Guest Post:  James Hunt is Client Services Director at GMR Marketing, an innovative sponsorship and brand experience specialist.

As sports leagues expand into growing markets, fantasy sports go with them. In the past few years, global fantasy sports participation has skyrocketed, including 10% of the US and UK populations as of 2010, and emerging markets growing strong.

Enthusiasm for fantasy sports helps leagues augment existing fan loyalty and prime the pump in new markets. And because fantasy leagues are changing the way people watch and consume sports, brands have a big opportunity to tap into this new form of fan engagement.

The Changing Fan Experience

Almost 85% of NFL supporters we surveyed would rather watch a game at home than in a stadium, with 37% admitting to regularly checking the progress of their fantasy team on a second screen while watching on TV (Source: GMR proprietary research).

This trend has led many fantasy players to lose some interest in their favourite teams, instead focusing on the individual athletes on their fantasy team. And it’s not just a distraction: the emotion runs deep. A recent survey from Turnkey Sports found that 28% of participants “feel worse when their fantasy team loses than when their favourite NFL team loses.”

“I cannot watch football the way it was meant to be watched,” wrote fantasy football advocate C.D. Carter for the New York Times’ football blog, The Fifth Down. Since first starting a fantasy team in 2006, Carter wrote, “I watch for stats. I fret about fantasy points, not game outcomes. The game, in short, is meaningless.”

Is Fantasy Helping Drive the Game?

It’s not just individual fans: fantasy’s impact on the game is replicated on a larger scale. Typically, the popularity of a fantasy game within a particular market has depended on that market’s underlying interest in the sport: the real world leads, and fantasy follows. But the rise of fantasy platforms (and digital obsession in general) is helping these sports introduce themselves and their stars to new fan bases all around the world: it’s becoming a reciprocal relationship.

For example, Fantasy League, a market leader of English Premier League fantasy football, now boasts users from more than 99 countries. And as more players from around the globe are signed by British clubs to play in the Premier League, those home markets then become potential new markets for the league’s fantasy game.

“The Premier League now sees developing countries as a major growth market — and that will benefit fantasy games,” said the company’s commercial director Richard King, singling out sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia as important areas for growth.

Brands: This Is an Opportunity

As consumers continue to adopt fantasy sports – and the live sports that inspire them – brands have a big opportunity to integrate themselves into the evolving fan experience. But surprisingly, they’ve been slow to tap into it.

One exception is Microsoft, who’s begun a strategic partnership with the NFL to tie fans’ TV experience to their fantasy league teams. Xbox One users can watch live games on one side of the screen and access their fantasy league data on the other.

This is a great example of a brand getting in on the ground floor. And as entities like the Premier League use fantasy to expand into growing markets, we expect to see many more strategic successes. The fan experience is not static – neither should be brands’ and sports marketers’ approach to reaching those fans.

At the UKSN event last week, we discussed in great length the future of sport and broadcasting. One interesting point that emerged from panel guest Mark Coyle was BT Sport’s interest in Google+ and that they have big hopes from that platform. This was echoed by Leigh Moore at the adidas lab this weekend. They both appear to believe that Google+ could be a real trump-card in the battle with Sky.

So why, when most others have abandoned the platform, do BT Sport see a future on Google+? The interest seems to lie predominantly with Google Hangouts which, without doubt, have been one of few shining lights for Google. Hangouts have been used with the likes of Pele and Beckham, and can certainly offer a bridge between fan and sportsperson.

If BT Sport can integrate this as a regular feature and be creative with the platform then there’s a high chance of encouraging regular conversation and engagement that forms part of the 360 package that BT Sport is aiming for. “The conversation never stops” as Leigh Moore pointed out at the adidas lab panel, and BT Sport want to be part of it throughout. Current engagement levels on the page are low but it’s still an active community of 300+ followers.

