Last week the Arizona Coyotes hosted a “Throwback Night”, celebrating the team’s original logo and uniform. The players wore the franchise’s black Kachina-style jerseys for the first time since the team switched logos and uniforms in 2003-04. Former players also dropped the ceremonial first puck. People love nostalgia, so as you can imagine, the night was a big success.
One of the things I loved about the Coyote’s approach to “Throwback Night” was how they also told the story online. They didn’t push out fan promos they ran in-venue; they found a unique, relevant and compelling way to tell the story for the fans at home. Here are a few examples of their content:
1996: Coyotes are born #BackInBlack pic.twitter.com/XbGhvqA4rP
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 5, 2015
1996: Freshman Moss was on @dcchockey – they later went on to win State & finish #1 in the country. #ThrowbackInBlack pic.twitter.com/1xfRpe9Uun
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 5, 2015
1996: Domingue being Domingue. #ThrowbackInBlack pic.twitter.com/WYvlv8sJgm
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 5, 2015
RT If you agree, these are really pretty. #ThrowbackInBlack pic.twitter.com/HLjbzXGHd7
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 6, 2015
How did @RealAliceCooper feel about being the inspiration behind Mike Smith's #ThrowbackInBlack mask? Find out! >> http://t.co/MwlhXAuHfw
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 6, 2015
If your team hosts a themed night, think about how to tell a parallel story about it online in a compelling way. It’s not about showing pictures of the fan promotions from the game, but figuring out the online story would interest your social media community. If you want to integrate your in-venue promotions with your online story, consider these three things:
No. 1- Don’t focus so much on the in-venue pieces; focus on the theme.
No. 2- From the theme, find the story.
No. 3- Execute initiatives to get your social media audience engaged.
Integrating your in-venue promotions into your social media strategy is important. That said, it’s important to remember that it’s not so much about the promos but about the big idea. Don’t focus on snapping pictures of the in-venue promotions; focus on telling a creative and compelling parallel story that your fans will care about, just like the Coyotes did.
What do you think are the keys to integrating event promotions with social media? Share your thoughts below!
As always, thanks for reading.
I think the throwback content posted online was a nice way to sell the theme, but this could’ve also been a great opportunity to engage fans more. A question: “Who was there when we dropped the first puck in 1996?” or a call to action: “Show us your favorite #BackInBlack memory” can be a powerful tool to generating interest about a theme night. You can push themes, stories and promotions at fans all you want, but it’s much easier for them to buy in when they themselves are integral to the theme, the story and the content you produce.
I definitely agree that nostalgia is huge in sports, so why not let fans drive the conversation and tell their own story? The best content submitted can be reposted/retweeted or even put on display during lulls in game action.