The Offseason: 6 Ways to Stay Plugged In

June 17, 2009 at 6:28 pm | Posted in Social Media, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing | 3 Comments
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plugThe NBA and NHL championships have come and gone.

It’s a bit too early to start talking about the NFL, and MLB is not the most social media focused league in town.

So one might think that there is very little to discuss regarding social media and sports right now – but that would be a mistake. Now is a very important time for teams and leagues to keep fans engaged.

Why? Because, if you follow my path to social media then you know that sponsorship is not far behind. Through social media, there are still opportunities to keep fans active, and to keep sponsors activated.

Consider the following… How can you leverage:

  • Ticket Sales – Do you have a social media angle for marketing tickets?
  • Contests/Give Aways – Are you giving your market a reason to keep plugged in?
  • Off Season Drafts/Trades/Personnel Changes – Can you provide perspectives and insight from the source?
  • Discussion – Can you generate discussion and debate?
  • Access – Can you provide visibility on team insiders?
  • Announcements – Can you release info via social networks prior to a press release?

If you give your market good reasons to stay plugged in – then they will. Staying plugged in is what your sponsors want and need to see.

Twitter Sponsorship Strategies

May 9, 2009 at 9:53 am | Posted in Branding, Social Media, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing, Twitter | Leave a comment
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TwitterIn a previous post, I talked about sponsorship activation via Twitter and provided a list of brands that Tweet. The idea being that these brands did not need to be educated on Twitter and would be more open to a conversation about sponsorship.

As of yet, I am not aware of any existing sponsorships through Twitter. In this post, I’d like to take a look at other ways to leverage Twitter for sponsorship:

  • The first and most obvious is to display sponsors on a teams’ Twitter background. Teams have branded their Twitter backgrounds, and the next step is to use parts of that space for sponsorship.
  • Teams can provide sponsor’s links in Tweets
  • Teams can drive fans to back to their website via tweet links where their sponsors are advertised
  • Use hash tags (#) to create sponsor titled contests or events (Ex. #sponsorGameday, #sponsorUpdate, #sponsorContest)
  • Crossover – Teams can participate in a sponsor’s own Twitter feed and encourage fans to follow the sponsors

Like any sponsorship – it is truly a partnership. Some brands will be more aligned with teams in terms of compatibility or Twitter crossover. Considerations surrounding frequency of messages, tracking, timing  and visibility will all come into play. Again, these are the very early days – smart sales teams will be moving on these opportunities and laying the path forward one step at a time.

For a complete list of players, teams and leagues on Twitter, click here.

Your feedback…

  • Any ideas for more activation?
  • Know of any sponsors working like this now?
  • Feedback/comments/questions on these ideas?

MLSE Social Media Strategy

April 17, 2009 at 12:00 am | Posted in Branding, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing, Twitter | 13 Comments
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leafsraptors

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is a local mini sports empire here in Toronto. Repeatedly regarded as the highest earning property in the NHL year after year, the Maple Leafs lead  the pack of other MLSE properties: the NBA’s Raptors, Toronto Marlies of the AHL, and the surprisingly highly successful Toronto FC of the MLS league.

Internal Social Media Sites

MLSE has 2 online communities for the Leafs and Raptors:

These sites are tied into their primary websites (mapleleafs.com and raptors.com) and internal database. These online communities serve to drive fans back to their sites and are further supported by 3rd party social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Here is the ROI… more unique visitors to these sites = sponsorship opportunities.

The Leafs on Facebook

Here is the official Facebook Fan Page for the Leafs. There are several fan created fan pages – a testament to their base and brand. While the page is still evolving, MLSE is focused on providing unique applications for the fans to use – like building a custom jersey or creating your own hockey card. This represents a viable e-commerce stream in addition to fan engagement.

MLSE on Twitter

Monika with a K

Monika

Here is where I see an interesting approach – one that is different than other teams – MLSE is focusing on people vs. the brand on Twitter. Rather than follow “the Leafs”, MLSE has positioned an individual - Monika – as the face of the online community. Monika is also the in-game announcer, so she is tied in with fan experience in a live capacity.  Via the Twitter platform, Monika represents the brand. True to social media’s core of people as content – time will tell how the strategy of individual vs. brand will play out.

The Raptors have a similar approach – but the indivual is a further step removed and embodied in Raptors Web Guy. Here, Raptors Web Guy comes across as someone within the organization, but not a named/pictured individual. In this way, Raptors Web Guy is half person and half brand – again, a different approach than what other teams are doing on Twitter and one that is noteworthy.

The Impact of Social Media on Sports Marketing

April 15, 2009 at 10:23 am | Posted in Business Development, Linkedin, Marketing, Networking, Sales Methodologies, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing | 7 Comments
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sports-marketing-20Social media and sports marketing are a perfect fit.

I was very pleased to read Pat Coyle’s article from the Sports Business Journal about social networking and fans (SBJ is subscription based, so the article link is on Pat’s Sports Marketing 2.0 site).

