Case Study: MLB Fan Cave

In my social media class, my teacher asked us to complete three case studies of our choice. I decided to post my case studies on my blog because they are sports PR related, and therefore, relevant to my blog. I’m going to post them exactly as I turned them in to my teacher so please excuse the references to class lectures and readings. I’ll try to explain where I can, and anything added will be in brackets. Here is a case study I wrote about the success of the MLB Fan Cave.

Summary

In 2011, Major League Baseball struck social media gold when it implemented the MLB Fan Cave, a social networking hub for baseball fans at every level. The creators of Fan Cave created a site in New York City where two baseball fans, Mike O’Hara and Ryan Wagner (who were selected from 10,000 applicants) would watch every baseball game from the 2011 season. In total, the two fans watched 2,429 games beginning March 31 and ending Sept. 28. Wagner and O’Hara used social networking sites Facebook and Twitter to connect with fans and create conversation. O’Hara and Wagner posted regularly to a blog and created video content for Fan Cave fans.

Issues at Stake

The sports social media market has its own long tail curve, but it has many micro markets–or what Chris Anderson calls fractal dimension–for each sport.

It would be hard for Major League Baseball to create a social media strategy and jump ahead of organizations such as the NBA or NFL. Each league and sport has its own micro market. The Fan Cave didn’t need to jump ahead of other major sports leagues and their social media, it just needed to jump to the forefront of baseball’s social media.

The biggest issue at stake for Major League Baseball was increasing the baseball conversation. The creators of the Fan Cave knew that social media was the way to go, but they wanted focus on more than a Facebook page or Twitter account. For them, it was about increasing conversation in an interesting way that would stay fresh and new for the six month season. The second issue was reaching a different generation of fans without losing the older generation of fans MLB already had. It was important to create a place for fans of every level to want to hang out and take part of.

According to an ESPN article, the average baseball fan was 45 years old. MLB wanted a way to reach younger fans and still keep older fans involved. According to the same ESPN article mentioned above, “The endeavor also allowed MLB to reach out to a more casual fan without alienating die-hards.”

To keep younger fans interested, the Fan Cave featured more than just baseball talk. O’Hara hosted Cave Chat, a short video segment with celebrity guest stars. O’Hara kept the chats to pop culture but tied baseball in by asking celebrities and guests about their favorite teams.

The Fan Cave also held parties with musical guest stars such as LMFAO and Sublime with Rome. By integrating pop culture into a social media hub that is centered around baseball, Fan Cave increased conversation around baseball, gained fans and maintained a level of entertainment and interest for six months. Despite integrating pop culture into the Fan Cave, it always came second to why O’Hara and Wagner were there: baseball. O’Hara and Wagner blogged about games, held healthy competitive discussions about games and welcomed 65 players from 24 clubs around the league to come into the Fan Cave.

Pros and Cons

It’s hard to find cons about a social media campaign that became so successful. According to the ESPN article (whose data came from the MLB), “45 percent of tweets about the Fan Cave have been positive. For league and team pages, the number of positive tweets tends to be about 15 to 20 percent. When it comes to engagement, a third of Fan Cave Facebook fans have liked content or posted on the wall. By comparison, on team and league pages, that number hovers around 5 to 10 percent.”

The Fan Cave made more than 100 million social media impressions between Facebook and Twitter. The Fan Cave Facebook and Twitter pages, and the official Twitter accounts of O’Hara and Wagner combined for 150,000 fans and followers. MLB executive vice President Tim Brosnan acknowledged that the Fan Cave accomplished what it set out to do. MLB became a significant part of the online social conversation and made social media impressions that the league did not have the year before.

In the 95 Theses [part of The Cluetrain Manifesto by Rick Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger], the first few theses note that markets are conversations between human beings.

The MLB Fan Cave held a contest to find real baseball fans, not PR or marketing professionals, broadcasters or sports anchors. The MLB Fan Cave hired two regular guys– baseball fans–to connect with other regular people and increase conversation, and it worked.

Perhaps the only con regarding this campaign was the level of thought and planning that went into the Fan Cave. The decision to create the MLB Fan Cave was last minute, and the site for the Fan Cave was not budgeted for. The creators of the Fan Cave moved on instinct rather than reviewing case studies and analyzing data, a risk that could have been fatal.