How they intend to maximise the platform will be revealed over the next month or so but for the moment, BT Sport’s intent to make social media a focal point of their outward communications is a positive move. Sky use these channels as more of broadcasting tool and it is clear that BT Sport are correctly looking to encourage regular conversation.

Other companies have seen potential in G+ just to have backed out not long after. The platform remains almost a graveyard of company pages. BT Sport believe they can reverse this trend and good luck to them.

Do you think Google+ could work for BT Sport? Would you consider getting involved in conversations and hangouts on the platform?

On Saturday, UKSN (and a group of UKSN competition winners) took a trip to the adidas lab in Bloomsbury, London. The pop-up studio was created to compliment the Champions League Final festivities around London and aimed to highlight the adidas football products of the future and a glimpse into how football kit, match balls and a dugout could look like in 2015.

Alongside having the opportunity to try on the three new adidas boots: Nitrocharge, Predator Lethal Zones and f50; we could also see the potential of miCoach and adidas smartball. We were also shown the 99g concept boot and the rest of the 2015 concept kit that will weight just 630g, head-to-toe!

adidas had also set-up several interactive stages to demonstrate their technology:

• ‘The Track’: A shuttle-run, with ball-control added, to be completed in one pair of the new boots as quick as possible. This positioned you on a leaderboard with your key stats, suggested the boot for you and uploaded your efforts to YouTube.

• The Dugout: Whilst watching a video of FC Bayern training, we were able to flick through slides that demonstrated the data collected how this contributed to the potential of miCoach.
• Shooting: Wearing the Lethal Zone boots, and using the smartball, adidas could track the speed of the ball, as well as the bend, flight path and where the ball was struck.

The whole event was superbly integrated with social media whereby those in the lab were able to connect RFID wristbands with a chosen social network, and throughout the session this data was tweeted/posted instantly to your feeds. With ‘The Track’, a 30 second video was uploaded immediately to YouTube, and posted on your feed. Below is an example of Dan demonstrating great footwork and the pace and agility of Eden Hazard:

In the evening, during the Champions League Final build-up, adidas put on a panel session hosted by Marcus Speller (The Football Ramble). The panel included Richard Welsh (Creative Director, Copa90), Tom Ramsden (Global Brand Marketing Director – Football, adidas),  Steve Nuttall (Senior Director – Sports, YouTube), Nick Chiarelli (Account Director, Future Foundation) and BT Sport’s Leigh Moore.

The discussion focused upon the future of football, and sports broadcasting. Key topics included the differences BT Sport could bring to the market, the importance of user-generated content and second-screen viewing. Of course, there was also significant discussion about the adidas products on show and how they will contribute to the future of football, and of broadcasting. Much of this conversation centred upon data, and how this could be used for football in the future.

With a drink in hand and several projectors set-up, we then enjoyed the Champions League Final amongst many, apparently Dortmund, fans!

A neat touch was the inclusion of a stats board that tied with Opta and Twitter. This live-board constantly updated to show top Champions League trends, top #UCLFinal tweets, a minute-by-minute comparison between #BVB and #FCB and in-depth match stats such as possession and passes completed. It was a great addition to the match viewing.

A big thank you to adidas and the others that helped to organise the event. It was a roaring success and showed adidas at their innovative best.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED!

This weekend is going to be a special one here in London.  With the UEFA Champions League Final being hosted in our capital for the second time in three years it going to be party time once again.  Now we don’t run competitions very often on here but for this we thought we’d make an exception.

We’ve teamed up with adidas to offer something very special indeed for anyone in London this weekend.  adidas will be showcasing and looking ahead at the ‘Future of Football’ with their adidas lab (#adidaslab).  The lab will give a sneaky look at adidas products of the past, present & future.  It will give consumers a glimpse into how football might look in the next  six months, year and beyond.  You’ll be able to test unseen products first-hand in a series of high-tech football experiences featuring real-time data visualisation – all at this behind-closed-doors event in London this weekend.