Over the past several months, I’ve been reading a lot of Pat’s blog and info posted on his Linkedin Group – and it was great to see the similar content and thinking we have in why sports teams/leagues should care about social media and social networks.

Definitely take a minute a read Pat’s article, but here’s the high level take-aways:

  • Social media isn’t about technology, it’s about fans
  • Build online fan communities to allow them to connect with one another, and in turn – to the team
  • Leverage community #’s to make $ via e-commerce
  • Sponsorship opportunities present themselves by increasing visits to team sites
    • And I’d like to personally add – through social media sites themselves

This is all relatively new for many teams – and building/managing fan generated content and opening up sponsorship opportunities  is the task that many teams are uncertain about how to proceed with…

The other part of the story that I like to bring to this topic is integrating social networks into sales training. When it comes to ticket sales or sponsorships, the consistency of use in social media platforms not only goes a long way from a sales methodology perspective, but the simple fact that social networking tools get results for sellers is key.

How to Leverage Sponsorships via Twitter

April 11, 2009 at 11:19 pm | Posted in Branding, Social Media, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing, Twitter | 2 Comments
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twitter-birdIn an earlier post, I suggested that sports organizations should look to social media for sponsorship activation opportunities.

This is new territory – right now, teams are just beginning to reach out to their fan base to engage them via social networks. Under the focus of ROI (and with an ongoing debate in social media circles), social media as a sponsorship platform can be a bit confusing and intimidating.

Instead of looking to educate sponsors on why they should look to invest their brand in Twitter, a better approach is to preach to the converted. Seek out brands that are already using Twitter – don’t sell the medium, focus on their brand and their goals. The internet is pretty good for providing lists, so…

Again, the goal in leveraging Twitter as a sponsorship opportunity is to engage into discussions with the brands that are already there. Of course, you need to have your own sizable network in order to make the relationship effective.

Preach to the converted – teams need to be looking at these opportunities as additional revenue streams. Start with the brands that are already there.

NHL Teams Turning to Social Media

March 18, 2009 at 1:08 pm | Posted in Branding, CRM, Facebook, Getting Started, Marketing, Social Media, Sponsorship, Sports Marketing, Twitter | 14 Comments
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NHL Elevator

NHL Offices Elevator

I recently met with a contact of mine, Mark Schultz, Manager of Club Consulting and Services at the NHL here in Toronto.

We talked about a recent post from my blog, and how NHL teams are increasingly interested in social media. Some teams are already active, while others have yet to incorporate social media into their marketing mix.

Mark and I discussed some interesting ideas – like how teams can use Twitter to release game day ticket availability from unclaimed reserve seating, and the importance of a CRM (Jon Spoelstra 101). We talked about the exponential marketing visibility provided by Facebook engagement – and as the Friend and Follower numbers grow, how to incorporate sponsorship activation.

When teams begin a social media campaign – there are a couple of key points they need to keep top of mind:

  1. ROI as traditional marketing measurement is now based on ROT (Time) – Most social media tools are free to use, but organizations need to account for the time their internal resources spend on these projects.
  2. Tools behind the Platforms - While its easy for anyone to start using social media for marketing, there are a number of tools and applications available to maximize use.
  3. Now is the Time – A tough economy brings another business case to leverage social media, but teams are recognizing that their markets are already there in social networks. Sponsorship opportunities are close to follow, so build these online communities now.

Regarding the economy – while its been a promising week on the markets, things will continue to remain unstable for the foreseeable future. The Maple Leafs are using in-game ad time to initiate a season ticket renewal campaign and offering incentives (like a meet/greet with the GM) – this is new for the Leafs, the most financially stable and strong of the 30 team NHL. If there is such activity in Toronto, a very strong market with an iron clad brand; it points at the deepening trouble in other markets.

So now is the time for teams to turn to social media:

  • The short term win is stronger fan engagement
  • The strategic win is increased opportunities for sponsorship activation

Over to you – if you are a fan, are you connected with your favorite team through social media? Are you a sports marketer? How does your organization currently work with online communities?

Sports Marketing & Social Media

February 28, 2009 at 1:01 pm | Posted in Marketing, Social Media, Sponsorship, Twitter | Leave a comment
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As leagues and teams deal with challenging financial realities such as the $175M NBA loan arrangement for cash strapped teams, or the NHL’s Phoenix Coyote’s rent fiasco – there is little doubt that the business of sports sponsorship is in for changes.

Those two “C” words cause a lot of anxiety – Challenge and Change. Luxury suites sit empty this season – but paid for – and who knows what challenges or changes are coming this summer when it is time for teams to negotiate renewals. Sponsors will be reviewing their spending on sponsorships as marketing budgets tighten further…

Challenge and change also have a positive by-product – opportunity. A few teams are increasingly turning to social media – a great marketing fit to leverage engagement and sponsorship within a limited marketing spend.

