Leveling the Playing Field: How Small Market Teams Thrive in the Digital Space w/ the Milwaukee Brewers

Postseason baseball brings an air of unbridled enthusiasm to the game. Crowd attendance grows, sports bars fill with excited fans and the hunt for October evokes a passion for the game that reverberates through the nation. This postseason is not unlike any other, plentiful with extra inning games, rookies making career defining plays, and pitching duels that go long into the night. This particular postseason however, may end with a Cinderella-esque storyline as the Kansas City Royals leave their small club mark against mighty big leaguers like the Los Angeles Angels.  The Royals rise to fame this season has called forth the age old question as to whether small market teams can truly thrive against big league clubs where high dollars for top talent and lavish facilities know no limits.  While for many a truly level playing field among the David and Goliaths may never exist in baseball operations, the sports marketing world with the digital landscape at its fingertips, finds itself with unprecedented opportunities for teams to reach more people, elicit more passion for their brands, and unite fans everywhere.

A desire to learn more about how small market teams are tackling the digital space and what unique challenges they face brought me to Milwaukee as the season wound to a close.  I sat down with Caitlin Moyer, the Brewers' Director of New Media to talk about the roller coaster of a season that had the team, reeling in everything from steroid controversy and a lovable stray dog to a lead of the division for most of the season and a hard fall from grace finishing the team outside the playoffs.  I left Miller Park's packed crowd with a sense for three areas small market teams like the Brewers excel at, when marketing across the digital divide.

1.  Flexibility and Efficient Timing - When the Brewers began their season many expected Ryan Braun, the team's fan favorite player, and his positive test for steroids to be a negative black cloud of controversy tainting much of the season.  That was until a loveable stray dog showed up at the Brewers spring training home and Moyer and her team got to work showcasing the cuteness that ensued.  What started out as a sweet online story about a dog that the team took under their adoptive wing grew into a staple for the Brewers' ball club with social sharing, engagement, and all around positivity among fans young and old generating requests for more pictures, more updates, and a store filled with Hank the dog merchandise.  Moyer made it clear the dog's emotional tale was not any sort of well devised plan to pull attention away from Braun, but rather the team's superior management style that allowed Moyer to jump on any content that might be of interest to the fans and run with it.  Hank the dog soon filled the daily newsfeeds of Brewers fans generating inclusion in sausage runs, his very own bobble head night, and next season a brand new mascot that will represent the lovable mutt.  Will we continue to see more content about Hank next year?  "If the fans dictate it, absolutely," Moyer responded.

2. Managing Expectations & Human Emotion - "Winning solves everything."  It's a common expression used in sports marketing when describing the challenges of selling tickets and filling more seats.  Yet for small market clubs who often don't find themselves on the winning side of a season, a roller coaster ride that sees them leading their division only to fall from grace before the postseason can create far more difficulties for the digital marketer.  Moyer expressed this season as having being especially challenging as the Brewers' digital space became a stomping ground of human emotion with fans exhibiting exceptionally strong opinions on their expectation of the team and their unfiltered disappointment.  So how do small clubs handle the rise and defeat?  By preparing for the tidal wave.  Digital mavens like Moyer prepare for the worst while planning for the best, taking on a psychological role that lets fans blow off steam online by putting out less content and tailoring what content there is to human interest and community pieces over team cheer-leading, bringing a welcome distraction from the game itself while still positioning the brand in the best light.  "I have to be careful what I post at those times, that content can become a magnet for negative responses regardless of what I'm posting. It's hard, but there are other great things we're doing with the community and kids worth telling," Moyer explained as we watched kids from the community have the chance to line up beside players in the field pre-game, riddled with excitement.

3. Content is King - Step right up and see how fast you can throw a pitch. Try your luck and see how fast you can run the bases. Take a slide down Bernie's dugout slide.  Feeling adventurous?  Try the climbing wall, get to the top, ring the bell, and take a look at the view overlooking the outfield.  Stroll around Miller Park and the host of activities that lay ahead is likely to make anyone's inner child squeal with delight. As a frequent traveler who has enjoyed a game in 19 of the 30 parks, I expressed my favorable impression at the wealth of activities available to Moyer and asked if the park's active (and largely baseball related) in-park entertainment was indicative of a larger brand appeal that crossed into the digital space.  Moyer explained that the club understands the importance of the fan experience and the types of content that result in more digital captures, more social sharing, and more family trips to the park.  Each season brings with it more and different sponsorship opportunities, but the ball club positions the sport of baseball front and center, as well as activities that fans will be excited to take part in and share visual proof of to friends and family.  This approach to in-game entertainment and sponsorships results not only in fans who are more connected to the brand and a complete day at the ballpark, but also in turn keeps the tickets selling.  As we parted ways Moyer exclaimed, "be sure and catch the sausage race it's an old tradition, and take a look around: climb a wall, throw a pitch, there's always something fun to do here, there's truly nothing else like it."

