´s your favorite way to do
marketing for chess?

6. Starting Point
• Due to Covid no OTB games (no product)
• Buzz in the air after Queen’s Gambit
• 1-2% women players
Question:
How could we get more women to buy
license and start playing chess in
tournaments?

7. KEY PARTNERS
Platforms
Sponsors
Grants
KEY ACTIVITIES
Course Design,
teaching,
marketing, content
creation,
community
management.
ChessDames
SVP
Learn Chess,
Have Fun &
Boost Confidence
Programs
1. ChessDames /
beginners
2. ChessDames /
intermediates
RELATIONS
Video meets
FB Group
Emails
Homework
Lichess Mini
Tournament
CO-CREATORS
Federation
Clubs
Chess players
Women 15-60+
Media
KEY RESOURCS
Venue, staff, cash.
CHANNELS
Online
Social media
COSTS
Website, marketing, personnel costs, overheads.
OUTCOME STREAMS
Number of participants, lisences bought, course
evaluation (satisfaction) and learnings.
Engagement
Operations
The
non-profit
business
model
canvas
Source: Bryan Alexandros, YouTube

8. Create content
• Women’s Day Article (Federation website)
• Signup form / Newsletter
• Two videos for Assembly Winter 2021 Event
• Social media (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin)
with hashtags

9. Results
• 11 participants
• License interest for children or
intermediate players
• Evaluation 8.8 and 8.4/10
• Women appreciated peer learning
• Chess is like a new language
• Enjoyed female network
• Excitement and sense of achievement.
“Yes, I did it!! ”

10. Next steps
International website
Looking for a team
Website and marketing strategy
• Social media channel choices
• Content marketing
• Google Analytics
• SEO
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Twitter

11. Tools and links
Prototype development
• Lean Non-profit Canvas
Understanding customer expectations and feed-back
• Google Forms
• Empathy Mapping
Teaching
• Google Meet, Lichess.org and Chess.com
Community management
• Facebook Group

12. Exercise
1) You are the project manager for ChessDames in your
country. The price point for live online course (8 meetings)
is 50 euro per course. How would you use LeanCanvas and
how would you market the concept onwards?
2) Pick a relevant product or service in your country. How
would you approach its marketing, based on what you have
learned today?
If inspired to share , please raise your hand virtually.

13. FIDE and Government KPI’s
CORE WOMEN PROMOTION GOVERNMENT
Active rated players (m/f)
➢ Raise the number of women
from 1-2%
Programs
➢ ChessDames
Positive or neutral coverage
➢ 3 national media news
➢ Article on the Federation website
(Women’s Day)
Number of selo listed
players
➢ n/a (94 all ages, 44
U14 or below, S50+
13)
Number of tournaments
arranged
➢ n/a
Participants
➢ 11 (5+6)
Websites, social media profiles,
groups, etc.
➢ chessdames.com
➢ @chessdames
Facebook Group (private)
Other tournaments/
Online events
➢ ECU Girls´ and Women’s Online
Event
(14 team members)
Course evaluation
➢ 8.8/10 beginners
➢ 8.1/10
intermediate