As I’m sure you know by now, Kobe Bryant officially announced his retirement from basketball. He did it in true stop-acne-meds.com form, announcing his decision on Facebook and Twitter by linking to a poem on the Players Tribune. Additionally, all fans at the Lakers game received a “personal” note from him. With every step, he led and controlled the message.
Fans attending tonight's Lakers game are getting this letter from Kobe. pic.twitter.com/gRSpuaKoTE
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) November 30, 2015
Kobe’s announcement crashed the Players’ Tribune (and while yes that’s a bummer, it’s also indicative of the response). It earned him 120,000+ retweets on Twitter and 62,000+ shares on Facebook. The letters distributed at the game are selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay. You get the point.
As I thought about the execution, I couldn’t help but to draw some social media lessons. Here’s what we can take away from this strong PR play:
Be unexpected.
Kobe delivered his message in unexpected fashion. He stayed away from the traditional press release and press conference. Instead, he broke the news on social media and penned his thoughts in a poem on an untraditional media outlet. There’s nothing expected about that.
Surprise delivers huge value on social media. It’s a trigger that causes people to share. In an online world with a lot of noise, don’t be afraid to be a bit unexpected.
Tap into emotions.
Kobe’s letter and poem tapped into emotion. It told the story of dreams, challenges, victories, defeat. If you’ve read Jonah Berger’s Contagious, then you know emotions are one of the reasons way people share. All the emotions from Kobe’s announcement pulled people in powerful fashion.
As Berger says, “when we care, we share.” Content that goes viral focus on high arousal and feelings rather than function. Sports are emotional. Tap into it.
Take things offline.
Kobe took a strong, integrated approach to his announcement. He didn’t just focus on the online, but he also focused on the offline with his letter in-venue to Lakers fans. This was a strong personal touch. The letters turned into a powerful piece of content all their own. They’ve been shared thousands of times across social media and put up for sale on eBay.
Social media shouldn’t work in a silo. With a big campaign/announcement, it’s important to have many communications touch points. Don’t be afraid to take your message offline in creative ways. Offline touch points are often personal for consumers. And as we saw in the case with Kobe, our offline messages are often shared online too.
Know your audience(s).
Kobe’s letter in-venue talked to both his doubters and his supporters. He knew he was talking to a wide audience in that arena…. not loyal fans alone. Kobe’s decision to address both doubters and supporters made his message more authentic; it showed he appreciates his audience and all that comes with it.
In social media, more often than not, you are speaking to a wide audience. Know your audience and speak to them as authentically as possible. Don’t apologize for your brand, but also keep in mind how wide reaching your content can be.
Kobe’s announcement is one of those PR case studies we should all save for inspiration down the road. From leading with emotions to knowing your audience, there are a lot of gems for us to take away.
What did you think about Kobe’s retirement announcement? Share your thoughts below!
Thanks for reading.