And in true digital marketing spirit I did just that.....and then shared the photos with all of my friends.

The Hidden Playbook: Tricks of the Sports Digital Marketing Trade

Over the past few months I've spoken to colleagues at over 30 different professional sports teams, sports networks and sports agencies about the rise of digital marketing in their field.  The most common question executives get tied up on: How do you stay relevant?  With new tools arising everyday and more and more outlets offering fans a unique avenue to voice their opinions and needs, sometimes the most difficult challenge remains simply staying up on the latest and greatest technologies.  So what are some of the best tricks of the trade for keeping a pulse on where things are headed and how best to market?  Here's a few strategies from my own playbook:

Feed.ly

RSS Feeds Are Your Friends
I start every morning with feed.ly, an RSS feed aggregate that pulls in all the latest and greatest information from ESPN, MLB.com, Sports Illustrated, etc. in one place so I can quickly scroll through articles, staying informed on the latest news while find content that might be of interest to my audience.  I don't just select sports feeds either I have feeds categorized for digital media and tech as well from sources like Mashable and the Social Media Examiner.  By cross populating my news feeds in the morning to subjects relevant to my industry I can not only follow the exciting moments in sports, but also see how they are translating to the latest tools in the digital marketing trade.

Find Your Influencers
LinkedIn is one of the most underutilized tool in social networking, yet one of the most robust platforms available to becoming an informed sports marketer.  The colleagues across the nation who I've spent the last few months communicating with about the growth of the digital field were never introduced to me in person.  Rather I sought them out over LinkedIn by searching for those that do this work everyday, those who influence the decisions that are made in the sports industry on what and when digital and technological moves will take place in marketing, and those most interviewed in the news as most likely to be most open to a conversation.  After learning more about their positions I follow them on other social networks like Twitter to stay connected and informed about changes taking shape at their club that others might look to follow suit on.  The sports industry is smaller than one might think and having a strong network means having a direct line to the inside scoop.

Schedule Your Statuses
Social media can often seem like a daunting task when Klout scores drop quickly without constant meaningful updates and a wealth of direct communication with followers.  However, one doesn't have to be on social media 24/7 to leave a lasting impression.  I utilize Buffer, a scheduling program every morning to lay out my Tweets, Facebook business page statuses, and LinkedIn posts for the day based on the rich and meaningful content I would like to share with my followers specific to each network.  I can set the times based on when I know more of my followers are likely to see the posts as well as the number of posts for each network and go about my day knowing the program will post my statuses at the times I requested.  This is no substitute for active 2-way communication so I still get social media notifications sent to my phone in order to reply timely and in a human fashion to direct questions or responses from others looking to engage.  Buffer instead allows me to have the comfort of knowing that I don't need to be on social media all the time to have my message heard, freeing myself up to work on gaining knowledge, skills, and experience outside of that world that will be useful to those inside of it upon my return.

Melting into Multicultural Marketing with the Miami Marlins

"When I started working here I was the only person in the box office who spoke Spanish, and there was a need for me."  Juan Martinez, Director of Multicultural Marketing at the Miami Marlins, reflected, when describing to me the growth of Miami's pro sports into Hispanic marketing from humble beginnings.  From the implementation of its first Hispanic marketing department in 1997 (with Martinez at the helm of the team store) to a department that is now deeply immersed in one of the most culturally diverse baseball communities across the U.S., the Miami Marlins have come to understand not only the potential in embracing cultural heritage within their fanbase, but also in marketing across the generational divide.

https://www.facebook.com/MarlinsPark

"It's about speaking the language of the customer," Martinez explained when discussing why his role has become so critical and why as many as sixteen other Major League Baseball teams have created similar positions, twelve alone since he began. As a Miami native growing up in Little Havana, with over fifteen years with the team, Martinez has come to embrace what many would consider an incredibly challenging sports market: tourists, retirees, and a wealth of first, second and third generation Hispanic immigrants planting roots in the gateway to the Americas.

