Are You Integrating Fans Into the Action?

Are you looking for a new promotional concept that engages fans? Are you interested in an idea that provides fans a way to have a direct impact on the game they are watching/attending?

Consider developing a "You Call the Play" promotion, where fans can call/text in a play that they would like to see their home team execute during the game. To execute such a promotion, team representatives would need to work directly with the coaching/team personnel. While such an idea may seem difficult, such an idea has been executed in the past (e.g. Charlie Weiss ran a play to kick off a Notre Dame game that was selected by a fan with a terminal illness).

Teams and supporting partners can execute fan polling through a variety of means:

• Poll fans prior to the game through print-text message/call-in/online poll (the team can openly ask fans to submit what play they would like to see on the first offensive/defensive play of the game, provide multiple choice options, etc.). In this scenario, once the play happens in-venue, the team can announce the fan play-call support via videoboard, LED, and on-air mentions
• Poll fans during the game through a video board display (provide fans with five (5) multiple choice options of plays that they would like the team to execute coming out of a timeout). With teams in college basketball knowing when certain timeouts will take place (e.g. 16:00, 12:00, 8:00, and 4:00 marks), this is easier to execute than in other sports
• Poll fans via LED in-between innings (providing fans the opportunity to select relief pitchers, pinch hitters, etc. via text messaging to a computer that calculates the final tally in the dugout) 
• Enable fans to vote on a variety of happenings in-game (touchdown dances, halftime performers, dance team music/performances, pre-game music, and player autographs after the game)

While such a promotion, which provides fans with a way to directly impact the outcome of the game, requires cooperation from many parties (the hardest of which is team/coaching personnel), it shouldn't be deemed unrealistic. Properties are inching closer towards creating in-venue promotions that offer said fan involvement. This promotion would be a great way to incorporate telecommunications partners.

Check out the video below, which provides a benchmark for executing such a promotion: