As we reach the midweek point of the first full week of June, a few best practices worth noting…
Western Busts Social Media: Sometimes in the offseason it is difficult to keep fan engagement alive in college athletics. Student-athletes are off doing other things and the cyclical nature of college sports may have a University focusing on hoops one season, and football the next. What can be consistent? Mascot engagement.
So the University of Western Michigan decided to take that engagement to the digital space, treating their mascot, Buster Bronco, as the focal point of their social media platforms. Some of the projects are fun, some are general awareness, some are promotion-laden, but all raise the awareness of the Western brand and keep in top of mind regardless of the season. So WMU had launch his own social media platform using Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Pinterest to engage with WMU fans worldwide.
Buster’s Facebook page is geared toward engaging our fans directly throughout each week of the year. Buster’s Twitter account is a way for fans to communicate directly with Buster and other WMU fans through photo (Instagram or other means) and/or video submissions. His personal Pinterest page – will show fans the best places to get geared up for the game, ask fans to “pin” photos or videos of their WMU game day experiences, show where to stay at road destinations and provide the best tailgating recipes from those people in the know. His Foursquare account will allow fans to see where Buster has been and to join him at any and all of WMU’s athletic venues with the opportunity to win experience prizes throughout the year. Lastly Buster will become a big part of WMU Athletics’ YouTube channel with any series of potentially viral video that the school will create or that fans and followers will send in. Now is this rocket science? No. What it is is smart convergence of all platforms to manage an asset that is cost effective and known to the consumer over the course of a year. It enhances brand value and gives fans a destination to go to no matter what platform they engage in.
Time well spent for WMU as they map out their digital future and engage with fans.
The A’s Go Hebrew: Every team has tried to embrace cultural heritage nights in various ways, from food to music to changing logos and names on uniforms. Some have been successful in bringing fans in, some, like the time the Rockets offered fortune cookies on Chinese Cultural Night or the Marlins honored outfielder Mike Jacobs on a night of Jewish Heritage when he wasn’t Jewish, did not.
However the Oakland A’s have gone the series one further. Their Jewish Cultural Night will have food, music and other outreach to the Jewish community to the bay area, but it will also have an A’s branded scarf with inscriptions in Hebrew. It is a carefully thought out, innovative way to grab buzz and embrace those attending with a little extra push. A smart fun collectable regardless of religious affiliation.
Yanks Take To The Minors: The Yankees have made some landmark moves with their Hope Week projects, a time when every member of the organization gets involved in a wide range of charitable endeavors to bond the team with the community that supports them. Every year the organization adds another wrinkle to the program, and this year they are extending the program to all their minor league affiliates.
It is rare that a club does such a cross promotion of any kind, but it is a great idea. The Hope Week celebration subtly connects fans directly to the Yankees brand, it sends a clear message to all in the system that the ability to give back does not start at the top, it is prevalent throughout the organization, and it sets the tone for those in the system to be prepared to engage as they move up the ladder. It is a great way to link what can be a disjointed marketing and brand effort by the Yankees, and should serve as an example for other clubs to do the same, maybe not just in philanthropy but in marketing promotions as well.