"Where other markets west of the Mississippi are pretty homogenous, where 90% plus of the Hispanic community there are Mexican or of Mexican descent, here it's a whole other ball game," Martinez describes. "Here, it's the Caribbean Hispanic, a very small percentage are Mexican. It's dominated by Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Venezuelans, with some Columbians, and it's a very unique challenge."  Yet despite the obstacles, Martinez and his colleagues are finding their strengths in creative marketing, here's what sets them apart in a town known more for its nightlife than its baseball.

Cultural Recognition
With so many ethic communities populating the Miami metro area it might seem advantageous to trim resources and focus on one all-encompassing Hispanic marketing strategy. However the Marlins understand that at the heart of every consumer is the desire to feel special and acknowledged.  So while many MLB teams have implemented one Hispanic heritage day in September to recognize the community at large, the Marlins have added to that day with other monthly Hispanic heritage nights as well, throughout the season. Every large Hispanic community that flows through the doors of Marlins Park gets a night, meaning Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans, and Colombians are all recognized with a night filled with rich foods, country specific entertainment, and even a special edition Marlins hat with their home country's flag emblazoned on the side.  The Marlins understand both individual recognition and cultural inclusiveness are critical to their growth in an melting pot of consumers.  Also in the works, a Central American heritage night in conjunction with a new sponsor, and an Asian American night in partnership with the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Chamber of Commerce that has just opened its doors in Miami. The Marlins are ready and willing to roll out the welcome mat so every group feels at home in the ballpark.

Effective Communication Channels
 The Miami Marlins pride themselves on their ability to operate a bilingual organization in a multicultural market where so many dialects and cultures make traditional communication strategies unrealistic.  The ballpark signage reads in Spanish and English, guest services employees are overwhelmingly bilingual, and Martinez himself makes it a point to stay vocal and active in the Spanish community including four hours of Spanish radio appearances a week.  Not only that, but the organization is rich in speaking the language of its community across all digital tools.  The Marlins have a Spanish website and Spanish versions of their Facebook and Twitter pages that attract a strong following.  With smartphone use at an all time use among Hispanic audiences, the Marlins understand that Hispanic families are putting more phones in the hands of their bilingual children as a lifeline of communication so that the children are reachable at all times.  This means having a presence that speaks to the community there as well, with content that is mobile friendly including the implementation of the MLB At the Ballpark App to assist with needs around the stadium.

Bridging the Generational Gap
 To say that marketing to senior citizens is not sexy, might be putting it mildly, and maybe that's why so few in Major League Baseball seek out the market except for the Marlins.  Miami is a city filled with the hottest beaches, nightclubs, and one of the most successful NBA teams in the league, and the Marlins know their biggest consumers aren't likely to be the easily distracted 20-somethings.  Instead they've branded themselves as the affordable family fun alternative, safer than an NFL game, less expensive than an NBA game, and with more opportunity for the entire extended family to come and enjoy a game, which just the kind of thing the Hispanic community covets.  With value options including a kids eat free package on Wednesday nights, and a Thursday night where fans 55 and older get in free, Hispanics can feel comfortable bringing their close, and often large, multi-generational family to an affordable outing.  The Marlins specifically seek out the older Hispanic fans, as they are the most likely to share their passion for the sport with their families, carried from their foreign upbringings, as well as the most likely to be loyalists to the game.  In a culture that values family, where grandparents often assist their children with raising their grandchildren, grandparents can be seen across the stadium with their grandchildren enjoying the kid friendly environment.

For a team that is more likely to be known for trading away it's players than retaining any recognizable faces, Juan Martinez has been a warm, welcoming, staple of the city he grew up in, at the Marlins for almost two decades.  Whether it's a town hall meeting discussing future changes to the ballpark, a community event for senior citizens, or a few hours discussing the latest and greatest in the business of baseball on Spanish radio, it's clear the Miami Marlins have a strong leader paving the way in a challenging marketing environment.  With the right tools, research, and dedication to their audience, others can steal a few successful plays from the Martinez sports marketing playbook.

