SEATTLESOUNDERS

Fan Engagement 2015 Year In Review: 101 Global Fan Engagement Activations

What a year 2015 has been for fan engagement in the sports business.

From digital delights to giveaways galore 2015 has seen some outstanding fan engagement activations from across the globe. With innovative and fan first ideas ranging from the areas of ticketing, virtual reality, merchandise and food to iBeacon’s, fitness and 3D printing, clubs and stadiums have been working hard to listen and increase the emotional loyalty amongst fans and drive deeper connections through storytelling between all parties. 

As a passionate fan engagement and sports fan, I wanted to highlight the impressive work that has been produced in 2015 by putting together a brief (ok it’s pretty extensive actually) summary of some of the best global fan engagement ideas from this year and shine a light on the hard working marketing, digital and fan engagement teams who do so much for their members and fans across the world.

This is in no particular order and is by no means the definitive list of the ‘best in fan engagement’ from this year however it should be viewed as a launch pad for a discussion about what else was brilliant in fan engagement from 2015.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on anything I’ve missed and I’ll add them to my 2800+ fan engagement Pinterest board here: Blair’s Fan Engagement Ideas Pinterest Board

Finally, a big thank you to all of my sports business and fan engagement followers and colleagues who constantly share ideas. 

Without further delay, let’s get started.  

1. The LA Dodgers always have some of the best fan giveaways with this year’s including a Hispanic heritage night, social media night ‘Back to the Future’ Movie night and Running night, Pups at the Park as well as giveaways that included fans getting their hands on one of 10,000 free yoga mats at Dodger Stadium.

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

2. As part of NRL Grand Final week the NRL hosted an epic fan zone called NRL Nation at Darling Harbour in Sydney. The site featured digital activations, signing sessions, photo opportunities and much more. NRL Nation

NRL Nation

NRL Nation

NRL Nation

NRL Nation

3. The 49er’s created an interesting ’Ninerfier’ contraption in conjunction with Levi’s that saw fans get ’Ninerfied’ before heading into Levi’s Stadium. The team also gave out free shirts on the opening game day, launched their Twitter vending machine and kept evolving the fan experience with their app that features loyalty rewards as part of the Faithful 49 and also shows you the fastest moving toilet lines! Faithful 49

49ers/ Levis Stadium

49ers/ Levis Stadium

49ers/ Levis Stadium

49ers/ Levis Stadium

49ers

49ers

49ers/ Levis Stadium

49ers/ Levis Stadium

49ers/ Levis Stadium

49ers/ Levis Stadium

4. Super Rugby team Western Force held a ‘Superhero Saturday’ themed event which let fans in for free if they wore a superhero costume. Super Hero Saturday

Western Force

Western Force

5. Sporting Kansas City allowed fans to pass around their US Open Cup trophy through the whole crowd at Sporting Park for their MLS game in October.

Sporting Kansas City

Sporting Kansas City

6. Melbourne Storm gave fans the chance to have their name on the team banner and win seat upgrades on the centre line in a private bar. Furthermore Melbourne also let young fans engage in a junior reporter type activation. The Storm also led the way in increasing loyalty among their members with their Lightning Rewards program. More on this here Lightning Rewards

Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm

7. Ronda Rousey had a cool activation called #WalkoutWithRonda for the UFC fight against Holly Holm in Melbourne, Australia.

Ronda Rousey UFC

Ronda Rousey UFC

8. The Brisbane Broncos held a live video signing of a new player. Brisbane Broncos contract signing

Brisbane Broncos

Brisbane Broncos

9. The Seattle Sounders march to CenturyLink Field is a fan engagement masterpiece that needs to be experienced and continues to grow every MLS season.

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

10. Carlton Blues used audioBoom’s recording widget to have fans record in their message of thanks to retiring player Chris Judd. The Blues also used audioBoom to record over 100 short audio biographies of club legends and then put these into QR codes around the club house on colourful plaques to encourage fans to visit the club and use their phones to access this special historical team content. 

Carlton also held a 90’s themed game to commemorate the 1995 Grand Final win and they even dropped everything in the club shop by 19.95%. Furthermore their ‘bongo cam’ which sees fans play the bongos on the imaginary drums was a good laugh while the Virgin Australia activation which saw a virtual plane fly around the outside fence was also impressive as it saw a whole row of fans pick up a free return flight to the US. 

