PR lessons learned from fantasy football
Are you ready for some football? Seeing as we are already wrapping up the second week of the NFL regular season, I sure hope so!
You know who is ready? The nearly 74.7 million Americans who participate in fantasy football each season.
That’s right, a ridiculously high number of football fanatics—men and women alike—of all ages and walks of life have been pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into their fantasy team lineups.
Believe it or not, once you look past all the NFL hype, there are quite a few lessons to be learned from fantasy football that you can easily add to your PR strategy.
Read on for five PR lessons we can learn from the virtual gridiron.
Be in the know
Fantasy football, if taken seriously, can involve countless hours or research, familiarizing oneself with the most recent stats, and exploring expected point projections.
Week after week, you’re faced with decisions about who to slot as your starting quarterback or which running back to put up against your opposition’s defense
This is no different than PR. In order to be successful, you must do your research and set clear goals and objectives.
Whether it’s deciding which publication to reach out to with an exclusive or identifying which reporter would give your pitch the best legs.
Roll with the punches
Football is a game of inches and upsets. One loss or misstep can eliminate you from being your fantasy league’s champion.
The principle also applies to PR.
No matter how prepared you are for a product launch or press release to go live, on any given Sunday something can go awry.
The key is to not freak out. Instead, stay alert and refocus your efforts. You’ll come out ahead.
Keep your head in the game
Injuries happen. A lot. And they can’t be predicted. Will your key fantasy player be out for a week or the remainder of the season?
In fantasy football, and PR, it’s important you’re prepared.
With PR, if you’re not up-to-date with the latest news, you could miss a golden opportunity to be included in a clutch story.
Regardless of how perfect your PR strategy may be, it’s important to be prepared and always keep your head in the game.
Be aggressive
Fantasy football engages audiences of all ages because it allows people to feel like they are part of the NFL experience—they aren’t just a fan or bystander.
A successful PR campaign, requires the same public participation.
People like to feel involved and as if they are taking an active role in something bigger than themselves. Using PR in an interactive way allows a brand to communicate directly and engage with their core audience and vice versa.
So be aggressive. That’s A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E!
Evaluate your performance
No successful fantasy football player has ever set their lineup the first week of the season and then let it go on autopilot for the next 17 weeks.
The goal in fantasy football is to win your league. It’s important to evaluate how your team is doing week after week, not just when the season is over.
The same principles of evaluation apply to PR.
How is your PR campaign doing? Did you meet all of your goals? Was the campaign a success? Are there any areas of opportunity? These are only a few of the questions PR pros ask themselves throughout and after campaigns.
