CASE STUDY:
National Football League When the National Football League wanted to expand its ongoing customer service and fan engagement program for the Super Bowl it enlisted the aid of Disney Institute SUMMARY Managing the annual Super Bowl extravaganza is a complex operational challenge that demands a wide variety of expertise. Because delivering an exceptional fan experience is at the center of every year’s game, the NFL partnered with Disney Institute to develop a comprehensive customer service framework. The result, based on the league’s Fans First! program, was a multi-faceted fan engagement initiative. The NFL reports that customer service and fan engagement “rose to new levels” at Super Bowl XLVI.
A LOT OF PEOPLE TO TRAIN
A MASSIVE CHALLENGE
“In a nutshell, the NFL asked us to help them adapt some “The Greatest Show on Turf” is how much of the world of our best practices and develop ways to deliver them refers to the Super Bowl, America’s biggest one-day to everyone working on the Super Bowl,” explains Disney sports spectacular. For Frank Supovitz, the NFL executive Institute facilitator Tom Thomson. “Our ultimate goal was who’s charged with planning and running the annual to heighten the fan experience.” It was a tall order. First, extravaganza, the Super Bowl is a massive challenge. there was the unique, one-day nature of the event itself. “Imagine building Disney World, staffing it, and running it “Disney does this 365 days a year,” says Thomson. “We for just one day,” says Supovitz. “Then you have to take had to tailor our message to a one time event.” it apart, move it to a new location a year later and start all over again. That gives you Also, there was a massive, an idea of what we have to disparate target audience. accomplish every year.” We want to make sure the fan More than 20,000 people experience is of the same world-class are credentialed to work at Given the complexity and nature as the game and the show the Super Bowl. This includes importance of the Super Bowl surrounding it, explains Supovitz, NFL staff, contractors, local experience, it’s not surprising the NFL’s senior vice president for hires, stadium and concession that the NFL is constantly events. So in 2011 we turned for personnel and about 8000 searching for ways to improve advice to Disney, a company that is local volunteers. “That’s a lot the quality of the Super Bowl world-renowned for its delivery of of people to train,” explains fans’ in-stadium experience. exceptional customer service. Supovitz. “And remember The league’s new Fans First! we don’t have most of them program had been introduced available for long and we don’t to emphasize the importance of get a dress rehearsal.” And there customer service. “We want to make sure the fan were special issues such as security. “The Super Bowl is experience is of the same world-class nature as a Level One national security event,” says Supovitz. “We the game and the show surrounding it,” explains Supovitz, have to secure the stadium as if it were an airline terminal.” the NFL’s senior vice president for events. “So in 2011 we turned for advice to Disney, a company that is worldOver several months Disney Institute staffers met with renowned for its delivery of exceptional customer service.” Supovitz’s team as well as key partners, such as food and beverage suppliers, the security team, the host city managers and more. “We used these meetings to get
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