We’ve got 12 pairs of tickets for the adidas Labs on Saturday 25th May between 11.30am and 1.00pm and we want you guys to come along.  To enter, post a comment at the bottom of this post to say why you want to go and you’ll be in with a chance of winning this money-can’t-buy prize.  We’ll be in touch to let you know if you are going!

You have to be 18 or over and resident here in the UK and must be able to make it to the event on Saturday.  There is no travel as part of the prize, only entry to the event.

So what are you waiting for??  Get writing now….

One match to go. Two teams left and one of them 80 minutes from glory. Now it’s your chance to get involved and make a difference to the two Aviva Premiership Rugby finalists.  This is the message being driven by Premiership Rugby ahead of the big day between Leicester and Northampton at Twickenham next week (25th May).

It’s a game I was looking forward to going to but its going to be all about football for me instead (more details to follow soon).  My better half will be there cheering them on, my rugbyt will have to wait for the next day when its England v Barbarians. Should be a cracking weekend!

Aviva and Premiership Rugby have joined together to give the fans a chance to have their messages of support actually seen by the finalists. All you have to do is send in your messages of support via Twitter using the hashtag #LittleThingsMatter and the best messages will be selected to appear at Twickenham on the day. These messages will be displayed on the LED boards in the stadium, in the tunnel for the players to see, or even on boards that will placed in both dressing rooms.

Aviva’s Senior Sponsorship Manager, Louisa Cheetham explains the thinking behind the campaign;

“Players and coaches love to hear messages of support from their fans. The connection between rugby fans and their club sides is so strong they appreciate every word of encouragement from their supporters.  So this year we are going to make it as easy as possible for the players and coaches to find out what their fans think and how much they want them to bring the Aviva Premiership Rugby trophy home.  Think about the little thing you could say that could help your team on the day and use that thought.”

The best messages will be mounted on boards in the Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers dressing rooms, displayed on LED screens around Twickenham and written on the tunnel. So your message might be the last thing the players see before they run out onto the pitch at Twickenham.

It’s a nice touch by the league and stadium as they look to maximise the use of the screens on match day.  We have seen a trend for their to be more fan engagement around big matches in different sports over recent times.  The technology is getting better, stadiums are starting to ramp up their wifi and 3G capabilities and its all about the fan experience.

Here’s a great video to help promote the initiative.  They gained the help of players from both teams, fans and some other notables.

Last week I wrote a post that focused on Eye of the Fan which is an innovative campaign run by Turkish Airlines.  This operates via a series of cameras that are attached to a ‘fan’ who has been given complete, unrestricted access to the ‘Final Four’ and reacts to tweeted requests from contributors.

Since then, Turkish Airlines have released a slick 2013 campaign teaser trailer (check it out below).  An addition to the 2013 campaign is ‘#whoisup’. This is a new hashtag to find someone to accompany the ‘UpTeam’ behind the scenes at the Final Four event in London. Users have to upload their favourite fan photo with the hashtag #whoisup to be in with a chance of joining the Team. Another addition is that the best tweets will be transferred into ‘fan-banners’ that will held up in the crowd for the arena to see – and also viewable by the TV audiences.This is a great example of an integrated multi-media campaign and I look forward to watching it in action.

 

Guest Post:  Tom Kelk is a tech/sport blogger and Account Exec at global social media agency We Are Social.  You can find him on Twitter (@TomKelk), LinkedIn and his blog.

Eye of the Fan is a neat campaign run by Turkish Airlines to attempt to promote the basketball Euroleague through social media. Whilst basketball doesn’t have the biggest UK following, it is massively popular in mainland Europe and therefore, Eye of the Fan has received the required interest to return for a second stint.

Simply put, Eye of the Fan is a series of cameras attached to a ‘fan’ who has been given behind the scenes access to basketball matches and reacts to live requests from contributors. The heart of the campaign is its integration with social media. Those following the action can tweet their requests to the ‘Fan Cam’, who will duly oblige to the requests chosen by the ‘Up Team’ in London, and a team in Istanbul which will deliver tweets right to the ‘Fan’ in the O2 Arena. Further to this, these teams will keeping an eye on activity within the stadium and direct the Fan towards events of interest. This responsive caveat brings the fans closer to the game, but also engrosses them in the app.

