30 teams. 7 weeks. 2 bloggers. 1 mission: to share our learnings of how NBA teams uniquely leverage digital tools to build fan community.As students, or disciples of the game, we'll supply you with the doctrine - 5 takeaways per team - and then raise you one enhancement suggestion for each learning that's highlighted. (One way to make the great even greater)
Then, we'll wrap it up, pick a winner, and send you on your way.
Cool?
Thus far, we've covered the NJ Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards,Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, LA Clippers, NY Knicks, New Orleans Hornets, and the Indiana Pacers.
Our full schedule is available here.
Let's move.
Let's take a look at the digital connections made by the Memphis Grizzlies (link here)
1. Elevating the Photographer for his expertise
I really dug this. Grizzlies team photographer Joe Murphy (what a cool gig, huh?) was asked to choose his favorite photos of the team in the 2009-2010 season. This is all covered on the site, here and pictured above, in a feature entitled "Behind the Lens." Clicking in and you get a thick gallery of shots of the squad in all facets -- locker room, weight room, in game, and in the community.
As you'll note at the bottom of this image is a caption that goes into the specifics of what was striking on the picture, according to Joe. "I love how the kid is peeking over to get a look at the book..." Brilliant. Captions/comments aren't available on every photo, which is too bad. But all the pictures are fantastic.
Plus One: What if we could ask fans to submit their favorite photos of the year? Let Joe review them. Maybe the winning fan could accompany Joe and the Grizzlies on their first road trip next year? Plus the Grizz would get a deeper gallery of great images!
2. Q&A with the Grizzlies Brass
The Grizzlies are going out to get content, and it is evident in this interview with GM Chris Wallace (link here). I think this is a great lesson for all of us. The one thing that teams have that no one else has is access to their staff. And this Q&A session gets you a look into the Grizzlies prospects this offseason.
Plus One: How can we change this from being one directional messaging to being 2-way chats? At a minimum, we could ask fans to submit questions. At a maximum, what if the Grizzlies site became a destination for online chats between executives and fans?
3. Grizzlies News from around the Web
This is a pretty cool thing: The Grizzlies offer you access to news on the Grizzlies from various newspapers, blogs, and beat writers. Simple idea -- bring fans access to the hype surrounding the squad from the rest of the internet. Here's the link, and the image is below.
Plus One: If you're going to offer this access, you need to do it in a way that builds the brand. What if rather than this feed, listed by source, the Grizz instead sorted it by topics that are relevant to the team? (Team on the Rise, International Coverage, Impact on the Community, etc.) That way you not only share information: You also build your brand.
4. Community Investment Coverage in a Blog
This is pretty smart. The Grizzlies offer direct access to their community outreach programs via a blog, linked here. The mission, "Creating opportunities for Mid South Youth through community outreach, education, and sport development" is powerful. And they have a framework/platform to connect with fans on this very topic.
Plus One: Now you have the framework to report. And with it the responsibility to connect. I'd love to see this blog dive into a behind-the-scenes look at the roles the team is playing in the Memphis classrooms. Maybe we could have contests among schools to get a Grizzly to visit?
5. Grizz Girls Wallpapers
One thing's for sure. Every NBA team has a following that is very interested in their dance squad. Memphis takes an interesting strategy with their squad, offering you the chance to download your favorite Grizz Girl's own personal wallpaper, here.
Plus One: Why not make it easy to have wallpapers not just for your laptop but also for your mobile? I'm betting that'd be a much more popular venue as most guys have their phones with them at all times, while a laptop is often either a work laptop or one at home that you share with the family...
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