December 2017 – Page 2 – Digital and Social Media Sports

Four Ways to Stay in Touch With Fan Engagement and Social Media Trends

Working in sports and entertainment means adopting a constantly inquisitive mindset. Especially for those focusing on fan engagement, it quickly becomes second-nature to never stop studying.

It is so important to always remember that everything you do is for the fans. It’s not about what you want and like, it’s about what’s best for the fans, how they consume, and what they want and like.

The good news is that the world is a wide open classroom. So take advantage of it. Here are some things I do to study fans.

I observe

Anyone who has seen me at a sports event knows I’m a bit of a rubbernecker. I’m stealing glances and peering over shoulders. I’m not creepily eavesdropping on someone’s text conversation or what they’re writing in their Snapchat message. I am merely looking at – what are fans doing? Are they snapping pictures (and using their camera, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat)? Are they messaging friends via text message, Messenger, or something else? Are they scrolling through one of their feeds, looking up something on the mobile web, looking at a team or ticket app?

Sure, you can scope out studies and surveys, but nothing beats observing fans in the wild.

I Ask

The best way to learn is to ask questions. I may get annoying with it sometimes, but I pick the brains of everyone I encounter – friends, family [from young cousins to siblings to aunts and uncles], and fans at sports events/games. Which social platforms do they spend time on and for what purpose? How and where do they engage with their favorite sports teams? What are they doing during a game? Where will they post and actually engage? How do they decide to go to a game and how do they go about getting tickets? Who do they go with? Don’t treat it like the Spanish Inquisition, but most friends and family are happy to indulge my interest in information.

Experience What Fans Do

If it’s been a while since the last time you attended a game or event as a ‘normal’ fan, that should change. Know what it’s like to purchase tickets, research security policies, sit in traffic, find parking, battle the ingress, wait in the security line, find your seats, use the bathroom, explore and buy concessions, And, yeah, the actual game. The reality is that working in sports means arriving much earlier and leaving much after fans, and the in-game experience hardly resemble that of a ‘normal’ fan. Not only that, you can learn a lot from attending other sports events – from the entertainment, the sponsor activations, the marketing, the production, the promotions. Be an active student of sports and fan experience.

Experience What Your Fans Do on Digital and Social

When you live as an admin on social media, it can be easy to lose sight of the traditional fan experience. Knowing how your post looks in the feed amongst those of friends, family, and other brands, teams, and media outlets. Is your video thumbnail and copy eye-catching, is your graphic thumb-stopping, does clicking that link inside the Facebook app or swiping up in that Instagram Story deliver a good user experience? What about visiting your website – if you wanted to buy tickets, how easy is it to do? Are there programs and promotions you live and breathe daily, but a fan may not even know about, that your digital and social platforms do a sufficient job to make fans aware of and informed about? Step into a fans’ shoes daily and consume your content, click your links, watch your videos, and be honest with the perception, the visual, the brand, and the experience.

It’s easy to get caught in the trap of living on one side of the wall and forgetting what it’s like to be a normal fan. But there are opportunities to learn every day. take advantage of every one of them and develop a sense of intuition that remains true to the fan experience in reality. Try to walk a mile in their shoes every day or see things through their eyes. Become and expert in empathy and never stop being a student of the game.

Analytics and Data, Content Marketing, Digital, Social Media ROI, Sports Media

How Denmark’s Sports Media Powerhouse TV3 Sport Drives Results With Social

Social networks have truly transcended international borders. Fans all around the world can consume the same content and connect around their favorite athletes and teams.

But the social media and sports objectives may not all be identical, the same principles and strategies tend to prevail. I had recently had the privilege of interviewing Casper Vestereng, who runs social media for TV3 SPORT, Denmark’s biggest sports TV network, which dominates markets all over Scandinavia. (Listen here) He has spent several years in social, studying it and strategizing with it to deliver results.

For Vestereng, it starts with a keen understanding of the platforms, how they work, and how they can, ultimately, drive return on objectives. And that requires understanding that, on Facebook where TV3 SPORT most focuses its social media efforts, getting fans to want your content is key.

“My view on this is that you can drive the results…but you have to do it on the premises of how this platform works…,” said Vestereng.