For this post – I’m going to focus on the NBA, the NHL and Twitter…

NHL-LogoNHL Team Twitter Feeds

Have a look at:

At the time of writing, the Red Wings have 1500+ followers, Canucks 600+ and the Caps 700+. One of the Twitter strategies that the Wings are successfully employing is to to follow people – they are currently following over 1600, where are the Caps are following only 2.

These teams are using Twitter to drive fans to their site/blog, score and game play updates and the most powerful exchange in 1-1 fan engagement. While these teams, as well as many other organizations, are unsure how to deploy, track and leverage social media – these are great starts. The look and background of these twitter feeds could be improved, but the messages are getting out, and the participation is there. I have yet to see any sponsorship tied into Twitter, and this is a must moving forward in dealing with the economic climate and requirements of Challenge and Change.

nbalogo44NBA Players and Twitter

A few of players in the NBA are using Twitter on their own – not as part of a team/league strategy – but as individual users:

Notice something? Chris Bosh currently has 4000+ followers and Shaq has almost 200,000. Lots and lots of followers. Why? Authenticity. Fans follow these guys because they receive their own messages and thoughts in real time. Some of their posts are about the previous game while others are just random posts. The ability to tie in sponsorship here at this level has huge potential – but also potential for failure as it could erode the unique and authentic nature of social media engagement.

I love the immediacy of these players reaching out like this – the fact that they are “real” gives fans more of that 1-1 relationship and identification. Part of me fears that sooner or later, a controversy will arise – a situation which prompts team or league social media policy creation or enforcement (hmm… Sean Avery + Twitter = News x Bad Publicity).

These are the early days for sports and social media – it is an exciting time and ideal fit for today’s landscape of media, technology and financial climate.

* UPDATE * March 12, 2009

Phoenix Suns on Twitter

I came across something today… Here is a great link to a blog post about the Phoenix Suns innovative use of Twitter. Very strong fan engagement strategies here…

Olympics in China – Are Corporate Sponsors Concerned about their Brand?

April 9, 2008 at 6:20 pm | Posted in Marketing, Sponsorship | Leave a comment
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The Olympics is about as big as it gets for corporate sponsorship.

And this week has seen some interesting events in the form of protests that accompany the Olympic Torch relay. Amid requests from world leaders to boycott some elements of the event, are corporate sponsors worried about associating their brand with all that is going on?

Despite the market potential that China represents and the visibility that the Olympics brings across many industries, I would think there is a growing concern about positioning here. If nothing else, those in the sponsorship industry should be paying close attention as this plays out.

I reached out to my network recently for their feedback:

…

“Most folks sponsoring anything in China do it because they see a huge market. Tibet wouldn’t make a dime’s difference to that picture.

For the other negligible minority, Tibet is only one of a long list of concerns. In that sense, there are already other symptoms that cause apprehensions.

A venture-funding-specialist friend of mine predicted that China is fast heading into an overheated state; and that folks with long-term interests are taking their money (and baggage) out of China. So why would they even begin to sponsor?” Sastry Tumuluri, Founder/CEO at AntHill IdeaLabs

…

“I’m involved in the sponsorship marketing industry and, while I’m not currently working with Olympic partners, I’ve had an opportunity to speak with people who oversee these investments for the sponsors.

Truth of the matter is that sponsors are chomping at the bit to get access to the Chinese market. In fact, one gent from Visa almost grew faint when explaining the opportunity for that company (Chinese apparently don’t have much debt. Yet.) These sponsors see the Olympics as a way to both reach the masses and (more importantly) to create strategic ties to the Chinese government by supporting their ‘crown jewel’.

Sponsors of the Beijing Games have been preparing for (and spending on) this event since before the start of the 2004 Athens Olympics. A tremendous amount of time, energy, and money has already been committed.

As a result, I highly doubt that any Olympic sponsor has qualms about their ongoing participation in the 2008 Summer Games. To be certain, I’m sure they’re hopeful that the situation in Tibet will be resolved. But the plans for this event were put into place a long time ago are currently being executed at full speed ahead. ” David Almy, Owner at ADC Partners

…

“… Since China is the host of the Summer Games, we are calling on China to join the charity and reach out with aid to Darfur, and take the opportunity to be honorable hosts and follow the example of others who are doing positive things for the people of Darfur, who are hurting and being killed.

Maybe we can accomplish something by providing China with the opportunity to do honorable acts now that they are in the position of leadership, and the eyes of the entire world are watching. I hope this will produce more results than protests alone have (not much other than awareness … ” Jesse Gift, PR for Aid Still Required.org

…

As the Olympic torch relay makes its way through San Francisco today, it will be interesting to relate coverage of protests to sponsorship. Is this a challenge to the $ winning vs. human rights? Why is Tibet the most visible symbol of oppression when it is occurring in many places? Is it fair to the athletes to take a stand here? Are the athletes still using performance enhancing drugs? What exactly is the positioning here?

Or this simply not a Marketing issue? Over to you….

 

 

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