WORKING THROUGH A PANDEMIC
Alums and students get creative while telling stories during COVID-19. BY AMANDA FRETHEIM GATES COVID-19 AFFECTED WORKPLACES EVERYWHERE. HUBBARD SCHOOL ALUMS ARE SPREAD ACROSS MANY INDUSTRIES—A MAJORITY OF THEM IN CHARGE OF COMMUNICATING TO PATRONS, CUSTOMERS, FANS, VIEWERS, READERS, EMPLOYEES AND MANY OTHERS. ONE OF THE AMAZING DEVELOPMENTS TO COME OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC IS HOW QUICKLY PEOPLE ADAPTED AT WORK. HOW DO YOU PROMOTE AN ARTS ORGANIZATION AFTER IT CLOSES INDEFINITELY? HOW DO YOU RUN DIGITAL MEDIA FOR A SPORTS TEAM THAT’S BENCHED FOR THE SEASON? HOW DO YOU THOUGHTFULLY TELL YOUR CLIENT’S STORIES DURING A CRISIS THAT NO ONE HAS EVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE? THERE’S NO RULE BOOK FOR THIS, SO MANY COMPANIES HAVE HAD TO MAKE THEIR OWN. HERE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF OUR ALUMNI TELLING STORIES IN THE PANDEMIC.
SPORTS COME TO A STOP
Shahbaz Khan (B.A. ’15) is the director of digital content for the Timberwolves and Lynx. At the time of publication, the NBA last played a game on March 11, 2020, and the Lynx had plans for a truncated season in late July. How does a sports franchise rethink its digital game when it doesn’t have scores, game photos, trades or drafts to share? “First and foremost, we wanted to ensure we weren't
forcing content during this period. Any of our plans to post content required us to ensure that there was a natural tie that made sense. “Initially, this meant highlighting what our players were doing, sharing relevant information pertaining to team efforts to help combat the crisis, and finding creative ways to share messages that would promote slowing the spread of COVID-19. “For us, like many others, not having an answer in terms of what's next has been a challenge from a digital perspective. Countrywide, we're all at a standstill in terms of how, when, and if our world will get back to ‘normal.’
Truthfully, I think it's these unknown scenarios that we work best in. Shahbaz Khan
“My team does a fantastic job finding content opportunities that come naturally, and I'm extremely proud of their efforts in this difficult time. We think of things from a content-first perspective, meaning we will only post if we feel like we're contributing something of substance. “The WNBA Draft was held virtually, and as a build up to that, Taylor Nardinger, our social media coordinator (and U of M alum) put together a robust plan leading up to the draft that engaged our audiences. My favorite piece during that period was her idea to create custom Lynx wallpapers featuring fans' last names for their phones. Additionally, on the Wolves side, Cody Sharrett, our social media manager, put together an NCAA-esque March Madness bracket featuring Timberwolves uniforms over the years to determine which of our jerseys is best in our fans' eyes. “The good thing for us working in sports is that we're used to planning for unknowns. We often have to prepare for several different outcomes from a game-night perspective, and given so, there's a level of familiarity with uncertainty that we have. Truthfully, I think it's these unknown scenarios that we work best in.” —Interviewed on April 24, 2020 HUBBARD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION
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