As we have mentioned before we would like to highlight some of the best of the best in communications and marketing more regularly with a short q and a. We start it off with Arizona Diamondbacks SVP, Josh Rawitch.
One of the most respected team communications executives in professional sports, Josh Rawitch is entering his 20th season in Major League Baseball and third as Sr. Vice President of Communications with the D-backs. In this role, he is responsible for the internal and external communication efforts of the organization, including baseball and business public relations, media relations, publications, social media, photography and fan feedback.
During his tenure with the D-backs, the team has garnered increased attention locally, nationally and internationally, as it has been featured in outlets such as Yahoo!, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Bloomberg and the New York Times as well as dozens of outlets during goodwill tours of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Rawitch joined the D-backs following 15 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was most recently the Vice President of Communications. At various points with the Dodgers, he oversaw the broadcasting and community relations departments. An early advocate of social media, the Dodgers became the first in Major League Baseball to create a program in which independent bloggers received media credentials and access to cover the team. Rawitch joined the Dodgers in 1995 in the Advertising and Special Events Department and spent parts of five seasons in the team’s marketing department before moving over to Public Relations in 2000. He left the organization for two seasons and helped to integrate MLB.com, the league’s official website, from an independently operated site to a profitable venture that now receives hundreds of millions of visits per season. During his time with MLB Advanced Media, Rawitch served as a daily beat reporter, covering the Dodgers (2001) and Giants (2002). He was the lone American journalist to cover the Caribbean Series, All-Star Game, League Division Series, LCS and World Series in 2002.
The Los Angeles native attended Indiana University, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Marketing and Management with a minor in Business. He currently teaches Strategic Sports Communications at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and was previously an adjunct professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication for two years.
What is the biggest challenge you see in the communications business today, and how is it best overcome?
The biggest challenge I think we face is the oversaturation of messaging, which makes it hard for any message to carry the weight needed to truly stick or have an impact. The speed of the news cycle is incredibly fast and therefore, more and more mistakes are made because there just isn’t the time to fully report it – an issue with which many of my journalist friends admit they often struggle. The best way to overcome the first issue, I think, is getting creative in the way we share the message so that it has a stickiness that wasn’t required 10 years ago. As for the latter issue, I’m not sure how to fix other than being honest with those who share the news and accepting that mistakes are going to be made given the nature of the news cycle. Just being human and recognizing that we work with other humans is probably a big step toward overcoming any issue.
Who is the person you learned the most from in your career and why?
Due to the high turnover during my years at the Dodgers (and MLB.com), fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), I’ve had almost 20 different bosses in 20 years in baseball, which is almost unfathomable. I’ve also worked under five different ownership groups, 10 managers and 8 General Managers, which has allowed me to learn the good and the bad from so many different people, it would be impossible to pick just one. That doesn’t even count some of my mentors in other departments and at other teams that I’ve leaned on for guidance. It’s a bit of a cliché, but I try to learn at least one thing from every person I come across – even if it’s something really minor.
What are you most proud of from a work perspective?
I’d like to believe that those I work for will say that I’m loyal and calm, even under difficult circumstances. I also believe that we were able to recognize early on the value of directly interacting with our fans/audience and utilizing newer platforms to do so (blogs, social media, etc.). But I think the thing I’m most proud of is the work the 30 MLB teams have done to raise more than $250,000 for Stand Up to Cancer in the last two years after seeing several of our colleagues affected by the disease.
Who do you learn the most from today?
Our President & CEO, Derrick Hall, has been a great mentor to me from my earliest days as an intern and just by watching him on a daily basis, I see what it takes to be a dynamic leader. He’s created a corporate culture that is extremely unique and I truly love working at the D-backs every day.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
I don’t really have any professional regrets, but I’ll continue to be disappointed until the day we win a World Series. Even though I may not have anything to do with how we play on the field, I watch it every year and truly want to know what it’s like to have that feeling that your franchise came out on top.
Who were a few of the people you enjoyed working with the most and why?
Most people I could name would not mean anything to those reading this, as they’re front office colleagues over the years that work hard and don’t really get much recognition. But of those high-profile people, I’d say that growing up listening to Vin Scully for my entire childhood (and now adulthood) and then working with him on a daily basis for so many years was a huge highlight because of his humility. The same goes for Joe Torre, whose baseball camp I attended as a kid and who understands people better than just about anyone I’ve met. Steve Sax was my favorite player growing up, so having him as a coach for a year with the D-backs and getting to know him was pretty cool. Luis Gonzalez is the best athlete I’ve ever worked with (and had him at both at the Dodgers and D-backs) but there are dozens of players who have come along, too, who treat everyone the same way regardless of their status and I’ve enjoyed each of those people quite a bit.
Who do you read or listen to regularly?
Admittedly, I’m addicted to my Twitter feed and probably read 10 articles a day from there on any number of topics. I try to read SportsBusiness Journal thoroughly each month and the Daily as often as possible. There are lots of sportswriters I like and respect and mostly I read biographies of accomplished people when it comes to books. I’ve got Sirius/XM in the car, so I listen mostly to news channels, the MLB channel and tons of music of every kind.
What is your biggest concern with the business of media and entertainment?
The fact that controversy and negativity is what generates clicks and drives the news cycle is definitely concerning, as I think there are far too many great stories out there that never get told because they’re seemingly not as attractive to a mass audience, but I’m guessing people in my shoes have been saying that for 25 years. I’d also say that the 24/7 nature of the industry makes it a challenge to achieve a semblance of work-life balance, but I think those of us in the industry knew what we were getting into and both accept and appreciate the lifestyle that goes along with it.
What’s the most positive change you have seen recently in business?
The access to information in real time is extremely exciting while the ability to watch/listen/read whatever you want, whenever you want, is obviously changing everything about the way we consume media and information.
What’s the thing that makes you stay focused and positive in your life?
My family is the most important thing and always keeps me grounded and happy, regardless of what may be happening professionally. Recognizing how fortunate I am to work in baseball and for this organization definitely keeps me focused, as I’m very aware that I get paid to do what tens of millions of people pay to do. I’ve always strived to be the best at whatever it was I was doing and I’ve known that if I slack off, there will be someone right there to take away this dream job and career.
Investing In a Heartbeat; q and a with Fantex