Makeup Blog (Social Media)

The DII college social media level is not where it needs to be. It is a step above a high-school run social media account. The first step though is getting out there. The DII collegiate sports as a whole needs some work, but there are some schools that go above and beyond on their social media performance. Despite the majority of the schools not being up to par on their social media accounts, at least the schools are seeing that they are important.

Today’s younger generation is very tech savvy and really like to express themselves on social media. To keep up with today’s youth and to continue to improve the number of students on campus, universities need to be on social media as well. That is where their consumers are. Having a popular social media reputation goes a long way in the world of teenagers and young adults. It makes things seem more relatable and is more convenient for announcements. That being said it could also be used as a great recruiting tool. Clemson has a great social media account where they post videos or a photo of their student athletes daily. A school that is more relatable to this topic is Tiffin University. They do a fantastic job of showing all of their athletes love on all social media accounts, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. If more schools could utilize this free and valuable tool, DII collegiate sports could get the recognition that it deserves.

Division II sports will never be as popular as Division I sports. This definitely hurts them when it comes to social media coverage. There may be schools out there that do a fantastic job with keeping up to date with their teams and helping the community know what is going on but it does not leave the community. This lack of exposure makes it seem like the coverage is not there at all. Schools need to try to reach out to regional levels instead of local levels. Let everyone know in your area what you are doing. An increase in exposure correlates to a more popular image and more students and athletes.

Finally, teams could do a better job with the content that they put out. Honestly, they should let younger coaching staff or students run the page. The younger coaches and students know what is cool and what is old. They can help direct and new and more popular image. Keeping an account up to date on how the messages are sent out will win you over with other users on social media.

All in all, the Division II social media accounts are not where they need to be. Certain schools such as Tiffin University and Wingate are ahead of the curve but they are in the minority. The Division II social media is headed in the right direction and will eventually be where it needs to be.

 

 

Nate Simmons

Last One

During my short time blogging, I have learned a lot when it comes to the sports marketing world. For example, there is a lot that goes on behind the scene of a simple advertisement or commercial. A lot goes into branding whether it be for a team or company as well. I have learned a lot this past semester about the marketing side of the sports and this blog helped me interpret and discuss those things that I have learned.

When it comes to advertising, marketers must do some background research in order to know who they want to make their ad for or their target audience. A target audience is a specific group of people that a firm wants to market too. The company or team has people go out and collect data from their fans/customers to see who they really need to market too. Teams and firms that can do this more successfully tend to have better attendance/sales. Knowing who your customers are, opens the door for specific advertisements. If Nike’s target audience is teenagers then they are more likely to make a commercial with a popular artist and a famous athlete. If they were trying to market to an elderly person they would probably use a famous retired athlete in a much more relaxed setting. Knowing where to put your advertisements is important as well. For example, social media is a good place to put promotional videos of your team or product on a daily basis. A commercial is meant for a new product or product line, or to announce an upcoming game. There is a lot more to advertising than just using cool effects and a funny script. Branding has some tips and secrets behind it as well.

Branding is more than just a symbol of a company or school. Branding is what that brand represents. Branding is what you think when you see the symbol or when you hear the name of that company. Branding establishes your credibility and how people view your team/company. For example, Alabama’s football brand is the greatest in the NCAA. Alabama gets the best recruits from around the country because of their legacy and name. Recruits commit to Alabama before they even visit the university. Branding is very powerful and successful brands produce successful results.

Advertising and branding really stuck out to me this semester. There was a lot more that I learned over this semester but these are the two topics that stuck out to me. I really enjoyed this blog and the course.

 

 

Nate Simmons

Oregon Ducks Soaring

Everyone knows the University of Oregon for their crazy uniform combination and their funny but amazing mascot. However, what people do not realize about UO is that it is one of the strongest brands in the NCAA. The University of Oregon has a strong athletic history, unique way of promoting themselves, and an effective marketing brand.

The University of Oregon has 24 national titles. Most of which come from their men’s and women’s track team. Oregon arguably has one of the most prestigious track programs in the NCAA and Nike is their sponsor. This is not a coincidence. Nike was created by an Oregon coach and a former Oregon track runner. In a sense, Nike was created for the University of Oregon’s track team. Although in today’s media Oregon is well known for their fast-paced offense and their prolific scoring on the basketball court, do not forget that Oregon’s track team is still the kingpin in Eugene.