Twitter and Sports - A Match Made in Heaven

If sports fans are passionate about one thing, it's sharing their excitement, disappointment, and unfiltered opinions when it comes to their favorite teams, and there is nothing quite like social media for providing the perfect outlet for that vocal sentiment.  Nielsen is out with their latest report, a social study detailing how sports fans and Twitter correlate when it comes to the biggest sporting events in September 2013 through February 2014.  The study analyzed Twitter conversations around the top 10 televised sporting events and some results of the study can be found here.  I've combed through the information to bring you some of the most interesting results.

http://bit.ly/1udtcm7

• During 2010, 50% of TV related tweets in the United States (492 million in total) were about sports events.  
• Out of the 20 most-tweeted television airings, 12 were sporting events.
• The average Twitter user sees 9 television series episode tweets, 25 televised special events tweets, and 32 televised sporting event tweets per event/episode.
• The biggest Twitter television audiences:
• The Super Bowl took top honors, bringing in over 25 million tweets with 15.3 million people seeing tweets about the event!
• The NFC Championship had just shy of 5 million related tweets, reaching 11.3 million people
• The AFC Championship had a smaller amount of tweets clocking in at 2.9 million, but saw those tweets reaching 10.8 million Twitter users
•  Not to be overshadowed by the NFL, college football held it's own in the top five with the BCS National Championship bringing in over 4 million related tweets with 10.4 million people viewing them.
• Rounding out the top five was the Olympics coverage with the opening ceremony, a visually exciting experience, generating 1.1 million tweets seen by a global Twitter audience of 9.5 million people.

The high level of engagement around sports and social conversations should highlight social media as a tool for advertisers, companies, and community initiatives to find a host of opportunities. Whether it's developing brand recognition, providing superior customer service and valued content to the consumer, or highlighting messages for amplification across various screens to new audiences, the future is rife with prospects for success.  The question remains, who will take advantage?

 

3 Ways Pro Sports Teams are Catering to the Connected Fan

Gone are the days in which professional sports teams have the luxury of allowing the game alone to satisfy their devoted fans.  In today’s ever connected world, the sports fan is dialed in like never before, seeking more content, more engagement and more recognition. Teams are turning to new and inventive ways to meet their fans’ unquenchable thirst, recognizing that they must carve out space in the fast moving digital landscape or be quickly viewed as outdated and out of touch.  The three hottest trends in bridging the gap between sports and tech savvy fans are focused on social media, mobile and geolocation stadium technology, and fan loyalty rewards.  While trending topics and the latest hashtag might fluctuate from day to day, these cornerstones in fan engagement provide a strong foundation for a successful sports business model.  At the end of the day it’s important to remember, that the teams that give more to their fans, get more fans in return.

1.)  Social Media Zones – The 2014 baseball season has just begun, but it has already brought a wave of new advances to one of the oldest, most traditional sports.  Major League Baseball has introduced instant replay for the first time, and is highlighting its progressive Advanced Media division with rolling out a new tracking technology that yields insights about the entire field of play from a base runner’s speed to the distance of a catcher’s throw.  However, while the league as a whole continues to dominate in the analytics realm, at the team level the focus is on the all American pairing of hot dogs and social media.  

Last year the San Francisco Giants were the first to integrate social media within their ballpark.  The team unveiled the @Café, a social-media hub, located behind the center field bleachers at AT&T Park.  The café, which was launched in partnership with Peet’s Coffee and Tea, provides an immersive social media environment, complete with a 12 x 4 foot video wall that displays all the latest and top-trending Giants-related Tweets, Instagram photos, and Facebook posts and check-ins.   

My conversations this week with Lisa Braun, Digital Marketing Director for the Reds, and Michael Harris, VP of Marketing for the Phillies, conveyed excitement that this year will mark two more teams joining the mix, with the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies offering up parts of their ballparks for social media mavens.  The “Reds Connect Zone,” located on the third-base concourse is open, offering social-media users charging stations for mobile devices, free WiFi and 25 screens displaying fans’ Tweets, Instagram photos and Vine videos, as well as Facebook polls and trending topics.  While the Phillies will unveil their new “Social Media Deck” on the Budweiser Rooftop within Citizens Bank Park later this summer, housing social media streams, mobile phone charges, and specialty concessions to provide a trendy hangout for younger fans.

2.) Digitally Connected Stadiums – In the world of sports and digital advances, no two pieces go better together than football and technology.  Whether it’s new indoor GPS tracking devices detailing athlete performance, sensors crunching the numbers on head collisions to increase player safety, or the yellow line that every fan has come to know and depend on for the most accurate assessment of a team’s progression on the field, the NFL has continued to dominate the sports world with the latest and greatest.  Today’s NFL fan demands the same level of technology available in-stadium as they are used to outside of it.  As HDTV brings increasing competition and enticement for fans to watch the game from the comforts of home, NFL teams look to in-stadium enhancements to improve the overall experience.

