Catgory: Video Content

Sports Biz Videos that Prove the Power of Emotion

By Jessica Smith On January 28, 2015 In Video Content

As most of you know by now, I’m a big believer in the power of video to tell a story. I love anything that taps into emotion, whether it is humor, nostalgia, thrill, happiness, empathy or awe. And video helps to convey emotion because it shows, not tells. Content that evokes emotion connects the consumer/fan in a way that compels them to pay attention and share. Emotion is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful marketing tools.

To serve as some inspiration for your content, I’ve rounded up another list of sports-related videos you need to watch now. I’m sure something will inspire you in your work, so enjoy:

 

Under Armour: How It Ends


This video is clearly speaking to Under Armour’s younger consumer who is still playing the game. The concept is simple, but the script is strong and inspiring. It’s a great example of how an inspirational video does not have to be too complex. Well done from Under Armour!

 

Speedo USA: Fueled by Water

Speedo is trying to change the perception of their brand to appeal to a wider range of athlete, not just the competitive one. This video, “Fueled by Water”, kicked off their campaign. It’s for anyone and everyone who loves the water. It’s for the young and old and everyone in between. I think Speedo nailed their big idea here: As they say in the video, it’s about finding your forever pace. Speedo and their agency tapped into how swimming makes you feel. And the emotion here makes me want to get back into the pool and start swimming laps.

In addition to the video, Speedo has launched a much larger campaign. You can check out the microsite and other initiatives here.

 

Binghamton Athletics- No. 1 Fan

Binghamton Athletics shows how you can create something special without a large production budget. They tapped into emotion, focusing on the special bond between parents and student-athletes.  This “surprise and delight” video stunt captures what it means to be a student-athlete at Binghamton and the powerful journey both parents and athletes go on. The end result is a wonderful and delightful video that leaves you tearful. After watching, you will want to thank those in your life who have helped you along the way.

 

Chicago Blackhawks-#WhatsYourGoal Christina

Grab some tissues for this one. This is what sports are all about. This is the story of how Patrick Sharp helps a fan’s dream come true. It’s a great reminder that the power of sports transcends far beyond the scoreboard.

 

UGA- We Belong to the G

UGA has found a way to tell a powerful story of their team, their fans and the passion of the UGA community. Just watch and listen to the powerful words. I promise it will make you remember why we all love sports.

 

Together- Washington DC

This is the video Washington DC put together for their Olympic Bid. And, in my opinion, the video taps into the emotion and energy of their city and people perfectly.

 

NBA- Breaking Barriers

I’m not always a fan of brands jumping on holidays, but the NBA has a rich history of firsts when it comes to breaking down racial barriers and proverbial glass ceilings. This connection to the holiday makes sense for their brand and their history, and the spot was tastefully done.

 

GoPro- On the Ice with the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) created this video to announce a new partnership with GoPro. The series will allow fans to “step on the ice” and catch a rare glimpse into the players’ unique skill sets. This video does a great job tapping into the excitement and anticipation of the partnership.

 

Duke Basketball- The Next Chapter

This video from Duke Athletics is really well done. It taps into the rich history of their program and the dreams of their current players. It’s a great balance between the present and the future, and a great example of how hype videos can tap into emotion.

 

Colts- Two Claps

This video is a great example of how fans crave behind-the-scenes content. It’s raw and unedited, but has had more than 5 million views on Facebook. It brings the passion of the team to the fans.

 

Minnesota Gophers- Through the Lens

I already featured this video series on the blog, but it’s worth another plug. Minnesota Wrestling’s “Through the Lens” series is a great example of how teams can tell the personal stories of their team and take fans along the emotional journey. I love how the Gophers have found several different angles to tap into. The whole series is worth nothing.

 

Georgetown- Jack Meets Blue III

This video doesn’t have a huge emotional play, but it’s fun and brings two fanbases together. Plus, who doesn’t like dogs? I think this is a great example of thinking creatively about the stories you can tell. It’s fresh, fun and fans loved it.

 

So there you have it: 12 great sport-centric videos to serve as inspiration to you. I hope you enjoyed them all.

 

 

 

Have you see any videos lately from teams, leagues or others in the sports industry that caught your attention? Be sure to share them below.

As always, thanks for reading! 

Minnesota Wrestling’s “Through the Lens” Series Is a Great Example of Inside Access

By Jessica Smith On January 21, 2015 In College Athletics, Video Content with 1 Comment

I’ve talked a lot about access and behind-the-scenes content lately. As a social media manager in sports, how can you bring your fans closer to the team, players and daily life? Give your fans inside access. Tell the personal stories of your team. Take your fans along the emotional journey.

