In this episode of the Fanalytics podcast, I sit down with Brian Penter of the Harlem Globetrotters. The Globetrotters are an iconic brand that is reinventing itself for a new generation of fans. Older fans probably remember the Globetrotters from mass media outlets like ABC’s Wide World of Sports or Saturday morning episodes of Scooby-Doo.
In today’s era, the brand and team have needed to embrace the digital and social worlds. Brian implements the Globetrotters brand strategy through YouTube based content and social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
We talk about a variety of issues including:
How social media provides a connection point for the fan community
How the Globetrotters leverage the fandom of an older generation to target new customers
How the Globetrotters deal with the challenges of converting social media metrics to the bottom line
How social media is used to communicate the Globetrotters brand
Brian was a great guest with lots of insights. Social is a challenge for all teams (and brands) and Brian provides first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities of using this new marketing tool. It’s an especially cool story because of the brand under study. The Globetrotters might be the perfect mix of sports and entertainment. You add that the team faces some really interesting marketing challenges such as trying to engage fans while only visiting each city once a year and you have a truly fascinating business to study.
Click on the logo below to listen to the podcast episode.