Carlton Blues

Carlton Blues

Carlton Blues

Carlton Blues

 

Carlton Blues

Carlton Blues

Carlton Blues

Carlton Blues

11. Boston Celtics featured a game called ’Shot in the Dark’ that had a fan blindfolded while shooting at the hoops for a prize at the TD Garden.

Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

12. Western Australian AFL teams Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles held good fan engagement initiatives such as the #FlyTheFlag and #TheWestIsFinals that had fans participating on social media.

West Coast Eagles

West Coast Eagles

Fremantle Dockers

Fremantle Dockers

13. The 2015 Rugby World Cup saw over half a million fans come into the 15 fan zones around England. RWC Fan Zones

Rugby World Cup 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015

14. Cricket Australia and beer company VB teamed up to call on fans to earn a place in the Australian cricket team by having their name on the jersey. Fans are able to nominate the person who has inspired them to work hard and take action. The most inspiring stories will win their nominee’s name on the shirt of an Australian cricket player for the VB ODI series this summer. VB promotion

Cricket Australia/ VB

Cricket Australia/ VB

Cricket Australia/ VB

Cricket Australia/ VB

15. New fan zones from Sunderland, Chelsea and West Bromich Albion all gave their respective fans extra value on Premier League game days.  

Chelsea FC Stamford Bridge

Chelsea FC Stamford Bridge

Sunderland AFC

Sunderland AFC

16. The Melbourne Cricket Ground listened to fans and lowered the prices of food and drinks and saw massive rises in consumption. The consumption of hot pies increased by over 130,000 units, chips were up 37% (150,000 additional sales) and salads also went up by over 130%. MCG food prices a big hit with fans

MCG

MCG

17. Pittsburgh Steelers held a women’s training camp. Steelers Women’s Training Camp

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers

18. A-League club Melbourne City streamed real time data and statistics from GPS tracking devices to fans during matches this season by transmitting the information directly to the scoreboard video screen at home matches and made the data available on social media apps and its website. Game data to stream live for Melbourne City football fans

19. The NY Mets let fans had a ‘Beer Passport’ for fans who could sample various New York craft beers at Citi Field.

NY Mets/ Citi Field

NY Mets/ Citi Field

20. EA Sports asked fans of the Australian women’s football team, the Matilda’s to choose the player for the cover of FIFA15. EA Sports Matilda’s

EA Sports/ Matildas

EA Sports/ Matildas

21. Orlando City SC put fans faces in their squad numbers on the back of their jerseys.

Orlando City SC

Orlando City SC

22. Melbourne Demons asked young fans to submit a book review which was an educational bit of fan engagement. Melbourne Demons Book Review

Melbourne Demons

Melbourne Demons

23. The NFL’s Baltimore Raven’s created emoji’s for fans. Raven’s Emoji’s

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens

24. The QLD Firebirds ANZ Championship netball team provided free healthy recipes for fans such as nutritious bean burritos and chicken bites.

QLD Firebirds

QLD Firebirds

25. Copa America changed some of Chile’s bus shelters to resemble goals in the lead up to the event.

Copa America

Copa America

26. Sydney’s Allianz Stadium offered free pies to fans who used their mobile food ordering app. Allianz Stadium pie deal

Allianz Stadium

Allianz Stadium

27. While Match.com and MLB.com teamed up in 2014 to give singles another reason to cheer during the season by giving members the opportunity for single baseball fans to connect online, the Atlanta Hawks encouraged fans to use the mobile app Tinder to transform Philips Arena into a premier social networking hub in the NBA as part of their “Swipe Right Night”. Atlanta Hawks Tinder Night

Hawks Tinder Night

Hawks Tinder Night

MLB Singles

MLB Singles

28. The FFA Cup let fans choose the football design for the ball used in the 2016 club competition. Design the Westfield FFA Cup 2016 ball!