“For driving a lot of traffic from Facebook, you need to put some engaging stuff [out] there, because that’s the nature of Facebook…

[Casper mentions The Sports Bible as an example of a Page that has a good combination] – “Every time they put out [a native and] engaging post, they put out three linked posts, which get a lot lower reach, probably, but that’s what gets them money. We do it kind of the same way. A lot of linked posts out, but we also do a lot of fun stuff. We try to give a little of it away [to] try to keep fans happy.”

Vestereng appreciates that there is a certain type of content made for social and there is content TV3 SPORT knows fans can go to their site to consume. Vestereng understands the objective for each and every post, and builds a strategy, ratio, and content mix that maximizes website traffic (their most important KPI). And that doesn’t include outbound links for every post.

Organization buy-in has evolved under Vestereng’s stewardship – by appealing to the metrics. When TV ratings continue to fall (though they remain massive, compared to digital viewers of live sport), the reality becomes more clear that these eyeballs aren’t disappearing, they’re just consuming more on digital and social. And with digital leading to dollars, the buy-in becomes easier and easier to achieve.

“In reality, the number of television viewers is not growing on all sports, so all of the TV guys are under a lot of pressure, and now we monetize a lot of the content we put on digital. So now our bosses are all great on pushing the TV people to do digital stuff…I only see it getting better and better,” Vestereng described.

It can get even trickier when TV3 SPORT is showing a live match or race on their TV network. Driving viewership is still goal number one, but, in a process and understanding that has evolved for the network, they aren’t kidding themselves – fans are and will continue to be looking at a second screen while watching or following the game. That’s an important opportunity for TV3 SPORT, not an obstacle, Vestereng has led the network to believe.

“We don’t cannibalize our television show by putting out content during the buildup or during the match. We just give people an alternative,” said Vesterng. …Because they’re going to sit with their phones or their tablets in their hands, anyway. And if they’re not going to engage with our stuff, they’re going to engage with the clubs’ stuff, or some other media…

He added this paramount point about owning conversation: “If we didn’t do (social media content), just because we had (and event) on TV, we’d lose a lot of engagement there [and] we’d lose a lot of control over the discussion [around the event]…”

TV3 SPORT is ultimately out to be the source for content, for conversation, for everything around sports for Danish fans. The numbers show they’re winning that battle, said Vestereng, with social media becoming a key tactic and referral source, if not yet a mainstream content consumption source for TV3 SPORT’s fans. The credibility, reach, and traffic they’ve developed has allowed the Danish sports media powerhouse to train fans to consistently sit through lengthy pre-rolls to access the desired content.

“When we put out something that we want to go viral [for social media], it needs to be very good. (But) we can’t monetize viral stuff. We need traffic,” said Vestereng. “We have maybe the longest pre-roll (ad) strategy in the world. I haven’t ever seen a website with one minute pre-rolls that you can’t get skip. We have that before every goal that we show, every highlight we show on our website.”

While Vestereng admitted the, well, ball-sy nature of 60-second pre-rolls for their content, he points to increasing metrics and they key lying with consistency. Fans know to expect the pre-rolls prior to the content, and that unchanged practice over the years have given them an advantage.

“I’m not sure it’s the right way to do it, Vestereng stated. “It’s not my strategy. [But noting video starts are up more than ever] We’re still growing…We’ve done (the one-minute pre-roll) for years now. People know (to expect it)…So people are accepting of it…And I think a lot of other media are actually looking at it and [saying] publicly ‘the commercials are so annoying…’ but in their strategy meetings are (jealous)…”

Vestereng has spent a lot of time learning the game (and continuing to learn the game) behind social media and sport. While the languages we speak, the goals we measure, the sports we watch, and the strategies we use may differ with diverse cultures and countries, it all comes back to content and community. Fans connect, and connect around the content (games, matches, athletes, features) that makes them fans in the first place. Whether it’s Denmark or the US or anywhere in-between, sports drives passionate, engaged fan bases, with an unquenching thirst for content. And there’s always a platform to deliver it.

Fan Development, Social Media, Social Media ROI

Engage Fans as Individuals and Give Them Lasting Impressions

There was a beautiful, simple gesture recently taken by the Philadelphia Phillies with a fan that reached out on Twitter. It underscored the power of social media, the power of active listening and engagement, and how in a fleeting moment on an ordinary day, a team can leave a permanent imprint on a fan, and all the fans to whom their story emanates.

