pr & media relations assignment - toronto marlies
TRANSCRIPT
Public & Media Relations Assignment 1:
Toronto Marlies
SPRT 252 0NB
Submitted by: Kat Johnstone (N01028829)
Submitted to: Margaret Doehler
Submission Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Table of Contents
Part A: Summary of Organization.......................................................................................... 1
A Brief History ........................................................................................................................... 1
The Modern Day Marlies ......................................................................................................... 2
Part B: Social Media .................................................................................................................. 3
Part C: Key Communications ................................................................................................. 4
Social Media .............................................................................................................................. 4
Community Outreach ............................................................................................................... 5
Public Relations Management................................................................................................ 7
Part D: Analysis & Recommendations ................................................................................. 8
Strengths & Weaknesses ........................................................................................................ 9
Social Media Presence…or Lack Thereof ........................................................................ 9
Communication.................................................................................................................... 10
Demographics...................................................................................................................... 11
Outreach and Fan Interaction ........................................................................................... 11
Recommendations.................................................................................................................. 12
References ................................................................................................................................. 17
Appendix .................................................................................................................................... 21
YouTube................................................................................................................................... 21
Twitter ....................................................................................................................................... 25
Facebook ................................................................................................................................. 26
1
Part A: Summary of Organization
The Toronto Marlies are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey
League (AHL) and serve as the affiliate team of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National
Hockey League (NHL). There are several reasons for why I chose this hockey club as
the subject of this assignment: I am a Leafs fan already; the Marlies have and have had
a much better record than the Leafs in the last few seasons; the Marlies could win a
Calder Cup this season; there is a lot of rising talent on the team; and I am a big hockey
fan. All of these contributed to my interest in the team and my desire to interact with
them on their various social media channels.
A Brief History
The Toronto Marlies, as they are known today, started out as
the Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club in the late 1800s and at
the time, they were a multi-sport enterprise (e.g., football,
baseball, hockey, etc.) The club’s name came from the Dukes
of Marlborough, who were related to the Churchills (i.e.,
Winston Churchill) and the founder of the club, Mr. John Earls thought that the fami ly’s
name and association with strength, leadership and courage would be a good role
model for his young players. As such, the club adopted the Marlborough family’s crown
as their logo with the abbreviation “A. C.” for “athletic club”, which was not set against
the now famous Maple Leaf symbol until the late 1950s (Toronto Marlies, 2009; Toronto
Marlies, 2016).
Even though the Marlies went through several name changes over the years,
their storied history remains. The club competed in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
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as the Toronto Marlboros and won seven Memorial Cups from 1929 to 1975 until they
were disbanded during the 1988-89 season (MasterCard Memorial Cup, 2016; Toronto
Marlies, 2016). The modern day Toronto Marlies originated from the AHL as the St.
Catharines Saints in 1982, then the Newmarket Saints in 1986, followed by the St.
John’s Maple Leafs in 1991 and finally the Toronto Marlies from 2005 to present day
(The Internet Hockey Database, 2011; Toronto Marlies, 2016). It is worth noting that
none of the Marlies teams have won a Calder Cup since their 1982 inception, which
coincides with the Leafs’ lack of Stanley Cup wins in this time period (NHL.com, 2016;
The American Hockey League, 2016).
The Modern Day Marlies
The Toronto Marlies play their home
games at Ricoh Coliseum, which seats
8,200 guests and became the Marlies’
home when the Maple Leafs moved them
from St. John’s to Toronto in 2005 (Ricoh
Coliseum, 2016). They serve the sports- and
ultimately hockey-hungry city of Toronto to
provide not only hockey games, but also memorable fan experiences. Many families
travel to see these games and as such, Marlies Alley provides a gathering place within
Ricoh Coliseum to shoot pucks, play fooseball and mini sticks and make posters before
all Saturday/Sunday games (Toronto Marlies, 2016). While games do not tend to sell
out with an average 2015-2016 attendance of 5,670, in order to attract more fans the
(CNJ Lighting Solutions, 2016)
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Marlies put on themes like Halloween, Marlies Star Wars Night and Superheroes (The
Internet Hockey Database, 2011; Toronto Marlies, 2016).
