Jonathan Matlock

Enhancing the Auburn Football Fan Experience Through Integrated Digital, NIL, and Community

Auburn Football Strategic Marketing Campaign

This project involved developing a comprehensive strategic marketing plan for Auburn Football with a fixed campaign budget of $250,000. The objective was to create a data-driven, measurable, and financially justified marketing strategy that increased fan engagement, strengthened brand equity, and generated revenue growth while maintaining ethical standards within collegiate athletics.

The campaign was structured using a full corporate marketing framework, including an Executive Summary, Mission Statement with SMART goals, SWOT Analysis, Target Audience segmentation, Unique Selling Proposition (USP), Distribution Plan, Promotions Strategy, Online Marketing Strategy, KPI measurement plan, Legal & Ethical considerations, and a detailed Budget Narrative.

The mission of the campaign was to enhance the Auburn Football fan experience and increase home game attendance by 12% by the end of the 2026 season through targeted digital marketing, NIL activations, regional promotions, and mobile engagement tools. SMART goals were established to measure success, including digital impression targets, merchandise revenue growth, email list expansion, and season ticket retention improvements.

A detailed SWOT analysis identified strengths such as Auburn’s loyal SEC fan base and strong brand recognition, while addressing weaknesses including digital engagement gaps and regional competition. Opportunities included NIL athlete partnerships and mobile app expansion, while threats such as sports gambling controversies and economic fluctuations were evaluated with mitigation strategies incorporated into the campaign.

The $250,000 budget was strategically allocated across social media advertising, NIL athlete partnerships, event activations, mobile app enhancements, content production, merchandise incentives, and analytics tools. Each allocation was justified with projected ROI benchmarks tied directly to campaign KPIs, ensuring alignment between narrative strategy and financial planning.

Additionally, the campaign addressed legal and ethical considerations, including NIL compliance, data privacy protection, and maintaining fan trust in an evolving sports media landscape. This reflected a strong understanding of risk management and corporate accountability in sports marketing.

This project demonstrates my ability to:
• Develop a full-scale strategic marketing plan with financial justification
• Apply SMART goal frameworks and KPI measurement systems
• Align budget allocation with projected return on investment
• Conduct structured SWOT analysis with actionable mitigation strategies
• Integrate ethical considerations into revenue-driven campaigns
• Present marketing strategies in a professional, executive-ready format

Overall, this campaign showcases my capacity to think strategically, allocate resources effectively, and design measurable marketing initiatives within a competitive collegiate athletics environment.