episode 78 of the dsmsports podcast w/ ryan frankson of oilers entertainment group

Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Digital and Social Media Sports PodcastDigital and Social Media Sports Podcast

@njh287 DSMSports.net


Episode 78 featured Director of Social Media for the Oilers Entertainment Group (Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Oil Kings hockey clubs, Rogers Place [arena], and more properties)

Ryan Frankson

What follows is a collection of snippets from the podcast. For the full episode, visit DSMSports.net


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Ryan's career path

Grew up wanting to be a beat writer for baseball or hockey → Studied journalism at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton → Did an internship with Edmonton Sun and worked as sports editor at other local papers for a few years

Ryan got more involved with communications/PR, but wanted to stay in sports → Became Communications Manager for the Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL team) and also ran Communications for the independent league baseball team the group owned



“That was right around the time that social media starting becoming quite a big deal...especially for brands and sports teams. So I was able to create the profiles for the two teams...That was cool to be on the ground floor there...

“The following summer, we had a great, forward-thinking chief marketing officer at the time...who swayed the company to buy into it and created a bunch of new digital jobs...I was fortunate enough to get the Social Media Manager job on the Oilers side”

Ryan is now in his sixth season working social media for the Oilers group



How content and PR has changed with social media

Ryan talks about his work with newspapers and starting to put content on the web, instead of waiting to put it out in the paper

“My end goal, a couple years before that, was to get to a big daily..But I kind of saw that window shrinking as everything got more digital and staffs were reducing, so I kind of shifted my focus to getting on the communications side with a team or a company that was involved in sports...”



On early days of social media strategy for sports teams for which Ryan worked

“I think, five or six years ago, it was about FOMO, really. We saw what was going on and knew that our teams had to get on there, that was where people were talking about sports...We figured we better not miss out on that opportunity to engage with sports fans in our market and all-around. But now it' a heck of a lot more strategic, obviously. We're breaking news on these channels, we're channeling sponsorship revenue with partnership campaigns. A lot more multi-faceted and a lot more uses now...as opposed to) just doing it for the sake of doing it.”



On the Oilers becoming a content machine / media company

“That is pretty much what happened in that summer/spring 2011, where we greatly expanded our digital department. We hired an on-camera reporter...We went from three digital (staff members) to eight over that summer – with social people, the on-air reporter another video produce, another writer – and now we're up to 14 people in our digital (for Oilers Entertainment Group).”



Growing in a role in social media when leaders did not know much about it

“You're all kind of learning, as a company, with social and greater digital (media)...You really have to be the forerunner...the expert in the company on those areas because your executive will look to you for guidance...It's a matter of educating everyone else around you...while also staying on the pulse o the industry and emerging trends...”



Getting buy-in for the organization with social and digital

“We were fortunate to have that forward-thinking CMO at the time...he circulated that throughout the marketing and sponsorship group, so we started building that into our sponsorship campaigns right away...All kind of perfect storm – social media exploding and us having a good company line at the time...A lot of luck and good timing...”



Adopting new platforms without resources expanding as rapidly

“You look at something like a Pinterest – it was so hot for a good six months to a year there. We definitely hopped on that bandwagon and set up a bunch of different boards and tried to see what ways we could integrate it into our world...It didn't pick up much steam. We axed it a couple of years ago now...[it was] not a really a fit for what we do...



“Back several years ago, it was the big two. Facebook and Twitter were the big two. And now I would call it the big three, with Instagram, and Snapchat is really getting into that conversation, too. You talk about needing bigger resources, I think Snapchat has probably been the biggest driver of that. I can probably manage those big three on my own on a game night, but probably wouldn't have time for Snapchat. And now, I'm quite blessed to have a social media coordinator working with me. So, on a game night, I would be live-tweeting, tossing up the odd highlight on Facebook or a post on Instagram, and she'll be snapping the whole game and executing other elements...it has definitely required us to have more resources...”



