To make fans feel like the Avalanche are truly their team and to grow social platforms and following. Our priority is for the fans to feel that our accounts are for them, reflective of the content they desire, and are in touch with the community. Engaging with our fans is our priority across all platforms no matter the subject matter and creating communities both on and off the web is what we strive to accomplish.
Social listening, celebration, and support are the way we lead our account's community engagement. In regards to social listening, we tried to respond as frequently as possible on all platforms. This included inquiries, excitement, and even commiserating with losses... to an extent. We were rated #1 in engagement across the NHL because of the dedication we have to ensuring we create relationships with our fans and they know we are always a resource for them. In addition, we invited members of Avs Faithful to become a part of our content by utilizing greenfly. This allowed us to have fans share what the games looked like from their point of view. We were able to identify incredible fan stories, tell those stories, and make fans a piece of our team.
By creating these relationships with our fans we feel the connection we hold with them is heightened. It is important for our social team to not only celebrate the team wins on the ice but to celebrate the off-ice wins. Themed nights such as Pride Night, Military Appreciation Night, Next Generation Night, etc. are our opportunities to celebrate our fans and how they identify and celebrate themselves. For our Pride night, we commissioned an LGBTQ+ artist Mio, to create a drawing for us to share that included real-life Avs fans in the image.
Our accounts took a stand vocally dismissing hate and showing our support for minority groups in our fan base. We exemplified the NHL initiative "Hockey is for Everyone" year-round through our activations and community coverage. An example of our reach was during our playoff run when Nazam Kadri was receiving racist threats. The community of Avalanche fans across social media started trending the hashtag #StandWithNaz which not only became prominent on the internet but also became a visual at games with our fans showing up, showing their support, and uniting with one another against these wrongful acts. In addition to this, we take great pride in listening to our fans and what is important to them. A big initiative the Avalanche organization and digital team supported was Black Girl Hockey Club and their pledge to "Get Uncomfortable". We took the steps to further show our support by connecting our online community to in-person events. We hosted an in-person and virtual panel to educate our fans on the mission of Black Girl Hockey Club, while simultaneously creating a space where they can connect beyond the screen.
With such a successful season on the ice, our team understood the importance of capitalizing on the media attention and additions to our fan base. We used these “all eyes on us” moments to show what are brand values are and create an environment that proves that Hockey is for Everyone.
Across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the Avalanche following was up 12.4% last season reaching new heights across the board.
