Digital and Social Media Sports
A business-minded look at digital and social media in sports
Listen to episode 112 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, with Richard Clarke, Sport Digital Consultant, formerly with Arsenal and the Colorado Rapids.
76 minute duration. Show format contains separate parts. Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or listen on Stitcher
Posted by Neil Horowitz Follow me on Twitter @njh287 Connect on LinkedIn
The gym is an interesting place. There’s people of all shapes and sizes utilizing a vast variety of routines and techniques often with different goals in mind. Some are trying to lift the heaviest weight each time, some are trying to burn the most calories, to build the biggest muscle, and so forth.
And yet we can’t help but compare. Can’t help sizing up the person on the bench next to you and taking it as a challenge to outperform him or her. But is it fair to compare unless each person in this scenario are the same size? Are their objectives the same? Is this habit of comparison, to try and best the biggest and strongest in the room, the best road to success?
The gym analogy works well to describe the varying challenges of what it means to succeed in social media. When leagues often inform their teams of where they stand in the rankings across a number of team digital and social media metrics, it can be easy to get lured into obsessing over where your team stands. And it can get even more difficult to avoid it when leadership joins the fray, thinking they can win the championship of social media as easily as they can the league title.
But not every team is a 6’5″, 300 lb. behemoth. When dealing with gross metrics, follower sizes, website traffic, video starts, et al. – it’s not a fair fight and it’s not a worthwhile comparison for either side. And yet, just like FS1 wants to beat ESPN, it can sometimes be hard to get away from these lists.
It’s not so black and white, however. Even those atop the rankings may not be ‘winning’ in a traditional sense. They may not have a strong brand, an engaged audience, a graph of their metrics on an upward trajectory. The most important benchmark is your team’s stats last month, last week, last year.
That’s not to say benchmarking against one’s (relative) peers is a bad thing. There was an interesting Twitter exchange recently in which some respected pros in the space lent opinions on this topic. Of benchmarking, the well-respected Senior Director of Social Media Strategy for the New York Yankees said it can be “extremely motivating when done right, and extremely chaotic when done wrong.”
If it’s done in alignment with the organization’s goals, that allows them to not just maintain but strengthen their brand and their affinity of their fan base — a desire to move up the rankings can lead to greater investment and resources.
But even then it’s important to mind the metrics that matter most. It’s not easy to measure, of course, but it’s not impossible to develop meaningful metrics that can be shown to drive the fans and the brand, that contribute to the bottom line. Those are rankings that are harder to come by, but those are the ones teams should value the most, vanity be damned.
This is all easier said than done, of course. And it takes evolution across the board, most importantly from the leadership up top. Because for generations it was fairly black and white; we didn’t know better nor could we measure better. But defining success is more a science than an art these days, social media and sports is growing up. Pat Muldowney, Director of Social Content for The Ringer, who previously spent several years in social media for FOX Sports, summed it up perfectly.
“Most of the requests for this type of [rankings/vanity metrics] reporting come from a level of leadership that’s familiar with ratings or traffic as barometers for success,” said Muldowney. “Instead of ‘Are we succeeding?’ it’s ‘Are we winning?’ Hopefully this will evolve over time.”
So we return to our gym rat, who now realizes everyone in the gym may be defining success that day in a different way. They’re all out to get better every day, to achieve a level of health and fitness, but they’re not all chasing the same numbers. They’re trying to succeed themselves, not trying to win the weight room. Their only benchmark is themselves.
You can see much of the original Twitter thread here
It’s no secret fans and all consumers are spending more and more time on mobile. They’re on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. They’re taking selfies and recording videos. They’re texting and messaging friends and family. They’re checking email and checking scores and news. They’re shopping. They’re swiping. They’re opening push alerts. They’re interacting and engaging.
Breaking news: The ability to call someone is pretty far down the list of uses of the phone for fans.
But it’s that versatility that makes it so difficult for teams and athletics programs to get a handle on it all. Who should own mobile? There is no right or wrong answer, and the real answer is that almost everyone has a stake in it.
I’ve had the privilege of working with several dozen organizations on their mobile strategy, with their mobile app. (Not everyone has their own app, of course). And it never ceases to amaze me that the where mobile resides in the organization varies a ton across the board with the teams, venues, live events, and college programs.
For some, the same person running social media is put in charge. Others reside in marketing. Then there’s those with whom it resides with business operations, with content, with a dedicated digital manager, and even the multimedia management rights companies that work with colleges will often run things or a grad assistant will take the helm from Athletics.