 The New England Patriots have often been the test case for the successful implementation of new ideas across the league, becoming the flagship team in online technologies.  In 2012, Gillette Stadium was completely rewired for WIFI technology and HD cameras, and mobile live-stream views of the game plus replays became available to all ticket holders. Last season the Patriots offered their first mobile app upgrades, providing in-seat food ordering, and geo-location services offering fans information on the nearest restroom and concession stands.  By this fall, the Pats hope to get really analytical, using data on individual tastes and buying patterns to prepare inventories and target early ordering.  With each season, the team becomes more advanced, on-par with the level of expectation of their fans, and the growing competition with cable television.

While the Patriots have used Gillette Stadium to build and then test out new technologies, the San Francisco 49ers are using their move to Santa Clara and partnership with Intel to design the first fully outfitted and technologically advanced stadium from the ground up.   The 49ers want the new stadium to be a technological showcase harnessing the WIFI connections, food ordering availability, and mobile friendly atmosphere of Gillette Stadium, while adding what only Intel can provide: the finest in computers, sensors, digital signage, and security, as well as interactive areas for fans to play with the latest in tech products.  The new stadium is set to open this fall, with many looking to partake in the future of football behind it’s doors.

3.) Rewarding Fan Loyalty - Among NHL fans, there's a favorite adage: "There's nothing like playoff hockey."  The NHL playoffs are a testament to endurance and grit, a grinding four best-of-seven rounds to get the illusive Stanley Cup.  The playoffs have fans turning out in numbers, flocking to social media channels, and embarking on the streets dressed in their favorite player’s jersey.  However, it’s the rest of the long 82-game season that has NHL teams looking for new opportunities to keep fans interested in the sport, and recognized for their tried and true dedication.   

The Washington Capitals decided to target just such a dilemma with the launch of the first comprehensive social loyalty program to reward fans for engaging with the team via social media and at the Verizon Center last year.  The free #CapsPowerPlay program was the first social rewards program in the NHL, offering Caps fans the chance to win exclusive team prizes and experiences through social actions including checking into games on Foursquare, using team hashtags on Twitter and Instagram and sharing Caps content on Facebook, with each action generating a different level of points.  An ultimate prize package for the fan that lives and breathes all things Capitals, included four tickets in a catered suite to a Caps game, access to watch pregame warm-ups from the penalty box, and an autographed jersey.   

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins advanced the fan reward system to the mobile phone last year with the introduction of PensPoints.  The program focuses less on social involvement (although points can be earned for posting to Facebook or Twitter), instead rewarding fans for actions they take in person.  The program uses QRC codes to gift fans with everything from free t-shirts to a monthly giveaway for a road trip with the team.  Rewards points are generated from attending games, buying concession food and merchandise, listening to the game on the radio, or engaging with activities in and around the arena.

 

Major League Baseball’s Changing Identity

Tuesday marked 67 years since Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier, and for the first time in the 50 years since commissioner Bud Selig retired Robinson’s number, there are no players in the major leagues wearing the No. 42 except on that day.  While athletes on the field donned the iconic number on their jerseys from Los Angeles to Miami, inside New York City’s Manhattan Center, thousands of fans, employees, and future business partners of Major League Baseball were on hand to celebrate at MLB’s 3^rd annual Diversity Summit.  

Major League Baseball has had a troubling past, one that hasn’t taken kindly to accepting and embracing the changing of American demographics, despite the label of America’s favorite pastime.  Racial diversity has long been a struggle, with team rosters severely lacking minority players taking to the field and entering many off the field discussions. However, few are privy to what goes on behind closed doors in the management of baseball and the diversity, or lack of, among employees that run the front offices.  Rev. Jesse Jackson traveled to baseball's 1992 winter meetings to criticize its lack of minorities in management, and push for change.  Yesterday he was on hand to commend the commissioner for strides the sport has taken in minority opportunities over the past twenty years.  In 1998, Selig created the Diverse Business Partners program and by 1999, started requiring clubs to consider at least one minority for each manager and major executive opening.  Today, just three years since its conception, the MLB Diversity Summit welcomes in women and ethnic minority groups that have for so long faced barriers to a career in, or working alongside MLB.  Participants are able to gain first hand knowledge of baseball operations, speak face to face with human resource and procurement representatives from all 30 teams, and have a voice in the business of the sport. 