The Marlies also cater to fans who cannot afford the much more expensive
Maple Leaf games, but still want to cheer on the home team. Prices for Marlies tickets
range from $10-$50, making them a more cost-effective option for young hockey fans
and large groups (i.e., friends, families, school groups, etc.); as opposed to Leafs
tickets, which start at $50 (Ticketmaster, 2016). Since Ricoh Coliseum is a smaller
venue than the Air Canada Centre, which seats 18,200 for hockey games, the arena
has a more intimate feel, which can appeal to fans wanting to be closer to the game (Air
Canada Centre, 2015).
The last demographic that the Marlies serve are the Leafs organization (Maple
Leaf Sport and Entertainment, MLSE) and its fans, who track their progress because of
the young players that the Leafs draft and develop using their farm team. The fans
interact with the organization as a whole, but also with the players and other fans using
various outlets. Social media is the most popular mode of communication for younger
generations of fans and they use multiple formats to follow the team and its players.
Part B: Social Media
For the purposes of this assignment, I subscribed to the Marlies Facebook page,
Twitter account and YouTube channel. Through sharing, retweeting and posting
comments, I was able to become a part of the Marlies community. To view the various
interactions I had with the team from January 23 to February 22, please refer to the
Appendix.
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Part C: Key Communications
The Marlies manage their own Public Relations (PR) with staff member Stefano
Toniutti (Toronto Marlies, 2016). He works alone as the Media Relations (MR)
coordinator for the Marlies, in contrast to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have three
employees handling their MR (Toronto Maple Leafs, 2016).
Social Media
The team uses its own website to share news and official press releases, which
are comprised of recalls from the Leafs, final game results/videos (including scoring
summary and notable statistics), features on games/players and the team’s blog posts.
All of these are posted as the news happens or new developments occur within the
team, which is generally every day or every other day. The blog is run by two separate
bloggers, Sherry Jean (the Marlies’ community manager) and Todd Crocker (a
community representative and team broadcaster), who provide game day previews and
fan interest pieces (e.g., travelling to other AHL arenas; Toronto Marlies, 2016).
Popular forums like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram
and Foursquare are utilized by the PR team to interact with the fans and share news on
more heavily trafficked websites. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are updated
regularly on game days before, during and after the games with some updates providing
links to their other social mediums (e.g., YouTube, blog posts, etc.) to show post-game
coverage and interviews. The Instagram page is managed by the team’s community
manager, Sherry Jean (MarliesTv, 2016; torontomarlies, 2016; Toronto Marlies, 2016).
YouTube is similar to the first three mediums in that the Marlies post videos multiple
times on game days, but they also post feature videos like “20 Questions with [player’s
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name]” as ways of giving their fans behind-the-scenes access to the team (MarliesTv,
2016).
While the Marlies were posting updates through Pinterest, Google+ and
Foursquare previously, the team has not posted anything on those websites since 2014.
When they were, Foursquare was posting lists (e.g., “Pre-Game and Post-Game Meal
Options”) and tips (e.g., taking public transit or nearby tourist destinations), while the
other two websites were similar in nature to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with their
content and posting frequency (Toronto Marlies, 2016).
Community Outreach
The Marlies run multiple outreach programs involving their players, mascot,
merchandise, schools and trips to see lives games. Event organizers can contact the
Marlies organization via their website to set up an appearance by Duke the Dog to take
pictures, etc. Schools can organize for their students to attend a game on official
“School Day Games,” where games will begin at 11am and the team will help
coordinate buses; or school choirs can apply to sing the national anthem at home
games. The team, along with MLSE, host career seminars with the opportunity for
students to meet and network with MLSE professionals (Toronto Marlies, 2016).