FFA Cup

FFA Cup

29. The St Louis Ram’s NFL team created a wellness zone for fans at their stadium complete with football skills drills and healthy nutrition tips. St Louis Rams Wellness Zone

St Louis Rams

St Louis Rams

30. The Central Coast Mariners paid homage to their coastal traditions and history by honouring the Central Coast Life Saving Association with this special jersey for fans. 500km up the road, fellow A-League club the Newcastle Jets did something similar with their Australian Air Force inspired kit for fans. CC Mariners SLS Jersey

CC Mariners

CC Mariners

Newcastle Jets Air Force Jersey

Newcastle Jets Air Force Jersey

31. The NJ Devils held a cross fit workout session for fans at The Prudential Centre ahead of their NHL match.

NJ Devils

NJ Devils

32. The Australian Diamonds wrote fans a sick note pass for fans to give to their employers for the Netball World Cup after their win.

Australian Diamonds

Australian Diamonds

33. The El Paso Chihuahuas held their Wiener Dog Race. I’ll just leave it at that.

34. The Cricket World Cup and Tui teamed up to give fans the chance to win 1M by buying a $30 ‘bullseye’ shirt and money if they caught a six. The $30 shirt, part of the Tui Catch a Million promotion, encouraged cricket fans to purchase the shirt and attempt to cleanly catch a ball for their chance to win up to $1 million. 

Cricket World Cup 2015

Cricket World Cup 2015

35. The Gwinnett Braves let pregnant fans into CoolRay Field for the game and then added that if you went into labour during the game that your child would get a lifetime of free birthday parties from the team. Gwinnett Braves

Gwinnett Braves

Gwinnett Braves

36. The NSW Blues rugby league team had fans names on their jerseys in conjunction with beer company VB.

NSW BLUES

NSW BLUES

37. The San Francisco Giants printed ‘first game’ certificates for fans at AT&T Park.

SF Giants

SF Giants

38. Sydney Swans and ANZ Stadium gave free massages to fans at their AFL games.

Sydney Swans/ ANZ Stadium

Sydney Swans/ ANZ Stadium

39. The NY Islanders held their Beard-A-Thon which is acelebration of the great tradition of the playoff beard. Beard-a-thon® was launched in 2009 and since then, over $3 million has been raised for all participating NHL team charities.

NY Islanders

NY Islanders

40. Richmond Tigers let fans design their own AFL trading card. Richmond Tigers Footy Cards

Richmond Tigers

Richmond Tigers

41. The Rugby World Cup ticket design introduced a Rugby World Cup first as it used augmented reality technology as part of the ticket design to enable fans to engage with the tournament through interactive content. RWC 2015 Augmented Reality App

Rugby World Cup 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015

42. The Australian F1 Grand Prix again produced a fan engagement masterclass with in excess of 100 various activations that fans could participate in. However the one that I enjoyed seeing the most and which cost nothing to facilitate was when the gates to the circuit were opened to the fans who then proceeded to bolt to the finishing line while collecting leftover bits of race car tyre rubber along the way. 

AUS GP F1

AUS GP F1

AUS GP F1

AUS GP F1

43. The 49ers and SAP had a few fun virtual reality activations at Levi’s Stadium that included the ‘Quarterback Challenge’.

49ers/ Levis Stadium

49ers/ Levis Stadium

44. Geelong gave a free jersey away to fans who signed up to a three game Cats AFL membership

Geelong

Geelong

45. Charlton Athletic in London put a couch on their sideline for fans to get up close and personal at the game.

Charlton

Charlton

46. The NRL Bulldogs let fans be the game day photographer and also created a private Instagram account to unveil the 2016 jersey. BULLDOGS USE PRIVATE INSTAGRAM TO LAUNCH 2016 JERSEY

Bulldogs NRL

Bulldogs NRL

Bulldogs

Bulldogs 

47. Chelsea FC and the Netball World Cup’s Australian Diamonds created fan zones that featured digital print out’s of fans with star players as a memorable keepsake. 

