episode 54 of the dsmsports podcast w/ bethany cordell of cal athletics

Best Of...Bethany Cordell on theDigital and Social Media Sports

Podcast

Bethany Cordell, Director of Digital Marketing and Social Media for Cal Athletics, was the featured guest on episode 54 of the DSMSports Podcast.

What follows are some snippets from the interview. Hear the full episode on www.DSMSports.net or download it on iTunes and Stitcher.

Enjoy...

@njh287DSMSports.net


PodcastBethany's career path

Started as intern in athletics at (D1, FCS football) Montana State University as a freshman where she majored in Marketing and Spanish

“I always liked being involved in the game day atmosphere and it had just never connected that there was a career opportunity there...getting that internship was my spring board for realizing I could do this for a job.”



PodcastBethany found a Graduate Assistant position through

connecting with someone on the NACMA blog, getting a position at Kansas State Athletics (great story of networking by Bethany!)

“We were each given our own sports (to work on)...we worked really closely with our Director of Fan Experience...and the Associate AD...We planned season ticket campaigns, booked halftime acts, and (planned) design and look of ticket books...”



PodcastBethany's advice on Graduate Assistant positions (working while earning MBA)

“A lot of people I know who work in athletics did a graduate assistant because you get that awesome experience at the same time while you're going to school...(but) it's hard when you're dedicating (so much time) to two things...”

“There are multiple options for doing it. There are pros and cons. I would do it the exact same way again, even though it was a tough two years. I grew so much...I absolutely recommend it (to students coming up).”@njh287

DSMSports.net


Podcast“I was open to where I was going and what I was

doing...My real passion was on the fan experience side...This position at Cal came up and it was just social media-focused at the time...It was the very first job I applied for...(My boss) had this fantastic vision about what direction they were pushing Cal in and how I would be a piece in puzzle...being open to that opportunity turned to be best thing I could have done.”

Bethany started at Cal Athletics working in social media and marketing.



Podcast“On the state of Cal Athletics social media when

Bethany started

(There was a lot of change at the top in Cal Athletics when Bethany started)

“There was a lot of change and it was the perfect time to come in because of that...From a content perspective, we were well on our way of executing this huge plan...to change the narrative and telling the stories of who our student athletes were. And social was kind of the last piece of the puzzle.”



Podcast

“We don't have the largest (social media following), so our focus is all about engagement and story-telling...We were coming off a year of (negative stories and tough performances by major teams)...social media is where our fans really take to complain...we really needed to execute on this (story-telling) plan. That they're high character individuals...their success in the class room.”



Podcast“The number one thing I had to do (wen starting) was

figuring out who our stakeholders were...They're much more concerned with upholding the academic prestige of UC Berkeley than they are winning 50 national championships...It's my job in this role to figure out the balance of our athletic success stories and our academic accomplishments...These alumni bear (their degree) as a badge of honor...They wear that so proudly that they want our student athletes to be as successful as they were...(At Cal) you can be the best on the field and the best in the classroom.”



Podcast

“For student athletes, the 'student' part comes first...it's a very interesting challenge, but I love to see what resonates with our and I think I have a good handle on that now.”



PodcastOn creating content

“The story-telling is much bigger than social...we have 11 athletics communications manager...they were tasked with the meat of this – finding those stories...They put these together and I take them from there...we tell the story of our student athletes who were interning with us over the summer...Who spend their summers volunteering in third-world countries. Those are the stories we are seeking out and then we say how can we take it one step further from this great article...and how do we translate that social. Whether that is through a video, a quote graphic...it's amplifying those campaigns...



Podcast

“I like to think of my role with social media is amplifying to a whole new level everything our athletics communications manager are doing, our teams and our student athletes are working on.”



PodcastOn the goals behind story-telling

“It comes down to building a relationship (with social media)...Social media was not designed to directly sell tickets (or drive donations)...what I try to do is...how can I connect [with] our vocal and opinionated alumni...how can I shift the conversation (in a positive way)?