How Ryan's PR background has helped in his social media role with the Oilers

“i think coming from a newspaper and PR background allowed me to integrate quickly with our hokey PR department, who obviously is the main driver of our hard news...So to have that knowledge base gave them a sense of comfort, knowing that I had that news mind...and I could really work well with them to announce trades and execute those big announcements...Just having that news sense and knowing what is important to say and how to say at the right times is a really valuable tool to have in your arsenal for a social media content producer...”



How social media fits into the Oilers org chart

“We have kind of bounced back and forth over my time with the company...It definitely fell under marketing when we first created our larger digital group. And then we flipped over to the corporate communications side, and now we're back under marketing. But really our digital group is so big that it's kind of a group unto its own, as part of a bigger marketing group, that, on it's own, is kind of self-sufficient. Our day-to-day objectives haven't changed. We have been doing our thing and doing it well for so long, that the priorities haven't changed...”



“From a digital department perspective, we definitely operate a lot like a news room. There are a lot of content meetings, for the social group, for the digital group, for the writing group. And we all come together and compare notes and make sure we're syncing up on everything...Weekly meetings, weekly rundowns, making sure there is a not of overlap without partnership campaigns and all of the marketing priorities are given proper love on social...”



Establishing the Oilers voice and brand on social media

It's not so much the social voice coming from a higher up direction, (but) me taking what we're saying about the brand, what our attitude is for the upcoming season and trying to mold the voice around that. Kind of building up a little more swagger as we get a little more confidence in our on-ice product. Knowing where to push and where to ease off if we aren't able to back up the confidence...with our on-ice performance...and keeping your finger on the temperature of the situation. Being able to gauge how your fans are feeling about the team.”



Helpful Tool: Quik app (by GoPro; to create easy videos from video clips and photos)



How having so many young star players infiltrates social media strategy

“They're star players, so there's no secret those are the players your fans want to see the most about...And Connor has been a complete game-changer for our organization, in terms of fan exposure and the power of the Oilers brand with him attached to it. Our social media following catapulted our social following after we drafted Connor...



“It's trying to not focus on him all the time, but he's your captain, he's your star player, he's going to be a big part of your digital strategy. But all the players have their different quirks and qualities and different stories that you don't want to forget about them either. Guys like a Matt Hendricks or a Pat Maroon – those character guys.

Alberta is very much a blue-collar province...those are the kind of guys that the general population in Alberta can latch onto, too. Those lunch bucket guys. It's definitely fun to be able to feature them, as well...”



What it was like winning the draft lottery and getting the opportunity to draft Connor McDavid

“We all knew that we had a good chance to win the lottery that year, but I don't think anyone truly believed that it was possible. I think in the back of our minds, everyone kind of had a bit of a plan...I definitely knew 'What would you tweet? What would you post if someone we did win (the lottery?'...

“I was sitting on my couch watching the lottery live...and I was completely by myself...and that golden card came up...it definitely took my breath away. I couldn't believe it was real life for a second there...(Then) springing into action and posting all about it and celebrating that crazy chance of luck. And probably 20 minutes after that, we were on an all-digital conference call at 8-o-clock at night on that Saturday. Going into execution-mode, what can we do? Definitely a major game-changer.



“I think we had a press conference on Monday...so many different stories to tell that were part of that (draft) night...We couldn't come out right with it and say we were drafting Connor. The next 3-4 weeks were kind of a tap dance of making sure the other top prospects got their love, too, in our pre-draft coverage. But all the while knowing that [Connor] was our guy...We definitely had a nice runway to prep for (draft night)...”



What's it like having so many young players on the team and in the locker room

“They're definitely more savvy with (social media) and understand it. So when we have our media days and we get the guys coming through the various photo stations, we can just grab a guy and give them Snapchat and say 'Do something with your favorite (Snapchat) filter' because they use it every day...they know exactly what they're doing. That part is really fun...