As a female with a passion for sports, who has worked for major sports networks on baseball production and often found myself the only woman in the mix, MLB’s commitment to providing a forum for under represented groups to find career growth and meet top-level mentors is both empowering and captivating.  In just 48 hours I was able to speak with 15 ball clubs about the growth of digital marketing and social media, converse on the need for more women who understand the game working in the front offices, and connect with minority-owned companies that offer an assortment of goods and services to the sport I had never even considered.

Major League Baseball has evaluated its weaknesses in hiring, it’s deficiencies in employment, it’s lack of diverse minds, skillsets, and backgrounds in management and it has made a commitment to its fans that the diversity of those that attend its games will be reflected in those that put on its games.  While I at times questioned the large number of young, white men who chose to attend a diversity summit looking for work, and yearned to see still more women in attendance than appeared at the event, I know I was witnessing a transformation.  This yearly summit is not only an honorable dedication to a man who, despite the harsh criticism and seemingly insurmountable hurdles, brought a necessary change to the game, but also a chance for the future of baseball to host equal opportunities for all. 

"Baseball must continue to be more than just a game on the field," Selig said at the summit. "The game's remarkable ability to serve as a common bond should be used to create opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender."  I hope the next commissioner continues moving forward along the path Selig has paved and recognizes the importance of a MLB brand that is truly indicative of the melting pot of America.   


A commitment must be made to every fan that baseball will never forget the man whose legacy changed the face of not only the sport, but also the country, and continue its progress to equip every person with the same opportunity to live out his or her baseball dream.

2013: A LOOK BACK IN SPORTS - FINALE - GLOBAL SPORTS

Continuing last week's coverage, I take a final look this week at Nielsen's data on sports fans in 2013 focusing on the latest findings on global sports.  You can read the full-summarized report here: http://bit.ly/1fT9KVa.  I've read through it and here are some of the most interesting facts from the past year:

 

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 From soccer and tennis to rugby and cycling, globally, sports remain a force to be reckoned with on the broadcasting stage.  In the United States, the NFL and Super Bowl reign supreme in viewers, ratings, and buzz, but around the world a diversity of tastes and passions shine through.  Soccer (known by many global citizens as football) holds the most sway in attracting a wide range of markets and nets the most viewing hours by fans of any sport.  Soccer also remains the most popular sport in countries as diverse as Italy, Russia, South Africa, Indonesia, and Spain.  Here are some other global sport highlights for 2013:

·      In Norway, the World Cup of Cross Country Skiing held most viewership honors among its sports programming, while in Japan it was the Japan vs. Netherlands, World Baseball Classic game that citizens took most interest in.

·      71% of UK homes had their TV sets tuned to the Wimbledon tennis final as Andy Murray became the first British man to win the title in 77 years.

http://bit.ly/1jMtVpC

·      In Denmark, the Handball Men’s Championship had nearly 80% of all television sets in use at the time tuned into the event.

·      Over 21 million German viewers, comprising 61% of all German households, watched the UEFA Champions League Final soccer match in May.

·      Russia and Indonesia led the way with soccer programming among all nations, with 73% and 74% respectively of all sports television programming devoted to the sport in 2013.

·      In the United States, a love for horse racing goes a long way as the Kentucky Derby brought in over 16 million viewers and 300,000 related tweets in 2013.

http://bit.ly/1egdlJy

Students for Sale – The NCAA’s Need for Rebranding in an Connected World

            The NCAA has long ranked as the overarching leadership for thousands of collegiate student athletes, priding itself on its mission of “maintaining athletes as an integral part of the student body and retaining a clear line of demarcation between collegiate and professional sports.”  

http://bit.ly/1hbPArO

           For many young adults the NCAA has offered them a place to continue their thirst for competition and sports well into their early 20s, while receiving a quality education at a well-respected college or university.  In the past week however, the student athletes upon whom the NCAA rests its laurels, churning in millions of dollars off of broadcast rights, tickets, and merchandise, have finally been given a voice.  The Northwestern University football team took to the legal stage to get their day in court.  They called for an investigation into how much is given by these star student athletes and how little is received.  The ruling by the National Labor Relations Board that Northwestern’s football players should be allowed to unionize should be recognized as an opportunity for the NCAA.  It’s an opportunity to review what values it holds dear and how it wants its brand to be seen by sports fans across the country.  Over the past few years, the NCAA has received one scathing public condemnation after another with college presidents who are supposed to run the NCAA often more concerned with keeping athletic boosters and sports-addicted board members happy than defending academic integrity, or in the awful case of Penn State, the welfare of children. 

