Many of the most engaging social media campaigns surround celebrities, fashion houses, sports teams, and other topics people are passionate about. Here in New England, you can count on us to be full of engagement online about the Celtics, Patriots, Bruins and Red Sox.
In particular, the Red Sox have taken their social media campaigns from the online world and into Fenway Park. This past May, the Red Sox held a Tweet-Up for fans to come out to batting practice before the game, but it was unfortunately forced inside due to rain.
The Red Sox Marketing Manager Ann Zeigler wants to continue hosting in-person events for social media fans, according to a post by Boston Innovation. She wants to encourage fans to get together and meet one another to share their excitement for the team.
This past Friday, the Red Sox held a promotion for their Twitter followers and Facebook fans to attend the game, and I was lucky enough to snag a ticket before they sold out. Entitled the #SoxTwitterBash, the promotion included a standing room only ticket, @RedSox “Follow Us” t-shirt, ticket carrier, sticker, $5 Aramark food voucher and access to batting practice and a scavenger hunt around Fenway before the game.
Although I was working hard here at Overdrive and missed access to the Scavenger Hunt, it was a success for the Red Sox from a branding perspective, and a big win for some of the fans.
The Red Sox Twitter handle tweeted clues to different spots around the stadium, and participants had to find the location and tweet a picture of where they were to claim the prize with the hashtag #FenwayHunt. The contest even garnered outside participants as they replied to locations like trivia questions, increasing engagement far beyond the ballpark.
Fans had the chance to win Red Sox T-shirts, jerseys, pins, publications, and even signed bats. There was also a special visit from NESN on-field reporter Heidi Watney.
Even though the Red Sox organization doesn’t have the most followers in the MLB on Twitter, they are leveraging the followers they do have in adequate social media campaigns. The Red Sox organization also runs “Tweet Your Seat” promotions and use social media avidly for promotions around the park. Keep your eye out for similar promotions in the future from @RedSox as the Fenway Park celebrates its 100th birthday.
The #SoxTwitterBash campaign is a great example of how a sports team or other entertainment venue may reach out and show appreciation for its fans using social media. Social media users want to interact with brands they love, and a scavenger hunt with social components is just one way for fans to meet other fans and connect with and increase excitement about the brand.
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