Every game, every day is an opportunity to give a fan a lifelong memory. A story they’ll tell not just that day, but the best memories can be so special to become part of the, well, story repertoire for a fan. One of their favorites to tell when making conversation, meeting new people, and reminiscing. When was the last time you left such an impression on a fan, giving them a memory to preserve and story to tell forever?

A story that sticks with me because it reinforces this message? It starts with active listening, a little surprise and delight, and a fan with a memory they’ll cling to forever.

A quick retelling — I was always actively listening on the team’s social media platforms, with mentions, key words, and lists. One game night, I noticed a fan excitedly posting about being at the game with his dad for his dad’s birthday — their first game ever for them both. On a whim I reached out to the fan, got their seat location, and about a third of the way through the game, went and surprised them with some autographed swag to make sure this would be a birthday they’d never forget. (A smartphone pic they requested assured it).

Seeing the smiles on their faces didn’t leave me. The power of a single engagement blew me away. These two would retell this story and hold on to this memory forever. How cool is that? That’s immeasurable ROI.

From that day forward, I realized if I could have at least one of those powerful, one-to-one engagements (not necessarily as grandiose, just making a fan feel like the team cares about them, as an individual, and appreciates their personal support and investment); if I could inspire that feeling in just one every day, the super fan base would grow. The brand ambassadors. The emotionally connected fans. The ones with a story to tell.

General Marketing, General Sports Business, Sponsorships, Sports Media

Figuring Out Social Media and Sponsorship in Sports Isn’t Easy, But It’s Essential

spns

There remains a fine line between advertising and sponsorship.

At risk of oversimplifying, advertisers intrude, sponsors add value. And today’s fans/consumers are equal parts skeptical and understanding. They’ll sniff out an ad (and often it’s not that hard), while appreciating a sponsor. The key to finding the happy medium for social media and sports lies in the authenticity – in messaging and in platform.

I couldn’t help but notice a conversation among social media and sports peeps on Twitter (don’t you love those?) prompted by a tweet from Jessica Smith (yes, THE Jessica Smith, aka @WarJessEagle) noting a San Diego Padres Instagram post that looked more like a McDonald’s ad, noting fans could get free McNuggets because the Padres won. [see below]

Now, the Padres are one of several pro sports teams that have similar deals with restaurant partners, whereby an offer is activated by a team win or achievement. It’s a nice way for a partner to celebrate along with fans. This is a fine way for a restaurant sponsor to activate their partnership with the team. The idea is not the issue, it’s the way the platform is usurped for nothing more than an ad.

Let me tell a story. I’ve lived this.

A major restaurant sponsor worked with me on a BOGO (buy one get one free) deal activated by a team win, which we’d deliver and track via mobile. Pretty standard. I worked on a few mockups as examples of how it would be communicated to fans on digital and social platforms. There were players and sick team graphics, ideas for player reads and skits and photos, and a GIF. All co-branded and delivering the offer message.

And all that work was turned down. It’s nobody’s fault, really. They were beholden to their branding and, despite my reasoned protestations, wouldn’t (and kinda couldn’t) budge from their creative, which looked like a coupon one would find as, yes, an advertisement.

The result? After weeks of lackluster results, we reviewed the data. It was short of expectations, and the brand’s team wanted ideas for improvement. It starts with replacing ads with content, and commercials with sponsor activations.

So how can this all be avoided in the first place, resulting in better outcomes (short-term and long-term) for fans and for corporate partners? It takes a lot of trust, first. An exchange of brand activation between partners (team and sponsor) is a big deal. But collaboration and using each one’s knowledge of the customer / fan is a good place to start.

No one knows the platforms better than those who live and work in it every day. The respective social media teams for the teams AND for the partner brands should have a seat at the table. They can see the content from the fan’s perspective better than anybody and make sure something doesn’t just pass the smell test, but is something fans want to sniff out. (Did that extension of the analogy work?)

Respect the fans. Respect the platforms. Be bold. Create content. There doesn’t have to be a value exchange (with fans getting ads, so they can get content), there can be value from added from all sides. A net outcome that favors everybody.

Social networks represent a powerful opportunity. But it’s a power that cannot be taken lightly.