Because so much can happen on mobile, it’s so important to get everyone in the organization together, to get on the same page, to use a cliche. The sales and marketing person wants to get promotions out in a personalized, timely manner; to reach those engaged eyeballs. The social media team wants to drive active engagement, along with the game/event operations. Ticketing has a role with mobile being the primary way for many to manage their tickets, buy them, transfer them ,and present them on game day. Partnerships know that active and attentive fans are good fodder for valuable sponsor activations. The content team needs to mind mobile and use it to amplify what they’re producing. Media relations wants to make sure all the stats, schedules, and stories are right. Broadcasting makes sure their video and audio is easily accessible for mobile fans. Those overseeing the brand and design must make sure it all looks and feels aligned with all of the other platforms. And of course, there is a huge service and fan experience element to it all.
That was a long paragraph for a reason. It’s quite a crowd when you put together all the voices that need a say in a mobile presence and mobile app.
Social media is probably the closest analogue, and its rise from different departments across different organizations is not dissimilar from what mobile is going through right now. Everyone needs to make sure they have their say, but they’re not sure who tell it to, who is in charge. It’s a new channel for which the org chart was not designed.
It wasn’t exactly figured out in social media; what happened was social media became so big and important that full-time roles were established to oversee the platforms, and work with others to maximize it. Will the same happen to overseeing and maximizing how fans interact, engage, transact, and manage on mobile?
We’ve long since graduated from mobile strategies to just strategies for a world that is now majority mobile, with no turning back. So where does mobile fit in your organization? It may be a question worth considering and a conversation worth having.
On episode 111 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast, Neil chatted with Preston McClellan, Senior Brand Marketing Manager for the PGA Tour.
What follows are some snippets from the episode. Click Here to listen to the full episode or check it out and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher.
Posted by Neil Horowitz
Listen to episode 111 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, with Preston McClellan, Senior Brand Marketing Manager, PGA Tour.
44 minute duration. Show format contains separate parts. Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or listen on Stitcher
Posted by Neil Horowitz Follow me on Twitter @njh287 Connect on LinkedIn
January 6, 2018 the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Atlanta Falcons in the first NFL playoff game in Los Angeles since…a long time ago. With the Rams losing, it was also the last game of their second season back in Los Angeles, playing the LA Coliseum.
I had the chance to go to the game and, as always, was on the eye for lessons and notables, from a sports business and fan engagement perspective. Here 15 quick observations:
Many stadiums nowadays have social areas – a place to have a drink and maybe catch up with your group of friends away from the bleachers, especially at NFL games where most Sundays there are tons of other games happening during the ones fans are attending. The Rams game was no exception with multiple areas with between the concessions with TV”s, bar tables, and other seating. It came in handy as we stopped to watch the end of an earlier game. Easy opportunity to brand these areas and the Coliseum did so with the tent/umbrellas and (maybe?) the TV’s. The main things missing were charging stations and maybe some more loung-ey furniture.
The Coliseum has for several years been home to the USC Trojans football team. And it was certainly notable that, despite the importance of this first NFL playoff game in LA in so long, the building concourse was decidedly USC. From the paint colors to the names of hte non-branded concessions stands, the Rams as a renter was readily apparent. I’m not sure what kind of restrictions were in place, but I hope everything possible was attempted to create a venue that screamed Rams that Saturday.
Venues used to just have one big store if fans wanted merchandise for the team. Then, mall-like kiosks came for hats and maybe t-shirts. Now you’ll often see more pop-up stores where fans can feel and browse what’s for sale. The Rams had a few, including this one for their ‘premium’ merch brand ’47.
Learn the partner’s brand and mission, figure out how it fits into the fan experience. For Southern California Honda, they’re all about being ‘Helpful Honda’ Dealers. Well, the Rams know their info booth is an integral part of game day. So it was branded for Helpful Honda [Helpful Hut]. A great way to inject the brand in a way that reinforces their messaging while providing real value to the fan experience in an entirely organic way. More activations like all over the fan experience.
The Coliseum is not known as a beaming beacon of modernity and there was a certain ’90’s vibe to their concessions maps up on the walls around the venue. Digital screens or even a venue mobile app would have been a welcome way to navigate the venue than crowding around an old-school wall map.
It’s always good to have venue (and/or team) partners that serve food from their known and loved brands, including national ones like Cinnabon (smells so good), and local loves like Randy’s Donuts and Trejo Tacos.
I’m not sure who invented the rally towel, but it is a damn good fan engaement tool, in many ways. Create a communal and fun atmosphere at the game [not to mention, solid Instagram pics], while also creating a valuable place to expose a team partner. The towel may end up lost or trashed after the game, but the cheap giveaways are worth every penny.
