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:
- Branded hangout areas w/ TV’s
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.
- USC all over
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.
- Pop-up stores
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.
- Branding Help Desk
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.
- Concessions maps / no app
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.
- Cinnabon
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.
- Clear bagsIt seems like most sports events now in college and pros have a clear bag policy in place, meaning fans can bring in items provided they are stored in a clear bag of a specified size. Messaging around this clear bag policy has taken up multiple pages of social and PR strategy. And, of course, it represents a great opportunity for teams to sell or disseminate clear bags to make it easier for fans, and get their brand out there more. It’s also a valuable opportunity for a helpful sponsor to assist in giving fans a very helpful bag.
- Rally Towels
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.
- A few big brands
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.
- 24 Hour Fitness Flex Cam
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.
- Whose House?!
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.
- Social media-like overlays
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.
- Tagboard / #LARams
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]
- Snoop Dogg and other celebs
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.
- Metro Cards
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.
