The Kings Provide a Case Study for Draft Party Engagement

Understanding the importance of creating buzz around their No. 5 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings did all that they could to make it an unforgettable, enjoyable experience for fans. To generate interest, the Kings organization offered all  fans who attended the Official Draft Party event a complimentary ticket to a select 2010-2011 Kings home game (subject to availability).

However, the rewards and incentives didn't stop there for fans. On Draft Day, the Kings called on President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie, co-owner Gavin Maloof, and Coach Paul Westphal to genuinely speak to the crowd of fans in attendance and Subway agreed to give out $5 gift cards throughout the event in recognition of the team's No. 5 pick.

The Kings captured the excitement of Draft Day with a series of videos, enclosed below:

Kings Draft Party Overview

Here is a quick video that details the excitement of the 2010 Kings Draft Party, including a feature at the 1:10 mark that shows how fans that checked into Foursquare at the event by 4:30pm could win a special prize (a commemorative poster) at Suite V and gain access to an exclusive Kings suite.

At the 2:48 mark, the Kings celebrated the team's selection of Demarcus Cousins by announcing "The Greatest Ticket Sales Extravaganza in Kings History", where the team unveiled 72 hours of amazing deals for fans to capitalize on via Kings.com

Kings 2010 Season Ticket Holder Draft Experience

The video below captures the Kings 2010 Season Ticket Holder Draft Experience, an initiative that enabled fans who purchased season tickets on Draft Night the chance to be called on stage and have their picture taken with notable team personnel holding an official Kings Season Ticket Holder jersey at the podium.

Draft Selection Cam

The Kings set up a camera in the back of the fans' Draft Party Viewing Area at Arco Arena to capture the excitement of their selection of Demarcus Cousins. The quick clip served as a great way to share the enthusiasm of fans in Sacramento with Kings (and NBA fans) across the globe:

Live Twitter Session with Rookie Draft Pick Hassan Whiteside

The Kings hosted a live session where draft pick Hassan Whiteside answered #KingsFans questions on Twitter... A great way to engage a team's avid social media community!

Profile of The Draft Picks' First Day as Members of the Kings Organization

The Kings profiled the first day that rookie draft picks DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside spent with the organization, capturing their excitement, an appearance at the official team pep rally, and the reaction of fans across town.

The Nets Brought Virtual Good Luck to the NBA Draft

Are you looking for new ways to engage fans around a league draft? Are you looking for new ways to leverage social media platforms to drive water cooler conversations around your organization?

It has become a customary practice for NBA organizations to bring a good luck charm with them to the annual NBA Draft in anticipation of securing a top pick. While some organizations send rising stars, new owners, and sweepstakes winners, the New Jersey Nets turned to VaynerMedia and their avid social media following to bring them good luck in 2010.

The Nets and VaynerMedia created a microsite, http://netsgoodluckcharm.com, that utilized Twitter and Facebook social plugins to allow fans the opportunity to post good luck messages to the team without having to leave the page and participate via their social media accounts. With a 25% chance of securing the top pick, Nets fans left hundreds of good luck messages and shared their thoughts about the Net's future and the hopes of securing an elite prospect. The organization launched the microsite at 9am the morning of the Draft and kept it live until just shortly after the draft picks were announced. 

Unfortunately for the Nets, luck was not on their side and they ended up securing the 3rd spot in the Draft. While the result of the lottery is pretty disappointing for Nets fans, their virtual good luck charm was a hit. Look for some more related initiatives in the near future!