Chelsea FC Stamford Bridge

Chelsea FC Stamford Bridge

AUS Diamonds

AUS Diamonds

48. The All Blacks and sponsor AIG created the AIG HAKA 360 that in their words ‘Combining a love of rugby with a passion and commitment to innovation for its customers, AIG is pleased to bring Virtual Reality (VR) innovation to All Blacks fans through our branded Haka 360° campaign. The virtual Haka 360° experience app directly connects fans with dynamic All Blacks content which can be brought to life with the use of VR headsets. Imagine standing on the pitch amongst the All Blacks pre-match, watching the team performing the traditional Maori Haka up close. This is the thrill the Haka 360° app and headset delivers.’  All Blacks 360 Haka

All Blacks

All Blacks

49. The Toronto Raptors held #DrakeNight and had perks such as a “Hotline Bling” booth where fans could film their own gif-worthy dance moves within the video’s colourful confines. Those moves were then shown on the Raptors’ official Vine account. Drake Night

Raptors Drake Night

Raptors Drake Night

50. The Gold Coast Titans held a rock and roll night and created a ‘fan of the match’ while bringing back classics like ‘catch the bomb’.

GC Titans

GC Titans

51. The LA Kings and StubHub combined at the Staples Centre to have fans create their own commemorative ticket by going into a ticket booth and adding different features on a touch pad.

LA Kings

LA Kings

LA Kings/ StubHub

LA Kings/ StubHub

52. AFL team Collingwood Magpies gave out free polaroid photos to fans at the MCG.

Collingwood

Collingwood

53. The Detroit Tigers and DooB teamed up to turn fans into 3D models. At a Tigers game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, fans could undergo the “DOOB-lication” process that begins with posing in a 3-D-scanning system with 54 high-definition cameras to capture every angle. After the scan, the photos are sent to DOOB’s processing facility in Brooklyn. The printing process takes up to 18 hours with the curing process adds another week. Tigers fans being turned into 3-D models

DooB Detroit Tigers

DooB Detroit Tigers

54. ANZ Stadium created the ‘Fanometer’ that let fans vote to see if Tottenham or Sydney FC would own the Sydney Harbour Bridge with their team colours. 

Fanometer

Fanometer

55. The O2 and the Rugby World Cup worked together to feature fans names on the roof of the O2 for the ‘Wear The Rose’ campaign. The roof was transformed into a giant, blooming rose and a canvas for fans tweets. England fans can have their own messages of support projected onto The O2 roof

Rugby World Cup 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015

56. The NBL hosted an educational night for coaches to attend and learn from the NBL coaches.

NBL

NBL

57. Doncaster Rover’s #MyLocalScream Halloween themed match invited fans to mingle with mascot Donny Dog and the first team players in a day of scary fun, including ghost walks, spooky stories and a special Halloween party with the players in the Belle Vue Bar after the match. MY LOCAL SCREAM

Doncaster Rovers

Doncaster Rovers

58. The Netball World Cup in Sydney featured a brilliant FanFEST that included in excess of 25 interactive, digital and netball themed activations ranging from a nail and hair salon and chill out lounge to skills zones, daily netball fitness sessions and digital lip sync battles that were so popular that every national team squad ended up joining in and doing their own rendition to Taylor Swift’s hit tune ‘Shake It Off’. The creation of the fan experience started long before the tournament with the NWC website offering fans the chance to choose the official on court music playlist, bib bunting for the fan caves of those who could not attend and the establishment of a netball fan dictionary to educate newcomers to the sport. FanFEST also included digital activations from The Creative Shop such as the Fan’s MVP where fans could select their player of the tournament on a digital touch screen, ‘Cover the Court’ where fans could test their footwork, the virtual reality ‘Perfect Pass‘ game which tested fans passing skills and the ‘Cheer Cam’ which enabled fans to record their celebrations to Australia’s previous Netball World Cup wins.

2015 Netball World Cup

2015 Netball World Cup

2015 Netball World Cup

2015 Netball World Cup

2015 Netball World Cup

2015 Netball World Cup

2015 Netball World Cup

2015 Netball World Cup

59. The Tennessee Titans NFL team held a Football 101 day for female fans. Football 101

Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans

60. The A-League had a great fan engagement concept for the A-League Grand Final where they let fans choose a food item for sale in the stadium, who would sing the national anthem, have a say in the man of the match voting, vote on what song the band Peking Duk would play as well as decide what the ‘walk out’ song would be when the teams made their way to the field. It was all part of Hyundai’s Letting the Fans Choose campaign. A-League Grand Final Fan Engagement

61. Leicester City and Walker’s combined to create a special ‘Vardy Salted’ packet of chips for fans of Premier League record breaking goal scorer Jamie Vardy and then had these available for fans along with a note of thanks in every seat.

