Case Study

How Ghost boosted AOV by 29% for Toronto's premier sports teams

42%
Product Engagement Rate
29%
AOV Lift
5
Watched Videos Per Visitor
Client
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment | Real Sports Apparel
Industry
Sports and Entertainment
Challenge
Enhancing Fan Experience and Driving Ecommerce Conversions
“The most amazing thing about investing in video shopping was how easy it’s been. We didn’t know how to get started, but now that we’ve done it, we not only see the benefits, but recognize how important this will be for our long-term fan engagement strategy,” says Mark Blanchard, Director of Merchandise & Retail Operations at MLSE. “We sincerely recommend Ghost’s amazingly user-friendly and effective video commerce suite to help create best-in-class customer shopping experiences.”
The Challenge

Create a Winning Online Shopping Experience

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), the renowned parent company for professional sports teams, including the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Argonauts, and Toronto FC, operates Shop.RealSports.ca as a centralized hub for fan gear across all four teams.

As part of their content creation strategy, MLSE was regularly producing videos that spotlighted new jerseys and fan merch, primarily showcasing these videos on social media.

However, they realized there was a gap between the engagement they saw on other channels and actual conversions on their website. MLSE was looking for a way to boost on-site fan engagement, while increasing online sales.

The Solution:
Enter Video Commerce from GhostRetail

MLSE turned to GhostRetail to provide a richer and more interactive online experience for their sports teams’ loyal fan bases, repurposing MLSE’s existing video content into an interactive shoppable video carousel.

The brand’s shoppable videos featured behind-the-scenes access, unboxing, and product showcases of official team merchandise.

“We knew video was the number one thing that was resonating with our fans elsewhere, but we hadn’t figured out how to incorporate video on our site,” explains Mark Blanchard from MLSE. “Ghost was a game changer in taking what we already had and doubling its value by creating a more interactive onsite experience that drives sales.”

After seeing significant increases in customer time on site and interactivity results by placing their shoppable video carousel front and center on the RealSports website, MLSE has continued making an effort to keep it up to date with additional videos that showcase new product releases or featured collections.

The second part of MLSE’s foray into video commerce involved live shopping events. The objective was to create an immersive and seamless shopping experience for fans to build hype and drive more conversions and sales.

With live shopping capabilities, fans could now watch livestreams of special events, promotions, big drops, and collabs. During the stream, they could directly purchase team jerseys, caps, and other merchandise worn by players in real-time.

Results
Ghost Becomes a Fan Favorite

Bringing both shoppable video content and live shopping into MLSE’s online shopping experience resulted in a remarkable transformation of the brand’s online fan engagement and sales metrics.

Elevated Fan Experience
Fans were entertained by the engaging and interactive videos, offering an insider's look into their favorite teams, players, and merch. The personalized shopping experience also increased fan loyalty and excitement.
Higher Conversions and AOV
By removing barriers between video content and the purchasing process (versus social), the conversion rate for fans purchasing merchandise skyrocketed, with a 42% increase in product engagement rate for shoppers watching video, and a 29% AOV lift for shoppable video-driven orders. On top of that, fans were more likely to make impulse purchases during live events, further boosting sales.
Strengthened Brand Loyalty
The seamless connection between video content and product purchase reinforced fans' loyalty to the teams and increased brand trust. Shoppers that clicked into MLSE’s video content watched, on average, 4.5 videos each.
Improved Time on Site and Engagement
The integration of shoppable video content significantly increased the average time users spent on MLSE's website, driving up overall engagement metrics with 7% of all site visitors interacting with their video content. During peak hockey and basketball playoff season, MLSE’s shoppable videos were garnering more than 3,000 views per week, driving major boosts in time on site.
42%
Product Engagement Rate
Percentage of video watchers who engage with products featured in the videos
29%
AOV Lift
On orders driven by shoppable video vs. all others in the same time period
7%
View Rate
Total number of site visitors that interact with MLSE’s video content
5 Videos Watched
Number of videos watched per visit by shoppers that click into MLSE’s video content

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