Most of them have their own brands and their own accounts, and they get what it can do for them and how we can help them build their brand and vice-versa; just the power it has for them to interact with fans one-on-one. Know that they can really make a difference in a fan's feelings about them just by giving them a quick little reply or a like, or something like that. They get it.”



Social media and the Oilers players when the team is not performing well on the ice

:I think it varies per player. Some guys, (negative mentions) doesn't get to them, so they're going to keep using their platforms the way they would always use them...Other guys, who maybe not respond well to that negative feedback, they would maybe not look at their mentions...I think our hockey PR does a good job with helping them navigate through some of the potential negative aspects of social...”



Social media strategy/advice when the Oilers were having a losing season

“I would say don't be oblivious to it. You have to acknowledge that your fans are probably frustrated, too. Having that empathy and not posting like you have your heads in the sand and everything is (great)...definitely latching onto the individual highlights that could still be going on in a tough stretch. Celebrating the little victories, as opposed to the grand scheme. That is how we stay engaged with it, too, is Celebrating a guy scoring crazy goal (or) a guy on a scoring streak, even if the team is on a losing streak. That keeps us engaged, so it's going to be keeping our fans engaged, too. Celebrate the little victories with them and stay in their conversation...”


Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Digital and Social Media Sports PodcastDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastCreating social media-focused content for fans, such as socOIL content

“All the while, you shared fan content and replied to fans that post great photos and fun, engaging message. We've always endorsed that and rewarded fans that engage with us. So doing a weekly social media blog...is kind of a way top put it on one place and give fans a weekly look into the social media world. Our web guys love it because it's another piece of content, especially in the summer...I just try to put together any campaigns or contests that we have going on that fans might not have seen otherwise, if they're just seeing it on our website; an opportunity to showcase some of our best fan tweets and fan tweets from the past week. Kind of another way to complement all the stuff that we're already doing on our other channels, and integrate that into our website, too. And get more eyes on our website...haring the wealth and spreading it around...”

“Just knowing that their voice is being heard, that we value them as a fan. That is so important to me to provide that one-to-one engagement with them and kind of validate their fanship.”


Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Digital and Social Media Sports PodcastDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastWhat it's like preparing during training camp and the preseason for the season

ahead for the Oilers

“This preseason has been like none other...because we did open our brand-new arena Rogers Place in September. Coupling that excitement and content and all these different events and concerts that have come through and kind of merging that with the start of the hockey season has been the theme for the last five or six weeks here. Working the players into our various milestones. Having Connor and a few of the guys have the very first skate on the Rogers Place ice...(and many other firsts)...

It has been very much about the building and making sure we put our stamp on history of all the different milestones that you go through...You want to do stuff that people are going to remember...Anything that combined the hockey part and the building part, we found have massive engagement on both our Rogers Place channels and our Oilers channels...”



Preparing graphics and GIFs for the season

“We have a really awesome graphic department...We actually freelance out our GIFs to Stephanie Vail...we hired her last year and she's amazing. She's probably the best at what she does...So rather than us try to add that on top of our nightly game duties, (she does it)...She has been a very valuable part of our content creation...”

[Stephanie is @myregularface on Twitter]

[Ryan also talks about the new relationship with MLBAM]



Share-able Stat: 58% – the % of 18-20 year-olds who say their primary platform for video viewing is Facebook and YouTube (tied)



Ryan's favorite social media campaign[s] in his time with the Oilers

“I think some of the ones that we've done a couple years, that have been a lot of fun, have been the ESPN NHL [video game] Cover Vote campaigns. Because those kind of happen shortly after the season ends, so you have more real estate on your channels to work with, rather than game (and) practice stuff...Working with our video department to create some lighter, funnier videos that we didn't really get a chance to do during hockey season because it's really about the games...