This week I stumbled upon a great example of what all this means. The Minnesota Wrestling team is producing a video series called “Through the Lens” that gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the team. So far this season, they have covered from the team bond to favorite pastimes. Here’s a look at some of the videos:

Brotherhood
The Great Outdoors
Home Sweet Home
The Perfect Balance
Giving Back
Gopher Fans

It’s clear the video series was well thought out and planned. And, it’s paying off. The videos are averaging nearly 13,000 views (which is 50 percent of their audience) on Facebook and the sentiment is great too. Fans have made comments like “love seeing this side of the guys, they are so down to Earth, wonderful wrestlers, etc.” The videos help to humanize the team and fans appreciate seeing the more personal side.

So what’s the takeaway? The takeaway is find the stories on your team or in your league. Leverage all your talents in-house, like video production, to showcase the more personal side and the emotional journey. These are the stories that resonate with fans; these are the stories you can own all your own.

Have you seen any great behind-the-scenes videos lately? Be sure to share them in the comments section below. 

Thanks for reading! 

What About the Fan’s Perspective?

By Guest On November 13, 2014 In Lessons Learned, Video Content with 1 Comment

One of the great things about working in social media and sports is that there are so many different angles you can cover. The hardest part isn’t finding content, but getting out of the go, go, go mentality to take time to reflect. If you can take a step back though, you’ll see there’s a lot of extraordinary in your ordinary workday.

I’m always looking for social media and sports initiatives that take a different approach to the same ‘ole same ‘ole. I love those moments that offer a different and unique perspective.

In the past week, I saw initiatives from the Utah Jazz and Ipswich Town that did just that. They offered the fan’s perspective; something we don’t see a lot of. Here’s what they did:

Utah Jazz: Fan View #CLEatUTA

After Gordon Hayward’s game-winning shot against Cleveland, the Jazz’s social media manager had an idea: Why not curate fan videos from Instagram? And that he did (amazing to think that all these people had their phones out filming). The idea is simple and easy to replicate, but a great way to highlight fan content, reactions and action:

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11 Recent Sports-Centric Videos to Watch Now

By Guest On November 8, 2014 In Video Content with 3 Comments

For those of you that follow this blog or my Twitter feed, you know I’m big on video content that evokes emotion (surprise, joy, sentimentality, passion, etc.) or tells a story. For a while it seemed like stellar sports-centric video content was lacking across teams and leagues. A lot of video content was produced, but I rarely saw pieces that made me want to stop and watch all the way through; pieces that really tap into the emotion of sports.

I’m happy to say that’s beginning to change. Over the last month, I’ve seen stellar video content in the sports industry from athletic departments, professional teams and brands. I’ve compiled a list of 11 videos that caught my attention recently. They range from intro videos to ads, and I hope that something serves as inspiration to you. Enjoy!

South Carolina Men’s Basketball: Here

I was lucky enough to get insight on South Carolina’s “Here” campaign earlier this year from their CMO Eric Nichols. This latest addition to the campaign does not disappoint. I really like how they picked a theme (toughness) and weaved that into the entire video. What I love most about this campaign (and video) from USC is that they aren’t selling; they are telling what makes their program and team unique.

Indiana: Defining the Hoosier Nation

This video actually uses fan submissions to define what the Hoosier Nation is, although you probably won’t realize it until the end. I’ve talked a lot about leveraging user-generated content lately and this is a great example of how you can involve your fans. I especially love that the video showcases how being a part of the Hoosier family is much more than a game.

If you want to learn more about the video, you can read a great post from the Convince and Covert team here.

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Replicating a Simple Idea From Nike

By Guest On June 9, 2015 In Video Content with 1 Comment

I realize that the words Nike, simple and replicate aren’t normally used in the same sentence, but yes, here they are. Last week I saw an awesome, yet simple, idea from Nike that teams and leagues can replicate. It all starts with their glorious new video welcoming LeBron James home (which I’m sure by now you’ve seen):

If you watch the video all the way through, you’ll notice that it ends with a compelling image of LeBron standing in the middle of a huddle and three buttons at the bottom that direct you to the Nike Basketball’s website, subscribe and poster.

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When you click on poster, it takes you to this jpg:

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This simple action is something that would translate really well to teams, leagues and others in the sports industry looking to share their game schedule posters, title / championship posters, TV schedule posters, etc. The best part about all of this? YouTube allows you to add annotations (clickable text overlays) to videos for free. You can learn all about them here.

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If you are looking to create something even more robust,  Interlude is a great option. The pricing is reasonable and their web application is easy to use. It could be a great tool for schools, teams, conferences and leagues to use:

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I realize this barely touches the surface of what interactive videos can do for sports, but I thought this was a simple idea that can be replicated now.  There are many more options than simply driving people to schedule posters, but I’ll conquer more robust ideas for interactive videos down the road in another post.

Thanks for reading!