Sports Media Report
It’s sometimes not easy to work for teams that struggle. For as A List work you do, the public view can be C or even worse, year in and year out, so the struggle for relevance can be a chore. However it is still sports, the one relevant aspect of live events that remains top of most people’s lists, and the audience and the impact of fandom can never be downplayed or considered.
Case in point: the very young, rebuilding Washington Wizards. While the Knicks were off winning the Emirates NBA Cup this week, Washington and its young team was regrouping as the next leg of the NBA season comes around. There will not be a marquee Christmas Day game agan in DC this year, but that doesn’t mean finding ways to engage and enjoy basketball in the DMV is any less important to the organization. You have to keep finding your niche. One way is simple…ask. Ask staff, ask fans, ask players what would make elements of the team that can be controlled stand out.
Washington came up with a great one (rolled out on a night where they posted a win over the Atlanta Hawks to make it even better) with guard Bub Carrington’s designed pajama pants on November 25, while second-year guard AJ Johnson created a City Edition-themed hat for distribution Feb. 3.
Both are a first for pro teams, where players as creators enter the mix.
We asked Hunter Lochmann, CMO at Monumental Sports to fill in some details.
SportsMedia Report: Where did the idea for player-driven creations come about? Can it expand to the other DC teams under Monumental Sports?
Hunter Lochman: One of our main pillars is always trying to show the name, face and personality of our players. This led to some ideas about player inspired creations. If you look at our other teams, you’ll see some player inspired giveaways – not as specific as the Wizards apparel but fun (e.g. Ovi [Alex Ovechkin] inspired giveaways like the nutcracker, Stef Dolson of the Mystics did a wicked inspired giveaway).
SMR: The storytelling around teams that struggle can be challenging. What’s the secret to keeping fans engaged off the court?
HL: We can’t control what happens on the court – a sports business staple – but we try to entertain fans throughout the season with compelling content on social media, fun theme nights in-arena, fun giveaways and other anticipated platforms like the annual City Edition jersey launch. Not to mention the great work our players do in the community.
SMR: Have you heard from other athletes in the organization off the success of the two player designed pieces?
HL: Not necessarily but our precedent has made for easier requests of players each year –- the fun PJs this year seemed to cut through the clutter more than others and will be fun to point to as a case study.
SMR: How do unique promotions like this make it to the forefront? Is there worry that the items don’t draw interest? Does a brand sponsor have input?
HL: We find out what our players like and what their interests are. That’s a natural first step. And then what players are resonating with the fan base, who haven’t we featured, etc. Sponsors are encouraged to support and while not input we look for ways to amplify and further the story (for instance the Bub PJs led to some work with MedStar and hospital scrubs)
SMR: We see the more expansive use of social every day in connecting with fans, how much integration is there on promotional events and how is the fan voice tracked to see if something is a hit?
HL: Social media and other content channels are incredibly important in sharing these stories and promotions. The lead up, the behind the scenes footage, 101 about the player featured, fan reactions, etc. We to look for metrics post promotions such as NPS [Net Promoter Score] scores, social feedback, survey feedback, etc.