YouthSpeak is a program partnering young leaders in the community with
Toronto Marlies players to give talks at school assemblies. The talk goes for 75 minutes
and has the speakers sharing their personal experiences in conjunction with the players
emphasizing values like perseverance and character. Another way that the team
interacts with the public is by holding practices at community rinks followed by running
drills with a lucky team. The Captain’s Crew is an opportunity for selected organizations
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and groups to attend a game in a suite, receive gift bags and meet a player who will
take the time to speak to the children and sign autographs. The Marlies players also do
their own visit to the Sick Kids hospital annually to play bingo with children in various
wards around the hospital (Toronto Marlies, 2016).
Partnerships exist with both the MLSE Foundation and Central Ontario Building
Trades (COBT). The MLSE Foundation supports kids’ sports programs, creating grants
for sports with their corporate/community partners and revitalizing recreational spaces.
COBT runs a program called Hammer Heads, which “takes candidates from
inexperienced workers to apprentice ready individuals” in 12 weeks to prepare them for
various construction trades. The Marlies have supported the Hammer Heads for 4 years
to raise money and awareness about the program (Toronto Marlies, 2016).
Some media interactions occur with the team’s own website and press releases.
This has to do with all of the media attention being drawn to MLSE’s much more high-
profile teams (i.e., Leafs, Raptors, etc.) and with promotion on social media websites
like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram being more cost-effective than more traditional
means of communication (Kern, 2014). Interactions with the media are generally also
broadcast using those social media websites to showcase the types of community
outreach programs that the team is a part of (Toronto Marlies, 2016). That being said,
while the team does not generally have front-page coverage in the Toronto Star’s
Sports section, for example, they do get coverage from online news sources like CP24
or blogs like Maple Leaf Hot Stove, Pension Plan Puppets and the Toronto Star and
online Toronto Marlies Sports section (Google Canada, 2016; Zwolinski, 2016).
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Most of the media interactions, however, come from pre- and post-game and
post-practice press junkets where media personnel are given access to the coaching
staff and players for comments on the game or other events that they participated in.
Similar to the Leafs, the Marlies have their own press area sponsored by Rogers TV
and held in the Ricoh Coliseum where the team can be interviewed by multiple news
outlets. The Marlies’ YouTube page is full of these types of interviews, which are then
released online and commented upon by bloggers and newspeople. The other major
contributor to interactions with the media is LeafsTV, which not only plays the Marlies
game highlights, but is also involved in speaking to the team pre- and post-game and
post-practice (MarliesTv, 2016).
Public Relations Management
In the last four seasons, the Toronto Marlies have fought their way into the
Calder Cup Playoffs, meaning that the team is generally regarded favourably and are
often more highly viewed than the Leafs in the court of public opinion. This positive
outlook on the team, along with the belief that they are beginning to develop their
players properly and the team’s 2015-2016 record all contribute to a lack of negative
press (Arezak, 2015). Even when the team was swept in the 2012 Calder Cup finals,
the tone of the articles were generally hopeful for the years to come and spoke of the
home crowd being behind the team (Zwolinski, 2012).
In present times, the team just reached the 40-game-win margin with 23 games
left as of February 21, 2016; while it took them until the last game of the season to
scrape a playoff berth in 2014-2015 (Rackham, 2016). This winning record means that
the Marlies cannot do any wrong in the eyes of the press. Even when there are negative
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stories, they are usually related to the Leafs or opponents that are on teams playing
against the Marlies (thestar.com, 2016).
Toronto is a sports city with a storied history, particularly in hockey, which means
that the Marlies are going to be under public scrutiny more often than not. The Marlies,
however, have made the Calder Cup playoffs in seven of ten seasons while the Leafs
have only seen the Stanley Cup playoffs once in the last ten years, meaning that a lot of
the pressure and negative press goes to the Leafs (The Internet Hockey Database,
2011). This means that the Marlies PR/MR team does not need to be so proactive in
handling potential stories. That being said, the team does release a lot of messaging to
the public through their various social media accounts about the team’s progress, any
player trades or injury updates and game-time events. They are very proactive in
ensuring that the fans get first access to the team through their social mediums. By
examining how quickly they post game highlights videos and tweet about goals during a
game, one can observe how active the team is in sharing their communications and
brand with the public.