General Sports Business, Sponsorships

Lessons on How Sponsors Can Sharpen Their Game to Engage Fans at Events

Despite the deluge of digital and social, there is no greater chance for exposure and engagement than that experienced IRL (in real life). But even those opportunities to come face to face with consumers in a welcoming environment, whether at sports events, festivals, or the like, are only as effective as the execution.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the opening event for the 2017 season of Formula Drift, a league for the DRIFT sport (cars drifting!), that boasts over a million fans around the globe and reaches tens to hundreds of thousands on a weekly basis. Their events also host dozens of mostly endemic sponsors that engage and activate and seek to drive value with, for, and from fans.

This up-and-coming generation of consumers have increasingly higher standards to engage, but they also recognize value when they see it. It’s always fun to learn from these events and how business execute. Here are ten lessons from Formula Drift’s event in Long Beach, where there were true connections and genuine engagement between fans and corporate partners.

Data exchange for free swag

There were tons of places giving out, well, free swag. And many of them had tablets mounted where fans waited in line to input their data in exchange for bags, t-shirts, hats, and more. And fans didn’t seem to mind the requirement at all. This is not an all-too-uncommon tactic, but the clear understanding of exchanging ‘x’ for ‘y’ was so evident that it stood out to me. It was organized, simple enough, and fans knew what they were there for — the (branded) swag.

Relevant swag – Adding value to experience, in exchange for data

Not all the free swag was relevant, but some of it went beyond token or knick-knacks to swag that fans wanted. Ford was giving away ear buds for fans that many have wanted to listen to the event commentary on their devices. There were also interactive photo ops to make memories (and digital content to share), and car accessories perfect for this crowd. There were lots of keychains, pens, stickers, and such, but the best are giving away relevant swag (related to the brand or service the partner produced or offered) and value-add swag and items (that added to the experience for fans at the event). Check off one of these boxes, check off both of these boxes – golden. And fans will gladly give data for that.

Methods – Tablets and paper [and spin to win]

Two common themes I noticed between sponsors at a NASCAR event and at the Formula Drift event – lots of opportunities to spin a wheel to win, and tablets to input information. The ‘try your luck’ element and the, well, fun of spinning a wheel with everyone watching attracts fans – and they’re willing to hand over some information for the opportunity. As mentioned previously, tablets were used by many – fill out the form and get some swag. Not only do the best have some relevant swag (see above), but they’re also mindful about what they’re requesting from the fans. The more fields there, the less likely it is fans will complete (or at least take care to complete it accurately). Many of these sponsors kept it simple and relevant – name, email, vehicle make/model/year. Some got even more targeted to their market. Some also asked for, frankly, a bit too much info – name, email, phone, street address, vehicular info, age, education. Choose wisely and make sure every piece of info asked is worth the ask.

Ambassador appearances

When possible, there is perhaps no better way to attract and engage a crowd than having the endorser or ambassador on-site. At the Formula DRIFT event, where fans can up close to the drivers and cars before the competition starts, sponsors were activating around them. This meant going lighter on the designated sponsor area, resting assured fans would come to see the driver and see their car. And they did. And when they did, they were exposed to the brand’s setup, too – with product on display, swag and data capture, brochures and on-site experts. Sometimes the bait, and the credibility it can lend, is the first and most important step.

Building brand with apparel

Just about every single brand at the Formula DRIFT event was endemic. They sold car parts, accessories, and stuff that I am not educated enough about cars to understand. But there was also a ton of apparel. Some even had apparel partnerships or full lines of t-shirts, caps, and hoodies to serve as a considerable part of the setup and a revenue stream. Just because you sell tires and suspensions, doesn’t mean fans won’t wear your gear. Perhaps the best way to create a visible brand is to create a visible brand.

Photo-ops and sick displays/cars

Visual appeal, sights that scream photo op, and a sense of feng sui can go a long way in getting fans to come your way. And there was plenty of that to go around among the sponsors at Formula DRIFT. It’s hard to resist the pull of an eye-catching, wow-inducing car (and to take a picture next to it). This not only drives foot traffic, but earned media as the brand is shared out. But wait, there’s more. There was incredible care with which stuff like exhaust pipes or steering wheels or mufflers were displayed. There’s an art to it and, fo the ones that take care and know what they’re doing and why, it can go a long way. It’s an all-channel, all-senses world (ok, maybe not smell so much; though there was an air freshener sponsors).

