Sports Executives: 3 Recommendations to Better Grow Fan Engagement on Social Media

As sports continue to capture the attention of billions of fans worldwide, teams are shifting to social media outlets such as Twitter and Instagram to interact with their fans instantly in a more engaging way. As a sports marketing student at Northwestern University, I’ve found two articles that highlight the importance of making this type of connection.

Rick Maese of the Washington Post wrote an interesting article entitled "NBA Twitter: A sports bar that doesn’t close, where the stars pull up a seat next to you." In this article, he discusses how NBA fans immerse themselves in Twitter in order to stay up to date with the constant, essentially year-round, news cycle of professional basketball. According to Maese, this has essentially become a routine for many fans, and some even prefer to follow the games via their online Twitter communities rather than go to the game in person if they had the opportunity. This relate to the idea that team's usage of official social media accounts gives fans an outlet that they can follow and constantly engage with during live games. These official team accounts often times provide commentary, which can make online users feel as if they are watching alongside other fans of the team. For more insight, you can follow Rick on Twitter. 

Courtesy of Getty Images

Anthony DiMoro on Forbes takes a deep dive into how this trend of social media quickly invaded the sports world, along with some examples of teams who are able to generate a great deal of fan engagement while strengthening a team's overall brand in an article titled "The Growing Impact of Social Media on Today's Culture." One example Dimoro gives is how often times, a sports league or team creates one common hashtag around a topic so that fans can see all related tweets and news in one, centralizes location (e.g. #BecauseItsTheCup for the NHL playoffs). As a result of these tactics, he claims that fan engagement and discussion online is at new levels that no one could have imagined several years ago. If you want to find more of Dimoro's work, you can follow him on Twitter or visit his official website to see his latest sports media ventures.

Based on these articles, along with my own personal experience helping run multiple verified team accounts for Northwestern Athletics, here are three recommendations for sports executives to better grow fan engagement on social media:

• Entertain Your Followers – Fans want to feel like they’re watching the game with the team, it’s up to you to engage and relate to your audience.

• Storytelling = Engagement – Recognize what is happening in the game and the implications/message behind every single word you are sending out and how it fits into a bigger picture.

• Stay Ahead of the Surge – The industry is constantly evolving, be ready to adapt to any changes or innovations in order to ensure you are putting out the best possible final product.

As a sports executive, it is more and more important that you make meaningful connections with your fans and people interested in your team using social media, and I hope these three action items will help you do that more effectively.

My name is Zach Wingrove and I am a senior at Northwestern University studying Journalism and Integrated Marketing Communications. I have worked closely with Northwestern's Athletic Department during my four years, assisting in media relations for almost all of Northwestern's 19 varsity programs at some point. During the 2018 MLB season, I worked on the Media Relations team for the Chicago Cubs. In the future, I want to continue working media relations in either professional or collegiate athletics. You can follow me on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

NBA Fanatics: 3 ways to boost your NBA knowledge using results of the Round 1 Playoffs

Though the Indiana Pacers haven't been on many people's radars in past years, next time you talk about a team with potential you will now remember to put Victor Oladipo and the Pacers in the conversation. 

As a NU student specializing in sports journalism, I have found 2 articles on the Pacers' dynamic playoff performance which will interest you

The Cavaliers’ Game 7 win over the Pacers on ABC was the highest rated NBA first-round game since 2004

http://awfulannouncing.com/nba/the-cavs-game-7-win-over-the-pacers-was-the-highest-rated-nba-first-round-game-since-2004.html

By Alex Putterman (A NU alum!) 

The Pacers forced a Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a win-and-advance match off in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Though the Indiana Pacers were ranked only one below the Cavs, they were unexpected to put up a fight against a team that has made it to the championship round three years in a row. Game 7, which aired on ABC, had a 5.4 ranking – an increase of 27% from a comparable game last season. Their ranking was the highest first round matchup since 2004.

http://awfulannouncing.com/

Photo source: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2018/01/cavs_overcome_lebrons_11_turnovers_to_beat_pacers_115_108

Impressive as it was, the Pacers’ Victor Oladipo isn’t satisfied with his breakout season

By Tim Bontemps: 