Part D: Analysis & Recommendations
In this section, the Toronto Marlies’ strengths and weaknesses will be examined
when it comes to their handling of communications and media relations.
Recommendations will also be made on how the team can improve its reputation with
the fans.
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Strengths & Weaknesses
Overall, the organization is very strong with communicating to the public and
handling stories before they become a problem. However, there is always room for
improvement. The table below will highlight the Marlies’ strengths and weaknesses
when it comes to public/media relations:
Strengths Weaknesses
Social media presence
Communication with the fans
Community outreach programs
Fan interaction opportunities
Lack of presence on some social
media outlets
Failure to capitalize on all potential
demographics
Few interest pieces
Blog content
Social Media Presence…or Lack Thereof
While the Marlies have strong Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram
accounts with lots of content and opportunities to interact for the fans, there is very little
posted on the remainder of the social media sites that they advertise themselves
belonging to (Pinterest, Foursquare and Google+). On those last three sites, the team
has not made any original posts since 2013/2014 and leaves the followers (of which
there are few) to post their own content. While this is an easy way to handle websites,
there is very little return interaction with the team for the fans and therefore, very little
reward. Comparing followers numbering in the thousands and tens of thousands for the
stronger social mediums to less than 1,000 for the other sites, it is clear that leaving
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those sites as they are has not helped build the brand or create conversation with the
fans (MarliesTv, 2016; torontomarlies, 2016; Toronto Marlies, 2016).
Communication
Zeroing in on those strong sites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram), it
is clear that the team is trying to create opportunities for fans to watch the their
progress, track players and find people with similar interests. They post content
regularly and ensure that they take the time to update the fans on everything that is
going on with the Marlies, even going so far as to retweet and repost from the Leafs’
sites when it pertains to the Marlies. The press releases for the media are also regular
and make sure that all of the relevant facts and statistics are reported from each game
or player update.
On the flip side of the coin, the Marlies blog is a wasted opportunity to release
more fan-friendly content like interviews with favourite or new players and insights into
the plays/training the team does for the young hockey players hoping to make it to the
NHL someday. The blog is too similar to the press releases and does not explore the
team enough to make it relevant.
Similar to the blog, all of the communication outlets have a distinct lack of human
interest stories about the players and how they got to where they are today. While the
Toronto Star sometimes covers those stories in high-pressure moments (i.e., the Calder
Cup playoffs), the team’s channels, website and blog could all benefit from showcasing
their players and their stories. MarliesTv’s “20 Questions with…” is a great segment, but
there should be more of those types of videos/stories available for the fans.
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Demographics
The Toronto Marlies do an admirable job of attracting families, school groups and
other parties to their games with various promotions. The demographic that they are
missing out on, in my opinion, is all the local minor hockey teams in the area. In the
Greater Toronto Hockey League alone, there are over 50,000 players (Greater Toronto
Hockey League, 2016). This is a massive target market that the team does not
advertise or promote to on a regular basis, which could mean they are missing out on a
lot more revenue.
Within the GTHL and other leagues around the GTA, there are also young girls
competing in the hopes of getting scholarships and playing for the women’s professional
leagues or competing for their country at the Olympics and World Cup. Similar to the
last demographic, it would be great for the organization to target this particular market to
increase the exposure of women in hockey and potentially, the number of girls
participating in sport.
Outreach and Fan Interaction
Community outreach is a strength that the organization puts a lot of effort into in
order to give back to the community and foster new relationships. Partnering with MLSE
Foundation is a fantastic opportunity for the team to gain more exposure and to provide
more sports and venues for participants in the area. On their own, they are able to give
joy to the children at Sick Kids and special events by having players and their mascot
available for appearances. In addition, the COBT Hammer Heads partnership is only
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going to promote goodwill towards the team for their efforts to help young people in the
community.
