Digital and Social Media Sports
A business-minded look at digital and social media in sports
Check out some snippets of episode 33 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, featuring Nate Bain, Digital Media Coordinator for the St. Louis Rams NFL team.
Click Here to listen to the full episode or check it out and subscribe in iTunes.
Posted by Neil Horowitz
Engagement.
It’s a seemingly catch-all term that, no doubt, has increased in usage 1000% or more in the last few years. But it means different things to different organizations and different people with, well, different goals. Broadly speaking, social media engagement is defined by any intentional action taken with a post — a like, a comment, a retweet, a reblog, a snap view, etc. Taken all together, all the social media students and pros are preaching the emergent value and incredible ‘engagement’ taking place on Instagram.
A quick look at the graphic above would lead one to believe that Instagram is FAR superior its Facebook and Twitter brethren for a brand seeking engagement with its fans and users. But while there IS indeed value in someone double-tapping your Instagram posts and even some (though not much) in making a mundane comment (like “First!”), is this so-called engagement what you’re seeking from Instagram and social media, in general? What good is having 120x more engagement than Twitter if Instagram is a place where much of the visible engagement comes from bots or power users?
Well, I’d like to propose a fresh way of looking at Instagram: branded user-generated content.
Instead of ONLY looking at those pillowy-soft engagement metrics of Instagram, start proactively promoting Instagram as a true social network for your brand. This network can be truly powerful when the content creation of its users (and your fans) is harnessed and maximized promoting the brand in visually stunning, creative, and, best of all, genuine content showcasing a brand. Each piece is a visual advertisement, earned media created by a fan on behalf of your brand.
So…who is doing this well?
I leave you with a few examples of brands propagating branded hash tags that users are actually using, evangelizing on behalf of brands they love.
Gatorade’s #WinFromWithin: A slogan that speaks to their brand and its fans, a concept its athletes can play in as much as its fans, and a campaign strong enough to be timeless, authentic, and visually distinct.
San Francisco Giants’ #OctoberTogether: This hash tag lasted the duration of their 2014 run to the World Series title and brought together a communal tie of fanhood, reallying around the team, and creative ways team and fans celebrated the Giants. The result? Instagram was chock full of posts celebrating the Giants and #OctoberTogether, likely penetrating one’s feed or Discover tab whether they were following the Giants on Instagram or not.
UnderArmour’s #ProtectThisHouse: Similar to Gatorade, this branded tag from UnderArmour is timeless, represents something branded and conceptually visible, and something pros and joes alike can participate in with content. The result? Again, multitudes of branded photos showing genuine passion for UnderArmour for fans, and showcasing the brand values in action in ways that will overwhelm, emotionally, its friends more than just about anything a brand itself can create.
While we all love, and should love, data and the stories it can tell about social media and content marketing, not all data is created (nor should it be interpreted) equally. The “engagement” metrics on Instagram mean something, but does not represent the 120x and 58x magnitude plastered across presentations and infographics across the social media universe would have us all believe. Don’t get caught stuck inside the box; remember that social media is most effective and beneficial when it truly is two-way; when it’s just as much about the social as it is the media.
Listen to episode 33 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, with Nate Bain, Digital Media Coordinator for the St. Louis Rams NFL club.
53 minute duration. Show format contains separate parts. Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes
Posted by Neil Horowitz
On the November 15 episode of Rachel Nichols’s show on CNN, Unguarded, the veteran reporter interviewed NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, discussing, among other things, federally legalized gambling on pro sports, the NHL’s future participation in the Olympics, and the prospect of putting a club in Las Vegas. (Watch the full interview)
With the recent flurry of activity surrounding daily fantasy leagues DraftKings and Fan Duel partnering with major pro sports leagues, including the NBA and NHL, many see the nationwide legalization of gambling on pro sports as imminent. The issue garnered even more news and attention after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver penned a New York Times op-ed in support of legalizing and regulating betting on pro sports games. Bettman did not come out so forcefully either way, sounding uneasy on the subject.
“Some attention needs to be paid to what sport is going to represent to young people,” said Bettman. He characterized the issue as a dichotomy between championing the spirit of competition versus a focus more on betting lines. The current longest tenured commissioner in major pro sports, Betttam asked rhetorically – “Do you want people rooting for the spread or rooting for their favorite team?”
