Our mission:  To share Best Practices of how NBA Teams are leveraging digital and social, and give you thoughts on how to apply that in your world.

Here’s a look back:   Warriors | Celtics  | Clippers  |  Nets | Lakers | Knicks | Suns | 76ers | Kings | Raptors | Mavs| Bulls  |Rockets | Cavs | Grizzlies | Pistons | Hornets | Pacers | Spurs | Bucks| Timberwolves | Bobcats | Nuggets | Hawks | Thunder | Heat |

Next Up: the Portland Trail Blazers

I’m normally not a huge fan of anything that stands in the way of getting where you want to get, whether you’re talking life or a visit to a website.  But my visit to the Portland Trail Blazers site showed that sometimes you can be surprised with some amazing learnings.  As you can see below, my trip to their site redirected me here, to a page congratulating first-time All Star Lamarcus Aldridge.  But it wasn’t seeing a team congratulate a player that made this cool… it was the fact that the page was an entry point for you, the fan, to congratulate him that was.

Stopped by the Power of Aldridge

Clicking on the link to Congratulate Lamarcus takes you here.  It’s a pretty powerful thing to read (and write) well wishes for a player. It brings you closer together, as these are the kind of notes we normally write to a friend or a co-worker who gets good news.  In any case, it is a simple thing that makes a big impact.

Fans congratulate All-Star Aldridge

Now, shifting gears, I clicked on the Blazers Facebook page, here.  As you’ll see in the image below, the Blazers simultaneously rolled out a post with an All Star photo gallery.

The Blazers Facebook Page

Clicking in takes you to the gallery below (or here).  It’s a pretty sweet collection of pics from the first half of the season, and it’s great to see these elevated into one spot at the right time.

Aldridge Photo Gallery

So how do we take this energy and make it better?  First, I’d love to see these ideas merged.  Ask fans to not only Congratulate LA not just on the Blazers site but also on Facebook.  And what if they could congratulate him not only through words but through a picture that shows their love for him? Finally, what if we could take this combination of photos and words and provide it to Aldridge, just as one would provide them to a friend or coworker?  As we’ve seen here, it would make an impact not just on the player but on the fan base too!

One more team to go in the West…

But first, head over to Peter Robert Casey‘s site tomorrow for another Eastern Conference squad.  Then I’ll be back, here, on Thursday.  As always, follow along on Twitter – I’m @andypawlowski or on Facebook, here.

Thanks.

Andy

Our mission:  To share Best Practices of how NBA Teams are leveraging digital and social, and give you thoughts on how to apply that in your world.

Here’s a look back:   Warriors | Celtics  | Clippers  |  Nets | Lakers | Knicks | Suns | 76ers | Kings | Raptors | Mavs| Bulls  |Rockets | Cavs | Grizzlies | Pistons | Hornets | Pacers | Spurs | Bucks| Timberwolves | Bobcats  | Nuggets | Hawks | 

Next Up: the OKC Thunder

There’s probably not anyone who gets as pumped and emotional (at least outwardly) about a team’s performance than their play-by-play announcers.  They follow the team through every game home & road and get extra connected to the players and coaches…  leading to pure emotion when magic happens (or doesn’t) during games.  But the audience is limited.  If you aren’t in a market with the game on (or you simply can’t listen to/watch the whole thing), you’re going to miss things.  The Oklahoma City Thunder found a smart way to add exposure to these calls through Facebook.

We’ll start out at the Thunder’s Facebook page, here.

The OKC Thunder Facebook page

You’ll note the first callout in the image above for the team’s TV or Radio Calls of the Week.  Clicking in takes us here.

The Thunder's Best TV/Radio Calls

This section plays the top 5 moments from the past week (and gives fans access to previous weeks).  You can rewatch the plays and vote for your favorite.  As you’d expect, all 5 happened at turning points in games and were emotion-packed.  What surprised me was that the more I watched these (yes, warning, they are addicting), the more I got a feel for the team.  The more connected I felt.

Which adds up to our opportunity.  What if we take the emotional playcalling of every game and distribute it back into Facebook not once/week but once/game?  What if we rethink the idea of simply posting a couple pictures during/before/after a game and instead offer a mix of pictures and audio?  (Or video if our rights deals allow)?  To do so connects a fan base in ways that we wouldn’t have imagined.  You make it easier for fans everywhere to stay in touch and feel connected to you!

This execution is great though I’d love to see the audio/video play directly in Facebook, where fans are already social.  Make it easy for fans to relive moments and either share with their friends or tag themselves in the piece if they were there.  The pieces are here — I’d just love to see the Thunder make it easier for fans to engage with content and emotion that is truly best in class.

One more week to go!

