1.
TIME WARNER CABLE ARENA
A Marketing Plan
Ashley N. Peterson
West Virginia University
IMC 630

2.
Content
I. Planning Project Objectives
II. Current Market Analysis
III. Consumer/Market Analysis
IV. The Marketing Plan
V. Evaluation & Modification
VI. References

3.
PLANNING PROJECT
OBJECTIVES
Program Concept/Product Position
Establish Mission Statement and Goals & Objectives
Identifying Consumer Needs

4.
About Time Warner Cable Arena
■ Years in Existence: 10; Opened in October 2005
■ Location: Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
■ Management: Owned & Operated by Hornets Sports & Entertainment
■ Key Aspects of Arena:
“Celebration of Gathering” design
Artwork reflecting area’s sports & commercial history
State-of-the-art scoreboard featuring Charlotte skyline
Rock The Rooftop Fan Zone
Diverse food & beverage selections

5.
Program Concept/
Product Position
“Our goal has been and always will be to position
our building as the premier destination for sports
and entertainment in the Carolinas. We strive to
provide a wide variety of events that reach a large
range of patrons, because we recognize that this
arena is for the entire community. We are proud
of what we have accomplished in the last decade
and look forward to serving the people of Charlotte
for years to come.”
- Fred Whitfield, President & COO
Hornets Sports & Entertainment

6.
Time Warner
Cable Arena
Events
• NBA Games – Charlotte
Hornets & 2017 All-Star
Weekend
• Music Concerts
• Family Events (i.e. circuses)
• WWE Live
• Conventions
• Other Special-Interest Events
(i.e. Comedy Shows, Religious
Speakers,Arena Anniversary
Shows)

7.
Goals &
Objectives Becoming Top-
Ranked Arena In The
Nation
• Achieve 5% YoY increase in comp event attendance
• Increase 2017 scheduling of non-NBA events by at least 12 events (one per month)
Greater Ongoing
Fan/Attendee
Engagement
• Achieve greater understanding of fan base through quarterly market research by event
segment
• Increase social media presence and engagement by adding additional platforms such
as Snapchat and Periscope
Stronger Focus on
Building the Charlotte
Community
• Develop 3 new community partnerships in the next year to support growth of Charlotte
through corporate responsibility efforts
• Gain 5 new local or national corporate partnerships/sponsorships in the next 3 years
As one of Charlotte, North Carolina’s most-visited tourist attractions, theTime Warner Cable
Arena (TWCA) is dedicated to providing first-class live entertainment, including professional
basketball events, college basketball tournaments, major concerts, family shows,
conventions, and the like to the local community. In addition to operating as a premier
destination for sports and entertainment, TWCA strives to serve as a catalyst for growth in
Uptown Charlotte.
Mission

8.
Needs of Sports & Entertainment Consumers
Overall, attendees at any of the Time Warner Cable Arena’s events need the arena to
meet the following needs:
ü Seamless Purchase and Arrival Experience:Must understand when, where, and
how to purchase tickets and what is needed upon arrival to arena
ü Live Experience: Looking to be provided with the all-inclusive, in-person
experience that cannotbe duplicated by watching on TV or device
ü Escape/Getaway:Hoping to use attendance as time away from regular daily
routines to experience an event of interest
ü Sense of Community: Gathering with other attendees that share similar interests
ü Safe Environment:The arena must provide an overall safe environment for
attendees of all ages and needs (i.e. disabled individuals, large groups, etc.)

9.
Specific Needs of Sports & Entertainment
Consumers
Sporting
Events
• Social media
engagement
• Pomp &
Circumstance –
Mascot, Game
music, Dancers
Music Events
• Unique Listening
Experience
• Reliable
Audio/Visual
• Real-time
updates
Family Events
• Kid-Friendly
Concessions &
Merchandise
• Ongoing
entertainment for
children
Special
Events
• Updates on
“need to know”
logistics
• Traffic pattern
adjustments

10.
Live Attendance Consumer Insights
■ Overall Key Takeaways:
50% of US Adults attended a live event in 2014, mostly sports and concerts
Fewer African-Americans are attending live events
StubHub is the top seller of sports tickets and growing for concerts
■ Sports: Attendance is male-heavy with expectations to attend more in future
years, mostly in 18-24 age group
■ Concerts: One in five adults have attended a concert in the last year and expect
to attend more in the next, with majority of ticket sales being online
■ Live Family Shows: While attendance remains steady, only one in three are
purchasing online, which is significantly lower than other event categories

11.
CURRENT MARKET
ANALYSIS
Environmental Scanning: Economic Trends, Social Trends, Competitive Trends
SWOT Analysis

12.
Economic Trends in Charlotte
■ Fastest-growing city in its size category
■ Second Largest Banking Center behind New York City
■ Metro Area Population: 2,385,600
■ Median Household Income:$52,777
■ Jobs Outlook: 5.30% UnemploymentRate, 1.85% Job Growth (Next 10 Years:
38.40%)
Economic outlook for Charlotte is stronger than overall U.S.

