ECAL proudly announces its partnership with World Athletics, the governing body for track and field worldwide, to deliver a sophisticated digital calendar experience aimed at engaging fans and participants across the globe, as one part of a larger digital transformation strategy.
Boasting a huge, sparse and rising global audience, the need for the sport of athletics to deliver a more modernised digital experience has never been more relevant. This new partnership with World Athletics reinforces ECAL’s digital calendar marketing solution as a ‘must have’ piece of the broader digital transformation puzzle, for leading sports federations wanting to implement a modernised digital solution stack to deliver an improved online and mobile experience, with greater engagement, enhanced communications, personalisation, user data and insights.
At the heart of World Athletics’ vision was a simple desire to connect better with their vast global audience of participants and fans around competitions and events. The all new ‘digital calendar’ experience powered by ECAL allows fans to create their own personalised athletics calendar, from the most popular leagues and major events including the World Athletics Series, World Athletics Continental Tour Gold, World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold, World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold and Wanda Diamond League.
ECAL’s ‘Sync to Calendar’ solution is now live and seamlessly integrated into the World Athletics website, its official launch timed perfectly to coincide with the opening round of the World Continental Tour Gold event in Melbourne, the Maurie Plant Meet. Fans will be hard pressed to miss the new feature with ‘Sync your athletics calendar now’ promotions featured prominently across World Athletics website, app, social and email platforms. ‘Add to Calendar’ buttons feature on the individual competition pages with a master button on the ‘competition calendar’ page.
Fans will “catch every run, jump, throw”, with events directly appearing in the calendar, complete with localised broadcast information, direct access to live stream via ‘Inside Track’, direct access to tickets, event timetable, standings, latest news and lots more, all at a simple click or tap on the mobile.
World Athletics fans, it’s time to get in sync. Create your personalised athletics calendar now!
Love your Disney+? Thanks to ECAL, the Disney+ ‘digital calendar’ service is the very best way to keep up-to-date with the latest series releases, delivered straight to calendar!
ECAL has partnered with leading UK agency Immediate Media, to deliver a first of its kind in ‘IM Push’ – a high impact, functional advertising asset that integrates with the personal digital calendar of the user, incorporating ECAL’s leading ‘sync to calendar’ technology.
The Disney+ ‘digital calendar’ service is dynamic, rich with details, and with handy alerts and direct action links to ‘Watch Live’ and more.
High impact ‘IM Push’ advertising for Disney+ appears across the RadioTimes.com site network, and editorial, for all the latest series including Brawn, Culprits, Percy Jackson and The Olympians and the much anticipated samurai themed Shogun.
Don’t miss your exciting Disney+ releases, sync them to your calendar via IM Push and RadioTimes.com now!
ECAL proudly announces its new collaboration with the Frost Bank Center, the iconic home of the San Antonio Spurs, to bring a slick and sophisticated digital calendar experience to basketball fans and concert goers. This partnership is yet another significant integration for ECAL, the world’s leading calendar marketing platform, designed to boost ticket sales, enhance customer engagement, and elevate the event experience for venues and stadia.
Nestled in the heart of San Antonio, Texas, the Frost Bank Center stands as a premier venue hosting a diverse array of events throughout the year, ranging from thrilling basketball games to captivating concerts, theatrical performances, literary gatherings, and community events.
Very often when a show is announced, or seen for the first time, a fan is not necessarily ready to buy tickets. Or simply, tickets may not yet be on sale. However, with a simple click, fans can now effortlessly synchronise their preferred events by category, or just their favourite upcoming show, directly to their personal digital calendar of choice.
Dynamic calendar updates ensure fans are always kept up-to-date with the latest information, featuring rich with essential event details, and one-click access to purchase tickets directly via their calendar. Ticket On-Sale events and Ticket Alerts will automatically appear in calendar for your favourite events, serving as a timely reminder to buy tickets, with direct access to purchase.
ECAL’s innovative ‘Sync to Calendar’ technology is now live and seamlessly integrated into the Frost Bank Center website. You’ll find ‘Sync to Calendar’ icons on each individual event tile and on each Event Details Page, as well as a master ‘Sync to Calendar’ button on the Upcoming Events page that lets you choose your favourite events by category.