This a great use of the popular go-pro equipment and fantastic to see it revolving around social media engagement. How well it captures the atmosphere of the stadium and an event is yet to be seen but there is clearly potential. The access to athletes away from the traditional media will certainly attract interest from the majority of sports fans who rarely see players in an ordinary light. The most important aspect to the success of this is the completely free-rein of the Fan who “will be going everywhere cameras normally can’t or won’t go to offer fans and media an exclusive behind the scenes view.” Fans can ask him to joke around with a player, chat with a manger or find the best-looking person in the crowd (see video…).

In my latest blog I spoke about Vine and how it could be used to capture an atmosphere and how clubs were not making the most of their assets and behind the scenes footage; Eye of the Fan manages this with a real-time and responsive element added-on.

Here is the video of the 2012 ‘Final Four’ and this gives an indication of what can be expected this time around. There have been no significant changes since last year’s campaign but the ‘Up Team’ intends to interact with contributors to a higher level than previously:

All the footage will be accessible on a constantly updated website and, once watermarked, can be fully integrated, embedded and shared across websites. Footage of the game itself will not be available due to licensing regulations.

In 2012 the Eye of the Fan Facebook app received 150000 visits; Eye of the Fan posts on the Turkish Airlines received 15000 likes in 3 days. Overall, the 2012 event received 3.7m impressions. It is hoped that the 2013 Eye of the Fan campaign will exceed these numbers by quite some distance.

Regardless of your interest in European basketball, this is a fascinating campaign and should be looked at. Eye of the Fan can be seen from 10-12^th May when the Turkish Airlines Final Four will be broadcasting from the London O2 Arena. The ‘Final Four’ is the culmination of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague – the ‘Champions League’ of European Basketball. The top sixteen teams are currently fighting out to be involved in the ‘Final Four’. Before the Final Four tips-off, you can follow @eyeofthefan on Twitter and see what it has to offer.

It will be interesting to see where Eye of the Fan goes from here. There is a great potential in the idea. At the moment, Turkish Airlines have indicated that they are keen to focus on further communications through basketball and would welcome any opportunity to increase engagement and buzz alongside improving the content output.

There must be opportunities to translate this forward thinking approach over to other sports and hopefully brands will take a close look at the ideas behind this campaign.

We all like a good pie at a football match (fact) and we all hate queuing (another fact).  But a solution to our problems may be on its way…. Hearts fans have trialling a new experience, the chance to jump the pie queue – good idea of what!  And it’s all done via by placing orders through their smartphones.

The club has developed a mobile app that allows supporters to place orders and have food and drink delivered to their seat.  Sadly, due to drinking restrictions in football stadia we don’t think this includes beer orders.  But could be a great idea for cricket matches.

It was available to Tynecastle fans who used the app during saturdays match with Motherwell.  We’re not sure about the results of this trial but am sure it went down well.  That is depending that the 3G was working well enough.

A statement on the Scottish Premier League club’s website said:

“Supporters seated in the upper sections of the Wheatfield Stand will have the unique opportunity to use their Android or iOS smartphones to skip the queues and have their food delivered direct to their seats, ensuring that they don’t miss a minute of the action on the pitch.  This is a UK first in terms of the use of mobile technology for ordering at a football match.  Following this initial deployment, it will then be rolled out to other areas of the stadium throughout the remainder of the season.”

The new app has been developed along with catering partner Saltire Hospitality and mobile technology company QikServe.   Supporters who have downloaded the app will be able to scan barcodes on their seats to find the available menu.  QikServe orders will be put on hold during half-time, while the concessions kiosks are at their busiest at the Edinburgh stadum.  Dan Rodgers, QikServe’s founder, added:

“The classic pie and Bovril combination is a British football tradition and that will never change, but our goal is to use mobile technology to bring that tradition into the 21st century.  The convenience of ordering from your seat is a perk normally reserved for the executive boxes, but QikServe makes it possible for everyone.”

