Inside_Sources

Target Group - High School Basketball Players Inside Source 1 – College Recruiter In order to assess the interests and behavior of high school basketball players for potentially marketing to them several products like sneakers and wrist bands, I Skype interview with a recruiter at St. Johns University located in my home town of New York City. I believed this individual would be considered a valuable inside source because this individual spends most of his time searching for talented high school basketball players in various high schools within New York City and develops close relationships with them. He not only recruits high school basketball players but he also mentors them and communicates with them on a more social level. This person would be considered an ‘expert’ since it is basically his job to develop relationships with basketball players and learn more about them as a person outside of the courts. This person can provide knowledgeable insight when it comes to the likes and interests of high school players, what makes them comfortable on the court, and most importantly, their spending behaviors. I asked my interviewee several questions about factors that affect the spending behavior like the passions these basketball players have, who they try to impress, and how much are they willing to pay to increase their performance. Through the interview I learned that most of the high school basketball players he mentors and come across value the attention they receive on the court, especially when their loyal fans and other high school students are yelling their name when the game gets extremely intense. These high school basketball players also like being talked about after the game by their peers. When it comes to representing their school loyalty, they prefer wearing anything that has their school colors on it and that look “cool.” Aside from things that would help them stand out and look cool, they would also willing to pay more for products that would help them boost their performance like lightweight, sleek, and comfortable sneakers, headbands and wristbands. I also learned that since most of their time is either spent in practice or on the court they don’t really have time to purchase many other products besides those that they would need for basketball or working out; this is evident in the fact that they wear basketball shorts, sneakers and a sports hoodie most of the time in and out of the court. Since high school basketball players spend their resources on acquiring sneakers that enhance performance, there is opportunity to shape this product according to their needs with the information provided to me by the recruiter. When it comes to the product itself, sneakers should be comfortable enough to protect the player from getting injured on the court and at the same time feel as lightweight as possible. The sneakers or any other basketball product must come in a variety of pairs of colors that match different school colors. This extra effort in school loyalty and morale boosts confidence on the courts and support and attention from peers. The price should remain low since these players so not have a source of income, but not too long since they are willing to spend as long as the sneakers would be worth the cost. Local sneaker shops should remain open until after basketball practice so these players can flock together after practice to make their purchase. Lastly, local sneakers store should promote and have special sales for people on the high school basketball teams. They should also encourage deals that would allow fans and peers to purchase these same sneakers that contain the school colors. Inside Source 2 – High School Cheerleader After interviewing the recruiter, I decided to call up an old friend of mine who was the head cheerleader for the basketball games back when we were in high school. I considered her an inside source because she was very close friends with many of the basketball players and even dated a few. Her older brother is now a coach for my high school team and she often goes back to mentor the current cheerleaders and get to know many of the current players. She explained that as a cheerleader, one gets to meet many of the players on a more friendly and or intimidate level since some of the players often ask them out on dates. While she was on the cheerleading squad throughout her four years of high school she noticed several things about these players that would allow us to gain a more in depth insight about high school basketball players. During the interview, she discussed how these guys do not play the sport just to impress the girls believe it or not. Most of them are passionate about the sport and actually put the sport above their interest in girls. She also mentioned how high school basketball players especially the ones who get the most media attention are naturally confident in themselves in many facets of their lives. I asked what keeps them motivated in playing this sport throughout their high school years. This was when the tone of the interview became somewhat sentimental. She replied that most of them remain dedicated because it is one of the only things they can look forward to that won’t hurt them emotionally and that allows them to clear them mind. She then talked about how one of the players she was close friends with that loved the school because a basketball was the last gift his father got him before his death. Some of these basketball players go through a lot off the court and being in the basketball team gives them the brotherhood and sense of fraternity. After conducting this interview, I was able to learn that every high school basketball player has that story of what keeps them dedicated as a player. Going back to creating a sneaker product that best captures the personalities of these high school basketball players, a product that is personal and shows brotherhood and loyalty would be meaningful to them. This can be done my personalizing the sneakers with the player’s name or names of everyone on the team. This way the sneakers can be passed on from generation to generation. The price should not be too steep since this particular segment does not generate income. A “close to home” feeling would be created if the schools distributed the sneakers as opposed to having them bought from outside vendor with little connection to the legacy for the school or basketball team. These products can be promoted during the pre-season and after pep rallies when the basketball players are filled with school pride.