Discover upcoming events at the Frost Bank Center by visiting frostbankcenter.com and “sync the excitement” so you never miss a moment!
The biggest shopping day of them all, Black Friday, is as big as ever. It’s also more competitive, and more creative, with brands looking for any edge to better communicate offers and boost sales.
This season we’ve seen more publishers than ever look to their connected calendar audience in ECAL, to reward and tempt their passionate fanbase with a variety of deals and offers, delivered straight to calendar.
The creative opportunity in ECAL for retail offers is high, with the ability to insert limited-time offers, flash sales, and exclusive discounts directly to what is regarded as a high value audience, at exactly the right time, all via the intimacy of their personal digital calendar.
We’ve had a great time working with clients to see and explore the potential, and execute on some fun and successful campaigns. Consumer engagement via click throughs to the offers have been strong overall, with CTR exceeding 5% in some cases.
Here are just some of our favourite Black Friday calendar campaigns so far!
The AFL has unveiled its new look Premiership Season fixture, promising a season of unmissable moments and epic showdowns. In a break from tradition, the season will start with just four games on the weekend of March 7-9, two in each of NSW and Queensland. ‘Opening Round’ further cementing the AFL’s ongoing plan to grow the game in the northern states. ‘Gather Round’ returns to Adelaide after a wildly successful debut. The football festival bringing fans right across Australia together for an immersive experience that goes beyond the boundaries of the playing field.
As the AFL’s official digital calendar provider, ECAL’s smart, dynamic ‘Sync to Calendar’ service is the only way to keep ahead of the curve. With an increasingly flexible AFL fixture subject to change, ECAL is the ultimate companion, keeping fans instantly up-to-date and connected with their favourite team fixtures. Footy fans will never miss a moment with match details updated dynamically throughout the season, with direct access to Latest Video, AFL On Demand, Latest News, AFL StatsPro and TV Broadcast details at your fingertips.
With thrilling matchups, revamped rounds, and fan-centric events on the horizon, this season is shaping up to be one for the history books. Can the Pies go back-to-back or will another Victorian powerhouse in the Blues break their premiership drought?
Sync up and get ready for an unforgettable ride! The AFL season kicks off on Thursday 14th March with traditional rivals Carlton and Richmond in action.
Rugby league fans, get ready for an NRL season like no other! The 2024 fixture for the men’s and women’s competitions has been unveiled, promising an electrifying series of matches and moments that will have fans on the edge of their seats. As the anticipation builds for epic clashes and thrilling showdowns, there’s only one way to keep in-sync, thanks to ECAL, the official digital calendar partner of the NRL.
For the first time ever, the NRL Telstra Premiership season will kick off with an historic season-opening double-header on American soil. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas plays host as the Sea Eagles take on the Rabbitohs, and the Roosters go head-to-head with the Broncos. It’s an unprecedented event that will mark the beginning of an NRL season filled with excitement and surprises.
ECAL’s smart, dynamic ‘Sync to Calendar’ service ensures fans stay instantly connected to every kick-off throughout the season. No moment will be missed, as timely match reminders and updates keep fans in the loop and engaged with everything the NRL has to offer. Match details are updated dynamically in your calendar, with direct access to Tickets, Latest News, Membership, Shop and TV Broadcast details at your fingertips.
Sync your calendar because the NRL action kicks off on Saturday 2nd March, 2024, and this is one season opener you won’t want to miss!
In 2023, France had the distinct honor of hosting the Rugby World Cup, an event of monumental significance in the world of sports. To take fan engagement and excitement to new heights, organizers turned to the ‘Sync to Calendar’ marketing solution provided by ECAL, a trusted partner of World Rugby.
Empowering Fan Engagement Worldwide
ECAL’s ongoing partnership with World Rugby, spanning various competitions and major events, showcased the power of their expertise. ECAL has mastered the art of connecting global sports federations and major events engaging with global fan bases, to deliver localized content, gathering invaluable insights, driving engagement with diverse products, and supporting vital event partners such as broadcasters, ticket providers, and sponsors.
