During the NASCAR Nationwide race at Daytona International Speedway, Kyle Larson crashed on the last lap, slammed into the fence and sent debris flying into the stands where fans were sitting. It’s no surprise people were tweeting, taking pictures and filming during the moments of the crash; firsthand accounts popped up all over social media.
Among the things circulating on social media was a video of the crash a fan posted on YouTube (see video below). Though the video does not show anything graphic, the view from the eyes of the fan is terrifying. It is also apparent through the clip that a tire flew into the stands, injuring a fan.
This one video (below) would turn into a social media / PR debacle for NASCAR:
Brief Timeline
NASCAR had the video taken down from YouTube, without any acknowledgement of doing so. People were outraged that NASCAR censored the video and conversations unfolded with people trying to explain their copyright laws, reason for removing the video, etc. Through all of this, NASCAR had no voice in the conversation.
Eventually, NASCAR released a statement about the video, after the damage was done. Their statement:
“The fan video of the wreck on the final lap of today’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race was blocked on YouTube out of respect for those injured in today’s accident. Information on the status of those fans was unclear and the decision was made to err on the side of caution with this very serious incident.” – Steve Phelps, NASCAR SVP/Chief Marketing Officer
YouTube reinstated the video last night (why you can watch it above). Their response:
“Our partners and users do not have the right to take down videos from YouTube unless they contain content which is copyright infringing, which is why we have reinstated the videos.”
To fully understand the whole ordeal, check out poytner.org’s in-depth read here. Needless to say, it was a social media mess. But, as with anything, there are lessons to learn.
Below are five takeaways from the NASCAR video incident yesterday:
1. The Internet is infinite– it’s not about controlling it.
Even if NASCAR owns all the rights to the data, video, photo, etc. from their races, fan content will still be generated and circulated as long as people have smart phones. It’s nearly impossible for NASCAR to police this, unless they want to spend a lot of money on a staff that focuses on this issue alone, both in-venue and online (and even then, there’s no way they could catch every little thing).
With that being said, if any organization is going to enforce copyright infringement rules, they can’t pick and choose the type of content they remove. You have to remove it all. When an organization tries to control content during a high-profile time, and it’s not their normal protocol, it looks like they’re trying to hide, censor etc.
Bottom Line: I understand the value of digital rights, and I understand the desire to control the message… but fan-generated content is simply something we have to plan on (which brings to me to my next point).
2. Empower your fans.
Instead of trying to control the content- which I think we can all agree is an impossible task- it’s time to empower fans. I am a huge believer in using fan-generated content. It not only gives teams, leagues, etc. content from all different perspectives, but it also allows fans to feel a part of the event, team, league on a larger scale. A few examples of how to empower fans include:
- Rethink the copyright jargon used on tickets, website, etc. Instead of prohibiting fans from taking pictures, move to a system where the team, league, etc. has the rights to use photos from the event for their own purposes. Disclaimer: I have zero knowledge of how this works from a legal perspective.
- The fan that uploaded the video of the crash tweeted it to @ESPN. Clearly, he wanted it to be seen. Instead of making fans go elsewhere to be heard, give your fans a platform to be seen, heard etc. Implement an email address where they can send photos, videos, etc. Have a hashtag in place for fans to use where content will be pulled from. Use the content. Elevate the different perspectives.
Bottom Line: Empower your fans to generate content for you and give them credit. This not only gives you more content with different perspectives, but helps build ambassadors for our brand. That’s a win-win.
3. Look at the ramifications of your actions from every lens.
Every action has a consequence, good or bad. More than ever, it is extremely important to map out every potential consequence to an action, including how the public and media might react on social media, the web, etc. When you understand how people will react to a decision made by your organization, you are better equipped to respond, control the message and prevent a PR nightmare.
Bottom Line: It’s all about being proactive, not reactive.
4. Don’t be silent.
There’s a saying that silence in golden, but in fact, the opposite is true in social media. If NASCAR had mapped out all the consequences to having the video taken down by YouTube, then surely they understood fans would notice, and ultimately, be vocal about their decision. Instead of pulling the video and remaining silent, NASCAR should have pulled the video and offered up their reason. Whether or not fans agreed with the decision, it would have at least given them the opportunity to shape the conversation. Being upfront and honest sometimes helps to diffuse the chatter, too.
In addition to NASCAR being silent about the video, they were also silent about the crash itself. It wasn’t until their press conference yesterday at 7 p.m. that they acknowledge d the crash on their Facebook and Twitter accounts; way too late by social media standards.
Bottom Line: Transparency within an organization goes along way, especially in this day and age of social media.
5. Sweep your web content.
As I was following all of this unfold last night, I went to NASCAR.com to see if they had any additional information. They do in fact have a video up on the crash. You can view it here. But, what struck me as odd was the copy at the bottom of the video:
“We apologize. We are having technical issues with our comment sections and fan community and it is temporarily unavailable. We are actively working on these issues and hope to have it up and running soon. We are also working on enhancements to provide a better forum for our fans. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.“
I immediately jumped to conclusions- which I should not have done- and assumed this was an attempt to control the message (I’m probably not the only one who thought that though). When I tweeted out the issue, @thethirdDAY brought to my attention that this has been an ongoing issue unrelated to today’s crash (love the power of social in that way). In my opinion, it would have been in NASCAR’s best interest to remove the plug-in and copy associated with it until the issue is resolved. After all, not every website has a community / comments feature.
Bottom Line: When you’re communications crises mode, it’s always good to comb through web content to see if there is anything related to the situation that should be updated, removed it, etc. or anything on there that could cause further fuss.
So, how do you think NASCAR handled the situation yesterday? What would you have done the same / differently?
Great summary and reporting, Jess. While the situation is difficult for NASCAR, the decision to block YouTube content was not the answer. Instead, use the power of your social media voice to amplify the positive, respond – as needed – to the negative, and move on.
Thanks for reading. I completely agree with you that the situation is difficult. It is much easier for me to analyze from afar than to be the one making the decision in the heat of the moment. Love the phrase “amplify the positive”. We all need to do that. Thanks for the insight!
You would think NASCAR being a multi-billion dollar operation that they would have MANY social media savvy employees if not a dedicated department. Their new website is horrid in my opinion. Nice article.