Premium areas

There were a couple areas that attracted the most stares – and they weren’t accessible to the public. A couple major partners had some fancy VIP areas, complete with big screens, buffet,decorations, and more. They were surrounded, too, by a typical setup with product and activations for the public. The VIP areas were special guests of the brand and the local retail partners that sold them. While it may not engage every fan that attends the event, there is intangible value gained not just from the eyeballs it attracts, but the credibility and repute it adds for the brand, as a Formula DRIFT partner.

Products on display and brochures, presentation

This is a pretty simple idea, but sometimes can be lost in the midst of activities and shiny objects and swag. Particularly for a brand endemic to the sport and of interest to the fans – they want to learn about what’s out there. They want to know about the top brands in the space and learn more about, well, how to make their own cars go faster and look cooler. Many also had brochures for more info and a handful had digital brochures and microsets on touch screens (tablets are for more than just form entry). The touch screens can be hard for any curious fan to resist and it offers an entry to engage, as well as an opportunity for the staffer on-hand to start a conversation.

Social media and earned impressions

Plenty of sponsors post hash tags and Twitter handles abound at events like these. (Including one brand that just promoted its YouTube and Pinterest accounts only). But, for some, there was a premium placed on social media impressions and gains. There were the straightforward ‘Follow us’ on social media for some free swag. One brand, however, had some pretty extensive instructions to share a picture in front of a specific standup via social, using a hash tag and tagging the brand, and following the brand – all to get a small knick-knack. The burden of effort was a bit too much for me, but it is clear social media is on the mind of many. The key just needs to be a focus on authenticity. If a fan is posting something on social media out of a sense of obligation or because someone told them they had to in order to get ‘x,’ the value of that so-called earned media is no doubt diminished.

Deep engagement and conversation

Especially at events full of big crowds and thousands in eyeballs and foot traffic, there can be a commitment to scale – reach as many fans as possible, but there is a lot of value in the quality of engagements, too. Fueled by the knowledge that there are a bunch of car fans here, sponsors on-site could approach with relative assurance there was a receptive audience of fans loitering and looking because they were genuinely interested. It can help to go beyond just thinking about conversions and consider conversation, where quality can trump quantity. In a world where we equate numbers with success, it’s important to appreciate not all consumer engagements and touches are equivalent. Value what’s valuable.

There is so much to consider when you have the opportunity to get a casual glance from a fan and a potential customer. Don’t just make it a data grab, but it’s okay to ask for it – just make sure it matters. And never take the attention and engagement with fans for granted.

Content Marketing, Fan Development, Social Media, Social Media ROI

How the Dallas Cowboys Get Fans to Care By Being Human

To call the fan base of the Dallas Cowboys polarizing and passionate would be an understatement. Infuse that enthusiasm with social media and you have a powder keg always ready to erupt. It can be tough to helm the social networks behind such a big brand with such fan fervor. But constantly walking on egg shells, avoiding emotion, and wearing blinders is no way to build lasting fan connections.

For some sports teams, when there is news to report, they shy away or try to sugarcoat it and beat around the bush. The Cowboys have the confidence and straightforward voice to tell it like it is. For some teams, they shy away from anything less than rosy circumstances. The Cowboys ride the emotional roller coaster with their fans, looking to resonate with them.

“If it’s something like (a player leaving for another team, we explain how that affects the team)…That’s the attitude,” said Taylor Stern, Social Media Coordinator for the Cowboys. “It has some sort of swag to it. (explaining) ‘This is it.’”

For Stern and the organization, it is important that the Cowboys’s digital and social platforms are not just cheerleaders, but a trusted and valued place and presence for fans. This mindset penetrates the voice and the content the Cowboys put out there. They cheer with their fans, they cry with their fans, they connect with their fans on a deeper, emotional level. The players buy in, too. Empathy can be a powerful thing.

“You want to be celebrating with the team when great things happen, and you want to be compassionate and empathetic,” said Stern. “…But you also want to (let fans vent and bring them together) and add to community conversation (and interests).”

So many talk about the desire for engagement on social media. To create content and voice that tugs at the heart strings in good times and bad times, because an emotionally invested fan base is a dedicated fan base. No one wins when teams speak with robotic formality or when they avoid anything less than the positive. With the up-and-down nature of emotions and sports, it’s important to embrace the ride WITH your fans.