The subject of gambling was indirectly inserted back into the dialogue again when Bettman was questioned on the future growth of the league and whether that may include a team in Las Vegas. The Commissioner began by reiterating that “The NHL has never been stronger and more popular” and that “Las Vegas is one of (several places) bidding on an expansion team” to enter his league, which is expected to gross over $4 billion in revenue in 2014-15. Delving further, Bettman stated that his hope is for the NHL to “continue to grow the game at all levels; particularly at the grassroots level and internationally.”
While Bettman may have eyes to expand the brand and NHL game internationally, plans for the league’s participation in the Olympic Games are very much uncertain at this point. Among the concerns cited by the Commish included having to stop play in the middle of the NHL season (as was the case in Winter 2014) and the disparity across NHL clubs as to the number of players privileged enough to compete for their country (thereby enduring extra wear and tear NOT helping their NHL clubs, who sign their checks). While Bettman wouldn’t make any definitive statement regarding the Olympics, he did reiterate his (and the NHL’s) support for reviving the World Cup of hockey, last held in 2004 but expected to return in 2016.
The NHL is coming off a banner year in which the Olympics and an exciting postseason captured the attention of the sports world, but, while he can bask in the glow of dollar signs, Commissioner Gary Bettman, like his counterparts with the other pro sports leagues, faces questions moving forward. What happens on the gambling, growth, and Vegas fronts remain to be seen. And, while the other leagues have seen new leadership ascend their respective thrones, Bettman, who has held his title since 1993, is set to lead the way for the NHL this season and beyond.
Posted by Neil Horowitz
On November 14, 2014, the ninth annual Ivy Sports Symposium was held in Princeton, NJ, bringing together leaders from throughout the sports business world to discuss current industry trends and more.
Posted by Neil Horowitz
Check out some snippets of episode 32 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, featuring Mark J. Burns, Sports Business Contributor/Writer for Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and @SportsAgentBlog.
Click Here to listen to the full episode or check it out and subscribe in iTunes.
Posted by Neil Horowitz
While traveling recently, I met and chatted with Reza, a young man in his 20s whose parents were born in Iran before having and raising him in Japan. It’s not every day you get to meet a Millenial from Japan, so I spoke to Reza about Japan’s hottest social network, the Line app. (accessible on mobile devices and PCs)
Line, which launched in 2011, now boasts upward of 560 million users, including 170 million monthly active users. (Source) The app is available on iOS and Android and works across platforms on PCs. It is a communication/messaging app that allows for sharing of photos, calls, and videos, among other things. It has been embraced by Millenials, in particular, and has been Japan’s most popular social network overall since 2013.
Here’s a quick lesson on Line, courtesy of my friend Reza:
— Many choose to use Line for messaging friends, primarily as an alternative to texting. Why? Because it’s like enhanced texting, with photos, videos, and especially, stickers.
— Users have profiles shown as “Timelines,” which are similar to one’s Facebook Timeline. But, Reza told me, most of his friends don’t use Timeline much and instead utilize Facebook for such a feature.
— Timeline is currently the part of Line where brands are playing; they are not messaging with users, for the most part.
— STICKERS are the main draw for users to Line (and a source of revenue for Line, see: Facebook Messenger plans!?). There is an extensive, and ever-growing, selection of Stickers one can use in their messaging and, Reza says, users love Stickers because they can describe thoughts and feelings so easily with the messages and make the communication more fun than just a normal text or message. He has not seen a need to buy premium Stickers.
— All of one’s friends are on Line. This isn’t a secret, but when a social network like Line reaches a critical mass as it has, it becomes almost a necessity to be on there to remain connected. (kind of like Facebook for some)
A quick takeaway for marketers:
Millenials love the beauty and ease of communicating through images. Consider the way emojis, GIFs, Vines, Instagrams, and the like have recently exploded in social and digital media. Line, and its Stickers, very much reflects this. Whether it’s creating custom emoji for your team/brand, finding novel, unique, and surprising ways to enhance the way your fans communicate with each other (and, secondarily, with you) is the insight to consider for brands. And, of course, make sure to maintain and grow a mobile relationship with your fans.
What are your thoughts on Line and what it can teach us about social media? (Learn more)
Listen to episode 32 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, with Mark J. Burns, Sports business writer with Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Sports Agent Blog, and Editorial Assistant with USA Hockey Magazine.
