Social Media to Save the NHL (Part 2)

Here is the second part of the 3 part analysis of the NHL and the use of Social Media by Matt Reitz.

But as great as the highlights and interactive nature of the league’s website is, it’s the extras they provide that show they truly get the new media concept.  They provide visitors the tools to not only link the highlights they provide, but even embed the videos on blogs and other social media services.  They even allow fans to record highlights from the games on their own and post them to YouTube.  Did you hear that?  They are making it EASIER for people to take their content.

It’s like bizarro world—up is down, day is night, and Gary Bettman is smart.  This can’t be happening, can it?

When you contrast the NHL’s online sharing policy with some other sports, it becomes clear just how good hockey fans have it.  Take Major League Baseball for example.  Up until recently, it was a pain in the ass to find highlights on MLB’s website.  Still, if  you’re looking for a specific highlight from a specific game, good luck.  You may find it—but it’s not going to be easy.  Last time I had to find a highlight, I was reduced to Google; only for them to redirect me to a page on MLB.com that had no apparent inbound links.  That doesn’t sound like the kind of page they WANT you to find, does it?

When you take a step back, it really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise.  They are endlessly promoting their MLB.TV package—pay a flat rate and you have access to live streaming video as well as highlights.  They look at the web as another way to make money.  By the way, I know VERY FEW people that buy the online content.

Their policy for online content on YouTube is just as short-sighted.  If you search for great highlights from a game last night—a towering home run by Manny Ramirez or highlight reel catch by Torii Hunter—you’ll be lucky if you find anything.  The BEST thing that you’ll ever find is someone that was at the game that was actually shooting video from their phone, and then uploaded it to YouTube.  That’s because “any reproduction, duplication, or distribution in any form is expressly prohibited by Major League Baseball.”  (Sidenote: It’s a little sad that in today’s world of sharing, I still have that quote committed to memory.)

How the hell can they be called America’s Pastime when they aren’t even allowing highlights on YouTube?  There’s nothing more American than idly passing time by watching YouTube for hours on end!

The concept that the NHL has figured out is that the videos are nothing more than free promotion for their sport.  If I am blogging about a particular player or game, I could wax poetically about the atmosphere of the crowd, the intensity of the players and the gracefulness of a spectacular play. But if I have access to SHOW you the play, well that will give you something that even the most eloquent writer will fail to achieve.  You know how they say that a picture is worth a thousand words?  Then how many words is a VIDEO worth?

The National Hockey League has realized that bloggers are a valuable resource for them to help spread their sport.  It might be the greatest game on Earth, but if no one is hearing or talking about it—does it really matter?  This is where both the bloggers and the NHL’s needs are perfectly aligned.  Both the league and bloggers should want as much promotion for the content as possible.  The greatest blogger in the world could be creating world-class content—but if no one finds the blog, then what the hell is the point?  Enter Social Media.

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This just in…Aerial “Pornography?”

From Kevin Donlin…

Michigan Job Hunters Offered $500 for Aerial “Pornography”

With Michigan’s unemployment rate at 15.6% — the highest since 1983 — two men have “launched” a contest to reward the state’s jobless for scanning the skies this Saturday, in search of … pornography.

“Rome had bread and circuses to help citizens forget their troubles. We’re offering ‘pornography’ — and a prize worth $500. It all happens this Saturday, September 12, in Ann Arbor, before the University of Michigan football game,” said David E. Perry, co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0.

What exactly is going to happen?

“We’re still getting clearance from Governor Granholm’s office and will release details as soon as we can,” said Kevin Donlin, contributing co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0.

“But we can say that something will happen in the sky above U-M Stadium between 1:00 and 2:30 on Saturday afternoon, an unnatural act that may offend some. And we’re offering $500 in cash and prizes to the person who captures the most compelling video of the aerial event and posts it on Youtube,” said Donlin.

But why pornography?

“Because the unemployment situation in Michigan is truly obscene. Also, if you’re job hunting and you look above U-M Stadium between 1:00 and 2:30 this Saturday, you’ll know it when you see it,” said Donlin.

The $500-value prize package includes the following: $222 cash, a copy of the Guerrilla Job Search Home Study Course ($199 value), a copy of the Guerrilla Job Search System DVD ($29 value), and a copy of the new Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0 book, signed by the authors ($50 value).

How can people enter?

“Get to Ann Arbor or tell your friends to go, this Saturday, September 12. Watch the sky above U-M Stadium between 1:00 and 2:30 for a flying object that’s designed to put Michigan back to work. Capture the object on video and upload it to Youtube. Then, tell us about your video by posting a comment to this blog posting. Entries must be received by midnight, Sunday, September 13, 2009. The most compelling video entry will be awarded $500 in cash and prizes at 12:00 noon on Monday, September 14, 2009. All entries will receive a free copy of the Guerrilla Job Search Secrets audio,” said Donlin.

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Cool Stuff Going on in the D…

I have been working with some pretty cool people as of late.  Though I have still not landed the elusive “BIG GIRL” career.  I have a feeling something good will happen soon.  I mean the karma has to be going into my favor eventually, right?