Before we get too carried away with the potential for apps of this kind, there is one lingering issue that has been raised by many in the sports tech industry.  Phone Connectivity!  We have all been to sports events where you can’t even get a text message, never mind bring up an app and place a seamless order from your seat.

The Daily Record spoke to one supporter who said she often had problems getting phone reception at the stadium.  “I constantly struggle to get a signal at Tynecastle, so if they were going to do it, they would need to have free wi-fi for it to work properly.”

There are signs that these issues could become a thing of the past.  Companies such as Cisco have partnered with clubs to offer wifi and better 3G coverage on match days (though still restricted to the bigger European and American clubs).  There are cheaper solutions being developed and we all saw during London 2012 how well it can be done.

Will it work?  Lets wait and see but fingers crossed it can (it’s good PR for the club anyway).

In this economic climate you may think it’s the wrong time to be on the lookout for new roles and that when something does come up that everyone will be after those few.  In the case of digital roles (including social media) the landscape is slightly different.

There are currently fewer qualified people about than there are jobs.  Certainly not the way round you may have thought.  Competition for the starter level roles are as competitive as ever, as graduates are keen to get involved in this exciting and growing sector.  I have been one of the lucky few who broke into the sports industry first and then into social media, just as it started to gather pace and the demand became what it is now.

So I wanted to write something that would help as many people as I can out there.  Step one was to start showing the types of roles out there; recently I’ve written articles on jobs at Man City, Chelsea, BT Sport and Man United.  The next step was to start a ‘jobs board‘, that has now been ticked off and will hopefully grow.  Now it is time for something more personal, more long form advice.

What I’ve done is broken down into 5 sections what I believe are the most important areas to consider.  It is not a failsafe method of landing a role but hopefully will give you a nudge in the right direction.

1. More than just a passion for sport

Everyone writes “I love football’ at the start of a covering letter for a football related job.  But how can you show that these are not just futile words written to show the interviewer that you will be ‘the one’ for them?  Go into more detail as to how and why you have this passion.  It should show through on your CV (or LinkedIn profile) with volunteer work where you’ve been able to do some and responsibility you have taken on over the years.  This could have been as captain of your local team or scorer at the cricket club.  Something that demonstrates what you mean.

Employers are interested in not only what you do, and have done, in your career so far but also what you do outside of it.  This gives as many clues to them about your personality and passions than anything else.  For me, I worked as a volunteer when I wanted to get into event management at the All England Badminton Champs and the World Badminton Champs.  This as well as my role as captain of my college football team showed that I really wanted to work in the industry and have what it takes.

2. Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk

Many people these days can use Twitter and Facebook and have heard of Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.  If that is the level of your knowledge then you may have to think again and do some experimenting before you start putting pen to paper.  It is all very well having ideas about how social media can best be used, but how will people find this out and how can you show it?

I hear quite a lot that people are applying for Social Media Exec and Community Management roles, yet have no social presence at all.  I know it doesn’t mean that they can’t do the job but they need to get involved and get their hands dirty to really understand how it works.  I know many a colleague who has set up a Facebook page so they can test out new ideas and posts before placing them on brand pages; a great way to experiment without the dangers of blindly posting.

Depending on the level you are looking to go in at, having a knowledge of areas such as; Content Calendars, Crisis/Reputation Management, Blogger Outreach, Social Media Measurement, Advertising and Analytics can all be useful.  There are speciality roles within all of these skills and you don’t need to know all of them in-depth.  But showing a knowledge of them and how they work can show your worth to a business.

