Interview with Digital Manager of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers

Despite narrowly missing out on Super Bowl XLIX, Green Bay Packers are one of the clubs leading the way when it comes to digital fan engagement – and as the only fan-owned NFL franchise, they’re in the perfect position to own the space.

I got the chance to share a beer with Garrison Cummings, Digital Manager for the Green Bay Packers, and talk about the Packers approach to digital content, and how it compares with the likes of Premier League football clubs.

When it comes to sports and fan engagement on social media, American sports (NBA and NFL in particular) are leagues ahead of football and rugby in the UK and Europe – and this is demonstrated through the franchises in particular. First and foremost, this is shown in the commitment to digital and social media. Garrison noted that Green Bay have one of the smaller digital teams in the NFL, yet this team is large in comparison to the clubs and organisations of UK sports:

“We are a growing team within our digital space. We currently have thirteen members of our team that work on various capacities of the website, content creation, video production and social media. We have one point person, our content developer, who is responsible for the execution of the Packers digital strategies on social channels. Every team member has some involvement in terms of developing content and strategy for social media. This collaborative effort has proven successful this past season with our highest engagement and impression numbers per post.”

The collaborative approach certainly is paying dividends, and the strategic role of the ‘Content Developer’ is having a marked effect on, not only the volume of content that is produced, but the quality of each piece. Their content approach is a “combination of photos, links and videos on the social channels.” With regular pieces like the #PackersRollCall, Garrison and the Packers are trying to find “opportunities to engage with our fans who are not at the stadium feel like they are a part of Gameday.”

Video is a particular area of noticeable difference between the likes of Green Bay, and the majority of Premier League clubs, if not all. Watching the previews and post-game highlights are not dissimilar to the type you would find with a broadcaster.

But how is this investment justified internally? It comes down to how Green Bay position social and digital media. Whilst in the UK, digital and social media in the majority sit as a bolt-on to traditional PR and marketing set-ups, (and hasn’t found a particular role within either) the Green Bay Packers work differently. They have firmly established social media as an important part of their communications operation.

Garrison said:

“The Packers social media is really more communication versus marketing. We view the platform’s primary purpose as establishing strong relationships with our fans and team.”

“We feel our platforms are very effective ways to inform our fans of our work in the community and the good deeds our players and others perform to support great causes.”

It’s a refreshing approach to not seek direct monetary benefit from social media, and one that Premier League football clubs (Newcastle United in particular) are only just beginning to catch-up with.

Arguably, the reason behind this could be down to the emotional investment with a particular team in the US, in comparison to the UK. The nature of franchises being able to move from their heartland, removes a certain level of emotional investment in that franchise. You could argue that football clubs have a level of complacency when it comes to fan engagement, and feel they are able to exploit the everlasting support of these fans for marketing purposes. With the American sports, it’s more difficult to rely on this everlasting support so more effort is put into the communications side to “establish strong relationships” between fans and the team.

One of the areas that the Packers are trying to build-upon, is their reach over the pond and into mainland Europe. Catering for these fans isn’t easy, but the Packers approach is simple. Garrison noted that;

“Following Gamedays, we schedule posts that are more likely to be read by international audiences to give fans who may not have seen the game an overview of the game. This includes sharing game highlights, game recaps and press conferences.”

“We strive to communicate with our global fan base and create strong relationships with our fans. We look to find opportunities to make fans feel like they are a part of our team, no matter where a fan is located.”

Communicating with the global fan base is something that Garrison believes the NFL, and the Packers, can learn from the example set by the Premier League clubs.

“We admire the reach and diversity of fans of the Premier League. To be able to communicate and engage fans throughout the world is very challenging. As stated before, we want to be able to reach our international fans and create stronger relationships with our fans outside of the US.”

With the NBA often touted as the pinnacle of social media pioneering within sports, I was interested in how Garrison felt about how the NFL compares with other leagues, like the NBA and NHL, and whether they have any shining examples of great practice in social media:

“We don’t really have a shining example as much as we have aspirational goals for our social media platforms. We really look at other sports and entertainment properties how they engage the many demographics of their fan base.”

“All professional sports leagues are very dynamic in what they offer. We often share best practices with each other.”

So how would Garrison and the Packers like to see social media develop within sport?

“That’s a really great question. I would like to see platforms enhance the in-venue experience while giving displaced fans a sense that they are a part of the journey. Really, we want to see social media continue to develop to create that one-to-one personalized experience for the fan.”

And finally – as a fan of Green Bay, I had to ask if there was any sign of the Packers venturing to London anytime soon!?

“Although we were not one of the teams selected this year to play in London, we are hoping our time will come soon!”

About author

Tom Kelk
Tom Kelk 25 posts

Tom Kelk is a tech/sport blogger and Account Manager at communications agency, Pitch. You can find him on Twitter (@TomKelk), LinkedIn and his blog (tomkelk.blogspot.com)

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