Design

How Schools and Teams Can Turn Fans into Social Media Messengers

David Fox
David Fox
January 6, 2016

As far as fans are concerned, the most basic characteristic of a sporting event is the shared social experience. Studies consistently indicate that even more than wins and losses, the stadium experience and the feeling of being a part of a group — a tribe — is correlated with continued attendance and intensity of fandom. In a column featured in Sport Business Journal this week, Advent CEO John Roberson and president Todd Austin wrote about the opportunities for sports organizations to capitalize on these feelings. In this day and age, that feeling of belonging — and the need to share it with the world — is communicated outside of the stadium and into the world via social media. Within their facilities, sport organizations can set up touchstones and iconography to set up “a stage for a selfie.”

“Sports organizations are perfectly positioned to capitalize on these moments — or to invite outside brands to be co-participants in these moments. But to achieve these moments, organizations need to create situations that are accessible, consistent and real. And when organizations look to create these opportunities for their customers, they must ask key questions: Are they in common areas? Will people congregate here? Are these moments part of already existing moments and traditions with which fans will connect? Are these moments authentic to our character and brand?.”

Advent has worked with a handful of professional and collegiate teams and universities in finding or creating elements in design that become touchstone moments. We’ve seen repeatedly how fans interact with these elements and share them with the world. We’ve also seen how organizations can invite brands into that space for a coveted engagement experience. Thanks to social media — or more appropriately, audiences’ yearning to share these experiences via social media — organizations have powerful opportunities to create fresh and authentic engagement opportunities. Advent worked with USC and the University of Tampa in establishing similar social media-friendly engagement opportunities.

David Fox
David Fox
Content Manager & Lead Copywriter