{"id":21581,"date":"2024-10-01T22:37:51","date_gmt":"2024-10-01T22:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=21581"},"modified":"2024-10-01T22:37:52","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T22:37:52","slug":"inside-the-seattle-mariners-quest-to-connect-with-younger-baseball-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=21581","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Seattle Mariners\u2019 quest to connect with younger baseball fans"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

This story is the fifth in a series about how marketers for sports teams and leagues around the world approach social media strategy.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Seattle Mariners are looking to keep things casual. On social media, that is.<\/p>\n

In recent years, the team has been making an effort to connect more with younger fans. To do it, the Mariners have embraced a more relaxed and relatable tone of voice than they have in the past and has pushed into what might strike some as nontraditional content for a baseball team, like memes and Twitch streams, according to Tim Walsh, director of digital marketing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur voice has certainly evolved in the time I\u2019ve been here, and we\u2019ve really tried to get more casual, personable, [and] interactive with our fans, really leaning into the meme content and fun angles and casual tone that we can have to be relatable with fans,\u201d Walsh told Marketing Brew.<\/p>\n

Curve-ball content<\/h2>\n

To strike the team\u2019s desired tone online, the Mariners\u2019 marketers have tried to think outside the box when it comes to their posts. Beyond posting stat graphics and replays of big moments, there\u2019s a healthy mix of content across the Mariners\u2019 channels:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Earlier this season, the team created a series of digital shorts based on their ads from the \u201980s, \u201990s, and early 2000s designed to appeal to young fans by using humor and showcasing player personalities.<\/li>\n
  • A few months ago, Mariners players Josh Rojas and Jorge Polanco visited the Mall of America, where they appeared in similar content giving fans a look at the players off the field.<\/li>\n
  • In that same vein, the Mariners are one of many pro sports teams hoping on the mini mic trend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Many teams like to show off their players\u2019 personalities on social, and some of the Mariners\u2019 posts seem to have taken that concept a step further. When the team partnered with Starbucks last year, two players spent a day working as baristas, and during last year\u2019s spring training, a group of them drove to In-N-Out Burger in a golf cart. The golf-cart video performed particularly well, according to Walsh, especially considering it was posted prior to the start of the regular season, when teams tend to see engagement dip.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    Get marketing news you’ll actually want to read<\/h5>\n

    Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s not expected\u2026to see guys in full uniform, driving on the sidewalk or down the street, and then pulling up to In-N-Out,\u201d he said. \u201c It\u2019s just a fun piece of content as you\u2019re scrolling.\u201d<\/p>\n