13.
Social Trends in Charlotte
■ Fastest-growing city in its size category:
47% growth expected between 2010 and
2030
■ Greatest growth in North Carolina will be
by the Hispanic population, with African-
American closely behind that
■ Median age of population is getting
younger as college graduates flock to the
city for jobs and older population moves
out to suburbs
■ Top occupations fall into white collar while
blue collar occupations are still heavily
represented

14.
Competitive Trends for TWCA
■ Time Warner Cable Arena is the third largest arena by
capacity in North Carolina behind Greensboro Coliseum
and UNC Chapel Hill’s Dean Smith Center
■ Charlotte’s metro area is full of sports, entertainment, and
leisure destinations - many being located in the Uptown
area - that would cause consumers to have to choose
where to spend their discretionary funds:
Bank of America Stadium – Home of the Carolina
Panthers
Epicentre – Uptown Charlotte destination for
dining, nightlife, and movies
Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Hall of Fame
Carowinds Amusement Park
Local Parks & Museums

15.
SWOT Analysis
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
• Unique design and guest amenities
• Established schedule of events over 10 years in existence
• Excitement/Influence of return of Charlotte Hornets
• Strong Corporate Sponsorship support
• Social media presence and activity
• Central location
• Cost of event attendance (compared to other options)
• Capacity limitations
• Low social media follower engagement
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
• Ongoing growth of Charlotte metropolitan area
• Scheduling of additional non-NBAevents
• Leveraging support of large college student population in
surrounding areas
• Potential economic shifts
• Local competition for discretionary spending on
entertainment
• Technology: On-demand/live streaming from home

16.
CUSTOMER/MARKET
ANALYSIS
Demographic
Psychographic
Geographic
Segmentation

17.
Demographics of the Core TWCA Market
The core group that TWCA can target, those that are in the local area of
Mecklenburg county, represent a wide range of groups:
AGE
Median Age: 34.5
Male: 33.2 | Female: 35.6
Male Population = 48.4%
Female Population = 51.6%
INCOME
Median Income: $52,375
Mean Income: $78,641
EDUCATION
• High School or Higher (25+) = 89.0%
• Bachelor’s or Higher (25+) = 41.5%
• 2nd Best City for Recent College Graduates
RACE/ETHNICITY

18.
Demographics of the Live Entertainment Attendee
The overall Charlotte
market aligns closely with
the live entertainment
attendee profile in some
demographic aspects:
■ Almost 50/50
Male/Female split
■ Majority Caucasian,
followed by a
significant Hispanic
and African American
population (African
American population
in Charlotte = 22%,
Hispanic = 10%)
■ Average Income
lower than
Charlotte’s
■ Average age older
than Charlotte’s

19.
Psychographics of the TWCA Market
The following psychographic segments can be found in the core TWCA market based on the
demographic and trend data:
■ The Young Professional:This group includes recent college graduates and the single,
under 35 crowd in the Charlotte metro. They more than likely moved to Charlotte for their
job and typically live in or near Uptown to be able to take in the entertainment that the city
has without lengthy travel. In terms of entertainment, they may be interested in everything
TWCA has to offer outside of family entertainment.
■ The Young Nuclear Family: This group contains a group that is just beyond the young
professional,35 years of age or older, and has reached a point in life where they have
married and may have started a family and moved out to the suburbs.In terms of
entertainment, they may be interested in any show that the TWCA has to offer, focusing on
some that may be parents only and others for their children to join in.
■ The Mature Resident: This group contains the older minority in the area that still attends
live events.They may live out in the suburbs but come into the city for the entertainment
aspect. In terms of entertainment, they may be less likely to attend major events, but
certain events may cater to them and the presence of grandchildren may attract them
when it comes to family events.

20.
Geographics of the TWCA Market
As a major city in the state of
North Carolina, the TWCA
could attract attendees from
the following areas beyond
the Charlotte metropolitan
area depending on the
event:
■ Greensboro
■ High Point
■ Raleigh
■ Durham
■ Asheville
■ Fayetteville
■ Bordering states: South
Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia
■ Beyond bordering states
Events that do not tour or travel – such as home Charlotte Hornets
games, conventions, or All-Star weekend (if held there) attract the
broadest audiences while concerts, circuses, comedy shows, and
WWE events attract a much narrower audience as showings are
typically available in other major metro areas. Attendees can be
identified as Charlotte Metro Residents, Non-Charlotte North
Carolina Residents, and Non-North Carolina Residents that TWCA
can target.