Recommendations

The MLB Fan Cave was a unique idea in 2011. With the second round of MLB Fan Cave coming in 2012, the idea is no longer unique. This is where the challenge lies. The Fan Cave crew need to continue to brain storm innovative ways to keep MLB in the social media conversation. MLB is in the process of finding new hosts for the Fan Cave, which will allow for new personalities to emerge. With these new personalities, new creative ideas will emerge. One suggestion I have is to use social media to create a competition for fans. For example, fans can use a Twitter hashtag to post predictions of games. Those who predict the most games in a row by the end of the season can win a jersey, hat or tickets to a game. Another idea for a competition would be for fans to post photos of themselves in their teams jersey around the United States or the world [the Portland Trail Blazers do something similar]. Every week, the Fan Cave hosts can select a photo to be displayed on the Fan Cave website. Creating conversation was the first step. Now, MLB Fan Cave must keep fans interested by giving them the opportunity to interact and be rewarded for their loyalty.

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders dismiss cheerleader from training squad because of Facebook photos

A couple weeks ago I was flipping channels when I came across “Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team” on CMT. I’ll be the first to admit I’m a sucker for reality TV, so naturally I started watching. After watching the show, it was easy to see that the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are more than big smiles and tiny outfits. Director Kelli Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell are no different than any business owner. They run a tight ship, and they take the girls actions and behaviors outside of the organization to heart.

Like most employers, Finglass and Trammell did their research on all the girls in the DCC training camp. They raided Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, as well as Googling the girls to see what else came up. At the end of every episode, Finglass and Trammell call girls into the back office to give them a warning or dismiss them from the squad. During this particular episode, Finglass and Trammell called in one girl who had already received warnings for posting inappropriate photos to her Facebook. These photos included the cheerleader partying, drinking and posing provocatively.

Since it was the second time Finglass and Trammell had called the cheerleader into the back office and she still hadn’t taken off the photos, Finglass and Trammell had no choice but to dismiss her. The following episode, Finglass held a conference with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders to talk to them about the content of their Facebooks and how it reflects back on the DCC.

This is just another great example of how businesses and employers base decisions of employment based on the content potential employees post on social media. Despite best efforts to make Facebooks private and Twitter accounts locked, nothing is ever really private on the internet. So what you tweet about, the photos you post and the things you list under “hobbies” or “interests” can reflect negatively on a company that decides to hire you.

A number of media outlets including The Telegraph, CBS News and CNN have posted articles about how employers are using social networking sites to run background checks on or monitor potential employees. Last year, when I began to apply for internships, I deleted over 800 photos from my Facebook and began to monitor the content that I posted on my Facebook and Twitter. My Facebook account is still for personal use, but my Twitter account is mostly professional.

Video via UniversityNinja

The lesson behind the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader episode is simple: watch what you post on social networking sites even if your profile is private. Almost every organization and business are screening employees using Facebook and Twitter. If you are already employed and your boss asks you to take down content that may reflect poorly on your organization, do it. Or end up like that cheerleader.

Penn State turns sex abuse scandal into a successful agenda-setting item

This post is probably long overdue. The Penn State scandal is not exactly breaking news anymore. Sure, the news still covers it. The news carries stories about case proceedings and new victims stepping forward. At first, I wanted to let the scandal marinate; I didn’t want to jump in with my beliefs on the horrific events that happened.  I wanted to cover something different about Jerry Sandusky and his sex-abuse scandal.

Long time defensive coordinator, Sandusky, was accused of sexually assaulting eight boys in 15 years and using his charity to seek out the boys. Penn State went into a state of disarray. Amid the scandal, Penn State Board of Trustees fired Joe Paterno, who had served as head coach for 46 years.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, just days after firing Paterno, the Nittany Lions used their home game against Nebraska to bring awareness to a greater cause–child sexual assault and abuse. The Nittany Lions, known for wearing white during home games, donned blue to support children who underwent sexual abuse. The following is from the Facebook page (via NBC) promoting the event:

“In light of the numerous counts of alleged sexual abuse recently charged against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, wear blue to the Nebraska game to support the victims of child abuse worldwide. The Blue Ribbon Campaign against child abuse began 22 years ago and is recognized across the country. In addition to being the color of our team’s home game jerseys, blue represents the color of bruises that have too often been neglected. Let’s make national news for our collective actions to show solidarity with both the victims and our fellow classmates on the field. Even if you can’t make the game, feel free to “attend” this event by wearing blue wherever you may be! We do not have to wait until THON to prove that Nittany Lions remain ‘For The Kids.’ On November 12, make it a blue-out.

Statistics: It is estimated that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will have experienced an episode of sexual abuse while younger than 18 years. The numbers of boys affected may be falsely low because of reporting techniques (Botash, Ann, MD, Pediatric Annual, May, 1997).”

Nearly 400 students also stationed themselves throughout Beaver Stadium to collect money for ChildHelp, a non-profit organization that helps in the prevention and treatment of child abuse. According to the Facebook page, Penn State raised $22,500 at the game plus an unknown amount in t-shirt sales.

Despite being in the midst of a horrible scandal, Penn State successfully brought attention to a lingering world-wide problem. Penn State showed support to the victims of Sandusky and victims throughout America, and brought the issue to the forefront of society through its efforts at one football game.

