Marketing Strategy –Strategic Goals – Scottish Water Polo

Scottish Swimming

It is the mission of Scottish Swimming to inspire its members, various disciplines and partners in the development of aquatics, providing leadership and expert support, resulting in more people taking part and reaching their full potential.

In supporting the mission of Scottish Swimming, the marketing and communications (marcomms) strategy for Scottish Water Polo will work in line with the Scottish Swimming corporate plan[1], drawing on the resources of Scottsh Swimming accordingly to promote participation, health and well being.

Scottish Waterpolo

Scottish Waterpolo is a brand of Scottish Swimming focussed on the promotion, development and engagement of our existing waterpolo community whilst engaging with the broader aquatics and non aquatics community to increase exposure and engagement.

2021 Vision for Scottish Waterpolo

To grow both the involvement and national standing of Scottish Waterpolo, our domestic teams and our playerswithin the GBR teams and squads. To promote our mens, womens and development squad along with our domestic clubs,highlighting the health benefits of waterpolo as an aquatic sport and creating opportubity for our players, officials and administrators on an international platform.

In order to achieve this ambitious target, it is critical that we recognise our role and the ambitions for Scottish Waterpolo. Domestically, we need to understand our position and voice in the Scottish Swimming community to drive the desired outcomes. Fundamental to this vision is the overall contribution of Scottish Swimming, Scottish Waterpolo and our network of active domestic clubs in creating a unified structure and requisite support mechanism to drive our sportspeople onto success and the public to engage with aquatics.

Our Role

It is the aim of Scottish Waterpolo to be the single and authoritative source for everything waterpolo related in Scotland. As the marketing channel for each of the strategic pillars of Scottish Swimming, as it relates to Scottish Water Polo; Inclusive, Unique, local and Inspirational, it is our role to champion the great things that happen within the entire waterpolo community in Scotland, inspiring a more innovative, sustainable, investable, international, connected and competative aspect for each of our squads and domestic clubs.

Objective 1

By 2021 we will have provided practical marcommssupport to promoting and representing Scottish Waterpolo withinthe Scottish Swimming environment, throughout the Scottishwaterpolo landscape and on an international platform. Scottish Waterpolo will be a key strategic element of the Scottish Swimming agenda and strategy providing greater representation and voice at Scottish Swimming events.

This will encourage both clubs and sponsors in acceleratinggrowth and promoting the wider understanding and virtues/benefits of waterpoloin Scotland, its community and its contribution to health benefits as an aquatic sport. We will achieve this by identifying the needs of the waterpolo community on two levels (international and domestic),create a Scottish Waterpolobrand whilst sourcing and lobbying for support and marketing this support to the waterpolo community and beyond.

Objective 2

By 2021 to have mobilised advocacy, demonstrating Scottish Waterpolo as a key cluster within Scottish Swimming for investment and growth within Scotland and on an international platform.

This will encourage both members, sponsors and government representatives to get involved in promoting Scottish Waterpolo whilst simultaneously investing into the development and growth of the sport.

Objective 3

By 2021 ScottsihWaterpolo and by associasctionScottish Swimming will be recognised as key contributors to the health, wealth and overall well being of Scotland.

To encourage this we will promote and advocate Scottish Waterpolo and by assosciation Scottish Swimming as a key contributor to physical, mental and social well being within the Scottish landscape. We will achieve this by increasing the depth and breadth of the current waterpolo community by establishing a two tier system with lnternational and regional/local representation.

Objective 4

By 2021 we will have united the Scottish Waterpolo community under a single banner with interconnected channels of communication that are representative of all levels of our sport.

This will encourage a unification of our players, clubs, squads and leadership to have a single voice which recognises, promotes and supports the growth and development of our sport as a major contributor to health and well being.

Key Behaviours

In all our interactions and coomunications we will be open and transparent, engendering engagement which adds value to both Scottish Waterpoloand the wider waterpolo community throughout Scotland, pushing and sharing information to the benefit of our sport and community.

To motivate engagement from members of Scottish Swimming and the Scottish Water polo community;

When articles are posted, we will seek members/users to engage with, and share them.

When an event is held our target audiences will make time to go and create an inclusive and supportive environment.

When sponsorship and financial investment is achieved, this will be used to facilitate both team and individual growth/development as both Scottish sportspeople and advocates for Scottish Waterpolo.

These behavious will facilitate making Scottish Waterpolo both credible and relevant to the community and our key audiences, on a national and international platform.

Key Tactics

1. We will create a Scottish Waterpolobrand which communicates the key attributes of Scottish Swimming whilst creating a single, uniform presentation.

2. We will use the available channels to engage with and stimulate local club involvement and contribution towards creating a single Scottish voice and representation.

3. We will source, develop and promote models of best practice, educational resources, PR and insight/practical guides related to the sport, health and national wellbeing.

4. We willfacilitate increased levels of investment from Scottish Swimming, sponsorship and financial support from both private and public sources to substantiate a wider club base and engagement with Scottish Waterpolo.

[1] Scottish Swimming Corporate Plan 2015–2021, Scottish Swimming, 2015. (