21.
Core TWCA Customer Segments
• Likely to be a college-educated single individual under 35 who resides in Charlotte for
job, evenly likely to be Male or Female with average income between $60k and $75k
• Open to attend all events on a regular basis with exception of family events due to
higher disposable income
• Looking to build local network/meet new people to enjoy what the city has to offer
Charlotte Young
Professional
• Typically younger family with parents under 40 and average of 2 children, living in the
outskirts of the Charlotte metro
• More likely to attend family events with the occasional Hornets games if the price is
right with special discounts
• Parents may look for "getaway" events such as concerts or comedy shows that they
would attend without their children
Local Suburban
Family
• Reflects Average Live Event Attendee: 50/50 Male/Female ratio, Average age of 44,
Average Income of $69,000, living beyond 90 mile radius of Charlotte metro
• More likely to attend special events not available in their local area such as big
Hornets games, All-Star Game, annual events/conventions
• Look for discounts or other special "bundle" aspects to make travel and cost of event
worth their time and money
Out-Of-Towner
20%
80%

22.
THE MARKETING PLAN
Product
Price
Promotion
Place
Public Relations

23.
Product
Core Product:
Sports & Live Entertainment
■ Basketball Games
■ Music Concerts
■ Circuses
■ WWE Live
■ Conventions
■ Comedy Shows
■ Religious Speakers
Product Extensions:
Beyond the Event
■ Guaranteed Service Promise
■ Hornets Fan Shop
■ Special Suite/Luxury Seating Options
■ Concourse Dining: “Traditional event-
goer favorites” with Kids’ Menu combos
and certain items available at portable
stands throughout arena
■ Nonprofit fundraising through
concession staffing
■ Group sale options for 10+ attendees
with special benefits
Service Promise: Delivering Spectacular Fun and Memories that Marvel to every guest!

24.
Price: Event Attendance Cost
Est. Ticket Price Ranges:
■ Charlotte Hornets Games:
$10 - $300 (Playoffs: $35 - $400)
■ Concerts: $80 - $500
■ Circuses: $35 - $112
$6.50
$4.50 $4.50 $5.00
$7.45
$4.52 $5.03
$17.11
Beer Soft Drink Hot Dog Parking
Concession & Non-TicketPrices
TWCA NBA Average
2014 – 2015 Season Fan Cost Index:
Charlotte Hornets = $212.40 | NBA Average = $333.58

25.
Hornets Average Ticket Pricing

26.
Promotion
• TWCA 10th Anniversary
• Democratic National Convention
• 2016 NBA All-Star Game
Hallmark Events
• Swarm365 Membership: Best-prices game tickets for all 43 preseason and
home games (redeemable for future games if unused), Interest Free
Payment Options, 10% food discount & drink
• Partial Season Plans: Half Season Pick Plan or 12 Game Pick Plan
• Hornets Fan Shop: Save 10% by signing up for emails, Limited Time
Discount Codes for Shipping or Merchandise
Hornets Sales Promotions
• Hornets Games: Giveaway of t-shirts, hats, duffel bags for the first 7500
fans
Contests/Giveaways

27.
Hornets 2015-2016 Season
Promotional Schedule
Date Opponent Giveaway
Saturday, November 1st Atlanta Hawks Tuxedo T-Shirt
Wednesday, December 2nd Golden State Warriors Buzz City Jersey T-Shirt
Saturday, December 12th Boston Celtics Duffel Bag
Saturday, December 26th Memphis Grizzlies Winter Knit Hat
Friday, February 5th Miami Heat Buzz City Jersey T-Shirt
Friday, March 4th Indiana Pacers Hugo Plush Hat

28.
Place
■ Location: Uptown Charlotte - 333 East Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
■ Transportation Options: Personal Car, Taxi/Uber, Public – Bus, LYNX (light rail)
■ Parking: ~30,000 spaces available within 15 minute walk of TWCA
■ Owned Ticket Distribution Channels: Box Office Managed by Ticketmaster – Time
Warner Cable Arena Box Office, online at hornets.com or ticketmaster.com, or via
phone at 1-800-4NBA-TIX (Verified resale options available)
■ Arena Seating: Basketball & General End Stage

29.
Special Seating Options
Special Benefits (based on seating type):
■ Access to arena restaurants - Crown Club &
FrontCourt – or complimentary food and drink
■ Preferred views
■ Preferred parking
■ Private VIP Entrance
■ Fan Shop discounts
■ Access to event pre-sales and invite-only
events
■ Special amenities: Modern design, Flat
screen TVs
■ Club lounge access
■ Designated account manager and/or wait
staff

