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Between the Vegas Golden Knights’ unprecedented debut to the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin capturing their first Stanley Cup, there was a lot to talk about in the NHL last season. CMO Heidi Browning is hoping to keep the conversation going, as the league rolls out new fan engagement-focused social media and digital efforts.
“When we look at our fan base, there are several different levels of affinity, from a fan that leans into everything NHL to those that lean back and only engage at certain times,” said Browning, who joined the league in September 2016 following a long career in digital marketing. “Our mission is to make that lean-back fan lean in, where they’re buying tickets and merchandise and following everyone on social.”
CATCH ’EM ALL
New digital and social fan engagement efforts
• Birthday and holiday video messages from players.
• Newsletter focused on the community work by the league and teams.
• Internationally focused emails for fans in Switzerland and Finland, focusing on players from those countries.
• Expansion of live social contributors’ program, with content from every game.
• A fan app for the league’s tentpole events, like the Winter Classic and All-Star Game.
• Expanded paid advertising to drive broadcast tune-in.
• Driving the popularity of social media account @NHLGIFs.
Some of that effort will come from the type of content the league produces (see story above), but it also will come in the additional ways the league is looking to engage fans under Browning’s watch.
The Inside the Crease fan engagement program is “designed to be very personalized, and very player-centric,” Browning said. “As we think about how we grow our fan base, the more emotional, human-focused content can help attract and interest casual fans, whether it’s shared through social media or email.”
At the core of that is a refresh of the league’s email marketing program, which Browning said will be “brought to life in a young and playful way.”
The Wraparound will deliver real-time game info via email, embedded with technology that will personalize the message and content, Browning said. For example, a fan who signed up for the email will receive it on the morning of a game day with pregame info, as well as tune-in drivers. If the email is opened during the game, it will include a live box score, highlights and a reminder of where to catch the game. Opened after the game, it will provide the final box score, a recap and info on the next game.
