Surveys vs Experiments in Sports Marketing

Alejandra Ayala
13 nov 2025
2 Min. de lectura

Understanding the Power of Asking and Testing in Sports Marketing.

In the competitive world of sports marketing, being able to collect statistics and read the results is really vital.Whether it is learning what it is that fans want or checking how much they accept campaigns, surveys and experiments are two tools marketers use to get by with very short notice. Whether to ask or to test, the difference between liking to know and guessing is done in knowing that really drives fan engagement.

Surveys - Quantifying What Fans Believe and Feel

According to Edward McQuarrie’s The Market Research Toolbox, surveys often used for interviewing tens of thousands of people, are set questions that unearth such things as customer attitudes, opinions and satisfaction levels. They help marketers understand what people think and feel about a brand or experience. Experiments, by contrast, are set up to test the cause-and-effect relationships that underlie behavior. This allows a researcher to discern what really influences people's behavior by changing one or more marketing variables.

For example, a professional baseball team like the Miami Marlins could initiate a survey to quantify fans' satisfaction with everything experienced in a stadium, the price of tickets or even the entertainment presented between innings. This kind of research helps the team understand the fans' perceptions and the brand's emotional ties to them. Surveys work particularly well when marketers need to quantify attitudes or preferences across a broad audience.

Experiments - What Really Drives Fan Behavior

However, if the goal is to find out which actions really drive results, then marketing experiments are much more powerful vehicles. Marlins' experiments could compare two different social media ads, one featuring discounted group tickets and another promoting exclusive player experiences to determine which ad garners more clicks or conversions. According to McQuarrie research, experiments are the height of confirmatory research, showing that only specific not general marketing decisions work.

Surveys and Experiments in Strategy.

In essence, surveys help marketers discover what fans think whereas experiments tell us what they do. By using both, we can put together a total picture of fan behavior that combines sentimental insights with real proof from tests. For sports marketers, this approach changes rules to strategy, making ultimately smarter campaigns and more rewarding fan experiences.

“Surveys tell us what fans say they want. Experiments show us what fans actually do. The best marketers use both to build winning strategies.”

— Alejandra Ayala, Ayales Sports Marketing