30.
Public Relations
Founding Sponsors:
Time Warner Cable,NovantHealth,Coca-Cola,Lowe’s
Other Corporate Sponsors:
NC Education Lottery, Jordan,Dr. Seitlin (Official Dentist of the Hornets), CPI Security, Gatorade, Bojangles’,Match Up Promotions, ITEK Graphics,
HM Properties,Hickory Tavern, rmsource, SilverFox Limos,ARIA Resort& Casino,Charlotte Regional,Jani-King
Sponsors
Cats Care (Bobcats-branded)
Mission: “Bring positive and lasting change to our community through dynamic programming and a commitment to social responsibility in the areas
of education,wellness and the fight againsthunger.” Programming includes about50+ programs such as the Book Bus, scholarship programs and
with long-standing community partners,with public volunteer and donations form inviting fans to join in giving back.
Food Lion Feeds – Official Hunger ReliefPartner of the Charlotte Hornets
Community Relations
Social media is focused on promoting upcoming events and eventrecaps through
photo sharing,reposting from fans and partners, and exclusive photos.
Both Time Warner Cable Arena and the Charlotte Bobcats have official Facebook
pages,Twitter handles,and Instagram feeds.
Social Media

31.
5P’s Analysis
■ Product: Variety of event and concession options for the whole family with
sprinkling of special events to attract wider audiences beyond the local area
■ Price: Very favorable price points relative to rest of arenas/league to match cost of
living and income in the area to drive attendance
■ Promotion: Opportunity for continuous communication and/oravailability of non-
Hornets promotional options
■ Place: Arena provides vivid detail for local and out-of-town attendees alike to set
expectations and ensure a smooth experience traveling to and taking in shows
■ Public Relations: Opportunity for greater promotion around community outreach
via social media channels and need for official rebrand of Cat Cares

32.
EVALUATION AND
MODIFICATION IN PLAN

33.
Is the Product Position/Concept viable?
Are the Goals and Objectives realistic?
Product Position:
In the past 10 years,TWCA has successfully worked to become a premier destination
for sports and entertainment by expanding their event offerings beyond the
Bobcats/Hornets and have become a staple of Uptown Charlotte for residents and
visitors alike. By providing various events at a relatively low price
Goals & Objectives:
The G&Os set for TWCA are realistic because of the growth of the Charlotte
metropolitan area and the increasing attraction of live eventattendees in the area as
the Hornets continue to be a successfulNBA teams and TWCA solidifies their event
schedule with top names in entertainment that other nearby arenas may not be able to
secure.This success willdrive interest in additional partnerships in addition to
attendance with the help of market research and greater engagementvia social media.

34.
Does your Plan meet the needs of your
identified target market segments?
Target Market:
With the Charlotte metro’s population being so closely aligned with the average live
event attendee (but with a higher income), TWCA is in a great position to reach this
market with its current product offerings, while paying attention to opportunities
(Slide 35) that can make the connection to the target market even stronger in the
future.

35.
Is your segmentation rationale based
on your market analysis?
Segmentation Rationale:
The three segments identified are derived from the makeup of the average live
event attendee paired with the current Charlotte metro population.
Overall Plan
Appropriateness
by Segment
Segment Level of Marketing
Plan Appropriateness
Strengths Opportunities
Charlotte Young
Professional
High
Events for all interests
Active social media
presence
Promotions that facilitate
networking
Local Suburban Family Medium
Relatively affordable
pricing options
Kid-friendly concessions
More family-based
promotions for Hornets
games (main tenant)
Out-Of-Towner Medium
Accommodating location
for visitors
Identify additional
special events to drive
this segment to make
trip to Charlotte

36.
What changes in the Marketing Mix (5P’s) are
indicated based on your market/consumer analysis
and your Plan?
■ Broaden Social Media Presence: Tap into the success of the NBA’s social media strategy as well
as other large arenas (i.e. Madison Square Garden) to understand how to drive greater engagement
from the diverse Millennial and Gen Z populations who are the core target for live events (i.e. adding
presence on Pinterest, YouTube, etc.)
■ Add Contests: To increase attendance among the families and out-of-town attendees, incorporating
an ongoing rhythm of contests including such things as free tickets or backstage passes can provide
an added benefit to those who may put more thought into cost-benefit analysis before purchasing
event tickets
■ Community Service Emphasis: Specifically among Millennials, community service opportunities
are important in driving brand positioning and, with Cats Care, TWCAhas the opportunity to rebrand
and leverage their main tenant’s service projects to better engage Hornets fans and regular event
attendees
■ Family Package Pricing: As Millennials that have settled in Charlotte begin to start families, it is
important to ensure that this key segment is not lost due to attendance costs. By providing event
package deals for families that focus around Hornets games and/or the half-year event calendar that
may include circuses or other family-focused events, TWCA can achieve greater attendance on an
ongoing basis.

37.
REFERENCES

38.
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39.
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