Integrating Brands into Team Social & Mobile Marketing

Maddie Cotterill

Aimed at integrating Brands into Team Social & Mobile Marketing Platforms, Access Sports Media this week announced the launch of Access Sports Connect, dedicated to offering Access’s advertisers the ability to embed their brands into the social and mobile marketing messages of professional sports teams nationwide.

Access Sports Connect is, we believe, a result of detailed conversations with over 50 professional sports teams about how they are engaging fans through social and mobile marketing, making Access a leading authority on brand integration into sports and social media.

Dennis Roche, President of Access Sports Media told us “The passion and enthusiasm of live sports comes to life in the conversations that occur between teams and fans through social media. Sports teams are leaders in this area, and it presents a unique opportunity for marketers to be incorporated in this dialogue in a fun and creative way.”

Access Sports represents in-venue video networks across NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, Minor League baseball, and NCAA basketball and football stadiums across the country – Access sells video advertising across its in-venue television platform while also creating custom experiential marketing programs that drive fan engagement.

“Social media is a key component of how teams are engaging fans,” added Roche. “The authenticity of the message and the excitement surrounding the conversation is a huge part of how they communicate, and they engage marketers in these programs in a way that works for everyone involved.”

The numbers on sports and social media are growing rapidly – as of August 2012, NFL, NHL, and NBA franchises combined for over 18 million Twitter followers and 115 million Facebook Likes, and teams are increasingly utiliding Instragram, Google +, and Pinterest as integral components of their marketing programs.

Corey Silverman, EVP of Sales and Marketing for Access Sports told us “Social media programs for the teams cross all digital and social marketing platforms simultaneously. Teams not only have existing programs that can be sponsored but they are excited to create new initiatives that drive fan engagement and make sense for brands”.

Examples of marketer supported promotions in this area include photo sharing, flash ticket giveaways, player of the game voting, and behind the scenes player access.


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