ORIENTEERING DEVELOPMENT

Ben Rattray, Director (Development)

As Director of Development with Orienteering Australia, I am putting together a series of articles about Orienteering in Australia today. I would like to address how we can evolve as a sport, and evolve our development strategies with our sport alongside changes in society and community lifestyles. I think we can accomplish this, without losing the essence of the sport which we all love and enjoy. I will be controversial at times, but I will always try to address practical solutions to issues I raise. Importantly, I welcome your feedback and discussion on the issues raised. This will form the key to understanding what strategies best suit present and future orienteers in Australia. Here we go.

Orienteering Isn’t Ready for Growth

I’m going to play devil’s advocate.

Why would I want to orienteer? My friends don’t do it, and to be honest, its pretty uncool, I used to do it on hikes in scouts. Even if it was cool, it’s too far away and takes too much time out of my social life (family, nightlife etc). I went to an event once, I had no idea what was going on and no-one really helped me much. It even felt like the person at registration ridiculed me and wouldn’t give me student prices. I did a course, it was too short (or too hard and I got demoralised). I never saw my result; no-one sent me any or told me where to look on the internet. All I got was this map and I’m sure some of the things were wrong, maybe it was an old map. I didn’t even find out when other events were on although someone told me where it was the next week but I couldn’t get to it as someone else had the car. I don’t know how I would improve so there wasn’t much motivation to go back anyway, and without results to compare with, why would I want to orienteer?

Orienteering is a product. The orienteering product is what people experience at the actual event. As a consumer, if you experienced a product as viewed by the example above, would you buy it again? I’m sure most participants don’t go away with this experience, but I don’t think it is a scenario that is that unlikely either. I bring your attention back to a letter written by David Bourne in the June 2004 edition of The Australian Orienteer - “Orienteering is not cheap for a twenty year old”. Bourne places an emphasis on the costs as hinted at above. I argue that orienteering is not expensive – if you take out the travel. Holding most of our ‘bush’ events in distant forests can cause these problems, and I have felt for a while that we should take a look at our event schedules. We must also remember that there are aspects of the sport that appeal to different groups and there are a number of barriers that we must overcome to appeal to as many people as possible. As a product, in orienteering we aim to increase media coverage, sponsorship and profile. For this we do adopt strategies including competition standards, arena production, GPS tracking of runners, photos of state uniformed competitors, produce glossy brochures, have a colourful magazine….you get the picture. These topics are often discussed and receive attention at some point, but are generally only adopted at major events. Often we make an assumption that these strategies will attract more participants and more members. What we often miss, is that the championship level of the sport is not the product most participants experience, at least not at first, if ever. We need to think of orienteering as a product for the first-timer, or occasional orienteer too. We are all orienteers, so we all think the basic product is great, and it is, but it’s often not packaged well. So when people ask me how we can attract newcomers i.e. how can we sell the sport, I will respond with a lot, but how is the product? I have no experience in marketing, but to me, there are a number of factors that will persuade someone to take up orienteering, or at least try it. Some of these reflect directly on the product they will experience.

The Challenges

Awareness

Advertising events can undertake many forms ranging from word of mouth, to paid advertisements in the popular media. For this issue however, I want to focus on the product as opposed to where we advertise.

Knowledge and Interest

People must think orienteering sounds like an interesting pursuit in order to try it. It is not for everyone, but surely many more people would enjoy aspects of orienteering than currently do. We need to be very savvy in the way we advertise it and targeting our marketing can be very effective. The term target group has been used before. I define it as groups that we dedicate specific marketing towards. Target groups are traditionally physical groups such as schools, but more effective targeting is to groups with specific interests. The interest may be in the outdoors, navigational challenges, social groups, competitive sport, fitness enthusiasts, team building groups… and may not have an actual physical presence. We may be able to address multiple groups at a time, but we should think about which events will attract which groups. This of course directs us to start thinking about the market – Where is the biggest demand? Which events should we hold more of? How many distant events do we hold? More on this next issue. People have to know something about the sport to be interested in the first place. This is where Schools Orienteering is crucial for us, even if we don’t see direct rewards. And of course it’s where media and avenues such as The Australian Orienteer, the Orienteering Australia website, State newsletters and websites are so important. People will ask: • What do I know about orienteering? • Does it sound fun?

• Does it sound like an interesting challenge? • Does it appeal to my interests? In finding solutions, we need to ask a range of questions about how and where we create interest.

Convenience

If you have sparked an interest, then the next questions become logistical, is it convenient? Can I make it to an event? Remember

people have lots of other commitments in life (work, sport, family, social groups etc) and may not prioritise orienteering as we do. People will ask: • Will my friends go? • Is it far?

• Is it at a convenient time?

• Is it expensive? • Will it get in the way of my social activities? In finding solutions, we need to address convenience issues.

Perceptions

The other consideration is of course perceptions people have about the sport. How will orienteering fit in with their life (either for that one event or as an orienteer for life) and the biases they have about the sport. These concepts will relate to what they know about the sport. Bias will still exist however, and may lead individuals to think they can’t or don’t want to fit orienteering into their life, even when this may not be the case. Perceptions may include: • Orienteering will interfere with my social life and family commitments • Events can’t be fit in around work/other sports • Running through the forest and spider-webs… not pleasant. • It is not a cool sport; it is not a competitive sport In finding solutions, we need to address perceptions the public have of our sport.

First (early) impressions

Everyone knows how important first impressions are, and it’s no different for orienteering. The experiences newcomers have at their initial events are likely to be the difference on whether they come back. Their experience will depend on numerous factors, some which we can control include: • The friendliness and helpfulness of organisers and members • The ease of registration and following procedures • The quality of the map and event • The appropriateness of the course • Further information provided to newcomers • Feedback they receive (results, support from organisers) • Support from club/members in progressing further In finding solutions, we need to consider how our sport caters to newcomers at events. We need to think about the Solutions

Next edition: Growth solutions: how can we improve the product for newcomers.

Development Tips – Advertising Events

1. Look to advertise events on websites. Coolrunning (www. coolrunning.com.au) and Sleepmonsters (www.sleepmonsters. com.au) service the running and adventure racing communities in Australia and offer event schedules that are free to add to. 2. Run a story in your local paper. Get in contact with your local suburban paper a few weeks before your event. They will often run a local interest story if it’s in their coverage area. 3. Make sure details of your event are well promoted at other events in the weeks or months before your event. 4. Regular e-mail updates (either directly to likely participants or through group e-newsletters) are good reminders for people to schedule it in. 5. Think of a target group – whether it is corporate, local school etc. Offer them incentives to participate (such as group discounts) and produce leaflets/posters/information advertising the event and cater for them if they are turning up.

If you have any tips, please email them to: oa_development@netspeed.com.au Good tips will be published with acknowledgements in subsequent editions.

Development Resources

Orienteering Australia is creating development resources. Everyone can access them through the Orienteering Australia website: www.orienteering.asn.au/promotion/devel/ Please take advantage of them and check regularly for updates.

Promoting the Product

There are numerous ways people find out about orienteering, it might be through the media, or an advertisement or section in a what’s on part of the print media. It might be through friends, work colleagues or family as word of mouth. It might be through school, it may be through a poster, or even through another sporting activity (such as coolrunnings website, sleepmonsters).

Spor Australian ts Foundation

Support your Sport through taxdeductible donations to the Australian Sports Foundation

Check out the details and download the donor’s form from www.orienteering.asn.au