Companies working to reach growing minority audiences in the United States

According to CNN, minority groups make up one-third of the U.S. population. Their spending power is growing, but this market is largely untapped. More companies are realizing this and are trying to focus more PR campaigns and advertisements towards diverse markets. Athletics are a great way to reach diverse audiences because many minority groups are represented in the NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, NFL and MLS. Sports are a worldwide language, so it’s a great way for U.S. companies to reach groups such as Latinos, African-Americans, Asians and other culturally diverse people.

A few years ago, Allstate Insurance partnered with the American Black Film Festival to reach African-American audiences, and it sponsored NASCAR Driver for Diversity, Jesus Hernandez, to reach Hispanic audiences. The heads of Allstate wanted to reach minority audiences because everybody needs insurance. The company started a campaign called the Beyond February Program to show support for and commitment to African-Americans outside of Black History Month. The program includes local agency activities, donations to children in need, advertisements and other activities that empower the community.

Allstate reached its Hispanic audience by partnering with Hernandez in June 2007 for seven Grand National Division races. It also continued its partnership with the Urban Youth Racing School in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., which promotes racing in youth minorities. Allstate also rejoined African-American driver, Bill Lester, for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Power Stroke Diesel 200 in 2007. These campaign efforts by Allstate were smart moves because minority audiences are often an untapped market. The minority audiences in the United States are growing and steadily having more influence and spending power. Allstate wanted to extend its reach to gain new customers.

Jessica Faye Carter wrote a blog post about how more companies are using social media to reach minority audiences. One campaign that she mentioned was the NBA, which wanted to reach its Latino audience.

One way the NBA tried to reach the Latino audience was to format its website to be translated to Spanish. The NBA began a website called “Ene-be-a” geared towards Latinos. It features news and videos from around the NBA. The site has catchphrases that roughly translate to “You make the difference” and “This is your game.” Ene-be-a focuses on Latino basketball players, much like Allstate did within NASCAR, to build what Carter says is “an emotional connection.”

More companies are stretching their influence by sponsoring minority athletes, and they are building a larger audience and customer base. These are just a few good examples of the efforts companies and corporations are making to reach more diverse audiences.

Maintaining an athlete’s positive image the most basic PR strategy

When speaking about sports, the most basic public relations strategy is maintaining a positive image. Players are icons, heroes, legends. The best ones are remembered for something great they’ve done; they are remembered for building a positive image and sticking to it. Athletes contribute to their communities, perform community service, donate money to charities and become philanthropists. Although great athletes did not deploy specific public relations strategies, they work on building a positive image, and they brand themselves outside of professional sports.

However, there are many athletes that forget that all eyes are on them. They make foolish mistakes regarding their image, which sometimes cannot be reversed. I would like to compare two athletes that tainted their reputations and tried to rebuild them. In 2007, Michael Vick was indicted on dog fighting charges and spent two years in a federal penitentiary. Vick returned to the NFL in 2009, where he was branded as an animal abuser.

In 2006, after a game in Boston, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers was arrested for punching his wife in the face. As a professional athlete, the incident with Myers and his wife was amplified, and Myers found himself labeled as a wife beater.

The major difference between Vick and Myers is how they handled the incident after the fact. After serving his jail sentence, Vick began working with the Humane Society to combat dog fighting, reported Time. His former home, where the dog fights occurred, has been transformed into an animal rehab clinic, which Vick has voiced his support for. Vick works on rebuilding his image by speaking out against the crime that he committed and helping to aid abused animals.

Myers, on the other hand, handled his situation completely wrong. The man had been labeled a wife beater, but he wanted to show the world what a nice, loving guy he was. So what did he do? He took a reporter and photographer to a gun range. According to a Yahoo! Sports article, Myers told the reporter that Myers said he liked to shoot guns, and he has a friend who’s a former Navy Seal that taught him to use weapons, which he takes interest in. Not exactly the best thing to tell people when you are trying to appear all warm and fuzzy, huh?

Branding and image is plays a large role in athletics, especially when an athlete’s actions are amplified. So here are a few tips if you are an athlete:

1) Don’t do something illegal such as dog fighting or punching your wife. That’s sure to give you a negative image, and it could be hard to change people’s perceptions of you after the fact.

2) If you do do something illegal, remember the best way to rebuild your image is to refrain from participating in activities that reinforce people’s negative perceptions of you.

3) Rebuild a positive image by giving back to the community, donating to charities, participating in community service or becoming a philanthropist for a specific cause.

4) Don’t commit more crimes after you’ve rebuilt your image. Show that you committed a mistake, not that you’re a repeat offender.

These are just basic steps, but following these steps will keep a positive light on a lot of athletes.