(Bethany notes the great success seeing Cal fans respond positively, defending Cal when someone negatively posts on social)



Podcast

“We have done a fantastic job of building those relationships (and) bridging that gap between our student-athletes, our coaches and our campus...and alumni...The more that someone cares about, the less likely they are to tear you down. And that's what our goal on social is...It's not a negative conversation and, to me, it has been incredibly satisfying to see that conversation shift.”



PodcastOn working IMG College on brand marketing and

sponsorship

“We have a great partnership with them...We've been able to shape what our relationship has been like...what's great is how open and receptive they are to our ideas...if IMG comes to me with an idea for a (digital or social campaign), I can (give honest feedback) and (say) here is what our fans are responding to right now...



Podcast

“I get pretty protective of our brand...I've got a set of guidelines. I won't allow a sponsorship contest that requires our fans to Like a sponsor's page. It has to be Cal-centric...I found that it works really well to have this open, working relationship (with IMG).”



Podcast“I feel good where we're at right now (in monetizing social media)...I fall in the strategic communications department and not the revenue department...so my goal with social media is to build relationships...but there is a lot of information I want to push out and have calls=to=action to, so it's less (now) about the monetization of it and we're still at the point where we want to build that relationship...we're still kind of making sure we've gained their trust...”

“It's a long-term plan. It's strategic rather than tactical...It's making sure that everything we do makes sense, so that long-term we build that relationship and our fans will support us, regardless of whether there is a ticket offer put in front them or not.



Podcast

“I feel good where we're at right now (in monetizing social media)...I fall in the strategic communications department and not the revenue department...so my goal with social media is to build relationships...but there is a lot of information I want to push out and have calls=to=action to, so it's less (now) about the monetization of it and we're still at the point where we want to build that relationship...we're still kind of making sure we've gained their trust...”



Podcast

“It's a long-term plan. It's strategic rather than tactical...It's making sure that everything we do makes sense, so that long-term we build that relationship and our fans will support us, regardless of whether there is a ticket offer put in front them or not.”



PodcastOn balancing all Cal Athletics teams coverage on social media

“It's hard making sure everything is balanced and everyone is on point. It's not just me on social....For the most part, our traditional media managers are managing our social media accounts, as well. The biggest thing is the communication level and the voice I've developed for Cal Athletics...something I pulled from what Cal Athletics fans are, what UC Berkeley alumni are...Every team has such a different personality (though). We don't necessarily want every team to have the same voice, but we want them to have the same message.”

“I try to have a fair balance (of all 30 sports)...and (the others) will call me out (if they lack coverage).”@njh287

DSMSports.net


Podcast

Helpful tool: Giphy Cam app, free app to create quick and easy GIFs in jiff!



PodcastOn giving attention to not just the most popular sports

“We have the stories for all 30 of our sports...but (not all are going) at the same time...”

[Bethany explains strategy behind having no official Facebook Page or football; it goes on the main Cal Athletics page]

“We do a good job of balancing. It's hard to make sure all 30 of your sports are getting the love and attention they deserve...we're telling (all) their stories...it's just a matter of narrowing down what can live on our page.”



PodcastOn engaging Cal fans and alumni all around the world

“It's a combination of recognizing we have six and eight year-olds that follow us on Instagram and also the 50 and 60 year- old alumni we have living in Europe...it's tailoring content, to a certain extent...We put very different content (on different platforms), (but) it's the same message...

Our fans are proud of being a Cal fan or alumni...we treat social like (all fans) are there...I treat social like I'm just another fan, I just have more access (to) awesome behind-the-scenes content.”



PodcastOn the relationship with PAC-12 Network

[Bethany describes how the network worked out a deal with Twitter, so every PAC-12 team would get a Twitter mirror for a few weeks]

“It's back-and-forth sending content...Their social media team...is always sending us the hash tags they want us to use. They're sending us content. At the same time, they're always very willing to put out our stories...it's really helpful javing our own network that those stories get told on a whole different level.”