instagram.com/brooklyn_hun

            As an entry-level sports broadcast professional I’ve watched first-hand the race for the sports pot of gold and the ill treatment of those at the bottom of the pile.  Working 80-hour workweeks while being paid for 40, making minimum wage with hiring policies that claim “freelance” with the “option” for full employment to get around benefits and basic employment rights.  I’ve worked under constant reminders that if I don’t agree to these practices that there are hundreds of thousands of other young people willing to take my position and do it for free “just to work in sports,” and if my performance is less than superior I would never make enough to live beyond a paycheck to paycheck state.  Yet the difference between my employment and a college student athlete’s is disappointingly minimal.  A NCAA scholarship is guaranteed for only a year.  Athletes who don’t meet the expectations of their recruitment are told to find another school where they can play.  If the athletes don’t want to leave, their coach has the option to simply not renew their scholarships.  In fact, the sole difference between my role and those of a collegiate athlete lies in the fact that I chose this as a profession, long after I put away my schoolbooks, earned my prized degree, and started off into society with four years of skills, maturity, and a solidified decision on my career path, a path I am free to change at will at any time.  The same can’t be said for revenue-generating college student-athletes who rest uneasy in their classrooms each day.  Scholarships for these athletes exist for one reason: because the school believes they are the ticket to higher revenues and a prestigious reputation, it’s nothing more than a contracted business deal. 

Google “NCAA and unions” and article after article arises asking should we “pay” athletes, but let’s be clear, at no point has anyone involved with the Northwestern players in the case suggested they be paid.  Unions are built upon a foundation of wanting an equal seat at the table of discussion, where management is unwilling to discuss working conditions and employees look for an opportunity to come together to bring change.  The NCAA has lived in the past, a past of one-way communication channels, of do as I say top down leadership, of pushing their products on the field and court onto every TV and media outlet, while turning a blind eye when those very same products lose out on educational opportunities.   Kain Colter, a senior on last year’s Northwesthern team, testified that there were certain classes he was discouraged from taking because they conflicted with football practice, while the University of North Carolina is still reeling from an investigation revealing student athletes there were enrolled in classes that didn’t even exist.  For the term “student athlete” to have a meaning the NCAA would have to put education before sports, something it claims in theory, but fails to practice in reality.

http://bit.ly/1hbPuAt

The NCAA remains wedged in ancient times as emphasized with its latest round of public relations attempting to strike fear in the public, and student athletes that play for non-revenue generating sports, that the end is near.  On “Face the Nation” NCAA President Mark Emmert issued stern warnings about how disastrous it would be for all of college sports if the Northwestern case propels forward.  Never mind the fact that Emmert has commented for two years about his own desire to see the full cost of a scholarship funded, yet the topic still remains “under discussion.”  Meanwhile the NCAA takes no issue with spending millions in legal fees to fight a lawsuit to allow athletes to share in any licensing revenue in which their likeness is used, a share of which could more than offer them a full term education.  Nor does it seem to recognize the hypocrisy of coaches like Nick Saban (Alabama football) and Mike Krzyzewski (Duke men’s basketball) making in excess of $7 million a year, or the NCAA receiving a billion dollar television contract for the NCAA Tournament and new College Football Playoffs (see: http://bit.ly/QKRTY)

http://www.veooz.com/news/SH1hJHT.html

The fact is student athletes are often getting money outside of their scholarship funned to them.  There’s no question when they arrive on campus with fancy cars or buy their girlfriends over the top engagement rings that these material goods came from some sort of back door shady booster or agent clinging to them like a Willy Wonka golden ticket.  Why not bring this behavior out on the open, employ an open door conversation and create an environment where everyone helps earn and reap a piece of the pie?  Make scholarships good for life, give athletes the money they deserve from their own autographs and likenesses, and teach them how to use this money effectively so they don’t blow it all in one sitting in the first professional setting they enter.  If the NCAA wants to be seen as an entity that cares about students and education then it must stand behind those values in every action it takes.  The NCAA has hidden behind the term “student athlete” for long enough, an escape route for the organization to call upon whenever a problem arises. 

