The football club "Lokomotiv" will manage fans using CRM

The football club "Lokomotiv" became the first professional club of Russia which began to use actively information technologies for the organization of work with fans. The basis of a club information system of FC Lokomotiv for ensuring marketing and commercial interaction with fans of club was made by the solution Microsoft Dynamics CRM which during implementation was closely integrated with a booking production system of Ticket Software company and a control and cash system based on the software of Frontol of ATOL group. As a software platform of an information system on work with fans – FRM systems (FRM – the English abbreviation from Fan Relationships Management - management of the relations with fans) for creation of this system selected a software package of Microsoft company – Microsoft Dynamics CRM which well proved in clubs of the English premier league and also NBA, NHL and NFL.

FC Lokomotiv began to receive the first results from use of Microsoft Dynamics CRM at the beginning of 2009 when the first basic system modules were implemented. Now the CRM system of FC Lokomotiv covers functionality on maintaining the segmented base of fans, automatic creation of club cards, implementation of news and marketing mailings on the selected contact lists and also management of away matches of the organization. All this allows to use a system as the instrument of effective work with fans, development of programs of loyalty and formation of an objective portrait of the fan of club. System implementation also promoted increase in profitability of different commercial channels of club, beginning from implementation of tickets and finishing with sale of souvenirs and attributes.

Thanks to integration of the CRM system into the booking Ticket Soft program FC Lokomotiv had an opportunity to keep account of purchases of tickets and subscriptions on owners of club cards, at the same time giving them within the loyalty program an opportunity to use the flexible system of discounts and bonuses. Thanks to integration into the control and cash Frontol system the similar mechanism at sale of club attributes is implemented not only in the territory of stadium, but also beyond its limits in remote sales points.

Unlike many other Russian clubs which use for providing tasks of work with fans of the solution made own programmers, Lokomotiv approached a problem strategically at once that together with the software products approved in the West to receive ready technologies of work. The software package created as a result solves not only problems of communications with fans, but also is integrated with the booking system and cash registers of retail stores of Lokomotiv that allowed to start own loyalty program for fans of club.

Now according to the card of the fan of Lokomotiv it is possible not only to receive purchase discounts of subscriptions and corporate products in club shop, but also to have unique opportunities which are available only to card owners: acquisition of exclusive goods from partners and sponsors of club, purchase through club of tickets for away matches of Loco and matches of Russian national team, receiving unique services from club which allow the fan to feel participation in favorite team and to feel the importance for club.

Information on purchases of fans is accumulated in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, providing increase in level of a personal discount and increase in the status of the fan. Further connection to a loyalty system of partners of Club who are also ready to provide preferences for fans is possible.

As well as in the best western clubs, the card of the fan is also the admission on all club actions: meetings with a command and management of club, open trainings, excursions to Loko base, etc. In turn club, obtaining information on the interests of each specific fan in club goods and actions, can plan more precisely on the basis of collected statistics work with fans: beginning from scoping of the order of new attributes before formation of the optimal plan of extra match actions for fans. Use Microsoft Dynamics CRM and the competent analysis of information accumulated in it allows Club to provide individual approach to each fan, building and strengthening long-term relationship with each other.

According to the website of FC Lokomotiv the number of fans in a loyalty system totals more than 20,000 people from all Russia and the neighboring countries, the club perceives each of which as the individual with her interests and preferences. And it is very worthy result of which now any other club in Russia can hardly brag. Competent adaptation of modern western technologies of work with fans in Lokomotiv undoubtedly in addition affected this result, but first of all such results became possible thanks to the long-term purposeful program for attraction and deduction of fans. The current policy of management of club is directed to continuation of the selected way, and, it is unsurprising if in several years Lokomotiv becomes the most popular Russian club.