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2018/04/30/impressive-as-it-was-the-pacers-victor-oladipo-isnt-satisfied-with-his-breakout-season/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.37e4900c7a65

Victor Oladipo was the standout star of the first round match up between the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers. He was traded to the Pacers at the start of the season and wasn’t expected to fill the shoes Paul George had left behind. Instead had himself a breakout season that led the Pacers to almost eliminate LeBron James and the Cavs in the first round. Because of this, Oladipo demands respect from those who didn’t believe the Pacers would be a serious contender in the playoffs.

www.thewashingtonpost.com

Based on my review of the 2 articles and my studies at NU, I have created 3 points to remember when you think of undermining the Indiana Pacers next season.

1.     Pacers will come back better. After nearly beating the Cavaliers, the Pacers will head into next season better than ever.

2.    Game 7 = viewers. Basketball fans love ‘loser-goes-home’ games

3.    Pacers rise to the occaision. No one expected the Pacers or Oladipo to do this well in the playoffs.

Grace Choi is a senior sports journalism student at Northwestern University. She has covered Big Ten sports and Olympics sports. She is a lover of NBA basketball, particularly the Portland Trail Blazers since they represent her hometown, Portland, Oregon. 

Sports Marketers: Tips on Creating a Successful Social Media Campaign

From the NCAA to the NFL to the PGA, its no secret that sports teams and athletes generate fan bases the size of small countries. As sports marketers, it is our job to harness this following to generate excitement for our teams. But how can we make sure we are truly maximizing the full potential of our fan base? As a graduate student in Northwestern University Medill's Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Masters program, I have found 2 articles on how to create successful social media campaigns to engage your fans.

Lauren Drell, author of Five Tips for Marketing to Sports Fans on Facebook, focused on understanding the sports fan persona.  Sports fans are passionate, loyal and more importantly "they crave interaction with the team and will gladly engage right back." Think about any passionate sports fan you know and you'll see the signs - the baseball fan who goes to the game with his glove, in hopes of catching a foul ball; the football fan who plays fantasy football as the "owner" of their own team; the NCAA basketball fans who will paint every inch of their skin and dye their hair simply to match the colors of their beloved team. They all want to feel connected to their team - and as sports marketers, you have the power to make that connection. This is crucial for sports marketers to understand when formulating their social media campaign.  

                                               Source: http://www.zimbio.com/Cameron+Crazies

Ty Scheiner,  author of Four Winning Sports Social Media Marketing Campaigns You Can Learn From highlights the work of teams that have successful social media marketing strategies.  Baylor University has a rewards program that encourages content sharing.  The New Jersey Devils "Mission Control" campaign rewards loyal fans with the opportunity to be part of the team.  Each campaign that Scheiner highlights shows the teams engaging and interacting with their fans through creative social media campaigns.

After reviewing these articles, there are three action items you should immediately consider when developing your own social media campaign:   

• ENGAGE ALL FANS - Social media gives you opportunity to engage with fans anywhere at anytime. It is important to find ways to keep fans feeling connected with your team - Find a way to reach those who can not make it to the games and ways to keep the fire burning even during the off-season.

• INTERACT - The fans want to be a part of the team and they want to interact - so be sure that your social media campaign is a two-way street. Create contests, offer give-aways, involve players - anything that provides an interactive forum for the fans to get involved with the team.

• GET CREATIVE - Create unique content that is cannot be found anywhere else and is only specific to your team. Don't be afraid to think outside of the box! Crazy fans get excited by crazy ideas, so run with it! 

Every sports market is unique and it goes without saying, that it is important to know your market before establishing any type of program. But if you follow these three simple tips, you will be on the path to creating a successful social media campaign for your sports team.

Danielle Pierce, a sports fanatic and marketing wiz, is currently completing a Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University.  She previously completed her Masters of Science at Johns Hopkins University and her Bachelors of Arts at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Follow her on Twitter @dmapierce912

Adidas: How (Not) to Manage the Unexpected

Courtesy of Facebook.com/DerrickRose

Better safe, than sorry.

It’s a lesson we've all been told growing up. Whether it’s packing that extra sweater, or checking to see if you locked the door, it’s a way of thinking many of us have adopted in our everyday lives.