I started out by putting my thoughts out there for people to read.  3 years ago I started this blog up with the intention of helping people in the industry find out the latest information/trends.  It has been a crucial element in helping me get where I am today (which is nowhere near where I’d like to end up, but I’m getting there).  I also have a personal and business Twitter accounts, both of which are well used and give me an understanding of not only what is out there but also the latest news.  I use Twitter as one of my primary news sources for the industry.  What do you use yours for?

It is important to me to keep these activities going, no matter how busy I am in my full-time role.  It is tough but keeping my profile ‘front of mind’ is important to me.  Even more so now that I am self-employed in a fast moving industry.

3. Network, network, network

“It’s not about what you know but who you know” – how many times have you heard this phrase?  Most of the people I now know in London are through my work.  If I had just settled down at Carat or We Are Social then I would not have met most of the people I can call friends now. You still need to ‘know your stuff’ but having good relationships with these people can prove to be invaluable at different times.

They can help me keep an eye out for potential roles.  I meet CEOs of agencies and businesses, not necessarily for a role that they have now but if they do in the future then I have a better chance than if I didn’t know them at all.  It’s also not just about what they can do for you, think about what you can do for them.  Everyone has a time of need and being there for your friends/colleagues can be invaluable.

One of the reasons I started running events under the UKSN name was because I am quite shy and don’t network very well.  Put me in a room full of people and I may only speak to a couple of them.  But if I run an event and speak at it then automatically everyone knows who I am.  It takes away one of the biggest barriers I faced and helped me speak to people I would never have had the chance to meet.

4. Learn everyday

It is really important to stay on top of the latest trends and developments if you are to succeed in this industry.  The pace of change is scary with new innovations and platforms being brought to market by the day.  I always make sure I read articles everyday, not just once in a while, but everyday.

Twitter is a great source for finding these articles.  Many of them are from personal blogs but a few are from the more recognisable sites such as Fast Company, Techcrunch, Wired, The Wall, Content Marketing Institute, etc.  There are so many sources of news to find (from media companies and blogs) and they are all are speaking about the latest developments and giving insights.  Twitter is a great way of finding the best ones and saving time you probably don’t have.

Dont just rely on Twitter though.  Google Reader, Reddit and many other aggregators help you sift through the clutter to find what you need.  Try a few and see what works for you.

5. Be Different

An employer for a role at a top sports club or governing body is going to receive a huge number of applications from aspiring digital marketers.  How can you make sure you make it in for an interview and not end up in the bin?

People are becoming more creative, using YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and more to set up campaigns with the aim of landing themselves their dream job.  It demonstrates to employers that they have the drive and creativity to develop a campaign off their own back.  These people have a good chance of getting into the companies they are aiming for.

For me it is about what I do with my blog and events that sets me apart from the crowd.  You need to find your own style and skills and make the most of the opportunities they present.

So, find some way in which you can utilise your own talents (everyone has different strengths, it’s a matter of playing to them).  Then decide what you want to do – working in social media is very broad, if you know what role within it you are after then you have a better chance of succeeding.  Finally, look at who you want to work for and an approach of getting to them.

There are of course more tips and hints that are out there and will also work for you.  But these are the ones I feel will put you in the best possible place.  Make sure you keep on trying and your hard work will pay off in the long run (it’s not going to happen overnight).  Trust me.

It’s worth noting that many employers don’t use agencies to hire, especially smaller agencies and start-ups, but if they find the right people and want to work with them, they will find a place within their organisation.  So impress them and show them what you can bring to their business that no-one else can (or very few anyway).

Anything is possible in this world.  Believe in yourself and go for it.  There are many people who have succeeded in the industry and will offer their advice, so don’t be afraid to ask for it.

Good luck…. and don’t forget to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of chatting with one of Everton FC’s leading lights when it comes to their digital strategy, Scott McLeod.

Scott started out at the Liverpool Echo before joining Everton in 2005.  He was brought on board to add his journalistic expertise to the club as New Media Journalist.  In those days it would have been centred around the website.