Head over to Peter Robert Casey‘s site Monday for another Eastern Conference squad.  Then I’ll be back, here, on Tuesday.  As always, follow along on Twitter – I’m @andypawlowski or on Facebook, here.

Thanks.

Andy

Our mission:  To share Best Practices of how NBA Teams are leveraging digital and social, and give you thoughts on how to apply that in your world.

Here’s a look back:   Warriors | Celtics  | Clippers  |  Nets | Lakers | Knicks | Suns | 76ers | Kings | Raptors | Mavs| Bulls  |Rockets | Cavs | Grizzlies | Pistons | Hornets | Pacers | Spurs | Bucks| Timberwolves | Bobcats |

Next Up: the Denver Nuggets

Twitter traffic is clearly blowing up.  During this month’s Super Bowl, the English-language Tweets per second record was broken…  and then broken again (yes, two records in one game), hitting a whopping 12,233 tweets/second.  But the crazy stat is this:  Super Bowl 2011 had 3 million tweets.  Super Bowl 2012 had 15 million tweets.  Crazy growth (read the full article here).

That growth reinforces the top way that most teams leverage their Twitter handles — to provide in game updates to their fans who aren’t able to be at the arena.  It makes sense as you want to fish where the fish are, and given that many people tweet during sports events it is almost essential that teams also have a presence.  But how do you differentiate?

The Denver Nuggets take a different approach to in-game tweeting that turns the model a bit.  Head over with me to the Nuggets Twitter page, here.

Denver Nuggets Twitter Page

What I want to highlight here is what happens in-game.  Take a look at their flow, shown in this image.  As you study it you’ll see the Nuggets deliver a one-two punch of insight and information.  They don’t simply deliver updates of score and time left, but always give you context and observation.

A one-two punch of information and insight

This is most striking in posts like these, when you get a third element – timely access.  You’ll note that, in the moment, the Nuggets bring the voice of Coach Karl to fans through Twitter.  By “in the moment”, I’m highlighting the fact that in pauses of the action, when anxious fans look down at their Twitter stream, the Nuggets give them access that no one else can deliver.  And they do it in a conversational, not a corporate or flashy way…

Coach Karl insights on Twitter

Which led me to this surprising conclusion.  By connecting with a combination of timely access, insight, and information, the Nuggets not only reach those fans who can’t be at the game — but they also reach fans who are at the game.  Is it just me or does this feel like a new generation hatching before our eyes?  In the old world it was fans listening to their walkmans during games.  Now it’ll be fans following great insight on Twitter.

Props to the Nuggets for showing us all that the idea of in-game updates is dead on…. we just need to think bigger in our execution and audience!

Head over to Peter Robert Casey‘s site tomorrow for another Eastern Conference squad.  Then I’ll be back, here, on Wednesday.  As always, follow along on Twitter – I’m @andypawlowski or on Facebook, here.

Thanks.

Andy

Our mission:  To share Best Practices of how NBA Teams are leveraging digital and social, and give you thoughts on how to apply that in your world.

Here’s a look back:   Warriors | Celtics  | Clippers  |  Nets | Lakers | Knicks | Suns | 76ers | Kings | Raptors | Mavs| Bulls  |Rockets | Cavs | Grizzlies | Pistons | Hornets | Pacers |  Spurs | Bucks |

Next Up: the Minnesota Timberwolves

It’s a perfect storm that not many of us have.  The Timberwolves have a young 2-time All Star Forward in Kevin Love who is active on Twitter.  They have an excited fan base.  And it’s almost Valentine’s Day…  What do you get when you mash those together?  How about a challenge to a fan base to #ShowTwolvesLove.

As you’ll note in the image below, fans are asked to prove they love the squad via photo, video, song, poem, or anything that expresses your feelings.  You’re encouraged to get creative, you are asked to use the #ShowTwolvesLove hashtag.  And if you win, you get two tickets to the Wolves game 2.15, the day after Valentine’s Day along with a signed ball from Derrick Williams.   (Alert, you have until tonight to get your post up — learn all about it here)

Challenge to the Twolves Fan Base

I love this for many reasons beyond the synergy.  The idea is simple, the reward is something that any team has in their disposal.  (We can all provide access to tickets and sometimes the fact that many people would love tickets slips our minds)  And the contest itself is one that you have to be in it as a fan to win.

So, is it working?  Click here and you’ll see a Twitter feed of the activity to date.  I’ll show a couple here.

Feed of #ShowTwolvesLove Activity

Here’s a couple of the submissions — from what I can see these range from crazy raps featuring player name lyrics to simple pictures of fans displaying love.

Fan Submitted Rhyme

Timberwolves Fan Photo

Each submission reinforces the idea and it’s pretty addicting to keep looking through these.