In the unpredictable world of sports marketing, it's a phrase to live by. 

Now, being safe doesn't necessarily mean sticking to tradition or being conservative. It just means it’s important to have all your bases covered; or rather, to always be prepared for the unexpected.

Adidas knows this all too well.

It happened in April of 2012. Just two months after signing Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose to a 14-year, $250 million dollar contract, he tore his ACL and would be sidelined for at least 9-12 months.

Other sporting goods manufacturers would have shelved Rose and shifted focus on to a different athlete. I mean, really, how can you sell a branded shoe if the athlete is injured?

But in the rubble, Adidas saw an opportunity.

Enter:  “The Return of Derrick Rose.”

#TheReturn (as it's known on social media) was a 6-video web series that chronicled Rose's rehabilitation process. The digital campaign stretched over a four month period and emphasized Rose's hunger and determination to come back.

Since the campaign launched last August, the series has been viewed 7 million times on YouTube, the number of Twitter followers for @adidashoops has increased by 100 percent and discussions about Adidas on Facebook have gone up by 200 percent.  

How did Adidas manage to accomplish this? They covered their bases.

Insight: Adidas listened to what people were saying online before reacting. It’s a simple, yet effective practice brands neglect when things go array. The outpouring of support for Rose on social media was the inspiration behind the campaign.

Social Media: If you want to address an issue in a timely fashion, look no further than social media. Adidas ditched  traditional media outlets like TV and print, and went digital. Social platforms like YouTube and Twitter enabled Adidas to connect with its consumers directly. This resulted in a stronger online brand presence for Adidas. 

Emotional Appeal: In order for a brand to succeed in managing the unexpected, it has to know what strengths to play up. Adidas understood Rose’s appeal and used the campaign to highlight everything fans love about him.

When the campaign came to a close six months ago, Adidas was lauded for their ability to turn a nightmare situation into marketing gold.

But those critics may now be rethinking their stance.   

See, what Adidas failed to recognize is that managing the unexpected is an active evaluation of the situation. Just because a campaign ends, it doesn't mean you're home free.

The problem now is that Rose has still not come back.

Under normal circumstances, an athlete's decision to sit out would not be problem. But #TheReturn created such a hype, that it led fans to believe that Rose was in a position to come back sooner, rather than later. And after being teased with this thought for months by Adidas, fans are not taking this outcome well.  

Here's the bottom line: If Adidas ever plans to sell another Derrick Rose shoe in the future, it needs to do some major damage control. Waiting any longer to respond or ignoring the issue completely will tarnish its brand image. 

Adidas had the right idea with #TheReturn, but the message behind the campaign needs to be reworked going forward. And to do so, Adidas needs to go back to the basics:

Listen: Adidas needs to once again listen to what is being said about before they can act accordingly.   

Be realistic: Rose may be an extremely gifted basketball player, but he’s still human. Recovering from a serious injury like an ACL tear requires patience and even when he does return, it will take Rose a while before he plays at an MVP level again. Embrace this fact. Take the theatrics down a notch and give fans the chance to see the situation clearly.

Stay true to Adidas: Adidas is all about helping athletes perform their best. So instead of looking to expedite the rehab process on camera, Adidas needs to show that it genuinely cares about the well-being of its athletes and consumers. Recovery is not a race, but rather a process. The sooner Adidas accepts this, the better chance it will have in reconnecting with its consumers.

Stay true to Derrick Rose: As the brand behind Rose, Adidas is doing him a major disservice by letting him get most of the bad rap for his decision not come back yet. After all, would Rose even be facing this much criticism had #TheReturn not created the expectation that he is coming back soon?

Developing an advertising campaign around an injured athlete is risky business, but companies have found a way to make it work. For example, when LA Lakers guard Kobe Bryant went down with an injury last month, Nike released an ad paying homage to him. It was a simple, yet powerful print ad that even caught Bryant off guard.

Regardless of how Adidas chooses to address the "is he coming back-or is he not" soap opera that has become of Rose's life, it's imperative every possible is accounted for.  

Parisa Durrani is a student in the Masters of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications program at Northwestern University. She's passionate about all things NBA and can be found on Twitter @ParisaDurrani