Since then he has progressed through to become Website Editor, Communications Manager before starting his current role as Digital Media Manager.  He spends his days managing all digital output from the club.  This includes; the match day concourse and stadium bowl screens and content, the four main Club web platforms, an online TV solution and the delivery of the clubs digital marketing.  Quite a broad role!

He manages a team of 6 within the Digital Media side.  This is made up of 4 journalists and 2 video editors/cameramen.  They ensure that all the content needed for the channels is kept up to date and feed the insatiable appetite of the Everton community with breaking news and interviews.

The club prides itself on being one of the top clubs in the digital area.  It may not get the press of the Man City, Liverpool and Arsenals of this country but they are certainly up there.  Twice in the last 3 years they have won awards for the website, including ‘Best in Class’ at the Interactive Media Awards in December last year.

They’re aim is always to stay “one step ahead by keeping our finger on the pulse”.  They have certainly managed it by launching a series of firsts;

• 1^st Club Android App
• 1^st Club Podcast
• 1^st Club iPad App

They were also one of the first to launch an iPhone app.  So the club is certainly not afraid to take a chance and invest in the future through digital.  They’re aim has always been to make best use of the budget they have but, importantly, also spend it wisely.

18 months ago they removed the subscription requirement for the club video channel.  Something most others have yet to see the light and do.  They realised that it was more important to increase the value proposition to Everton fans than just make some money out of a few (video subs have never been big money makers).

In a time when fans have found increasingly diverse ways to get their fix of what they want in terms of news and action.  If the club doesn’t supply it then they will go elsewhere.  The Everton team realised this and made the move first.

Fans are also expecting higher production levels than ever before.  So recently they joined the likes of the Top 4 with their own TV studio at Goodison Park.  This will ensure they can produce more content, easier and keep those fans engaged in more innovative ways.  Its an investment many more short-term focused clubs (and sports) would not sanction.

Blue Crimbo

One of the main reasons I wanted to speak to Scott was to ask him about their fantastic #BlueCrimbo campaign.  It caught my eye in the lead up to Christmas and I hoped to find out more on how it came about and how it went.

At the start, the aim was to involve fans from the start.  Making it as interactive as possible.  It was decided that the conversation would be driven by content and this would help keep it alive over a period of time.  Not just the one-off peaks we tend to see in more traditional campaigns.

It turns out that Blue Crimbo was an evolution of previous campaigns rather than a completely new one.  It also took into account the growth in their social media presence.

After previous plans that had included ‘viral’ attempts didn’t quite make it ‘big’ and various departments running their own attempts at tapping into the business that is Christmas.

2012 saw them knock down the walls between these siloes and work together on one overall campaign that included e-commerce, ticketing and social media and brought them into one place.  And it worked very well. (If you’d like to read about the campaign in detail then click here).

So, stats wise how did it perform?  Scott was kind enough to disclose some of the figures

• 7,500 #BlueCrimbo tweets
• 2000 new signups – added to club CRM database
• 152% Increase in ½ season ticket sales
• 25% year-on-year increase in retail traffic from Evertonfc.com

Overall I think we can safely say it was a success.  The bringing together of different elements of the business into a single, simple campaign with fans at the heart of it makes sense to everyone.  Fans responded by getting involved and news of it spread over the 5-week period.

So what does the future hold for Scott and Everton?

Their aims over the next 12-18 months sound equally exciting.  He sees opportunities around ‘connected tv’, placing content in layers for fans to engage with.  Also the possibility of developing ‘premium content’ that could then be subscription or sponsor lead is one they see potential for.  Though the aim is to keep as much content free to fans as possible.

Apps for PTV and Social are continuing to be developed.  With the help of Rippleffect, their digital partner since 2003 who develop the website, and Mobile Roadie who worked on their iPhone app development, things are moving on at a rapid rate (much like the industry as a whole).

They recognise that you have to continue to innovate to stay relevant.  Sitting still isn’t an option!

Thanks to Scott for taking to time out to chat and good luck to Everton for the rest of the season.