It's springtime in Canada, and that means the eyes of the nation's sports fans are glued to the NHL playoffs.
Five Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs and while only two remain, the annual 16 team tournament has already provided us with a number of enduring moments, from Carey Price's series-clinching shutout to the #CofRed that took over downtown Calgary earlier this week when the Flames reached the second round.
And yet the nature of fandom is changing in this country. Whether it's two-screen experiences brought on by new digital applications, athletes giving a peek into their personal lives through Instagram photos, or the chirping between two official team Twitter accounts during a playoff series, social media has fundamentally changed the way fans interact with their favourite sports.
For brands, this new era of digital fandom has presented a golden opportunity to help turn sports fans into brand fans.
Indeed, the online conversations taking place on social channels every day throughout the playoff season provides brands with myriad opportunities to tap into the passion of sports fans from coast to coast.
Getting into the right conversations, creating authentic social content and engaging with hockey fans throughout the playoffs, brands can see a spillover effect, where a fan's passion for a team suddenly becomes inextricably associated with the brand, providing a lasting connection, and turning a fan into an influencer.
The best brands are able to take this philosophy a step further. In sports, there are casual fans, and then there are the super fans – that special, intensely loyal supporter that displays an unrivaled passion and is driven to connect with other fans.
Sometimes brands need to take a lesson from pro sports teams and realize that when you can create an authentic connection with a supporter, you're one step closer to turning a fan into a superfan. And it all starts with ensuring that any fan feels a connection to the action that's happening on the ice, whether they're in the arena or sitting at home.
When the Jets qualified for the playoffs this year, it marked the first time in nearly two decades that NHL playoff hockey would be played in Winnipeg. The city went bananas. Jets fans turned out in record numbers to cheer on their team in the hopes they might bring home the Cup (hopes that were of course dashed by the Anaheim Ducks).
Using social media, the Jets sent a shout-out to fans asking them to show their support by wearing white. This "white out" – a tradition that dates back to the original Jets NHL franchise that played in Winnipeg from 1976-1996 – gave fans an opportunity to feel connected to the team and to each other. Even those who watched the games online, in bars and at home on television could participate.
This social media strategy, to rally around a single unifying idea, connected a whole new generation of fans to the Jets, creating a surge of energy and team spirit while heightening brand awareness and loyalty.
Last year, RBC gave us another example of an inventive way to get fans' attention, and keep it. At the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship, RBC took the fan experience to new heights with their Tweet a Jersey campaign. Fans who tweeted @RBC using #GoCanadaGo received custom digital jerseys with their Twitter handle illustrated on the back. Fans were able to customize their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts by featuring their digital jersey as their profile pictures. This example of real-time marketing allowed fans to feel like they were a part of Team Canada.
Sports is part of the fabric of Canada and goes beyond hockey. This summer, Canada will play host to the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto, while the FIFA Women's World Cup will be held in cities across Canada. Both events – as well as the usual suspects like the Blue Jays and the CFL – each present opportunities for brands to engage with fans and to learn from the ways in which sports teams create fans for life.
Mia Pearson is the co-founder of North Strategic. She has more than two decades of experience in creating and growing communications agencies, and her experience spans many sectors, including financial, technology, consumer and lifestyle.
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