Integrating ECAL with the Official Rugby World Cup Website
A standout feature of the 2023 Rugby World Cup was the seamless integration of ECAL into the official tournament website. This seemingly simple addition had a profound impact on how fans worldwide interacted with the event. Global displays with language auto-detection featuring 35+ various languages, making it easy for fans everywhere to use the digital calendar service.
Personalized Tournament Schedules
Rugby enthusiasts had the option of syncing the entire tournament schedule or that of their favourite nation to their calendars. No more frantic searches for match times, dates, and venues – everything conveniently at their fingertips. The calendar became a front-row seat to the World Cup’s journey, no matter where you were in the world.
A Gateway to the Heart of the Tournament
ECAL’s magic didn’t end with calendar sync. It provided direct access to the Match Centre, Tickets, Official Online Store, Latest News, and Video highlights. Fan engagement reached unprecedented levels, making it easier than ever to stay informed, purchase tickets, buy merchandise, and catch up on all the latest happenings.
Conclusion
Rugby fans across the globe actively participated in the excitement, from ticket sales to accessing event information. ECAL’s ‘Sync to Calendar’ solution played a significant role in catalysing fan engagement.
The partnership between the 2023 Rugby World Cup and ECAL’s ‘Sync to Calendar’ marketing solution showcased the potential of technology in sports marketing, transforming the tournament into an engaging and memorable experience for fans worldwide. The results speak for themselves, hundreds of thousands of subscribers, tens of thousands of clicks from the calendar and an impressive CTR.
Introduction
Cricket is more than a sport; it’s a passion that brings people together worldwide. The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) is the pinnacle of One Day International Cricket, and in 2023, it’s hosted in cricket-obsessed India, spanning ten iconic venues. The International Cricket Council (ICC) faced the challenge of informing Indian cricket fans about staged ticketing releases and facilitating early sales. Their solution? A strategic partnership with ECAL, leading to remarkable results.
Informing and Engaging Fans
The ICC’s objectives were crystal clear: deliver essential ticketing details, promote CWC ticket release dates for international matches, and streamline sales for Indian matches. ECAL’s strategy involved precise audience segmentation based on location and preferences, ensuring the right information reached the right audience at the right time.
Smart ‘Tickets On-Sale’ Alerts
This strategic approach resulted in six distinct calendar campaigns:
- For CWC enthusiasts, ‘Tickets On-Sale’ entries were sent, detailing the ticketing process and offering direct access to purchase non-Indian match tickets.
- Indian cricket fans interested in the CWC received ‘Tickets On-Sale’ entries specific to Indian matches. These entries included match-specific information and direct links for ticket purchases.
Impressive Results
The partnership delivered the following outcomes:
- Over 269,000 calender impressions
- 15,412 clicks on the ‘Buy Tickets’ link within calendar entries demonstrated fans’ eagerness to secure their World Cup tickets.
- The click-through rate (CTR) of 6% for ‘Buy Tickets’ showcased the effectiveness of ECAL’s platform in driving early ticket sales.
This project exceeded its objectives, making the CWC ticketing process transparent and accessible for fans. By targeting international audiences with ticket release information, ECAL and ICC aimed to fill stadiums with enthusiastic fans from various countries.
Conclusion
The partnership between ECAL and the International Cricket Council has been a game-changer in the world of cricket. By delivering smart ‘Tickets On-Sale’ entries directly into fans’ calendars, they have educated, informed, and engaged cricket lovers in India and around the world. The 6% click-through rate to ‘Buy Tickets’ highlights the success of this initiative in driving early ticket sales and ensuring that fans are well-prepared for the upcoming Cricket World Cup. With India hosting the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the enthusiasm and anticipation among fans is at an all-time high. Thanks to the ICC and ECAL’s collaborative efforts, cricket lovers are empowered with the tools they need to make the most of this grand event.
The ICC Cricket World Cup Final is scheduled for 19th November, so it’s not too late to join the cricket extravaganza. Don’t miss a moment with the official Cricket World Cup digital calendar, powered by ECAL – get it here!