“On the flip side, more serious and powerful, is the annual Hockey Fights Cancer campaign, which is league-wide...We usually have one game night (each year) where he have a tuke (beanie) fundraiser...We'll have a Hockey Fights Cancer tuke...leading up that...we've had fans share their cancer story, what Hockey Fights Cancer means to them. To see the power of that campaign hit so many different people, and for them all to be sharing the same theme and topic, under that hockey banner. It's just a lot of powerful stuff and something I take a lot of pride in facilitating and being part of that conversation.”



Ryan's experience during the 2011 NHL Lockout

“We were pretty lucky...We had a bunch of those young guns that were still on entry-level deals. So they actually got to go down and play for our AHL team, which was in Oklahoma City at the time...We had Taylor Hall down there, we had Jordan Eberle, we had Ryan-Nugent Hopkins, we had Justin Schultz, who were all playing for our AHL team. So we kind of covered it like the Oilers were still playing, bu it was the Barons.

We had two of our digital team members move to Oklahoma for a couple of months to cover the team..We didn't change our strategy too much. I was actually helping out the Oil Kings at the time...[other employees were loaned out to other local businesses, too]...It was a lot of business, as usual, for me. Fortunately, we haven't had to go through that again...”

[Ryan also talks about where he was when the news that the NHL Lockout had ended]



What is the day in the life like for an average home game day during the season

8:30am-ish: “I'll plug our game preview, as it stands at that point. We haven't had our morning skate yet, so there is not a lot of lineup info yet...to set the tone for the day. And everything will build from that...”

10am: Morning skate → “During the morning skate, if we have any guys that maybe had missed practice the day before, if they're back out there, that'll be one of the first things we let fans know about...From there, that'll filter into how the forward lines and D-pairings are looking for that night. If there have been any big changes to the lineup[ that our fans want to know about.

Whichever goalie comes off (the ice) first, is typically the one starting that night, so we let everyone know who's going to be starting. It's funny, it's always a race for the media to (post about it) first...



“Then, head into the locker room, put out some quotes, some photos, (talk to) some key guy from the game. Typically, we live stream our coach's morning press conference...Now we are able to integrate Facebook Live with that, which ha been so amazing for engagement...

“After all those post skate videos are done, we (start posting) the (produced) content...the next couple hours are full of that produced content, putting all of it out on our channels. Hopefully squeeze in some lunch...

“Usually the afternoon, I dedicate to addressing any sponsorship campaigns, and contests we have going on...Pregame meal usually around 5-5:15...kind of services as a pregame meeting for our digital staff (to) talk about anything we have going on that night, anything special.



6pm: “Head up to the press box...if there is any kind of pregame messaging or pregame contests that you fans in-bowl are participating in, we talk about hem at that point. And then into warm-up and we live-snap that and ,in some cases, we've live-streamed warm-up or some of the big games. Just trying to tow the line outside of the broadcast window...


Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Digital and Social Media Sports PodcastDigital and Social Media Sports Podcast“Usually will put up the starting highlights and then right into game action. We're

live-tweeting everything, video highlights (and) GIF highlights. Game ends, kind of the same routine as after morning skate. We live-stream our post game in the locker room and the coach. Obviously live-tweeting and posting on all of our channels, usually be at the rink til around midnight and then head home...

“Typically they don't practice until 11 the next day, so it's a little more of an easier go, fortunately...”

[Ryan mentions road game workload and hours and routine are very similar for digital and social]

The Oilers always travel three members from the digital media team: A video producer, an on-camera reporter, and a social media/writing person; 6-7 digital media team members rotate for the road trips



The best locker room personality/quote over the years on the Oilers and the best guy in the room now

All-time: “I think the funniest guy was Andy Sutton. Big D-man, real bruiser out on the ice, and just the best, straight-faced deadpan humor, when he's in a scrum...He'd really bust the chops of the different reporters who were in there, and didn't really take it too seriously...