LCFC

LCFC

62. The Wallabies and Qantas gave fans the chance to choose the design of the Qantas plane that would send the Wallabies over to London for the Rugby World Cup.

Wallabies

Wallabies

63. Scotland’s Hearts of Midlothian football club unveiled a new kit that featured all 8,000 names of supporters who rescued club from extinction and who donated at least £120 to the rescue fund. Hearts Fan Jersey

Hearts

Hearts

64. The WS Wanderers teamed up a licensing deal with rockers KISS to run a limited edition of merch. WSW and KISS

WSW

WSW

65. The Jacksonville Jaguars were the first NFL team to release their own video game. It’s called “Duval Dash,” named after the county that Jacksonville finds itself in. The game at com is an 8-bit game. Jags Duval Dash

Duval Dash Jags

Duval Dash Jags

66. The Australian Ice Hockey League gave fans free rides to the games through Uber.

AIHL

AIHL

67.  The Seattle Sounders let fans design the 2016 scarf design. Sounders Scarf Design

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

68. Hawthorn Hawks hid a jersey in a park for fans to find and the results were TV gold (and brown)! How this only has 400 odd views is beyond me.

69. The Football League created the ‘Own The Arch’ Twitter campaign to see which team could get the most support. Here you can see Tottenham’s attempt as #SpursAtWembley. Fans given chance to ‘own the arch’ through Twitter vote

Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium

70. The Australian Open Tennis featured a plethora of fan engagement activations however one of the best was the Twitter vending machine that let fans tweet away and receive a code back that they could then use for the vending machine which would in turn drop a prize for fans.

Australian Open Tennis

Australian Open Tennis

Australian Open Tennis

Australian Open Tennis

71. The Cleveland Browns gave a fan the chance to host and interview players (along with free food) as part of their official podcast.

Browns

Browns

72. Auckland’s Eden Park and AirBNB combined to offer fans the chance to stay over at the stadium while the Sydney Swans and the SCG did the same thing in Sydney. 

Sydney Swans & AirBNB

Sydney Swans & AirBNB

All Blacks/ Eden Park

All Blacks/ Eden Park

73. LAFC asked fans to choose the colours of the team’s design scheme from five colours. 

LAFC

LAFC

74. Taranaki Rugby Club had players sleep over night at fans houses. 

Taranaki Rugby Club

Taranaki Rugby Club

75. The Rugby World Cup and Gilbert teamed up to run the #PassItOn campaign that had fans send in a video of themselves receiving and giving a pass of a Gilbert Rugby ball. 

Rugby World Cup 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015

76. The All Blacks and Air New Zealand music video for #CrazyAboutRugby was one of the best music/safety videos created.

 

77. The Seattle Seahawks had a ’Nail Your Gameday’ activation where fans could pick up nail polish in the colours of the team.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks

78. The BlackCaps cricket team released a ‘leave pass’ for fans to give to their bosses for the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

BlackCaps

BlackCaps

79. The NJ Devils and a host of other teams all had a designated driver program which gives fans a free soft drink if they sign up to drive their friends home. 13224177b99cc2130ce60312f89a5116

80. The moving sideline contraption ‘SlideLiner‘ was a feature at the Real Madrid Vs Manchester City match at the MCG. 

MCG SlideLiner

MCG SlideLiner

81. The Pittsburgh Penguins and CONSOL Energy Center used ibeacon technology to create a beacon-triggered experience for fans that sent them content that is location specific by way of the Penguins app. Once fans are in the arena, the beacon-triggered content is released, greeting the device users with special content. Once they reach the Mario Lemieux statue, an interactive experience is launched and they are provided with various types of discounts and offers for concessions.

82. The NRL Dragons had a social media booth at their Allianz Stadium game where fans could grab a picture in a special camera booth.

St George Illawarra Dragons

St George Illawarra Dragons

St George Illawarra Dragons

St George Illawarra Dragons

83. The Washington Redskins app gave season ticket holders the team news before the media received the news. Redskins App

Redskins

Redskins

84. Twitter teamed up with the Aussie cricket team for the Cricket World Cup to send back twitter replies to fans who tweeted the team a message of support. The pic that came back featured your name on the back of the team jersey. Similar activations of thanks via twitter replies were also used by the Aussie Diamonds netballers, the Matilda’s and the Wallabies for their big tournaments.