ECAL’s Top Trends In Calendar concludes! ECAL’s special 4-week series has showcased the latest techniques and strategies used by the most progressive brands in calendar marketing at ECAL. Our final episode focuses on trends in Personalisation.
Remarketing & Personalisation
ECAL’s most sophisticated clients are accessing the ECAL ‘link click’ activity data on a real-time (or daily) basis to inform them of user behaviour, interest and intent. This information is used to help build user profiles and personas, as well as for effective re-marketing campaigns by clients, and for the personalisation of future communications and web journeys.
Premier League: Summer Series USA Tour
In 2023, for the first time, the Premier League held a Summer Series pre-season tournament in the USA, with six clubs taking part in matches across five East Coast cities.
ECAL was able to play our part in supporting this major event initiative with geo-specific messaging to fans located in the United States dedicated to promoting the Summer Series, directly in their personal digital calendar. Fast and actionable access to user location (at city level), preference, activity and behavioural data from ECAL, in conjunction with a host of data points from other owned and operated products of the Premier League, was used to help gauge demand and inform follow up communications to user segments promoting ticketing and attendance at the event, with great success. In fact, Premier League generated over 120k unique pre-registrations for tickets via the website.
The Summer Series @PLinUSA campaign garnered over 120 million impressions on social platforms instagram and twitter, 1 million followers across all PL platforms and featured 10 bespoke collaborations or captures with NBC.
Sophisticated brands like Premier League also have the ability to personalise the content and advertising you see when you next visit the website, based on your known profile, or in some cases a lookalike profile. For instance, a fan in the United States would likely see a banner promotion for the Summer Series. A known fan who had already synced to calendar, but not yet signed up to Fantasy Premier League would likely receive a prompt to do so.
Language & Content
Fandom is no longer limited by geography. Fans can support and follow their team from anywhere in the world, and they expect a personalised and relevant experience. For major sporting leagues and teams, finding new and better ways to engage with a global fanbase is critical to growth and a major battle ground for hearts, minds and share of wallet.
ECAL’s advanced Sync to Calendar technology engages a global audience on two fronts – by language and content. ECAL’s smart displays have a language auto-detection feature, that detects a user’s preferred language preference and presents the entire ‘sync to calendar’ journey in over 30+ languages to suit. The events content delivered into a user’s calendar can also be localised, by language and details. Commonly, users will receive localised broadcast details for an event in their calendar to drive tune-in, and if an event is local, then the user will likely see the relevant ticketing information with direct access to purchase tickets to help drive attendance.
Check out how FC Barcelona and the LPGA use ECAL to capture, engage and service fans right across the globe through localised language and content.
Barcelona FC
FC Barcelona are big! How big? 342 million followers on social platforms big! To better service and engage their global fan base, FC Barcelona relies on ECAL to deliver it’s match information to calendar in multiple languages incl. Spanish, Catalan and English. ECAL’s advanced technology detects a user’s language preference, and provides the entire ‘sync to calendar’ flow, and their calendar events content in their preferred language.
LPGA
The LPGA, one of the world’s longest-running women’s professional sports associations is delivering localised broadcast information and ‘in-market’ ticketing information to golf fans right across the globe. Tour Events in calendar are packed with relevant tournament information and local television and / or streaming details. For local in-market audiences, fans are encouraged to ‘Catch the action up close and personal’ with a strong drive to ‘Purchase your tickets now!’ with one-click direct access to buy straight from the calendar.
ECAL’s Top Trends In Calendar continues! This special 4-week series showcases the latest techniques and strategies used by the most progressive brands in calendar marketing at ECAL. This week we focus on trends in Commericalisation.
Ticketing
Ticketing is one of ECAL’s most popular use cases, and when done well, can double the normal ticket purchase rate. Very often, when an event such as a music concert is announced, a fan is excited to attend but is simply not ready to buy. Or indeed, an event may be announced, but tickets may not yet be on sale. ECAL’s solution for ticketing allows fans to easily sync single upcoming events into their personal calendar, or their favourite events by category or type (e.g.: favourite sports, teams, music events by genre, events at a venue or in a city etc.). Dynamic updates and sophisticated logic keeps fans informed of any relevant ticket on-sale dates, special ticket alerts or offers, latest event details, ticket pricing, and even ticket status, with direct access to purchase directly from the convenience of their personal calendar.