Now: “I think right now one of the best guys for a post practice (or) post game quote is Pat Maroon. He really shoots from the hip, doesn't really mask how he's feeling about how the team is playing. If it's great, he's raving, if it's not great, he's taking definitely taking onus for himself and his teammates. Just not hiding it, he calls it out he sees it. And that was something you noticed tight away when he came with the team...And he's a really funny guy, too.”



Ryan's favorite American city and why

“Chicago is super-cool. The rink, obviously, the fans are amazing there, the national anthem. To be in that building and in the press box for the anthem is something special. It's a beautiful city, too. Beautiful downtown. It kind of combines that big city life (with) Midwest charm, too...

“I love New York, obviously, too. I'm a big New York Yankees fan and just love everything about that city, the busy-ness of Manhattan..

“I'll toss one more in there – Nashville, which is just an amazing, fun city. The All-Star Game was there this past year, which was just a grat time to have basically everyone from the league there in one spot...being a big country music fan, too – the combination of a lot of my favorite things all rolled into one...”


Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Digital and Social Media Sports PodcastDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastRyan's best Connor McDavid story

“I think the funny thing about Connor is he' actually pretty goofy. You might not see it in his interviews and all the stuff that you'd see (in media), but he's actually a pretty goofy guy...He actually did these funny commercials with this full-sized penguin, for a bank here in Canada...He's (playing X-Box) with this penguin and you can see his personality coming out in it, a little bit more playful, goofy, chirping back and forth with this silly penguin...To really see his goofy personality that you don't see in his interviews is my favorite part of Connor, watching him grow...”



Ryan's #1 tip for a social media and sports pro

“Being in-tune with what your fans are talking about, what they're really jiving with. I want to speaking with our fan base, as opposed to at them all the time...I want to kind of try to be one of them, cheer the way that they're cheering for certain players, use the nicknames that they've really latched onto. Immersing myself in their world as much as I can, as opposed to just being a one-way conversation, just talking at them. Use their language as much as I can, while still keeping in mind that this is the team speaking, and still staying true ot your brand. Being casual and authentic, but speaking with them, and not at them.”



The best food to get in Edmonton

Alberta has a large Ukrainian presence, so Ryan recommends pierogies!

Also, “Green Onion Cakes”



Besides the Oilers, which pro team would Ryan most want to see win a championship

The New York Yankees are Ryan's favorite team; he's been a big fan since the days when Jeter, Posada, and the mid-late '90s crew came up

I would love to see the Toronto Raptors win a championship. Being the only Canadian NBA team now, I think the whole country really rallies around them.”

Ryan also mentions the Minnesota Vikings as a team to which he's partial


Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Snippets from Ryan Frankson on the Digital and Social Media Sports PodcastDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastRyan's Social Media All-Star to Follow

@myregularface – Stephanie Vail: “The GIF queen, as we call her.”Jessica Smith @WarJessEagle: “She talks a lot about social media and sports, and sports

biz, and just a really good follow. There is always a lot of good conversation going on with her. I engage with her a lot. I always see her talking with other social media managers with different teams.”

@PeteyBeats: “He also does a podcast (Popternative)...” [good hockey social media follow]

@ScottKegley: “He's their head honcho for all things digital. He does really great work. He came from the 39ers, and I had the pleasure of meeting him and seeing their brand new stadium a couple of years ago. The Vikings recruited him to come over and help them open up their new stadium, so I've followed Scott's career and tried to use him (for) a little bit of mentorship, and see some of things that they're doing there, and try to emulate some of that in our markets.”



Where to find Ryan and the Oilers on social media

Ryan is @RyanFrankson on Twitter and Instagram

Oilers are @EdmontonOilers on all platforms, except Facebook, which is Facebook.com/OilersNHL

@RogersPlace on all platforms for their arena



Thanks very much to Ryan Frankson for sharing his experience, knowledge, and personality with us on the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast!

For more, visit www.dsmsports.net and follow me, Neil Horowitz, on Twitter @njh287


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