Utilize Local Celebrities to Drive Fan Engagement

Have you recently considered activation tactics that leverage hometown heroes? When was the last time you considered using a local celebrity to drive fan engagement at your venue? 

The Utah Jazz recently leveraged David Archuleta, a rising celebrity on Fox's American Idol, to sing the National Anthem before the team's Game 3 playoff matchup against the LA Lakers. The team had to fight through some rights issues with the producers of American Idol and representatives from the NBA, but the hard work paid off. Archuleta sang a great rendition of the song, raising the EnergySolutionsArena crowd to its feet. To complement the pre-game performance, David Archuleta served as "The Fan of the Game"; to which the Jazz leveraged his appearance by selling $5 4x6 photos of fans with Archuleta on the team website.

The Tampa Bay Rays recently executed a similar tactic, asking American Idol singer Syesha Mercado to perform the National Anthem before one of the team's home games. Check out the clip below: