There was a time when a trip in the NBA to “The Valley of The Sun,” meant trouble for visiting teams. Hot ticket, hot team, big stars. Nash, Hill, Barkley, Majerle, Kidd and on and on. A destination and a look in was required for anyone who loved hoops. However as is the case with most franchises not located in San Antonio, the cyclical nature of team sports brings a bottom as well as hopefully, a top from time to time. So now a mediocre Suns team, without lots of stars in their prime, has come to realize smartly so that a brand reinvention is in order to engage the casual fan and tell the stories of their players and the messages of their organization to the widest group possible, regardless of wins and losses. Whereas in other years that engagement might take place solely in community efforts and with human interest print pieces, especially in a smaller media market like Phoenix, today that access can come globally through digital and social media in addition to the traditional.
So it is with that in mind that the Suns and NBA Digital, along with the Golden State Warriors and a handful of other teams looking to see what their potential reach can be, have launched a large scale effort in the digital space to engage fans. They were one of the first teams in any sport in North America to hire staff solely focused on digital assets, they broke news early on via social, they promote twitter handles and hashtags and encourage players to engage with their fans in the space, and last Friday they tried something that no professional team had offered up before; a combination of HBO’s 24/7 series, a little bit infomercial, and a live real time access portal for 24 hours.
“Suns Access Live” was a web special which offered a real-time, behind-the-scenes look into a typical day with an NBA team. Fans viewed the live stream on Suns.com or through the Suns’ official mobile app on Friday, December 13. Billed as the all-important “first-of-its-kind,” the program started at 7:30 a.m. and followed the team all the way up until the Suns’ pregame show on FOX Sports Arizona at 6:30 p.m., prior to the Suns’ matchup with the Sacramento Kings on “Fan Appreciation Night.” Fans got to follow Suns players to breakfast, through practice, media interviews and treatments in the training room. The webcast took viewers into the coaches meetings and the team’s locker room, and even into the home of Marcus and Markieff Morris, as their personal chef prepares their favorite pregame meal on Friday afternoon. There were look-in’s at the Suns’ game-night entertainment rehearsals, a guided tour of US Airways Center and an opportunity to interact with Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough via various social media channels. The conversation was interactive, as fans could use any number of ways to ask questions, comment and get reactions throughout the access period, and Suns’ staff monitored and actively reached out as well during live periods to engage fans they knew were following.
Was it a success? First of all any time you can try a “first” it generates interest. The day was carefully scripted with access to keep in G-rated vs. R-rated, although a few F-bombs could have worked their way in with the slight delay. There was no real “news” broken or anything titillating that happened which could have amplified exposure, and the players who granted access in cars, in homes etc. were ones looking to engage vs. ones with huge star power who could have drawn millions of pairs of eyes. Also the amount of people watching on a typical work and school day probably dropped mid-day numbers, but the goal was to produce and then archive a “best of” for future access. The best part was that the day came off without any major hitches and it showed that a real-time live environment can provide unfettered access without complications.
What is the upside?
First it builds credibility and engagement with fans, and probably pulled in some casual observers to see what the buzz was about.
Second it created added value for brand partners, and the ability to introduce subtle products being placed into a live environment is added value for brands who engage with the team and the sport (have a chef, how about additional cooking products…have a car deal, let’s make sure we see those logos or have someone mention what they are driving etc.).
Third it is great archival footage that can be shared in snippets on all sorts of platforms.
Fourth, it creates a secondary market where “elite” access can go a bit further during the day for key fans who watch, follow and engage more (want to go inside Emeka Okafor’s home, UConn fans, log in here).
Fifth and most importantly, it shows that the team wants to engage with the global community in a way that most teams might not. It gives lots of potential ROI for the Suns brand as it re-emerges into the sports marketplace.
Why do this now if you are Phoenix? First of all, you have a stockpile of young players and draft picks and lots of rumors that a trade for a big name player may be coming. Whether that happens or not it primes the pump for some buzz for fans to think about the Suns brand. Second, you have a host of young players who do not have a national platform in any way, and it exposes their personalities to a larger audience. Third, you have a loyal core but you need to move tickets and get people locally interested about your players and your team again. This type of program gives fans a bit of a surge in pride (The Suns were first and they gave us access), to show that you are linked to a brand that is innovative. Fifth and most importantly, the access came at a time just before the holidays when all fans are thinking about gifting, and a little reminder from the Suns that some tickets and some products could make great gifts doesn’t hurt. It was a nice, subtle infomercial for the brand.
Will the Yankees or Real Madrid try such an advance live access show at some point? Probably not. Could other teams do this, maybe even some elite minor league teams? Maybe but it is a bit expensive and very extensive unless there is a news hook tied to the goings-on. Is it something that could happen every week to drive attention for the Suns? No, because as the day showed, the day in, day out life of an NBA athletes is just not that interesting. Nice to give a slice of life, but every day, not so hip and interesting. Could this type of access be carved up as a destination from time to time, with a sort of “immediate live look” where fans or those who sign up can get an unexpected look in throughout the course of the day to something unique going on? Sure. Does this type of 24/7 access become sellable and scalable at some point? Maybe not on its own, but part of a unique brand activation package, sure. Where could this type of access work? As much as for individual sports at major events…24 hours of The Masters or the US Open or Daytona…as much as for a run of the mill day with a team. The Suns effort did validate the fact that the 24/7 type of taped shows provide fans with some great scripted insight, and that making it live gives you the chance to see even more something that is somewhat unscripted and could not be replicated. It didn’t happen this time, but it could in the future with the right personalities, the right team and the right atmosphere.
For a test and an opportunity, the Suns scored again. It is certainly something from a sports media and sports brand perspective that is worth watching going forward.
The Online Games Begin…Can Pro Teams “BetFair” Soon?