Twitter/ Australian Sports

Twitter/ Australian Sports

Twitter/ Australian Sports

Twitter/ Australian Sports

85. The NY Jets had a ‘Make Your Own Bobblehead’ activation at MetLife Stadium that saw fans create a digital bobble head version of themselves. NJ Jets Game Day

NY Jets/ Metlife Stadium

NY Jets/ Metlife Stadium

86. The MCG hosted ‘Sunday Fundays’ which let kids into the ground for free for Sunday AFL games and also featured a ‘kick to kick’ on the ground after the match and a special kids meal deal with free trading cards. AFL Sunday Funday

MCG

MCG

87. The 49er’s Uplause decibel reader at Levis Stadium and at other stadiums and arenas in the US greatly added to fans creating more noise and support in the stadium with this snap of the crowd reaching 111.1 at the 49ers being deafening. 

49ers/ Levis Stadium

49ers/ Levis Stadium

88. Fan Zones at the Auckland Nines, NRL Grand Final, Aus Open, Cricket World Cup and AFL Grand Final were large and successful fan engagement activations.

CWC15

CWC15

Auckland 9's

Auckland 9’s

Auckland 9's

Auckland 9’s

AFL

AFL

89. The FA Cup asked fans to take a snap during the FA Cup games with the winning picture to feature on the Cup final ticket. Get your Instagram photo on Emirates FA Cup Final tickets

FA Cup

FA Cup

90. Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand listened to fans and brought in NZ craft beers for Wellington Phoenix game days. LOCAL WELLINGTON CRAFT BEER AT PHOENIX HOME GAMES

Westpac Stadium

Westpac Stadium

91. The NFL’s Vikings and 49ers engaged in a ‘Vine Off’ and executed what is the first collaborative Vine exchange in professional sports.  On Monday Night Football Stage, Vikings And 49ers Strategically Execute First ‘Vine-Off’

92. The MLB introduced ’SnapBat’ which was a red and white baseball bat that took selfies of fans and players. 

Snap Bat MLB

Snap Bat MLB

93. For the first time ever, fans decided the AT&T MLS All-Star captain using Snapchat. Fans had to take a screenshot of the player they wanted to be captain with one screenshot equalling one vote. For the first time ever, fans will decide the AT&T MLS All-Star captain using Snapchat

MLS

MLS

94. US Open fans were able to try to return Maria Sharapova’s 100mph serve via virtual reality. US Open Fan Engagement

95. The LA Kings had a neat virtual reality set up at Staples Centre whereby you could have your pic taken standing in front of a screen and then afterwards the mascot or player were in the picture with you. More on this here: Toshiba is pleased to feature PictureMe app in LA Interactive located next to the Figueroa Bar on the main concourse of STAPLES Center. This new mobile app is allows fans to take photos with ‘digital doubles’ of star Kings players. Operated from a media console embedded within Toshiba’s 65-inch Touch and Get kiosk, the augmented reality app projects a digital image of the selected player adjacent to the fan allowing for a memory-making photo opp. Kings introduce new off-ice elements as season begins

LA Kings

LA Kings

LA Kings/ Staples Centre

LA Kings/ Staples Centre

96. Taranaki Rugby Club had an offer whereby if a player scored four or more tries then every fan received free hot chips. 

Taranaki Rugby Club

Taranaki Rugby Club

97. The Tampa Bay Bucs launched RED which was a new campaign aimed to “celebrate the female fan base’ that featured game-day style tips to experiencing the Bucs all-new virtual reality quarterback training technology.  RED Women’s Movement – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Bucs

Tampa Bay Bucs

98. The MLB had a Twitter lock down to celebrate National Coffee Day meaning that only MLB followers could access the deals and giveaways. 

MLB

MLB

99. Major League Soccer team NYCFC let fans choose the captain’s armband design. 

NYCFC

NYCFC

100. Hibernian asked for fan input into what colour they wanted for their 2016/17 home strip. Hibs fans asked to pick favourite shade of green for new home shirt

Hibernian

Hibernian

101. Proving just how simple and easy fan engagement can be, the Seattle Sounders MLS team had a ‘Smile Cam’ at their fan appreciation day in October. 