How could this go deeper?  I’d love to see the prize evolve.  It’s Valentine’s Day and Fans are displaying Love.  Feels like Kevin Love should be the prize here.  Take the fans who’ve proved their Love and let them meet Kevin Love.

There’s also a lot both the submissions and the reward heavily in game.  Can you imagine the energy in the crowd when you could see other fans’ submissions and imagine their own?  What if there were stations to make your own video or take photos or compose poetry in stadium?  Each submission could draw more attention, more buzz, and further build the squad as a fresh young team to watch (and follow)

That’s it.  Come back tomorrow over at Peter Robert Casey’s site for an Eastern Conference breakdown.  I’ll be back at it here Wednesday.  And, as always, follow me on Twitter- I’m @andypawlowski or on Facebook, here.

Thanks for reading.

Andy

Our mission:  To share Best Practices of how NBA Teams are leveraging digital and social, and give you thoughts on how to apply that in your world.

Here’s a look back:   Warriors | Celtics  | Clippers  |  Nets | Lakers | Knicks | Suns | 76ers | Kings | Raptors | Mavs| Bulls  |Rockets | Cavs | Grizzlies | Pistons | Hornets | Pacers |

Next Up: the San Antonio Spurs.

How would you describe yourself?  To me the new Twitter layout ups the importance of how well you describe yourself (or your team).  Teams you’d think would have a lot of trouble differentiating themselves through copy.  That is until you see what the San Antonio Spurs have unleashed on the Twitter landscape…  a hashtag.

A visit to the Spurs Twitter page (here) and you’ll see this front and center.  They close their bio with the hashtag #GoSpursGo.

I love calls to action inside descriptions!

Before we go any further, the hashtag is a fantastic way to close your bio.  Why?

1. Color.  It stands out, instantly.
2. Call to Action.  Good hashtags are emotional and compel you to move.  This one does both.
3. Exploration.  Using a hashtag unites you with the team on a different level, as we’ll see shortly…

Fans, Players, & the Team Rally on a Hashtag

Pretty powerful.  And all of this is done simply by elevating that hashtag where it is going to be noticed!

Head over to Peter Robert Casey‘s site tomorrow for yet another Eastern Conference squad.  Then I’ll be back, here, on Monday.  As always, follow along on Twitter – I’m @andypawlowski or on Facebook, here.

Thanks.

Andy

Our mission:  To share Best Practices of how NBA Teams are leveraging digital and social, and give you thoughts on how to apply that in your world.

Here’s a look back:  Warriors | Celtics  | Clippers  |  Nets | Lakers | Knicks | Suns | 76ers | Kings | Raptors | Mavs| Bulls  |Rockets | Cavs | Grizzlies | Pistons |

Next Up: the New Orleans Hornets.

There is not much more prized social space for most of us than our backgrounds or profile pictures.  After all, we are using this as the part of our identity that is out there for others to find.  Thus, in a weird way, it sort of defines a part of who we are.  It’s why I chose a weird old picture of Larry Bird in his Indiana State Uniform as my Twitter background (I have a soft spot for Mid-Major hoops and loved that Larry showed the world that one player can have an impact and put a team on the map, literally)…  But I digress.  The point is that we all spend a lot of time thinking about our backgrounds or profile pictures.

As you will read and see, the New Orleans Hornets found a way of elevating their fans’ pictures into their own background.

Head over to the Hornets Twitter page, here, or look at the images below.

The Hornets Twitter Background Is Striking

 I’ll zoom in, here.

See how the Hornets Elevate Their Fans!

 

As you may not know, the Hornets have a campaign called “Are You In?” (read about it here) elevating their Season Ticket Holders into a Special VIP club.  Right now 100 Hornets Season Ticket holders are inviting their non-season ticket holding friends into their homes to talk hoops and hopefully get more people on board for tickets.

But what I love, love, love is seeing all of these fans as a part of the identity of the Hornets.  It’s cool for the fans and wow is it cool for the Hornets.  This is authentic, it is empowering, and it is inspirational.  I think I lost 20 minutes staring at this background — but maybe that just says something about me…  All too often we overlook the power in what we have in front of us.  Kudos to New Orleans for rethinking what a Twitter background can symbolize.  I hope other teams follow suit!!!

Head over to Peter Robert Casey‘s site tomorrow for yet another Eastern Conference squad.  Then I’ll be back, here, on Thursday.  As always, follow along on Twitter – I’m @andypawlowski or on Facebook, here.

Thanks.

Andy

Our mission:  To share Best Practices of how NBA Teams are leveraging digital and social, and give you thoughts on how to apply that in your world.

