From promotion and branding to public relations and crisis communication, strategic communication is the backbone of modern sports management. The digital world has transformed how sports fans interact with their favorite teams and players, increasing demand for communicators to ensure an organization’s messaging remains engaging while also aligning with its long-term goals and values.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Master of Science (M.S.) in Sports Administration – Strategic Communication online program equips sports professionals with the skills to navigate the complex and evolving marketing landscape. By fostering expertise in strategic messaging, the program prepares graduates to excel in the dynamic sports industry.
Why Do Sports Administrators Need Strategic Communication Skills?
Strategic communication involves the purposeful use of communication by an organization to fulfill its short-term and long-term missions, according to GetGuru. Communication professionals use a variety of tools, ranging from public relations, marketing, advertising and online campaigns, to articulate a vision for the corporation or group’s long-term goals. A successful strategic communicator understands that executing this vision requires effective internal communication with employees as well as external communicators tasked with explaining the organization’s mission to the public, including customers, investors and other stakeholders.
GetGuru explains that strategic communication is distinct from general communication because it involves a plan with specific objectives. The process consists of planning for each campaign – for example, the launch of a football season — and developing a messaging plan that requires feedback from key stakeholders, such as coaches, athletics department leaders, sales representatives, athletes and season ticketholders. Campaign managers will also set specific outcomes to measure the campaign’s success, such as tickets sold, merchandise purchased or engagement with the campaign on social media.
Developing effective communication skills is crucial for a wide range of sports administrators, especially professionals seeking advanced roles as athletic directors, operations managers, public relations managers or communication specialists. Sports marketers must understand the target audience, clients and colleagues to effectively engage and create campaigns that resonate with the public, according to SportFive magazine.
Strategic communications programs, such as the one offered by Southeastern Oklahoma State, teach sports professionals how to connect with their target customers through the right channels, digital and in-person. In addition, graduates learn how to use internal communication to ensure their colleagues align on brand messaging — especially when there is a crisis or major change in the organization, such as a head coaching change or a sudden exit by an athlete.
Using Strategic Communication to Improve Sports Marketing Campaigns
Done the right way, strategic communication can help brands shape and maintain a positive reputation that makes other organizations want to do business with them, according to 5WPR. This requires effective stakeholder engagement with customers, employees, investors, the media and the broader community that supports an athletic team or brand. Doing so ensures that in times of crisis or challenges, communicators will have a solid foundation from which they can respond quickly and transparently to reduce reputational damage.
In the sports administration world, change is a given. Coaches, staff and athletes are frequently moving between teams or schools, challenging strategic communicators to explain the reasoning behind changes, the next steps and what employees can expect from the coming months. As 5WPR explains, organizations undergoing significant changes need skilled strategic communicators to ensure leaders effectively address concerns and build the required internal and external support to implement their vision for the future. Aspiring athletics directors will also benefit from this training, as they can effectively communicate their values and decisions to inspire commitment from their staff, athletes and fans.
For professionals interested in a sports marketing career, an understanding of long-term strategic communication will pay off in their relationships with sponsors, teams and players. Mir Demir Demirer, a sports marketing manager and author, points out that effective campaigns build relationships between athletes and fans, creating emotional connections that inspire loyalty to an organization regardless of its leadership or roster. Tapping into audience segmentation, or crafting messages that resonate with each target group, allows marketers to better understand what their fans want — and how to ensure that their long-term strategy aligns with those desires.
Develop Communication Expertise With an Online Master in Sports Administration Program
Through Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s M.S. in Sports Administration – Strategic Communication online program, graduates simultaneously learn the ins and outs of sports operations alongside strategic communications skills necessary to successfully plan and execute promotional campaigns for their employers. Both aspiring and working sports professionals leave the program with a greater ability to guide their organizations through challenges and growth opportunities in the digital age.
Learn more about Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Master of Science in Sports Administration – Strategic Communication online program.