The Rams no doubt have a large portfolio o corporate partners, but if you were to ask fans to look around the game, there are maybe 4-6 brands that would be can’t-miss. For years now, instead of filling every nook and cranny, teams have looked for more integrated partnerships and more meaningful activations. It seems to be a good trend as teams don’t have to divvy up every impression and effort and content piece, instead identifying the more opportune, relevant ways to integrate partners.
I saw this same promotion at the LA Galaxy game at StubHub Center, and it’s a fun one and a good one, with an obviously relevant tie-in to the partner.
Call and response chants are a powerful thing in sports, and every team should have one. They bring together thousands of fans like nothing else, and becomes a way for fans to connect and share their enthusiasm like nothing else. I wasn’t aware of the Rams’ call-and-response of “Whooooose house? Rams’s house!” chant before this game, but you better believe I knew it by the end of the game. Whether it was the PA inciting the crowd, random call outs in the concourse (and, yes, even the bathroom), and banners and shirts, the mantra is ubiquitous and Rams fans can’t get enough of it. It was pretty darn cool to see fans come together as one to take part in chant after chant throughout the game day.
Just about everyone is familiar with, and delighted by, graphic overlays, mostly referred to as lenses. And the Rams get creative with their fan cam that adds Ram horns to excited fans. It’s like Snapchat and Instagram on the big screen. The only thing missing is the chance for fans to save and share these pics. The excitement of getting on the video board is timeless, and the Rams are keeping that strong with a 21st century twist that turns fans into Rams. Of course, poor cell and no WiFi made social media-ing tough, limiting my ability to share my experience.
Social aggregation platforms like Tagboard are all over in sports and entertainment these days. If getting on the video board is goal #1, getting your selfie from IG on the board is perhaps #2 on the excitement chart. While these activations are admirable, they never seem to quite get the participation they would seem to merit. I also noted they didn’t push their official NFL Twitter hashtag, #MobSquad, instead deferring to perhaps the more organic and voluminous, #LARams. Similar to some experiences I’ve had at other events, I saw pics repeated multiple times [perhaps intentional]. UGC will remain an integral part of fan engagement, though the means and medium and presentation will no doubt evolve and improve over time.
[See Flexcam pic above for an example of the callout; the only place I saw social media pics coming in was on the side of the video board]
It’s LA. It’s Hollywood. So the game wouldn’t be complete without a celebrity appearance or two. And while they may not have a ritual like the Carolina Panthers pounding of the drum, the Rams do have the aforementioned ‘Whose House?’ chant that is perfect for a cameo to lead. Tone Loc (who just made me think Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) was first to rap and chant for the crowd. Later, Rob Lowe also made an appearance. Meanwhile, all the millennials rejoiced (myself included) for the chance to see LA’s own Snoop Dogg perform at halftime. It wouldn’t be a big game in LA without a little star power.
While my party was considering where best to book an Uber (there is no designated zone at the Coliseum), the Metro made their mark, too, with a prominent tent near the exits/entrances, inviting fans to buy and load cards there. It’s an easy and effective way to activate the partnership in a manner that’s super-helpful for fans. The ATM machines in the stadium were also branded with a banking partner (again, easy enough).
Overall, it felt like a Rams team doing the best they could in a building in which they’re just a tenant. Connectivity is a limitation, too. The stadium didn’t seem conducive to kids, with plenty of beer gardens and lounge areas, but no attraction for kids – kids area, face painting, photo-ops, etc. The lack of open space also likely accounts for little novel sponsor activation happening. No memory makers, contest, displays, or pop-ups. We went to a football game.
The video board promos were not bad, and the music selection was good. However, there were multiple times when a replay wasn’t shown or a Twitter-like GIF was used when all I wanted was to see video of the play. There were times those with me missed the close coverage one gets on the couch. But that’s the tradeoff for the atmosphere.
It was a great opportunity, if nothing else, to witness the passion the Rams fans have. While the team remains a tenant, for now, their Inglewood palace is coming, and the experience will be much different. In the end, it’s about giving fans the feeling after the game of wanting to come back.
On episode 110 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast, Neil chatted with Mark J. Burns, founder of Sports Business Chronicle.
What follows are some snippets from the episode. Click Here to listen to the full episode or check it out and subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher.
Posted by Neil Horowitz
Listen to episode 110 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, with Mark J Burns, founder of Sports Business Chronicle. In this episode, we discuss this year’s annual Sports Business Trends/Predictions series.
78 minute duration. Show format contains separate parts. Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or listen on Stitcher
Posted by Neil Horowitz Follow me on Twitter @njh287 Connect on LinkedIn