In marketing sports products or services, like in all marketing endeavors, the marketing mix comes into play.Also called the Four Ps, as you may already know, the marketing mix is a set of controllable elements or variables that a company or a sports organization can use to influence and meet the needs of its target customers (fans) in the most effective and efficient way possible.They are, namely: product, price, place, and promotion.When organizing a league fixture, the match is the product you intend to sell, the price is the right amount of money fans are willing to part with to purchase tickets for the game, and the stadium (place) is the main distribution channel for the product.The last P, promotion, entails all the activities the host club undertakes to communicate the value of the match to the target fans.This includes advertising, sales promotions, public relations, social media marketing, and any other methods used to create awareness and generate interest in the offering.My focus for this article is the place element.A lot of reactions regarding the #MashemejiDerby being hosted at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on Saturday 20th April, and all that is justified…. pic.twitter.com/WHX8cTAMUl— Jeff Kinyanjui (@_JeffKinyanjui) April 2, 2024 In a recent fixture release, the Mashemeji Derby, the biggest club football match in the country, is set to be staged outside the capital Nairobi on Saturday, 20 April 20 2024, at the Machakos Stadium, Machakos.Whatever the reason behind this absurdity, it adds to a sad and growing trend of deterioration of this iconic rivalry in the hands of those tasked with nurturing and growing it, in this instance, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the clubs involved.To begin with, the two protagonists in this clash, Gor Mahia, who are the hosts, and AFC Leopards, are Nairobi-based clubs.Hosting the match in Machakos, 63 km away, disadvantages the two sets of fans in terms of easy accessibility and other related costs aside from the money for buying tickets.Going by the soggy state of the stadium’s playing surface as observed during the weekend’s games, you can be sure the quality of the product offering will not be worth the price on the ticket if nothing is done within the remaining days to improve the pitch.FKFPL Review: Relegation battle takes shape in eventful week 25Taken alone, it is enough reason to make some fans, mostly entertainment seekers, shy away from attending the match.After all, you can be certain that there will be thousands of better-organized events, mostly on television, to choose from on that day.The fact that none of the clubs own the stadium or have any long-term contractual agreements for use with its owners, the County Government of Machakos, makes it highly unlikely that they have any meaningful control over it.With that, it becomes almost impossible to make prior arrangements in terms of proper security for both fans and their property. This lack of venue certainty continues to make it hard for the promotion element of the derby to be fully exploited, as is the case with other notable derbies like Dar/Kariokor and Soweto.Venue sureness makes it easy for Soweto Derby match tickets to be sold two months before the fixture.##NAJAVA_MECA_8010903##Roping in product extensions like other forms of entertainment, fan engagement activities and promotions becomes possible, making the Derby not only a sporting marvel but also a marketing masterclass.The importance of the place element in marketing sports events can never be overstated.You cannot create the necessary ambience for fans without some level of greater control and certainty over the match venue. And without ambience, you will not be able to attract entertainment seekers — the fans who fill up the stadium, according to research.Clubs also lose out on other revenue sources like selling merchandise, food, and drinks on match day.The writer is a sports journalist and a FIFA International Sport Management student at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa.
