The document discusses the challenges the WNBA faced in marketing itself and positioning its product. It argues that the WNBA incorrectly assumed basketball fans would automatically like the WNBA like the NBA. It also tried too hard to emulate the NBA when it should have differentiated itself more. The WNBA targeted men aged 20-39 but faced competition from more popular baseball. It also struggled to attract hardcore sports fans or get men to view women's sports as equally athletic. The WNBA needed to market itself as a more affordable and family-friendly alternative experience rather than trying to replicate the NBA.

1. Adam Miller<br />Sports Marketing<br />February 15, 2010<br />In deciding whether or not the WNBA segmented and positioned its product correctly, it’s important to realize that marketing the league was naturally going to be an uphill battle even though there was demand for a women’s league. Throughout the case study, the WNBA constantly drew a correlation that stated basketball fans who liked the NBA would automatically like the WNBA as well. These assumptions automatically meant that the WNBA was going to be unsuccessful in marketing its product because it tried to use some of the same strategies an NBA team would use, while at the same time trying to be different. Part of the process also included assessing other smaller leagues to see what their strategies are and whether or not they are successful. From a realistic standpoint, the WNBA is competing with minor league sports such as Arena Football, the American Hockey League and Minor League Baseball. While none of them are as successful as their major league counterparts, they still bring fans to the stadium with a marketing strategy that is practical for the WNBA to follow.<br />One of the main audiences the WNBA targeted was men who are 20-39 years old. Although it would make common sense that sports fans who watch a lot of television would like another sport, the league didn’t take into account that it competes with baseball, which is perhaps even more popular than the NBA. Baseball is much more of an obsession to sports fans than basketball ever could be (except for the Michael Jordan era) because of the statistics. Baseball fans care so much about their sport that many of them keep their own stats or try to derive formulas that figure out which player is the best. If there is any hardcore fan base in the WNBA, it’s very small, which is why the WNBA will always struggle to get that kind of fan interested in women’s basketball. It’s likely that the hardcore sports fans are the ones who picked up the sport they love since they were kids and as adults aren’t going to want to add a new league to their interests when baseball is around. It’s also very difficult to get men that age to watch women’s sports because women are generally not as athletic as the men are so watching a women’s sport is sometimes equated to watching an inferior sport. Even if it is a stereotype, the budget for women’s sports generally isn’t as big as men’s sports, which makes it lose some of the glamor. Many men’s college basketball players and NBA players are seen as celebrities around the country. Women athletes generally aren’t considered celebrities unless they’re on the cover of a magazine or are dating someone famous. <br />The WNBA made a conscious effort to position its league as one full of role models. This strategy could’ve been very effective, considering how much complaining the general public has about athletes being bad examples for children. However, in some of the other aspects the positioning statement mentions, it tries too hard to be similar to the NBA when it should’ve tried to make itself like a different sport. The AFL is a good example of that. It’s still a football league and is opposite when the NFL is, but it was successful because it had more relaxed rules than the NFL and it promoted high scoring with a 50-yard playing field. The WNBA has the exact same rules, but lower scoring, which makes the game a lot more boring. Another example that is not as drastic, but just as effective in the AHL compared to the NHL. For many years in Chicago, the Wolves were more popular than the Blackhawks because the team provided such a fan-friendly experience and tried to create a family atmosphere. The WNBA needs to do the same, because it cannot expect to emulate the NBA and get the same results since the quality of play isn’t as high. However, if it markets itself as something different and tries to make the game more exciting, the fans will eventually come out.<br />In order for the WNBA to be successful, it has to do a better job at making itself stand out from the NBA. If the NBA is going to be part of the promotional strategy, it should be only as complementary partners, but not as a comparison. For instance, when WNBA fans buy a ticket package, they should receive some sort of voucher to buy tickets for that city’s NBA team or make public appearances with players on an NBA team. This sort of promotion would be a lot more productive than trying to create an NBA arena experience where the crowd is at least twice the size of most WNBA crowds. In addition, there needs to be more of an effort to target people who aren’t already big sports fans by making the game fan-friendly and the players more available to the public. There is plenty of precedent to suggest that leagues that aren’t in the Big Four can do well if it implements the right strategy. The best way to be successful is to promote the league as a fun, but cheap family outing. It should focus on the middle-class demographic, who might be sports fans, but can’t necessarily afford a baseball game. It can attract the family by turning the game into more of a spectacle, such as having the mascots more involved, offer more prizes and giveaways, or providing more entertainment. <br />