70 minute duration. Show format contains separate parts. Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes
Posted by Neil Horowitz
An amusing and viral story that made the rounds on the second college football Saturday of November centered around Mike the Tiger and the Louisiana State University (LSU) mascot’s unwillingness to get out to the football field for any live game this season. Folks at LSU have exhausted ideas, the stories read, and while many, including myself, laughed at this very share-able story, it also serves a good allegory for the attendance woes currently seen in college football, and pro sports, in general. With our Mike metaphor in mind, here are 5 things sports marketers looking to put butts in seats can learn from LSU’s mascot.
1) When his handlers opened the cage door, leaving it wide open, Mike didn’t leave. It was too easy.
When the cage door is closed, there are no doubt times when Mike yearns to get out and see the action elsewhere. But if the door is wide open, the perception of scarcity or rarity is gone; the intrinsic value of what is going on out there (beyond the cage, at the field) is greatly diminished.
The same dilution of value and lack of a scarcity perception occurs when free tickets to game are given out like candy. If fans know the option to attend is always there at little to no cost, the perceived value of attending is next to nil. Don’t leave the cage wide open all day, every day, every game.
2) The cage is more comfortable and even a juicy steak wouldn’t lure him out.
Mike’s handlers tried every incentive and goodie they could to lure Mike out of the comforts of his cage, but, ultimately, it either wasn’t enough or was the same old offer every time. That steak may have been appealing initially, but, eventually, it lost its novelty and appeal, for Mike.
A free shirt or cap or yet another addition to fans’ ever-increasing collection of bobble heads may move the needle, at first, but giveaways can’t be a long-term plan to lure Mike out of his cage nor fans out to the games. The overall experience has to be the focus and (at least the notion of) novelty must be perceived by fans so they feel attending the game will offer an experience or item they’ve never seen before. Surprise and delight reigns the day.
3) Even the lure of a raucous, fun atmosphere wasn’t enough to lure Mike out to the field.
The ear-splitting cheers of the fans, the violent hits under the lights, and the sight of being surrounded by crazed LSU fans had perhaps become old hat for Mike The Tiger and, even though he could hear the curious commotion in the distance, he decided the cage was more comfortable. The fear of missing out (FOMO) wasn’t there or wasn’t strong enough.
Though the term is over-used, FOMO remains a core element for sports and entertainment marketing. Every game has to be an event, live attendance has to be something one simply cannot miss lest they feel out of the loop. A great game atmosphere goes a long way, but FOMO can only persist if routine does not rule the day. Whether the intrinsic value of history (or emotional/ranking/rival implications), incredible content only seen/experienced by fans at the venue, a unique food item, and any number of elements can be used to perpetuate, for fans, that every game simply cannot be missed. Seeing other share their experience is key to this, too.
4) Mike’s handlers, basically, gave up and said they couldn’t force him to go
So most fans are not as intimidating as a live tiger, but nearly all are as stubborn, if not more, than the ferocious feline. Surely, they have spent countless hours and resources trying to devise ways to convince Mike to leave, but, well, he is pretty comfortable and set in his ways.
Not all fans, or potential game attendees, are created equally and they should not be treated as such. Particularly with the proliferation of data nowadays, teams should focus on the low hanging fruit and what has driven previous success. What got Mike to leave his cage previously? Are there other Tigers that have previously left their cage and may be ripe to rekindle their love of going to games or increase the number they attend? Fans are revealing so much about their wants, intents, and socio-economic statuses and can be used to find those fans most likely to attend.
5) What other options do Mike’s handlers have? They at least were able to fall back on the costumed version of Mike The Tiger
When all else fails, the LSU program could still count on a different version of Mike The Tiger, a student dressed in costume, to attend at live games (and even participate in choreographed cheers!). When LSU realized Mike The Tiger may not be so willing to leave his cage, they partnered up to assure the value added from the mascot would still serve to enhance the fan experience.
Teams looking for more ways to draw fans to the venue can partner up! Find sponsors, identify the most active and influential fans, and enlist them to contribute to content and experiences and campaigns that will not only enhance the fan experience, but also showcase the investment and engagement others put into the games. Sponsors want fans there (and can help provide content and experiences) and super-fans want more fans there (and are willing to help any way they can). Partner up and leave Mike wondering what everyone else in the animal kingdom is doing and building and experiencing.
The thought of trying to get a live tiger to leave his luxurious cage against his will is certainly daunting and frightening, but no more so than the increasingly desperate situation facing many sports marketers looking to keep putting butts in seats. So what does Mike The Tiger teach us? Never take attendance for granted. Strive to get better every season, every game, every day.
Posted by Neil Horowitz
Follow me on Twitter @njh287 Connect on LinkedIn