Oregon has many tactics to recruit these future Olympian runners to their university. Their reputation would seem to be enough to get all of these great recruits, however, it is not. Oregon employs many simple tactics to recruit their future stars. One of them is selling their logo or the O. the O is simple yet very powerful. The symbol is very easy to identify and every time you see a yellow O you automatically think of the Oregon Ducks. Another recruiting tool they use is their amazing sponsorship with Nike. Every sport has the latest gear and a multitude f uniforms to choose from. Thanks to their flashy uniforms and many different combinations, Oregon is usually in the media because of this and it makes Oregon more appealing to recruits. Another one of Oregon’s many tactics to welcome in recruits is their celebrity appearances on their athletic event sidelines. For example, LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony have all appeared at an Oregon Duck football game. If you see professional sports superstar on the sideline of your game you must be doing something right.

The question really is how powerful and successful will this Oregon brand be? The answer is it will be very powerful. Not only will Oregon be dominant in track and field, but it will also be dominant in football, basketball, softball, and many other sports. Based on the trend the university is going in, they will be a force to reckon with.

 

Nate Simmons

Darlow, J. (2014). Brands Win Championships: The secret to winning a national title in the

21st century. Portland, OR: Jack & June Publishers.

 

Greif A. (2015, May 27). The Oregon Ducks are No. 1 — in athletic department revenue.

Retrieved April 06, 2017, from

http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2015/05/the_oregon_ducks_are_no_1_in_a.html

 

Nike History and Timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2017, from

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~class/am483_97/projects/hincker/nikhist.html

 

The University of Oregon Official Athletics Web Site. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2017, from

http://www.goducks.com/sports/2005/7/12/153838.aspx

 

University Communications. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2017, from

https://communications.uoregon.edu/brand-management/licensing

 

The Savvy Heat

The Miami Heat, like all other professional basketball teams, have many sponsors and partnerships. The Heat actually would like to partner with other organizations. They have a partnership with an Esport team called the Misfits. They also have sponsors such as McDonald’s, Target, Chase, and many other businesses, both local and nationwide. The Heat are open to new partners and are trying to sell themselves as a great partner.

The Miami Heat are looking to build their brand with new partners and different sponsors. The Heat do not have a bad reputation but they do participate in the NBA Cares program. The Heat have community activities such as Heat Learn to Swim and the Re-Heat Program. They are also involved in charities and education in Miami. They have built up a very successful and good-willed brand, however, they do not stop there. The Heat are willing to allow their partners access to their logo and their arena logo. They are also allowed to hold conferences or activities at American Airlines Arena. The Heat also provide social media representation of new partnerships and sponsors to let their fans know what is happening in Miami. The Heat provide their partnerships with fair accommodations regarding partnerships and sponsorships.

One of the Miami Heat’s most interesting partnership was with the Esports team, the Misfits. The Misfits have players competing in various games from different parts of the world. They have players from Germany, Sweden, Canada and other countries. Their partnership is very unique because the Miami Heat have to assist in the branding, promoting, marketing, and they even have to cross promote both teams. Heat’s Chief Executive said that they are innovative in all sports and businesses. With this partnership, they are targeting their younger audience because of the popularity of video games. Esports is pretty new to America, which means that there is a new sports market out there. Although the league is new to America, it is popular internationally and will provide the Heat with more brand awareness and recognition. Both sides are very happy to be working with each other. The Miami Heat look to expand their brand even more and to draw in more of the younger generation. The Misfits look to expand their brand in the United States and become a household name in Esports with the help of a popular NBA team.

The Miami Heat proves that it is one of the savvier brands in the NBA with their unpredictable partnerships. The Miami Heat may be having a down year in athletic competition department but they are on top of things from a business standpoint.

Nate Simmons

References:

http://www.nba.com/heat/heat-announce-strategic-partnership-with-esportsclub/

Click to access Partnership%20Overview%20(042715).pdf