Knowing when and where to purchase event tickets can be a stressful experience, just ask any parent of a Taylor Swift fan! ECAL’s calendar marketing software allows publishers to communicate directly with an engaged audience, and present the right information, at the right time, to drive action and response.
ECAL’s ticketing solution also extends to the post-purchase journey, adding events just bought straight into the buyer’s calendar, complete with all the latest information to make the most of their event experience, with direct access to upgrades and add-ons. Equally, ECAL’s ticketing solution is used for member groups, to inform them of important ticket access or ballot windows, and to deliver member specific information around an event, such as dress regulations, access to menus, book dining, guest passes and so on.
Check out how Premier League giants Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC use ECAL to engage and service their membership groups with Ticket On-Sale Dates and Ticket On-Sale Window events into the user calendar.
Arsenal: Ticket On-Sale Dates
There’s no bigger ticket in English Football than watching the Gunners at The Emirates. Each match at the venue is fully ticketed, with Arsenal providing certain Members with a designated window to enter a ballot to attend a Premier League, FA Cup or European Cup match. Knowing exactly when and how to enter the ballot is super important for Members wanting to see their team in action. Arsenal’s ‘Sync to Calendar’ service provides Red Members with the opportunity to receive these ticket on-sale events directly into their calendar, each with specific match information and direct access links to Arsenal’s ticketing site to enter a ballot and secure tickets.
Tottenham Hotspur: Ticket On-Sale Window
For Spurs ‘One Hotspur’ members, they need to know the exact windows for ticket purchase and ticket exchange, specific to their membership type. Depending on the level of membership, members have priority ticket access to upcoming Spurs fixtures, and receive ‘On-Sale Window’ events so they know exactly when and what tickets they can purchase. These entires are packed with the relevant fixture information, with purchase dates, price category and one-click direct access to purchase. This is a hugely valuable service for members, who often find it very difficult to keep track of these ticket access dates.
Latest Accomodation Deals
ECAL boasts a global partnership with online accommodation booking giant, Booking.com. Under the banner of ‘Stay ‘n Play’, the ECAL platform is able to deliver the latest accommodation deals for an upcoming event, for that date, near that venue, directly into the user’s calendar event. For professional sports teams, venues, festivals, community sports and ticketing clients particularly, this is a wonderful way to enhance the event experience and offering for fans, and to unlock an additional revenue stream from success accommodation bookings.
Stay n’ Play messaging is integrated into existing client events, and can be delivered as standalone entries, providing detailed accommodation information, recommended properties, pricing, property ratings and reviews, with a direct link to browse and book the best available stays… from hotels, homes, apartments and other unique places to stay.
The ‘Stay ‘n Play’ offering also includes the option for clients to host embeddable booking widgets on their website, to extend the reach and impact of the accommodation booking service to site visitors. Stay ‘n Play is a free feature for Professional level clients of ECAL, and a sure-fire way to drive the passion and participation of fans, and drive new commerce.
AFC Bournemouth: Stay ‘n Play after the whistle
AFC Bournemouth fans can take their support beyond the pitch, by booking accomodation near to the venue, and taking advantage of the very best deals, directly from their calendar. Cherries match entries include ‘Stay ‘n Play’ “after the whistle” promotional messaging, with a direct action link straight to the ‘Stay ‘n Play’ booking portal, to browse all the best accommodations deals nearby.
Ticketek: Make a night of it!
Australia’s leading ticketing provider, Ticketek, delivers a dedicated, personalised ‘Stay ‘n Play’ event entry into the calendar of a ticket buyer, two weeks prior to attending the event. Ticketek encourages fans to “make a night of it”, and provides additional support, to help enhance the overall event experience. These entries are specific to the upcoming event, and list the very best accommodation deals available at the time, for this particular event, near to the venue. Fans can easily browse the range of accommodation options available, and proceed to book online via the ‘Stay ‘n Play’ branded portal, powered by Booking.com.