Times are changing, communication channels and digital platforms have given life to students, parents, coaches, communities, and businesses sharing in discussions, airing their grievances or allegiances and deciding on what is best for their future.  The NCAA can leap into this new environment and acknowledge its need for change, seeking its own education from consumers and athletes to better support its business, or it can hunker down into its outdated mentality and watch the rest of the world move on without it.  The NCAA must acknowledge the storm of change is coming, stop fixating on trying to stop its progress, and instead seek higher ground.

Scouting the Crowd – How Marketers are Redefining Sports Fans

www.tourterraba.com (Our Costa Rican tour website)

“Backpacker Bob, Professor Penny, Momma Mary, Single Steve.”  My grad school professor read aloud the list of characters as we sat in a Costa Rican restaurant preparing for our trip home to the States last January.  They would be our fictional audiences for a website we would have two weeks to develop and they sounded to me like something out of a children’s book.  

            In the marketing world we were told they are called personas, and the idea is simple.  Create real life characters for each target market of consumers that might be interested in our “tour Costa Rica with an indigenous tribe” website, with clear needs, desires, and interests and figure out how to effectively market to each.  While the gimmicky character names and stories resulted in a few eye rolls initially, they became an effective tool as time went on for why every decision we made mattered.  Would we need a website responsive to mobile?  Yes, Backpacker Bob would only be able to access our content via a smartphone.  Would we want video content on the site?  Yes, Single Steve would want to show his friends the cool waterfalls and rappelling activities available.  Would we need a questions and answers section?  Yes, Momma Mary would want to know things like safety, nearest hospitals, and what to bring before loading her kids in the car.  Each persona encouraged our team to think of the needs of its represented audience and how to improve the overall experience of our site.

instagram.com/brooklyn_hun

  I hadn’t thought much about the use of personas since my role as marketing lead in Costa Rica, that is until this week, when I traveled to Tampa to visit with Emily Miller, in-game entertainment coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays.  During our discussion about the great work the Rays have done in their small market to get fans in the seats and create an advanced inner stadium experience, Emily brought up personas as clutch to the baseball marketing business.  “Pat Parent, Fred Fanatic, Sally Socialite,” the names brought a smile, reminiscent of my time in Costa Rica, only here they were the basis for every marketing decision at the Rays.   

Source: http://bit.ly/1nUYUUC

  Fred Fanatic fills most of the weekday attendance, his passion for the game frees the clubhouse from providing extra frills.  He’s a stats reading, play watching, score-keeping traditionalist whose love for baseball brings him to the stadium as often as he can.  Access to game recaps, scores for other concurrent games, and materials on the history of the team, as well as the in-stadium Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame, and season ticket packages are provided by the Rays to keep Fred returning weekly if not nightly. 

Source: http://bit.ly/1fVukQV

  Sally Socialite represents the young professional. She appreciates a ballgame for networking, time with friends, or even just an evening out.  She wants and expects to stay connected to her social networks via her smartphone while at the ballpark, and whether it’s a date night or a girls’ night out, she looks for other concession/merchandise specials and outside entertainment to maintain her interest.  For this demographic the Rays have embraced social media with fan-generated content, check-ins, “tweet ups,” free t-shirts, and company sponsored events.  The organization was also the first to extend the Major League Baseball experience to include an after the game concert series culminating in a more lucrative night out package.
 

Source: J. Meric/Getty Images

Finally, Pat Parent seeks something affordable, fun, and engaging for her kids.  She looks for good deals, family-friendly activities, and experiences her kids will enjoy.  The Rays have reached out to this demographic on Sundays, with kid centered activities for a whole day at the park with group deals for parking, autographs, promotional gifts for kids, popular mascot involvement including a team created DJ Kitty character, opportunities for kids to run the bases after the game, and kid-centric in stadium activities.

Personas have become an easy tool for marketers to remind the rest of the organization who the target markets are and why the strategies they’ve implemented will be effective.  They can be transferable to any business or industry and while they may seem a bit rudimentary they allow the organization to think from the prospective of a representative group member about what his or her demographic's needs might be and how to target content, products, and sales calls in a far less overwhelming way than considering every individual customer.  Consider utilizing these tools when presenting to executives, they are easy to recall, visually entertaining, and often an effective brainstorming tool to encourage conversation and strategic thinking about ways to reach more customers in more unique ways.  Do you use personas in your industry?  Are they successful?  Let me know!