“It is really just a gut thing. And sometimes it’s just being a human…You just have to be empathetic with your fan base…Understanding what people are feeling in that moment,” said Stern. “…Don’t be tone-deaf, but understanding what’s going on will make your content resonate with your audience.”

It can be easy to take the safe, stoic route. Especially for the Cowboys, for whom numbers on social media end up big, almost regardless. But the Cowboys don’t take the passion of their fans for granted, instead embracing it and wanting to cultivate a trust and connection with their fans that transcends all the other sources and noise out there. It can be harder to be human, to not always cover things up with clutter or coating. It’s the only way to transcend being a brand, though. To foster a relationship with fans that keeps them coming back, keeps them bought in, keeps them cheering and crying and caring.

[Listen to my full conversation with Taylor Stern here]

Conferences, Digital, Fan Development, General Sports Business, Social Media, Sponsorships, Sports Media, Streaming and Video

Why Sports are Still Growing and Glowing Beacons: Leaders Insights

Big picture thinking. Thinking about not just what’s next, but why it’s next. Taking the time to think beyond going through the motions and transactions.

At the annual Leaders Sport Summit, these were among the themes and traits, backed up by insights, by stats, by where their own leagues, sports, and teams and organizations are going. Below are some of the themes that stood out at the event where leaders from sports leagues, teams, and related businesses spoke; along with facts, quotes, and stats shared at the event via #Leaders17. This is Part 1 of 2. [See Part 2]

(Also see the Leaders Day 1 and Day 2 recaps)

How Sports are Upholding Models, while the Models are Changing

One of the panels opened with the notion that the reason sports is thriving across media platforms is because it is content that is made for multi-platform consumption – the best available screen. As is often stated, too, it among the last bastions of content that must be consumed live, another factor behind multi-platform engagement. All this results in making necessary unique partnerships, such as Turner and CBS teaming up to maximize revenue from rights to NCAA March Madness games, selling ads across platforms and cross-promoting each other. The multi-device platforms also enhances sponsor activations.

However, as it was stated, all the ways content and media can be shared and consumed means, as it was stated, contracts have gone from 14-16 pages to 250+ pages. Yeah, the media landscape is a bit more complex now.

The metrics can’t keep up, either. Nielsen is trying, but it was lamented that their cross-platform measurement isn’t there yet.

Turner is excited about early eLeague results

Executives from Turner were there, talking about the auspicious results of their eLeague, an eSports league they’ve invested in and gotten fully behind for linear and digital programming. With 50 million esports players in the US, which was a stat dropped, Turner had high hopes and they have been exceeded. Ratings, they said, are matching those of regular season games in the NHL, MLB, and MLS. Turner sees it as a way to reach younger, more digitally savvy audience. In fact, 90% of eLeague consumption is happening via digital, with just 10% on TV. Live events are growing quickly in esports, as well as other leagues. Turner will have even more company in the space soon.

On Sponsorship

There were a couple speakers from Dow Chemical and AT&T, two bug business that are very active in sports sponsorship. They offered some excellent high-level insights, offering a better understanding of the keys to successful partnerships. Joe Harlan of Dow Chemical put it succinctly: “You need partnerships, not transactions. That means you’re in it for reach other.”

Harlan continued on how teams can approach their partners; it’s about finding the mutual benefit point, the intersection of interests. “Focus on what you do and what you deliver. Then the conversation is about relevance, not price.” For example, they worked with PGA Tour to reach business execs, who are among the golf demo, and also had great success leveraging opportunities to test technologies as a NASCAR partner.

Along with recognizing the value of the brand – fit and what it adds to the other brand — the point was made to USE the access partners are granted within sports, as sponsors. This simple, but succinct point is oft-overlooked.

Why and What with Sports?

There was additional insight shared on sponsorship and how and why to activate it. Citi’s Tina Davis noted the importance of sports providing a ‘live audience at scale,’ while AT&T’s Ryan Luckey pointed how sports partnerships rally the organization itself. The way these sponsorships are being put into practice have undergone immense change.

