The sports and Social Media technique of successful (and shedding)

Tom Buchheim

February eight, 2015

growing up, I cherished the outlet to ABC’s “Wild World of sports activities”. There was something about the iconic sound of Jim McKay’s voice coupled with indelible and contrasting images of the 1980 U.S. hockey team profitable gold and Vinko Bogataj’s Seventies ski-bounce crash.

the joys of victory … and the soreness of defeat changed into part of sports lexicon in the Nineteen Seventies and 80s, although “Wild World of sports” become a little imprecise for mainstream fans.

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history has proven sports is one of the few settings the place the adaptation between profitable and shedding generally is a few inches, operating the ball instead of passing it, or a little bit recent snow on a ski bounce. and unlike all the way through “extensive World” days, the best way athletes and teams deal with profitable and shedding lately is on full, 24-hour show thanks to social media.

Two examples (one glaring, one maybe no longer as so much) caught my eye this week. I don’t work in sports activities, but my day job connects me to the business, and that i’m lucky to grasp many who characterize groups, leagues or athletes. The overwhelming sentiment is social media is a much friendlier, more uncomplicated area to navigate when groups are winning than once they’re dropping.

So after falling to the brand new England Patriots on the most important stage in sports activities, and in completely coronary heart-breaking model, the Seattle Seahawks did not go away quietly on social media. No sulking. No pouting. No self-doubt.

The team as a substitute used its quite a lot of social media systems with classification. It chose to to trumpet a season many would believe disappointing, given the best way it ended.

Seattle did what it had finished all 12 months thru social media: offering a good product for its lovers with distinctive get right of entry to best it could actually present. regardless of being trampled through one in every of toughest losses in contemporary sports memory, the Seahawks rose above attainable fan backlash that accompanies loss. The team soldiered on and did their jobs, regardless of the soreness that will need to have clouded each move.

in truth, judging through probably the most staff’s Twitter mentions and fb feedback, it seemingly inflicted an additional emotional toll on many — from these working the social convey, to the avid gamers, all the strategy to the entrance place of work.

The social media technique around losing in sports activities isn’t one thing simply tackled — or continuously mentioned. Defeat invitations fan anger, negativity, even apathy. (belief me, I’m a suffering Iowa Hawkeyes soccer fan who understands fan apathy all too well.) in the face of loss, some sports activities industry pros take a crisis communications manner, offering little or no further commentary. It’s easier — and possibly higher for all involved — to claim nothing in social media.

i think that’s incorrect. Defeat is part of sports activities. it is victory’s protagonist and is the stuff that makes profitable so thrilling.

Win or lose, fanatics crave the ideas and insight teams can share in social media. yes, traditional media will always be there to recap the X’s and O’s, however groups can direct the dialog toward fan-centric issues, toward that next great thrill.

@ATLHawks

during its 19-game win streak, the Atlanta Hawks updated the staff Twitter identify to focus on each and every new win.

The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks handled a tricky loss this week, too. The staff’s fantastic 19-recreation winning streak came to an end Feb. 2. The Hawks discovered new and modern methods to engage with fans round this truly thrilling run. I especially loved the team’s inventive use of its Twitter deal with, adding W’s for every additional win … except the staff ran out of characters.

The streak was a serendipitous exclamation point on a re-branding effort the team underwent all through the off-season. It’s paid off — in wins on and off the court docket. Attendance is up more than 12 p.c over 2013-14 numbers, and the Hawks have a revitalized social media presence highlighted through the streak.

content is on-brand for the new-seem to be Hawks, and created a bandwagon effect in social media. The staff has delivered greater than 60,000 new Twitter followers since the NBA season commenced. In my estimation, it additionally created a social media blueprint for showcasing profitable that many in the sports activities business could adopt.

like every profitable streaks, this one came to an end. And the Hawks did not disappoint, regardless of the loss. The staff’s social media crew created a custom Spotify play list thanking fans for his or her give a boost to all through the streak. It was once a inventive climax to a really historical run, and is easily my favorite piece of sports + social media content material of 2015 to date.

How would you adore your favourite teams to handle winning and shedding? everybody may examine a bit one thing from Seattle and Atlanta.

Thanks for being a fan.

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