VU Team Communication and Promotion Efforts

VULB#62 · August 16, 2012, 09:31:22 AM

[I posted this in Basketball because (1) it involves both MBB and WBB and (2) this particular board gets the most traffic, although it addresses all VU teams.]

We live in the information age. My discussion with SaderofthelostArc below on Women's Hoops got me thinking about how good (or bad) the various VU teams were at communicating and promoting their "brand." I did a quick (subjective) analysis and attached it below. It is based on what I, personally, have been exposed to and relies primarily on the 2011-12 season to date. I have bookmarks for the NWITimes and the Post-Trib, ESPN, SI, etc. I checked all of the VU teams' Social Media connections for being up-to-date and active. I entered onto the grid forms of communication that I was aware of (but, for instance, if Baseball does a Baseball Alumni newsletter on a regular basis I would be unaware of that). My scores are certainly arguable. And if forum members are aware of a team's activity for which they were not given credit, that should be pointed out.

Men's basketball, by virtue of it's national image rates very high. The media does a lot in that respect for recognition. But in terms of communication and promotion activities, it only comes in third among our sports. Football, while not having a prominent national image (actually quite the opposite at this point -- i.e., ESPN crawler scores on Saturday afternoons), it is working the hardest to get information out to followers, prospective recruits and the world in general. They are closely followed by Men's Soccer. Baseball and Softball were helped tremendously by their 2012 post-season exposure, but they also work the social media route. The sad observation is that so many sports rely exclusively on the VU Athletic site and don't work at gaining additional exposure. Could be chicken-or-the-egg, but these are the sports that generally are not competitive. But whether a coach is F/T or P/T, in today's information intensive world (the one that the kids are tied into), there is no excuse for not at least being on Facebook or producing a blog every once in a while on the Athletic site.
[CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE]

vu84v2 · August 16, 2012, 10:49:38 AM

With all due respect, your empirical system is flawed. Your weighting just does not work for what you are trying to model.

First, you need a much wider point system on the rating in each category. If you evaluated each category on a 10 point scale, I think you would find your "3s" are in the 7 to 10 range, "2s" are in the 3-5 range, and "1s" are either a 1 or 2. Men's basketball TV exposure on a 10 point scale will dwarf most anything else (consider that only men's basketball and women's softball made it to national TV last year and that the value of an ESPN crawl score is very little). Second, you need to weight each category. National TV Exposure is probably weighted 10X-20X in value vs. team blogs.

valpotx · August 16, 2012, 11:03:21 AM

I get routine updates via email and Facebook regarding Valpo sports, especially from baseball. I have been happy with the progress we have made in regards to keeping information out there about Valpo

Valpo_Fred · August 16, 2012, 12:09:02 PM

Women's basketball Twitter: http://twitter.com/valpowbb

Valpo Track Twitter: http://twitter.com/valpotrack

One of the goals this season is to get most if not all teams on social media, and the ones who are already there to the next level. Other than Valpo Athletics, which I manage, most of the teams have interns or players running their accounts. We've been working with teams to make branding unison. I'm also setting up guidelines for them to follow and encouraging them to post more often. The most active team on social media is Valpo Football because Coach Carlson loves it and see's the value in it. Other teams don't care about it or have the time to maintain it unfortunately.

In the way of social media in general, I think you all will see a nice leap this year compared to how things have been in the past. I've tried to get more 'inside' video to share. Really appreciate this kind of feedback. This is the kind of topic that can really help improve Valpo Athletics.

VULB#62 · August 16, 2012, 01:03:24 PM

Quote from: vu84v2 on August 16, 2012, 10:49:38 AM
With all due respect, your empirical system is flawed. Your weighting just does not work for what you are trying to model.

First, you need a much wider point system on the rating in each category. If you evaluated each category on a 10 point scale, I think you would find your "3s" are in the 7 to 10 range, "2s" are in the 3-5 range, and "1s" are either a 1 or 2. Men's basketball TV exposure on a 10 point scale will dwarf most anything else (consider that only men's basketball and women's softball made it to national TV last year and that the value of an ESPN crawl score is very little). Second, you need to weight each category. National TV Exposure is probably weighted 10X-20X in value vs. team blogs.

Definitely flawed for national exposure and if i worked on it for a while longer the weighting would be fine tuned -- but my point was not how much exposure was being obtained, it was how hard are our various programs working at putting out regular info via the media available to them.

VULB#62 · August 16, 2012, 01:05:00 PM

Quote from: valpotx on August 16, 2012, 11:03:21 AM
I get routine updates via email and Facebook regarding Valpo sports, especially from baseball. I have been happy with the progress we have made in regards to keeping information out there about Valpo

Kinda figured that and that's why I used Baseball as an example of stuff unavailable to me.

VULB#62 · August 16, 2012, 01:19:22 PM

Quote from: Valpo_Fred on August 16, 2012, 12:09:02 PM
Women's basketball Twitter: http://twitter.com/valpowbb

Valpo Track Twitter: http://twitter.com/valpotrack

One of the goals this season is to get most if not all teams on social media, and the ones who are already there to the next level. Other than Valpo Athletics, which I manage, most of the teams have interns or players running their accounts. We've been working with teams to make branding unison. I'm also setting up guidelines for them to follow and encouraging them to post more often. The most active team on social media is Valpo Football because Coach Carlson loves it and see's the value in it. Other teams don't care about it or have the time to maintain it unfortunately.

In the way of social media in general, I think you all will see a nice leap this year compared to how things have been in the past. I've tried to get more 'inside' video to share. Really appreciate this kind of feedback. This is the kind of topic that can really help improve Valpo Athletics.

That's great to hear, Fred.

.......so this topic of discussion was kinda timely. Cool. The blogosphere, is really a fun thing to follow and even P/T coaching staffs can get team members or interns involved if they themselves don't have the time -- I think WSO does that. BTW after I saw your reply, I checked back on the VU Athletics website -- be good for the WBB Twitter link to be posted there under social media so it is more easily accessible. Same for T&F. I don't have a Twitter account per se, but I enjoy accessing the public versions and the links on the site make it easier for me.

BTW some of the recent videos are looking pretty good.

agibson · August 16, 2012, 04:41:26 PM

VUMSO has regular blog and email updates? Could someone hit me up with some links?

VULB#62 · August 16, 2012, 08:07:24 PM

The blog link is on the VU Athletic site under MSO >> Social Media >> Blog. It is not as active as their Twitter account nor as expansive as his email blasts. Contact Mike Avery at >> Mike.Avery@valpo.edu << and ask him to put you on his blast list. His letters are really interesting to read and cover much more than just soccer stuff. He's built a soccer "family" at VU so you get all the stuff they do off the field as well.