Newsletter strategy for the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF)

As part of a student applied project carried out in close collaboration with the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF), a newsletter concept for more targeted fan communication was developed. The starting point was an existing federation newsletter without a fixed sending rhythm and without differentiation by target group. The aim of the project was to show how the newsletter can address fans of different leagues and national teams in a more target-group-specific, personal and emotional way, thereby strengthening the federation's image. The students first analysed the existing email and social media communication and then derived concrete recommendations, drawing on academic literature and an international best-practice example. At the core lies a segmentation model with three independent newsletters for national teams, leagues & cups, and the federation, complemented by proposals on personalisation, emotional engagement and feasibility.

The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF) had an existing newsletter that fulfilled its function as a communication instrument only insufficiently. The distribution followed a rigid monthly rhythm, lacking any clear structure in terms of content or design. Above all, it did not distinguish between the differing interests of the various target groups: fans of the national teams, supporters of the individual leagues and the federation community all received the same content. As a result, relevant information was addressed imprecisely, which limited the newsletter's impact and recognisability and increased the risk of unsubscriptions.

The objective of the project was to show how the existing newsletter can be developed strategically so that it does not merely inform, but addresses fans in a targeted, personal and emotional way and retains them over the long term. The focus was on aligning content with specific target groups, increasing relevance for the individual fan groups and strengthening the federation's image. The final product consisted of concrete, implementation-oriented recommendations for the SIHF.

The student group approached the task in several steps. It first carried out an analysis of the SIHF's existing newsletter and social media communication, examining sending frequency, structure, content and personalisation. Drawing on academic literature and an international best-practice example from ice hockey, it then derived concrete solutions.

At the core of the work is a segmentation model with three independent newsletters covering national teams, leagues & cups, and the federation. The content was deliberately structured along the respective interest worlds of the fans rather than by demographic criteria alone. In addition, the group developed proposals on personalisation, emotional engagement and fan retention, as well as on increasing ticket sales. The concept was rounded off by a feasibility assessment, including a year-long planning schedule across the season, considerations on responsibilities and interfaces, and an estimate of the personnel, technical and data-protection requirements.

The students handed over a structured newsletter concept with concrete, modular recommendations to the SIHF. The federation thus receives a sound basis on which to plan the operational implementation and to select or combine individual measures as required. The project illustrates how questions of sport communication can be brought together in a real-world case and translated into applicable concepts for sport organisations.

Involved parties

The project was carried out by the Centre for Business Administration (ZBW) in collaboration with students in the bachelor’s degree program Sport Management and the practice partner, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF).