Sport and digital.qxp_Layout 2 18/03/2020 10:17 Page 1
SPORT GARDENING
They’re engaged!
...Digitally, we mean. From club news and behind-the-scenes videos to interviews with players, giggle-inducing GIFs and matchday memes, for many of Bristol’s big sports teams, entertaining, original content is a must, says Jeremy Blackmore
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port in the South West is leading the way in revolutionising how clubs engage with fans, including those not able to attend live fixtures. Digital media and live streaming have opened up access to players and allowed fans to go behind the scenes in ever more creative ways. Social media engagement with supporters has grown steadily in recent years, but live streaming of cricket in particular has revealed a huge ‘hidden’ audience, with a growing appetite for exclusives and updates about their favourite teams. Many of our sports clubs embraced social media initially as another channel to keep fans informed. Now though, engagement is the name of the game with entertaining, original content a must-have. There’s a commercial imperative, too; impressive digital numbers help attract sponsorship and grow brands and businesses. Somerset County Cricket Club have been pioneers, coming out on top in a recent report into digital engagement by search marketing agency Red Hot Penny. The report looked at 80 professional sports clubs across the UK and Ireland and revealed that Somerset had the most engaged following, beating football teams such as Celtic, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton. “The way cricket is being consumed is changing and social media provides the perfect outlet for content, allowing fans from both near and far to stay connected to the club,” said Sarah Trunks, Somerset’s strategy director, commenting on their table topping score. Digital marketing and communications executive Ben Warren is responsible for much of Somerset’s digital content. “Obviously we were delighted when we saw the published results,” he says. “While we don’t have the resources of a major football team, we have a really committed fan base and we are very grateful for all the support we receive. We’re determined to provide the best possible digital experience for fans.”
...The video announcing the signing of Fijian wing Semi Radradra, filmed as a Good Will Hunting parody, attracted a huge social media response... Increasingly, clubs accept that not every fan can make it through the gates every week. Bristol City say it is pivotal that a matchday experience can still be enjoyed, even if a supporter is not physically there. At Bristol Bears, media manager Will Carpenter says the club’s digital engagement has shown just how widespread their fan base is. “It really opens your eyes to the fact that people who have grown up supporting Bristol move away, but still remain supporters. Social media enables them to stay connected with the club they love from anywhere in the world.” There are three pillars to Warren’s approach to digital engagement at Somerset: informing (club news, match updates, scores, fixture lists); persuasion (club promotions, membership packages); and, increasingly, a focus on entertainment (behind-the-scenes videos, interviews with coaches and players, GIFs and memes). It helps drive engagement and allows fans to get to know players and coaches better – and filling the gaps between matches with content that makes supporters feel part of the club is something Somerset excel at. Recent content has included Facebook Q&As and videos of players showing off their culinary skills on Shrove Tuesday as well as a fielding masterclass from skipper Tom Abell. Fans also voted to decide Somerset’s team of the decade. 48 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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APRIL 2020
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No 190
Red Hot Penny note, though, that not every club gets it right: “With a passionate army of dedicated, life-long fans to engage with, a wealth of sponsors to work with and easy access to athletes-come-influencers, many may think running the marketing for a professional sports club and engaging fans on social media is an easy job. But posting a few pictures of a star player on Twitter or Instagramming a hastily cobbled together highlights reel from last night’s match just won’t cut it. Fans want richer, more engaging content that makes them feel a deeper connection to the club they follow and the sport they love.”
Having fun with it
Bristol Flyers are the country’s best performing basketball club according to Red Hot Penny’s research, while Bristol Bears are another club that has made the shift towards entertaining content to engage their fanbase. They have embraced the opportunity to be more creative, particularly around player signings. The video announcing the signing of Fijian wing Semi Radradra was filmed as a parody of Good Will Hunting and attracted a huge social media response. “It’s important to not always take yourself too seriously,” says Carpenter. “As much as we want to maintain a professional standard, with making sure our fans know what’s going on, there’s also an element of just having a bit of fun with it.” It is a testament to the skills and ingenuity of small media teams at many local clubs that they can work to tight deadlines and post such engaging content. On football transfer day, for example, Bristol City’s media team headed to the team hotel in London and turned around a player announcement video in less than 20 minutes. Bristol Motor Club also produce a range of posts with images and videos while Throwback Thursday posts showcase their rich 109-year history. While the entertainment factor has become the focus for social media activity, using these channels to provide basic information is still important as they are now the first port of call for many fans. This has led to a shift in the use of other channels, with many websites serving almost as an archive, although the balance is important. Social media posts can usefully direct people to websites, particularly to special promotions and other commercial transactions. The way clubs use YouTube, once the go-to for video content, has also changed. Many now post videos first on social media feeds and then archive them on YouTube. Producing entertaining content would not be possible without building understanding and trust among players and coaches. Warren and Carpenter both highlight how supportive their players are, many of whom have grown up with social media themselves. The Bristol Bears rebrand gave the media team a bold new platform to do things differently with encouragement from senior managers. Director of rugby Pat Lam has afforded unprecedented behind-the-scenes access which ensures the players are relaxed and natural when being filmed. “The coaches need to understand and support what you're doing,” says Carpenter. “There’s no frostiness, no ‘what’s he doing here, why are you doing that?’. They’re fully on board and that is a huge part of why we’ve been able to be successful digitally over the last two or three seasons.”
Goals and GIFs: good for business
As Red Hot Penny’s report states, there is also a commercial imperative beyond providing a better service for fans: “Clubs have an opportunity to capitalise on their social media followings to drive more fans to matches, sign them up to membership packages and boost commercial revenues by having them buy the latest kit and merchandise.” “There are commercial opportunities with it,” agrees Neil Priscott, commercial and marketing director at Gloucestershire Cricket. He acknowledges that the more views of the club’s digital content there are, the more attractive it becomes to potential sponsors. “If we’re driving