AT&T, Luckey said, doesn’t think of themselves as a phone company, as in decades past. They are a video/content company, with Luckey noting that 60% of AT&T’s traffic is video. Further, as it pertains to sports sponsorships, Luckey emphasized the now seemingly obvious point that, with only 5% of fans actually attending games, on-site activation is not nearly sufficient.

Twitter’s big bet on sports

Twitter COO Anthony Noto gave an enlightening look into Twitter’s past, present, and future with sports. The NFL content seemed to be a perfect fit when they noticed the huge spikes in Twitter activity, affected by NFL games and topics. Marrying conversations seemed logical. The results were promising, with Noto making note of deeper data, like the fact that 30% of the Thursday Night Football audience was from outside the US and exhibited higher female viewership than traditional TV.

But Twitter has ambitions to make hay with “under-served fans,” citing investments in sports like darts and lacrosse. (200,000 fans followed/viewed Darts competitions apparently). Unlike linear TV, Twitter has “unlimited shelf space,” they boasted. Twitter is also looking to their international audience, specifically noting sports fans in the UK and Japan, as places of interest at the moment.

In Q4 2016 alone, Twitter had over 600 hours of live content, and 55% of it was sports. Twitter is not out to challenge linear TV when it comes to mainstream sports streams, like TNF, either. “We are very happy with bringing an incremental audience,” said Noto. “There is a younger audience that doesn’t want to pay for TV. We can serve that audience.”

How will Twitter monetize all this content? Noto said they’re considering all economic models, including charging for live content. But there was no clear indication of any immediate plans.

Analytics and Data, College, Social Media

The Making of March Madness: Chris Dion Dishes on Digital and Social for the NCAA Tournament

Welcome to March Madness. The annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has now been a staple on the sports calendar for decades. But only in recent years has digital and social media become an integral part of the tournament – allowing more channels for storytelling and reach than ever before.

Last year, I had the opportunity to discuss digital and social strategy for the NCAA, particularly around March Madness, with NCAA Assistant Director of Championships and Alliances for Digital and Social Media Chris Dion. [listen to the interview here]. Below are excerpts from our conversation, discussing social media voice, content strategy, March Madness prep, analytics, setting goals, and more:

On the content and messaging mindset of the March Madness social media accounts

The March Madness account is probably 80% basketball and 20% off the court brand stories…that is not because we choose to not put (off the court stories) there, it is that there seems to be more of a desire to talk just about basketball…

One of the ways we pride ourselves about the brand is we try to mix as much messaging in there, so that the casual fan starts to consume NCAA branding and messaging without really knowing that they’re doing it…We present them a nice story and, before they know it, they’re consuming NCAA content.”

“We live and die by analytics”

We live and die by analytics…I use analytics to help guide my team [and] guide my choices. If something is not working and the numbers show that, there is no reason we should continue doing it. If it’s a resources discussion…we have to make better choices, based on analytics.”

The fans are part of it, the other part of it is what story are we trying to tell?…We start with goals…and then we build measurable goals. If you can’t measure the success of a good feeling…let’s not put good feelings as goals. Let’s put things that are measurable…Then we’ve got an opportunity to say if we’ve had success or not.”

From goals and assets to platforms

We work on a strategic story for the year…Then we start to talk about a content mix. What is our content going to look like? What are we going to try and find later? Then what are we going to try and innovate? We always try to innovate something new every year…to the best of our ability…

Lastly, our strategy comes down to platform…the last thing we think about is platforms. Goals lead the conversation and platform comes last.”

Measurable goals that matter

“Our measurable goals are really simple. It comes down to audience growth. It’s important for us to understand that year-over-year, we’re growing…Followers should never be a key goal, but it should be a good barometer of the health of the community…Engagement is number two…What are our video views [and] content engagement, link engagement, standard engagement?…Then, lastly is reach. Reach is something that allows us to compare ourselves to TV or other media. It’s one of the ways that allows us to comparatively have conversations that don’t fall under social…Reach allows us to have a metric that allows us to compare it to print, to out-of-home, TV, to radio…It’s not a true measure, but it’s close enough that we can help people understand what we’re trying to do.”

