By Victoria DiAndrea/ Full360 Writer
Today’s world of media is an ever-changing roller coaster of ups and downs.
It can already be a challenge to manage these bumps in one’s daily life, so how does one manage these hurdles in professional sports?
Rob King, Sr. Director of Basketball Communications, Philadelphia 76ers
Focus on what you can control. That’s a key message of Senior Director of Basketball Communications, Robert King.
Rob is a seasoned employee of the Philadelphia 76ers. Throughout the season, it is only natural that the team faces droughts on the court, and these droughts are out of the media team’s control. What is in their control, however, is what the media professionals do to draw attention to the positive actions the team takes off the court, whether that be a photo of the team at a Phillies game or players attending a community event such as a turkey drive. These moments help fans humanize the athletes they idolize and to appreciate the athletes even when they aren’t performing at their peak.
Sometimes society experiences global challenges, and the media can help us stay connected, as in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In an industry like professional sports, this introduced many changes that required adaptation for everybody including fans, players, and office staff. On the bright side, fans had the media to keep them in the loop and enhance their at-home experience.
As a staff member of the 76ers during COVID-19, King experienced two of eight weeks in the NBA Bubble, a bio-secure location in Walt Disney World where the remainder of the NBA season concluded after the initial shutdown on March 11, 2020. King described the experience as a strange time, with only a few masked media members, while most interviews happened over zoom. This experience left King with memorable questions: “When the heck is this going to go back to normal? When it goes back to normal, how normal will it be?”
Normal, or as close to normal as the team would get, did not come until around 2021. What did change, however, was the use of social media platforms. Specifically, platforms with users of younger generations like TikTok. From 2021 to 2022, a 65% increase was seen in sports related content on TikTok, compared to a 22% increase on Facebook, which tends to have an older demographic.
Jessie Beer, Sr. Manager, Inside Sales, Philadelphia Flyers
For Flyers Inside Sales Manager, Jessie Beer, the media was a crucial aspect for her during COVID-19, when fans could not enter the building. Beer, along with the rest of the Flyers team had to find a way to create an experience without having fans in the building. Their team had to get creative and created online watch parties where fans could virtually “sit front row” and feel like they were still a part of the game.
Even today when the COVID-19 pandemic is over and the arenas are reopened to fans, it is important to remember that not everyone is able to attend games in person. Gameday staff must work together to create the best experience not only for the fans in the rink, but the fans at home. The Flyers media team posts every goal, fan reactions, players walking out to the ice, gameday fits, and more. These posts not only help fans at home to feel like they’re part of the gameday experience, but seeing players behind the scenes helps fans to feel closer to their favorite team and players, making them more loyal fans.
In sales, prospecting is crucial. Not only does social media analytics help with prospecting, but Beer states that social media marketing is a key aspect to their sales strategy. When the team releases their season tickets, a graphic is displayed on fan’s TV with the general line number encouraging them to call and learn more. On social media, the team utilizes many platforms to promote not just season tickets, but single game tickets, group tickets, and more.
Regardless of what city or sport one is working in, riding the highs and lows of social media can be a challenge. Challenges will arise throughout the season, and it’s impossible to please everybody. All professionals can do is focus on what is in their control, produce the best content they can, and try to focus on the positive. One key takeaway from speaking with King and Beer, is that social media has become integrated into our society in a way that it must be embraced by an organization in order to achieve a successful outcome.