Here’s a look back:  Warriors | Celtics  | Clippers  |  Nets | Lakers | Knicks | Suns | 76ers | Kings | Raptors | Mavs| Bulls | |Rockets | Cavs | 

Next Up: the Memphis Grizzlies.

Who is your biggest fan?

That is a tough, tough question but it is no doubt a key part of any brand or team or athlete’s marketing plan.  This person not only has your back but is out there fighting for you – bringing others to you and helping you create something special.  When Facebook launched and originally called all who “Liked” you Fans, it started a digital movement.  The challenge of course is that it created all Fans equal when that is definitely not the case.  But what’s a team to do?

The Memphis Grizzlies are out to identify their Fan of the Week, and to celebrate them inside Facebook.  Let’s have a peak.

If you look at the Grizzlies Facebook page, you will see it on the left hand column of links.  (I’ll paste it here)

Fans of the Week Are Listed on the Left Hand Side

Love the idea, naturally I wish it was a lot higher up on the list.  But let’s dive into it.  Click in here and you’ll see the latest winner, promoted.  You’ll also see context.  To be chosen, you are asked to be active (like or comment on posts) and be creative (post interesting things on the wall).

Grizzlies Facebook Fan of the Week

When the Grizzlies post this story, they also announce this in their News Feed (shown below).

This post appears in the Grizzlies News Feed

Thus, the best fans are getting a good amount of publicity in areas that are valuable to top fans.  What we aren’t getting are 3 critical things.  It’s these 3 things that can take this from being a good idea to being an over-the-top idea.  And it’s these 3 things that I would recommend we all look to apply.

1. Why was the winner chosen?   What did he or she post or submit that led them to Super Fan status?
2. Where can I see all winners?  I’d love to see and interact with the best fans through the season!
3. What do you get for being the top fan?  Is it just being recognized?  Or could it be more?  I love the idea of the best fans getting access.  Tickets to the game, great seats, the best parking spot, press conference access, meet and greet with the coaches or players?

The point here is that the Grizzlies have a great thing going.  They pick and elevate a fan every week.  That’s amazing.  The opportunity is how do you take this and make it so aspirational that you end up creating a competition among fans for the right to have this status!

Great inspiration from Memphis that we can all learn from today!

Head over to Peter Robert Casey‘s site Monday for another Eastern Conference squad.  Then I’ll be back, here, on Tuesday.  As always, follow along on Twitter – I’m @andypawlowski or on Facebook, here.

Thanks.

Andy

Our mission:  To share Best Practices of how NBA Teams are leveraging digital and social, and give you thoughts on how to apply that in your world.

Here’s a look back:  Warriors | Celtics  | Clippers  |  Nets | Lakers | Knicks | Suns | 76ers | Kings | Raptors | |Mavs| Bulls |

Next Up: the Houston Rockets.

Today I’m diving back into a topic that we should all be asking:  What is the best way to ensure your fans have a chance of getting to your games?  The answer is simple:  infiltrate their calendars.

Many of us look down at our phones constantly throughout the day — with the aim of simply staying plugged into our own schedules.  I always look at the schedule in front of me the next day before shutting it down for the night.  So, if a team could smartly crack into this space, we will become more aware and more connected with them.  We will join a shared journey, and maybe even buy more tickets or have more viewing parties…  the potential is monstrous.

Let’s take a look at an approach from the Houston Rockets.  One visit to the Rockets home page and you’ll notice the “Schedule” shown prominently.  Hover over it and you’ll see the goods.  Not only can you get what you are after but you also can get the schedule downloaded to your email account — as long as you are an Outlook, Google, or Apple Calendar user.

The Rockets Home Page Personalizes Scheduling

Clicking into the Outlook option takes us here.  This isn’t the most beautiful screen, but it is super helpful.  As you’ll notice, the Rockets are giving fans a step-by-step process to add all games to their calendar.

      Download the Rockets Schedule to Outlook Calendars

Similarly, you can select Mac or Google and find a similar process to update your calendar (here).

In both cases, the Rockets make it easy — simply choose your calendar, download a file, and follow a few instructions.  The result:  you’ll find the games auto populate your calendar — and if you’re lucky it’ll block off that time as busy so you can be left in peace to watch some NBA action!

Most importantly, by simply adding games to your calendar, you’ll connect more with the team – as they become a part of your day in day out routine.  (And if you’re like me with meetings, that auto-reminder saying a game is upcoming will focus you)

Great direction from Houston to get games onto the calendars of the world!

Head over to Peter Robert Casey‘s site tomorrow for another Eastern Conference squad.  Then I’ll be back, here, on Friday.  As always, follow along on Twitter – I’m @andypawlowski or on Facebook, here.

Thanks.

Andy