PodcastThis episode's Share-able Stat: 40.5% of fans used or

checked social media at a college football game last season[Source]

Bethany's comment: “People aren't just experiencing the games (now).

They're experiencing it live, they're experiencing it on the video boards, and they're experiencing on their mobile devices.”


http://businesssideofsports.com/2015/08/27/changing-the-game-how-smartphones-are-impacting-college-football-fandom/


Podcast

The thing Bethany misses most about Montana

“A lot of things...The two things I miss most are my family...and the snow. I love the Bay Area weather...but I like going home from Christmas, just for a couple days, and experiencing the snow and then hopping (out of town).”



Podcast

Bethany's favorite Cal Athletics tradition and why

“My all-time favorite is the chant our football players do after a win...” (Bethany proceeds to give us a nice rendition of “Bear Territory” !)



PodcastThe most popular social media post/content at Cal

Athletics in Bethany's tenure

When Cal Athletics wished the University a 150th birthday

“It is a very simple happy birthday post to our campus, which just shows how much our fans are involved with the campus and proud to be part of UC Berkeley.”



PodcastThe best part about working in social media and sports

and the biggest challenge about it

“The best and the worst are almost the same thing...How different it is. It's always changing, it's so dynamic...you have to (work hard) just to see what's coming up...You have to make sure you stay on top of things.”

“From an athletics department standpoint, I get to know all of our coaches and student-athletes on a different level.”



PodcastThe best Cal coach and student-athlete on social media and why

Coach on Twitter→ Lindsay Gottlieb (@CalCoachG), head women's basketball coach: “She's super-interactive with fans (and) does a fantastic job of showing behind-the-scenes of the team and her life as a coach.”

On Facebook → Jack Clark (@calvarsityrugby), head rugby coach

Student athlete / team: Men's basketball

“We really challenged them this summer when they went to Australian to provide the behind-the-scenes stuff...they definitely stepped up to the challenge.”@njh287

DSMSports.net

https://twitter.com/CalCoachG


PodcastThe other college athletics program (besides Cal) that does a

great job on social media

“Iowa State does a fantastic job on Snapchat...they're really good at the fan experience and the fan contests. They're really interactive.

I love all the graphics Auburn does...I've definitely stolen a couple of ideas for inspiration.”

On the digital marketing side, Georgia Tech does a really good job with their digital marketing tactics.”



Podcast

How does Bethany define “fan engagement?”

“I go back to the relationship-building...to the point where they're having a conversation with you and you're having it back...it's having fun with our fans, it's thanking them for support, it's answering their questions quickly...

It truly reaches the engagement level when you bring (the relationship and interaction) outside of social...”



PodcastThe best food to get around Cal and the best food to get around

Montana State

Around Cal → “The best thing about the Bay Area besides the weather is food...” Bethany picks soup [especially clam chowder]\ from the San Francisco Soup Company.”

Around Montana State → “The Pickle Barrel. It's the most iconic place to eat in Bozeman, Montana...It's just this tiny sandwich shop the size of someone's kitchen. And there's this giant barrel of pickles.”



PodcastThe Cal team that is most likely to win a national title this

year and the Cal student-athlete that will most likely be a household name by the end of the year

National champ prediction → Men's or women's swimming team OR Men's rugby team

Student athlete → 1) Jared Goff, quarterback breaking records (including many Aaron Rodgers records!)

Arielle Ship, forward on women's socccer team



Podcast

Where to find Bethany and Cal Athletics on digital/social media

Cal Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and several sports accounts at CalBears.com

Bethany is on Twitter @BethanyCordell and is on LinkedIn


http://www.twitter.com/bethanycordell


Podcast

Thanks so much to Bethany Cordell for joining the Digital & Social Media Sports podcast!

For more info on the podcast, check out DSMSports.net and follow me @njh287