Charles Pugh Guest speaker Third Thursday Roundtable

Third Thursday Roundtable (Sept 17) is a networking lunch which is going to feature Charles Pugh.  This should be exciting and you can learn about the change he is going to bring if elected to City Counsel in Detroit.  Will a fresh face help bring Detroit to light?  Let’s hope so.  So be ready for networking from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at  Club Venetian Banquet & Conference Center 29310 John R  Madison Heights, 48071.  Cost is 25.00 includes lunch and networking.

Sept 17 is a pretty busy day.  If you are like me and still trying to find the elusive FULL TIME career.  Here is your chance to learn Guerrilla Job techniques from Detroit’s own MSU grad Kevin Donlin and his partner David Perry.  He will be hosting a seminar at the MSU management center in Troy  and through this blog you can receive $10.00 of the cost of the seminar.  Just by typing JFB.

I have used some of the techniques successfully.  I have used them for acquiring my internships with FWIX and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here is a presentation I used when I gave a speech to 150 people at St Anastasia in Troy, MI.

I am a huge supporter and I think it is really worth the time to go and be a part of this seminar. I am using directed networking as I would call it. Kevin comes up with a lot of great ideas. Well worth the time and money.

If this isn’t enough… October has a cool event as well.  Brand Camp 09 will be on October 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI. Brand Camp University’s goal as an interactive conference that brings together the best and brightest minds in communications, marketing, brand development and business management to explore how social media has revolutionized the way individuals and companies position themselves personally and professionally.

So do you want to do something which puts Detroit back on the map? You can learn about the future of Detroit with Charles Pugh, get back to work with Kevin Donlin and David Perry, or get your brand on track by attending Brand Camp.

Let’s see you there…

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Social Media to save the NHL

3 part guest post by  Matt Rietz —creator of View From My Seats.
The in-depth, intelligent blog has been listed all over the hockey blogosphere, on various newspaper blogrolls, the Huffington Post, Yahoo’s Puck Daddy and, most notably, on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Tired of seeing the same sports websites that were completely detached from what the fans were thinking, he created his own site in 2007. Early in 2009, the website transitioned into a hockey-only site and has shown steady growth.
VFMS is a potent elixir concocted with equal parts wit, intelligence, sarcasm and reality. Served liberally between October and June at just below 32 degrees. At the heart of each article is one simple fact: In order to be smartass, one must first be smart.

When I think of forward progressive organizations, the National Hockey League isn’t exactly the first thing that jumps into my mind. We’re talking about a League that had a labor stoppage in the mid-1990’s just as hockey was competing to make a dent into the Big 3’s market share in the United States. As if that wasn’t enough, the league shot itself in the foot again the mid-2000’s when they experienced another labor stoppage. This time, the stoppage was because their business model was so severely flawed that even teams that were successful on the ice were epic failures on the profit front. Any time there was a hint of momentum, the league squashed any glimmer of hope. Think of a drunken Inspector Clouseau in a China shop. I’m sure you can figure out how this is going to go.

Ironically, it might be technology, Web 2.0 and an extremely fanatic fan base that might be what pulls the NHL out of obscurity and back to its place among the Top 4 sports in the U.S. When there are some sports leagues that are trying to figure the world of Social Media out, the NHL is surprisingly in front of the curve for once. Instead of playing the reactionary game, they’re proactively doing something to bring their great game to as many people as possible. While they might be unconventional means of communication today, the NHL is banking on New Media and its participants becoming the MAINSTREAM media—not an afterthought. Check out Facebook and Twitter—they might be onto something here.

The NHL may have turned their attention to non-traditional forms of media out of necessity, but they’re taking this blessing in disguise and running with it. Traditionally, how have sports fans received most of their news? Three major outlets provided the vast majority of the coverage: Newspapers, television and radio. The gradual demise of the newspaper industry has been well chronicled all over the internet. But think about this: how many people do you know that get their hardcore sports information from the radio? Better yet, how many members of Generation Next even know what AM radio is? The newspaper industry might be dying, but radio is in the next bed on life support itself.

That leaves television as the major traditional player for all of the sports league. Any discussion of television and the world of sports begins and ends with ESPN. If you want me to start with Fox Sports, then I’m guessing that Rupert Murdoch is either signing your checks or is a relative. If that’s the case, I mean no disrespect—but Fox Sports is largely irrelevant compared to the Worldwide Leader. I didn’t make up reality, I’m just acknowledging it.

When was the last time you heard ESPN talk about hockey and they didn’t mention a fight, suspension or Sidney Crosby? They neither have the quality reporters, insiders or the desire to cover hockey the way they cover baseball, basketball or football.

So where do hockey fans go when they want information? In the absence of traditional media, they have had to find non-traditional methods of tracking their favorite teams and players. Enter the internet—and more specifically the hockey blogosphere. Big players like From The Rink of SB Nation and Puck Daddy on Yahoo have filled the void better than the radio and newspaper industry ever did. But just as importantly, blogs with a narrow scope have emerged for individual teams and leagues.

The NHL could have turned their back on their emerging corner of media; but instead they took the opportunity to embrace the bloggers, their hard work and their community. They’ve redesigned NHL.com to truly be one of the best websites for any sport. They provide scores, stats and schedules like all leagues are expected to on their home page. But they’ve gone a step further—they have specific play highlights, game highlights and even podcasts for fans that are looking for more than goals and assists stats. It’s like every A.D.D. Hockey fan’s wet dream!

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