Seattle Sounders/ CenturyLink Field

Seattle Sounders/ CenturyLink Field

 Thanks for reading.

Please feel free to share your ideas from the year that was in fan engagement. 

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Seattle Sounders and CenturyLink Field Fan Experience Review

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Just like Levis Stadium, I had been looking forward to this moment for a long time as today I was finally able to experience a Seattle Sounders game at CenturyLink Field and witness the incredible best practice fan engagement that so many of my peers have talked about in the past.

Staying nearby in Seattle’s Chinatown district, I started the day early with a pre-game walk around the stadium at 11am and it was good to see that while the Seahawks might be the bigger team in town, the stadium pays homage to both them and the Sounders with wall features and fan photo opportunities throughout the stadium’s exterior. Although with 55,000 fans here today it’s obvious that Seattle loves it’s sports teams.

The Occidental Road that the one of the main stands is on features no less than three merchandise stores and on game day sees local food trucks and Seattle food dominate the strip. Compared to an EPL game in the UK, one thing you’re always going to get in the US at an MLS game on a match day is better quality food on your walk to the stadium or around the stadium. This area would later see roasted corn, dumplings, BBQ meats, gourmet hotdogs and much more which is all allowed into the stadium and which is something that is not normally a given at stadiums around the world. A bonus for fans this might be but the food inside the stadium was equally impressive and tasty with garlic fries, hot pastrami sandwiches, BBQ Ribs and rice bowls all on sale.

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

After talking to some fans over some tantalising Washington craft beers at a local bar, I ventured back to the stadium to soak up the pre-game fan engagement that was on offer.

Today was going to be a pretty epic day in terms of fan engagement if the game day info note that the Sounders put out on Twitter earlier in the day was anything to go by. This is what the Sounders had on offer for fans today in terms of just giveaways:

Presenting sponsor of the match SUBWAY® Restaurants of Western Washington is giving away 10,000 SUBWAY® Sounders FC beanies and 30,000 SUBWAY® yellow cards at stadium gates (while supplies last). Additional Fan Appreciation Day giveaways include the following:

  • Twenty (20) $15 Starbucks Gift Cards
  • 200 adidas full-size soccer balls
  • One (1) autographed Lamar Neagle jersey, provided by adidas
  • 250 CenturyLink & Sounders FC scarves
  • 250 Chipotle buy-one-get-one Burrito certificates
  • Twenty (20) McDonald’s $25 Arch Cards
  • Twenty (20) Starbucks $15 gift cards
  • Twenty (20) SUBWAY® $5 gift cards
  • One (1) SUBWAY® $250 gift card
  • One (1) Tirebuyer.com $500 credit toward a set of new Continental Tires
  • Two (2) Tirebuyer.com $150 credits toward a set of new Continental Tires
  • 100 Free ‘zaw Artisan Bake-at-Home Pumpkin Patch Pizza Certificates

I was able to pick up a free Sounders shirt from sponsor Jeep, some free sunnies from sponsor Microsoft, a free coconut water and free lip balm as well as some free Sounders stickers all of which were added bonuses and mementos from what would prove to be an exceptional fan experience and day out in Seattle. The free shirt giveaway gave fans the chance to win a car by being chosen at random by wearing the shirt in the stadium.

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

I took in the talented Sounders big band ’SoundWave’ who performed to a delighted crowd outside the stadium and had a few good chats with fans about the fan experience here. Many fans noted that while they could watch the Sounder’s games at home and had done so in the past, coming here was better as ‘you’re feeding off everyone’s energy’.

Listen to the Sounders band, ‘SoundWave’ here:

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

At 3pm I left the stadium area and made my way to Occidental Park which was about three blocks away from the stadium. Here is where the whole culture of what being a fan is all about takes place. This is the epicentre of fan love for a team as it’s the place where the Sounders fans have their famous march to the stadium. I’ve participated in many team marches in the past from A-League and EPL teams however this Sounders march was something to behold. The noise was almost unbearable as I joined the march at the front of the line and started the walk towards CenturyLink Field singing songs that I was learning on the spot from a helpful fan who handed me a chant cheat sheet.

These are some of the nicest and most welcoming fans as they grab fans and get them to join in the marching and singing to the stadium. The march has become famous in the sports business and fan engagement world and I was grateful to finally experience this in the flesh. Banners were waving, kids were screaming ‘Go Sounders’ at the top of their lungs and smiles were on every face I checked as I wandered along in front of the pack.

