Social Wins From Gators Football

By Jessica Smith On October 18, 2018 In College Athletics with 1 Comment

The college football season is always filled with creative and social inspiration. Every year, without fail, football programs raise the bar with their graphics, their hype and their content strategy. This year has been no exception.

The Florida Gators are a program that has burst onto the scene this year and have consistently delivered. From their amazing visual identity to their videos made for the platforms, the Gators are a program that should be on your radar for inspiration. Below are a few takeaways and curated examples:


Visual identity only they can own.

It’s important that teams put in the effort to define a visual identity in today’s crowded space. It makes content stand out above the crowd and eventually because recognizable for fans.

The Florida Gators not only created a visual identity, but they created one that only they can own. In their design, they leverage the teeth from their Gator logo as a consistent element throughout all their graphics. The use of the teeth is a distinction unique to them. Combine that with their bright colors and strong composition and the result is a strikingly sharp and eye-catching graphics package.


Videos made for social.

The Gators have stepped up their video game. They leverage everything from powerful emotion, inside access and their own game footage to provide access and content for fans. Each piece serves a unique purpose and they are extremely thoughtful about the creative execution.

It’s hard to pick out one thing they’re doing well across video because it’s all so engaging. So, take a look at their vast portfolio and get inspired.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoXkI-6jC5Q/?taken-by=gatorsfb
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnHXDdslEil/?taken-by=gatorsfb


Original reaction GIFS/content.

There is a big debate in the social and sports world about pop culture GIFS and memes. To share or not share? I’m a big believer that teams and brands should lean away from content that isn’t unique to their brand, and instead, work to create original content that evokes the right reaction and emotion.

It’s not easy to create content that is relatable for the moment. It’s a creative exercise that takes time and the desire to test and learn.

The Florida Gators have had some strong moments where they created content that taps into the emotion of the moment, whether it’s humor or hype. The below are good examples of how original content can win in the moment and still evoke the right type of emotion.

If you’re interested more on the topic of pop culture GIFS and memes, check out this post here.


Intentional execution.

As mentioned briefly, the Gators focus on their creative execution and doing it right. They design intentionally and with the platforms in mind. The details and nuances matter. A great example of this  is their “win tweet” execution, where they leverage four photos to form one larger graphic on mobile (and if you aren’t on mobile still looks sharp).

The Gators also do a fantastic job creating for the six-second loop feature on Twitter. They can tell a story in less than six seconds. And, they know the type of content that’s so memorizing you want to watch it on loop forever. Below are a few examples.


The bottom line is this: Concepts are important, but how we package and execute is also key. Leverage every platform’s different strengths to create content that is eye-catching, engaging and unique to the platform.

 

If the Gators FB social (and the athletic department in general) are not on your radar, it’s time to put them there. From their strong visual identity to their intentional creative executions, they’ve found a way to shine and capture the attention of their fans.  Follow them here: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

What other college football programs have caught your eye this season? I would love to hear your thoughts below!

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1 comment.

  1. As a frequent reader of your blog (and tweets), I’m thrilled that you not only noticed how our team has stepped up their game but that you took the time to intricately review what we’ve been doing. Thank you VERY much, Jess! #GoGators

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