Many times the more elite or more traditional brands in sports rarely venture away from the way things are done. You will never see the Yankees wearing black game jerseys, Alabama football in bright orange, Manchester United donning stripes, the New York Rangers wearing pink, the Dallas Cowboys in day glo. It just doesn’t happen, even with the temptation to sell more merch. The steady tradition and way things are done is what makes the brand special in sport. Now that doesn’t mean a brand cannot be progressive and react and grow with the needs of the marketplace. A great example of that growth is the Giants, and what they have done in the social media space heading into this weekend’ Super Bowl.
Big Blue was not always the progressive brand. It was more slow and steady tradition, and that’s what worked. However the more competitive marketplace and the thirst for positive information and identity with teams has led even the Giants into a solid and effective embrace of social media, the likes of which many teams can and will copy and benefit from. Even with all the hoopla of the two weeks leading to Sunday’s game, New York has found ways to capitalize on a season of cultivating the social media space, and has given their fans, and the brands that support them, ample bandwith to enjoy the experience from a digital perspective, even much more so than their opponents from New England have done.
Now does this mean we will see John Mara, or his mom Ann, take to Facebook and twitter this week, or Tom Coughlin talking trash with fans in the text world? No. What is does mean is key execs like Pat Hanlon, along with the team’s digital media and broadcast department (and its announcers corps) have used the space effectively to engage and sometimes tantalize the fans, and have been able to use the open access channels to get out key information and show a side of the team that most fans don’t get to see. A great part of that access came to a head Thursday night, when the team hosted a set of hour-long Google+ hangouts with players as part of their Social Media Night campaign. The Google+ event, which featured Victor Cruz Corey Webster and Mark Herzlich was one of a series , in which the team will facilitate a series of conversations between fans and players.
The team also held a live webcast from the team hotel featuring players Jake Ballard, Steve Weatherford, Tyler Sash and Prince Amukamara, with fans submitting questions via Twitter, Facebook or Google+ and using the hashtag #NYGsocial. The Giants randomly selected 20 fans to join the sessions and participate in real time from wherever they were. It is controlled, smart, scalable and does not detract from the seriousness or the dedication the team is putting towards Sunday’s game. It is building more fan loyalty for the long run, and is giving those who may only follow casually a chance to engage on an even larger scale through the digital space.
Is all this a possible distraction to the teams preparation? Is it too much access? Aren’t the Giants a successful enough brand so that they don’t have to push the envelope even slightly with engagement online? The answer to all is no. The chats, and all the other access, is being done in downtime and away from other dedicated team functions. It is not being done in a vacuum, it is being done hand and glove with football operations, and the purpose and goals of the programs are stated and agreed to be all. It is not boastful or trash talking, it is clear, unfettered access in an environment that fans understand pretty clearly, and players have also grown to understand as well.
As far as it being not needed, the best time to build brand for the future and do the little things is when you are in a position of strength. When a brand is challenged or struggling, and that includes in sports, the mistakes are magnified and the changes to culture are amplified. By taking the time to grant access or try new avenues for engagement or sponsor or broadcasts programs now, New York is building from a solid base, and ensuring that if and when times get a little dicey, fans will understand and give them a second chance. There is no shortage of time for innovation and execution, and the Giants have shown, in the best and busiest of times, that their fans come first and they will make time to go the extra mile.
That is a giant stride forward, and sends a clear message to everyone that no matter how big the brand, there is always time to innovate. Adjustment to the marketplace is always important to a brand, new or established, and the Giants work in the social space is a clear example of leading by example, from the top on down.
