case studies
Understanding spectator no-shows
A field experiment with 13,911 season ticket holders examined reminder incentives, with complementary SurveyLM checks of the treatment messages.
Testing engagement strategies in their real sporting context.
The human field experiment
The study examined behavioural responses from 13,911 season ticket holders at a German football club. Reminder messages offered different reward opportunities to encourage attendance.
Observed findings
Reminders produced a short-term effect, strongest for the monetary gift reward, without persistent behavioural change at subsequent games. This limits assumptions that an intervention effective elsewhere will transfer unchanged into sport.
The complementary SurveyLM work
The authors’ working-paper appendix documents synthetic treatment checks using SurveyLM: 1,500 agent profiles per treatment were drawn from observed participant characteristics. These simulations examined responses to the messages; the attendance findings above came from the human field experiment.
Publication & methods
Using reminders with reward opportunities to reduce spectator no-show behavior.
Dominik Schreyer, Steve J. Bickley, Ho Fai (Ben) Chan, Sascha L. Schmidt and Benno Torgler. Journal of Business Research, 193, 115318 (2025).