Listen to the Sounders pre-game march to the stadium:

Listen to more of the Sounders marching to CenturyLink Field:

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

While the forecourt area around the stadium was pumping albeit in some wet and windy weather, it was now just after 3pm and I decided to make my way to my seat inside the stadium to lap up the pre-game entertainment. I could not believe that of all the famous Seattle bands, that Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready performed the US national anthem solo on electric guitar. Of all the national anthem’s I had witnessed in the past fortnight, this was the best. It was fun, it was unique, it was rocking! It’s these type of moments when fans are left with that unexpected but delighted look on their face. That money can’t buy experience that you can’t get at home on your TV screen. You had to be here to see it as it was fantastic.

Listen to Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready perform the US anthem here:

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Inside the stadium there was an inflatable soccer field for the kids, a skills test wall where fans could try to slot a ball into the corner, a giant Sounders jersey useful for a photo opportunity, free programs which were being handed out along with a Subway ‘Yellow Card’ offer for a free meal. While I love the informative and lengthy £3.50 EPL programs, it’s always nice to walk into a stadium and be able to receive a free program and some other sponsor offers not to mention all the other freebies I picked up. Here’s a sponsor giveaway idea for stadiums…..a grocery type recyclable bag! My pockets were jammed at many of the matches I went to on this trip and a small recyclable bag would have been good.

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Scarves Up! was the call and Sounders fans rallied together to raise and shake their scarves in the air as the team came out to play. 

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

I purchased a craft beer (always good to see inside the US stadiums instead of the general beers) and noticed the fans purchasing food and beers with their Sounders ‘Match Pass’ which enables them to rack up points and use their membership card to buy drinks, food, merchandise and tickets. Fans can also earn points and redeem these for one of a kind Sounders experiences. Select fans were also given free stubby coolers (or Koozies as they call them here) with the use of a special Sounders and American Express card. The Match Pass Sounders app also lets fans view play by play and stats from each game which comes in handy for fans during the game.

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

As the pre-game entertainment started to cease before the match I thought it was great to see the crowd participation between the ground announcer and the crowd as he announced the Sounders team line up and called out their first name while the crowd yelled back the player’s surname. It was something small but it greatly added to the positive vibes and the decibels. The same could be said for when the announcer called out the Sounder’s goal scorers (The Sounders were up 3-0 inside 20 minutes!) and the crowd responded with the surnames. It was loud here and these fans, all 55,000 of them, were energetic, passionate and enthusiastic which all makes a teams job a bit easier on game day.

Listen to the ground announcer and fans here:

There were loads of fun fan engagement activations throughout the game. For instance, as a result of the Sounders scoring three goals, all fans were awarded with a free haircut from a local chain hairdressers. I’ve seen these sponsor led deals before however I’ve never been sure how they work. There were 55,000 fans here today, so do 55,000 fans get free haircuts on Monday? I’ll research this and update the blog but suffice to say I was not able to get mine due to flying to Las Vegas early the next day. Fans were able to participate in trivia and guessing games on the big screen, a fan was celebrated for designing the 2016 Sounders scarf design, fans were encouraged to donate a scarf to a charity appeal and the ‘Smile Cam’ was a cool take on the tried and tested ‘Dance Cam’ which focused in on fans smiles around the ground. This again illustrates that fan engagement can be as simple as focusing a camera on fans smiles and there’s nothing more positive than seeing a smile!

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Fans were also able to participate in the cross bar challenge with one fan able to hit it which garnered a large applause around the stadium while other fans were awarded with prizes for being in ‘lucky seats’. Selfies from Instagram were also showcased on the big screens over the course of the day while the SoundWave band performed from their dedicated area to the cheers of the Sounders faithful.

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Everything that I had heard about the Sounders fan experience and that of Bart Wiley’s exceptional leadership in this area proved to ring true. This was fan experience and fan engagement at its best from the Sounders. I’m grateful that I was finally able to witness the march to the stadium and experience the fan appreciation round which showcased the very best of the Sounders outstanding fan experience.

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Seattle Sounders

Listen to the fans cheering on the Sounders:

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