The last two weeks may have been the busiest in the life of Panthers Manager of Digital Content & Strategy Dan LaTorraca as the team preps for Super Bowl 50. In his fifth season with the Panthers, LaTorraca oversees content strategy for Panthers.com and the team’s social media accounts. He also manages the team’s mobile app, email marketing and social integration with their gameday experience. LaTorraca said from a social media perspective, the Panthers “have made major strides in game day coverage.” One thing his staff focuses on is finding the best way to appeal to both the hardcore and casual fan. LaTorraca: "The industry is slowly shifting from using platforms like Twitter for standard play-by-play and the best teams are injecting humor and fun into their live coverage. The second-screen experience provides an opportunity to develop an emotional connection with fans and game day is the best time to build that relationship.”
CAT SCRATCH FEVER: Powered by the success of a 15-1 regular season and a run to the Super Bowl, the Panthers topped all NFL teams in fan growth and engagement on Facebook. The team's growth on the social media platform was twice that of the next team, according to LaTorraca. The team Twitter account was first in the NFL in growth and engagement rate, while the Panthers' Instagram account led in growth and was third in engagement. With so much going right, LaTorraca and his staff are subscribing to the old adage -- "If it is not broken, don’t fix it. LaTorraca: "Our digital media department is taking a page from head coach Ron Rivera’s book and not making major changes to what has worked for us all season. The expectations are obviously much higher given the nature of this stage, but with that -- so is the opportunity. So no changes to the recipe, we’re just cooking more food." Even though the Panthers’ various social media accounts are drawing more visitors than ever before, the task LaTorraca faces is keeping the message consistent across platforms. He has found inspiration in the way other NFL teams -- namely the Seahawks, Falcons, Jaguars and Cardinals -- have presented their digital properties. LaTorraca said, "Voice can be difficult to maintain depending on team performance, but finding the right time to share a message that defines that voice is important. The goal is to show that you are human, so responding to fans is a big part of that, but also looking for those opportunities to take a more fun and relevant approach to interactions and messaging is essential.”
