In continuing our series of interview with industry leaders, this week we talk with Rob Campbell of the Cleveland Indians (@TribeTalk) about his new position with the team and the Indians’ social media initiatives.
You’re new to the Indians organization. How did you come to work for the Indians? What were you doing before the Indians?
I’ve been with the Indians organization just over a month and lived in Cleveland just as long. Before, I worked in Chicago for sponsorship consultancy IEG, LLC. At IEG I conducted sponsorship research for both sponsors and properties and helped value sponsorship packages. I also managed IEG’s social media platforms; blogging and video blogging on sponsorship, developing strategies and managing IEG’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. In my spare time, I created and managed the Twitter account for the athletic department of my alma mater, Northwestern University. In college I played baseball for Northwestern and have a deep affinity for the game.
Can you give an overview of the Indians’ social media strategy as it exists currently?
The Indians social media strategy is multi-faceted and is being developed with help from Digital Royalty. In its current initial stage, we aim to establish a foothold in social media by interacting with fans who have already established themselves in the space. In essence, we want to join the conversation that is already taking place. The Indians are then taking the conversation a step further with the development of our Tribe Social Deck where we bring bloggers and social media users together to enjoy an Indians game and network with like-minded individuals. It has been an incredible experience to interact with fans, answer their questions and listen to their feedback.
The Indians recently debuted a “Social Media Deck” at Progressive Field. What is the Social Media Deck? How can bloggers become involved with it?
The Tribe Social Deck is the physical component of our social media presence. It affords attendees the opportunity to not only watch a game live but also network with members of their digital community; often providing attendees the first time to shake hands with someone they had been conversing with for months online. Involvement with the Tribe Social Deck initially has been by invitation only but we are currently working with MLB Advanced Media to develop an online application.
In the past the Indians have featured exclusive ticket promotions to their Facebook fans and Twitter followers. Can you talk about the previous promotions and what might be in the works in the future?
We will be conducting ticket promotions through social media and Tweet-ups throughout the season. Technically speaking, we give out at least ten tickets per game to the social media community solely as a result of the Tribe Social Deck. Throughout the season we hope to reach diverse groups of social media users who would get the most out of our promotions and themed events.
As an organization, how do the Indians view social media? In what way does social media marketing complement the more traditional marketing and PR arms of the organization?
The Indians view social media as integral component of our marketing and communications initiatives. The ability of social media to foster two-way conversations allows for a more tailored approach towards fan interaction affords the organization a tremendous opportunity to engage fans in ways never before possible. We view social media not as a separate initiative but as a tool that augments the abilities of the organization to better serve our fans.
Can you identify one other sports team or brand whose social media presence you personally admire?
The Chicago White Sox have a tremendous social media presence in terms of MLB teams. Their Sox Fest is a great example of leveraging social media to generate interest and increase interaction. It was also great to see Twitter get behind a Tweet-up in San Francisco for the Giants.
Outside of Major League Baseball, the New York Islanders and Phoenix Suns were definitely innovators in integrating social media into professional sports.
What role do you think social media will play in the future? Where do you see the sports industry in terms of adoption of social media?
I think social media will allow fans to feel an increased sense of investment with their favorite teams. The ability of a fan to converse with members of the front office bridges what had once been a sizable gap in access that the everyday fan experienced.
If you could change one thing about social media, what would you change and why?
In a perfect world I would love to streamline the process of communicating and tracking conversations in social media. I currently use six different applications and a mobile device to monitor and manage accounts and correspondence.
What advice, if any, would you give to current students just starting out in their careers?
Keep an open mind and never stop working hard.