March Madness prep starts long before March…and a lot of it can get ‘thrown out the window’

“We spend so much time planning…one of the ways we do that is with content calendars..shot lists…and daily production content…We don’t know (daily results)…what we do know is we have to be ready for every single outcome…The way we do that is we go over a game…and we throw it all on a sheet of paper and then make sure we have (all assets and content we need)…our March Madness prep started in…September. We turn that dial up to eight or nine in January…Now (Februrary), we’re at about ten…

We’re planning with our broadcast partners, with all our corporate champions partners…our media coordination and statistics team…We’re not just telling the story from the day the brackets are released, we’re telling the story from the first conference tournament…I think you have to be a planner in social…and you have to be prepared to throw that plan out the window. When you throw that plan out the window, that is when you become a better person in social. Because then at least you have that remembrance of the road you were trying to travel down.”

It all comes back to getting fans emotionally invested

The NCAA is full of awesome stories. Not to mention what happens on the field…There so much emotion…For a lot of student athletes, this is the farthest they’ll achieve in their sport and what they put into it deserves to be (hyped)…(We want to get) people invested in the story.”

General Marketing, General Sports Business, Social Media, Social Media ROI, Sponsorships, Uncategorized

How the Minnesota Wild Create Quality Social Media Sponsorship

It wasn’t so long ago I received some sponsor copy that I was to copy and paste onto the team’s social media channels. That was sponsored social media in the relative stone age.

I didn’t like it. Fans didn’t like it. And did little or nothing for the corporate partner.

There’s a better way. And, as Minnesota Wild Social Media Coordinator Katlyn Gambill explains, the organization is not just fulfilling orders, they’re working closely with corporate partners to design or incorporate an activation that fans will actually enjoy and will further the sponsor objectives. As sports teams have started acting more like content production companies, they’ve also started to put those skills to work for their corporate partners.

“Our main focus is ‘What do the fans want, and are they going to enjoy it?’ Gambill told me in our recent chat. “Our corporate department is fantastic on selling, and going back to a partner and saying ‘We want both sides to be successful in this. So, while this may be the idea, here’s this tweak that’ll fit our fans better and our brand. And it’ll produce better results for you. Are you cool with this?'”

Beyond serving as the informed intermediary and content producers for their sponsors, the Wild also take the time to understand the brands, figure out the fit, and evaluate the best way to activate. Because social media is active media and the beauty of it is it can and should produce actions, going beyond the longstanding payoff of ‘impressions.’ When there is a defined goal, campaigns can be tailored to fit those goals and to achieve results against those goals. While her title may not have ‘partnership’ or ‘sponsorship’ in it, it’s clear from speaking with Gambill, and most social media and sports pros, that a deep understanding of ROI and partnership activation is not only a plus, but a requirement for these roles. Gambill gets it.

“I’m also not a fan of just plopping a logo on something; I don’t think that does anything on social media,” said Gambill, who has been with the Wild for over three years. “If the company doesn’t have social media presence, (then) it’s really difficult for me to buy into it, because what are they getting out of it, then? Are they looking for just leads? Are they trying to build their social media presence to allow fans to follow them and, in time, buy their product or whatever they’re trying to do?”

It can’t feel forced or out of place, because fans these days will sniff that out quickly. If it feels natively baked into the experience and the content, the sponsor doesn’t feel like an advertiser, the sponsor feels like a partner. And that’s a win for all sides. Sometimes, it’s integrating a sponsor into a content feature or promotion already tried, true, and welcomed by fans. Other times, it’s working with folks like Gambill, that understand the community and the brand, to identify something fans will like.

“So we work really closely with them on trying to tie something in that we’re either already doing on social and digital media, and how we attach it to a partner,” explained Gambill, who credits her time working with the New Jersey Devils as a beneficial experience to helping her understanding of effective sponsor activation. “Or – what does the partner want, what are they looking for, and how can we build something that will fit both our side and theirs?…So it’s a lot of going back and forth, and trying to make sure both sides are really happy.”

There is no doubt that the nature of sponsorship and advertising has changed. For sports, this means increased opportunity, but also increased responsibility. Fans will consume content and give their hearts and minds to their favorite teams, and sponsors can benefit from this investment. But there’s a wrong way and better ways.

The better, more enlightened path may not be quick and easy as a copy and paste job. But the benefit of a little work and a little collaboration can lead to tremendous partnerships and partnership activations. The era of advertising is over. The era of partnerships is just beginning.

Month: December 2017

Figuring Out Social Media and Sponsorship in Sports Isn’t Easy, But It’s Essential

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