We are by no means Luddites, but we have also never claimed to be overly opportunistic with technology. I agree that I summon descendants before most Teams calls. For whatever reason, this damn thing wouldn't work without the presence of a 20-year-old. But as the sons of advertising men, we have years of marketing savvy, so we know first-mover advantage when we see it. So the first book on artificial intelligence and sports marketing is noteworthy, not just because of its surprising timing for an industry still coming to terms with AI.
“I was hesitant to release it because the space is changing so quickly, but I almost never did,” he said. shripal shahformer senior vice president of marketing for the Redskins, has just published “Level Up with AI — A Strategic Guide to AI in Sports Marketing.”
Given the high level of interest in AI, there is no doubt that there will be demand for it. Mr. Shah is currently focused on retail as the chief digital officer of the rewards platform. shop your way. But like many, he feels his AI will change things comprehensively. “By integrating AI across sports marketing, we are poised to redefine fan engagement, unlock valuable data-driven insights, optimize critical operations, and open creative new avenues for content creation. It’s in place,” he wrote.
shripal shahCourtesy of Shripal Shah
“Fans are more mobile than ever and more distracted than ever before, so from 30,000 feet, we can customize across the thousands of segments that make up your fan base to get your marketing and marketing right where you need it. You'll be able to deliver your content. Just by automating delivery and designing and analyzing how users visit your site, you'll have a more effective way to reach your users.”
In an interview, Shah warned that the sports industry is lagging behind other companies in leveraging AI.
“They're even further behind what I've seen in the retail industry,” said Shah, an adjunct instructor in Georgetown's sports industry management program. There he has used AI to create lecture slides and class discussion questions. “What retailers have been working on for five years now is call centers, chat bots, and email delivery, which all the big retailers use. When it comes to generative AI, where you just tell the AI to do something, , the first time I saw it used was using [email] Subject several months after ChatGPT opened its API to developers. I feel like sports hasn't caught up with retail yet. ”
Shripal Shah's new book explores the various uses of AI in marketing.
Some of the benefits of AI are fundamental, similar to any real estate business that sends out a steady stream of sales texts and email messages. Ease of customization through customer history should allow messages to be tailored to team or player performance, along with the time of day that a particular text or email will generate a message. Customized, optimized messages yield optimal results and should “change the job of everyone involved in email marketing,” says Shah. “But it's not widespread enough yet.”
Properties are more involved than ever in the business of content creation. Shah says it's easy to customize content across all chores, from customized posts and surveys to long-form videos. However, he cautions that AI must always be used transparently and “always remember to balance AI capabilities with human creativity and wisdom.” Maintain an ethical compass, seek diverse perspectives, and focus on improving the human experience. ” Sports Illustrated, are you listening? “I don't see AI as a replacement, but as an accelerator of human creativity,” Shah said.
It’s very hard to imagine a sports marketing “killer app” eventually emerging from AI, let alone the future. Shah believes that AI will link with VR, AR and blockchain applications to help fans reach far beyond immersive and fan loyalty programs like the Sacramento Kings, the first US professional team to develop a crypto token fan rewards program. We envision a hyper-connected world that creates engagement. ” It revolutionizes fan engagement by providing transparency, security and trust in ticket sales, merchandise and fan benefits. ” When you combine the capabilities of AI with the developing wearables market, things get even more interesting.
“It has a bit of a Wild West vibe and reminds me of the early days of social media, but when you look at things like the new SeatGeek program. [Fan Up], we know this is just the beginning of things that will be game-changing,” he said. “At the same time, there are a lot of little things that AI automates for humans, but how does it impact overall productivity? Perhaps that’s the real killer app.”
Shah is already working on his second AI sports book. “With generative AI, the AI is actually learning, and so are the users. It feels like every 30 days there's a new and important application of generative AI,” he said. “You don't have to be a programmer anymore to use AI. To me, that's the most appealing part.”
Terry Lefton can be reached at tlefton@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
