Sports franchises face many of the same challenges in implementing social media as government agencies do
I recently had the honor to join Frank Gruber, Shashi Bellamkonda, Mike Tunison, Gayle Weiswasser, and several other social media and microtargeting professionals (sorry I didn’t get everyone’s Twitter names!) to meet with Stan Kasten, President of the Washington Nationals, and several other team executives to discuss how sports teams can better use social media to increase awareness of the team’s activities both on and off the field, better engage with their existing fans and potential fans, create more fans, generate more positive media coverage, and ultimately, help sell more tickets and build a better baseball team. We were all brought together to brainstorm what the Nationals were doing well, what they could be doing better, and what they hadn’t thought of yet. If you aren’t familiar with my background, this was a dream come true for me – bringing together my love for social media and communications and my love of sports. I’ve always been a huge sports fan and used to work in public relations for a minor league hockey team, so I was extremely excited for this opportunity.
However, despite sitting in a conference room at one of the nicest ballparks in the Majors talking with some of the league’s most powerful baseball people, I couldn’t help but feel like I was again sitting in a nondescript cubicle in some office park talking with the Branch Director for a government agency. From the opening introduction – “you have to understand, we’re dealing with a very unique situation that’s different from your typical organization,” to the challenges they face, “we have to work under Major League Baseball’s strict communications policies so we’re really limited in what we can just go and do,” – the similarities between sports teams’ use of social media and the government’s use of social media really struck a chord with me.
- Both are trying to reach a very broad and very diverse group of people that crosses all demographics
- Both operate under a broader entity that creates and enforces the policies and guidelines for communications, including the use of social media
- Both are primarily operated by conservative and traditional leaders who rely on the command and control communications model
- Both deal with VERY passionate and very partisan (both positively and negatively) stakeholders
- Both typically have relatively small communications budgets
- Both are usually so concerned with the overall mission that communications doesn’t receive the attention or commitment it requires
- Both deal with media who crave all the information they can possibly get
- Both operate in a system where they should communicate with other organizations with a similar mission, but instead find themselves in competition with each other
- Both are determining the best way to educate employees (or players) outside of the traditional communications function who are actively using social media to communicate directly with the public
While there are most definitely some differences, when it comes to social media, the fact remains that we had the exact same conversation the other night with the Nationals that I’ve had dozens of other times with government agencies. Neither the challenges nor the solutions are all that different. During the meeting, I mentioned some of these similarities – if the government can use social media to do share classified information across Agency firewalls using Intellipedia and the Air Force can allow their airmen to engage directly with the public via social media, there’s no reason similar strategies and tactics can’t be applied to a sports franchise. Sports teams have too much gain from social media and too much to lose by not engaging – it’s a no-brainer to me.
The sports community is a very insulated community – teams and leagues generally look inside the sports industry to hire their communications and marketing professionals, but maybe they should take a look at the Government 2.0 industry to find that next pool of communications talent and innovation. After all, we’re dealing with many of the same issues they are.
at
What a great analysis. Really brings home the lesson that organizations who think they’re totally unique generally aren’t.
at
Moreover, Teri, every organization falls under the same bullets Steve outlined above. Whether a government agency, academic institution, nonprofit organization, blue chip or Fortune 5000 or Forbes 50, every entity is on equal footing.
at
What a great analysis. Really brings home the lesson that organizations who think they’re totally unique generally aren’t.
at
Moreover, Teri, every organization falls under the same bullets Steve outlined above. Whether a government agency, academic institution, nonprofit organization, blue chip or Fortune 5000 or Forbes 50, every entity is on equal footing.
at
Hhe article's content rich variety which make us move for our mood after reading this article. surprise, here you will find what you want! Recently, I found some wedsites which commodity is colorful of fashion. Such as nike sb shoes that worth you to see. Believe me these websites won’t let you down.
at
write's unique point.http://www.oenspcentral.net It is useful and benefit to your daily life.You can go those sits to know more relate things.They are strongly recommended by friends.Personallybetter!
at
Hhe article's content rich variety which make us move for our mood after reading this article. surprise, here you will find what you want! Recently, I found some wedsites which commodity is colorful of fashion. Such as xxxxxxxx that worth you to see. Believe me these websites won’t let ustomemories.com you down.
at
Hhe article's content rich variety which make us move for our mood after reading this article. surprise, here <a href=” http://music-ofthesun.com/ ” >wslmart.net you will find what you want! Recently, I found some wedsites which commodity is colorful of fashion. Such as xxxxxxxx that worth you to see. Believe me these websites won’t let you down.
at
It looks good,I have learn a recruit!
Recently,I found an excellent online store, the http://www.always11.net are completely various, good quality and cheap price,it’s worth buying!
at
replica watchreplica watchessA. Lange & Sohne watchesAlain Silberstein watchesAudemars Piguet watchesBall watchesBaume & Mercier watchesRolex watchesBell & Ross watchesBlancpain watchesBreguet watchesBreitling watchesBurberry watchesBvlgari watchesCartier watchesChanel watchesChaumet watchesChopard watchesConcord watchesCorum watches
D & G watchesDeWitt watchesEbel watchesFendi watchesFerragamo watchesFerrari watchesFranck Muller watchesGlashutte OriginalGraham watchesGucci watchesHermes watchesHublot watchesHysek watchesIWC watchesJacob & Co.watchesJaeger-LeCoultre watches Master Reverso SquardraLamborghini watchesLongines watchesLouis Vuitton watchesMB&F watchesMontblanc watchesNubeo watchesOakley watchesOmega watchesOris watchesPanerai watchesParmigiani watchesPatek Philippe watchesPaul Picot watchesPiaget watchesPorsche Design watchesRaymond Weil watchesRichard Mille watchesRoger Dubius watchesRXW watchesSinn watchesTag Heuer watchesTissot watches U-Boat watchesUlysse Nardin watchesVacheron Constantin watchesVersace watchesZenith watches
at
You must have some kind of system in place to help you jialejiale5 http://www.coachfactoryoutletin2013.com/ Coach Factory Outlet promote to find and qualify potential business partners to present the Team National MLM home business opportunity to. You can http://www.coachfactoryonlinesale2013.com/ Coach Factory Online do this by just talking to people you know, or you can work smarter by utilizing the power of tools like the internet to help you sort through an almost endless quantity http://www.louisvuittononlinemall.co.uk/ Louis vuitton UK of probable prospects actively searching for an opportunity like the Team National MLM home business provides. Work smarter to leverage your income and get your business http://www.louisvuittoncanada2013.ca/ Louis Vuitton Canada in front of more people to make more money (it’s all a numbers game after all) or continue doing what you’ve always done if you want to continue to get the same results.