Alternately, the opportunities for fans to interact with their players at community
rink days or post-game autograph signings or even something as small as the “20
Questions with…” segment are all positive. Game Day Operations is made stronger by
the fact that they have a Marlies Alley for the kids to play games and make posters on
Saturdays and Sundays. These are all examples of how the team cares for its fans and
rewards the fan base with what can feel like behind-the-scenes access.
Recommendations
In terms of how to tackle the organization’s weaknesses or make their strengths
even more prevalent, the following recommendations could go a long way to making the
Toronto Marlies a more relevant team in the media:
1. Take down the accounts on social mediums that are underperforming.
a. While there is something to be said of multiple media channels advancing
brand awareness, one could argue that having accounts that are not
regularly maintained could hurt the organization. MLSE is a sports giant
and will not be affected by negative press over this issue, but it is
important for the brand overall to show a united and strong message, one
that is consistent across all teams and their social media sites. By taking
down accounts like Pinterest, Google+ and Foursquare, the organization
can eliminate the weak branches.
2. Either cancel the blog or change its content so that it brings something different
to the Marlies media communication.
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a. As mentioned previously, the Marlies blog is just a repetition of the team’s
press releases and game day previews. Rather than cancelling the blog
and taking away another mode of communication to the public, why not
change its posts entirely? By exploring the training regimen that the
players go through and plays or drills that the team utilizes, the blog could
attract a younger hockey generation looking for tips on how to improve
their game to become elite players. Adding player features that talk about
their different body types and how that changes diets, weight training and
daily activities would further strengthen these segments. Another option
would be to use the blog to talk about the community outreach programs
the club is a part of and any human interest stories revolving around the
team. There is also potential to showcase a young hockey leader in the
community who exemplifies the traits of courage, perseverance and
resiliency that the organization wants to portray in their players. The
possibilities are endless and could ensure that the team is hitting more of
their missing demographic of minor hockey teams as well as connecting
with more families in that target area.
3. Promote Marlies history, current players/prospects and other human interest
stories.
a. One thing that the Leafs organization is beginning to do is treat their past
like the hallowed grounds that it has always been. The Leafs started the
season by introducing a new video honouring their history, tradition and
past stars, then released the new/old logo for both the Leafs and Marlies
14
as of next season. As a fan who has seen the video multiple times, they
are powerful messages to the fan base that things are changing for the
better. The video and logo represent a desire to return to the old ways of
the Leafs organization, where the team was a force to be reckoned with
and were feared around the league. The same can be said for the Marlies,
who have not yet won a Calder Cup. By piggybacking onto the overall
organization’s desire to change the bad habits to the ways of old, the team
could see an increase in popularity and coverage. Winning a Calder Cup
would certainly go a long way to communicating to the fans that there is
hope for the parent team in the future as well. Using stories about the
current players, how they came to be where they are, what qualities they
feel they bring to the team, etc. is yet another way to communicate with
the fans and engender some warmth for the players. By knowing the
team, or feeling like they know the players individually, fans will become
ambassadors and storytellers for the organization.
4. There is great community outreach, but what good does it do if no one knows
about it?
a. Utilize the blog, press releases and various social media sites to cross-
promote the Marlies’ community outreach efforts. As someone who has
followed the team for the past couple of years, there really is not enough
coverage on the amazing things that the team does. Even as a fan, I did
not realize how many different ways the organization is trying to make the
community around them better. The blog can be used to write a piece
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about what the Marlies did to get involved, when it happened and how the
fan base can get involved and contribute to the cause; the press releases
can give the basic details and get the word out to the media about the
events; and finally, the social media sites (especially Instagram and
YouTube) can be used to share pictures and video clips of the events. By
adopting a more committed approach to promoting these wonderful
events, more people can become involved in whatever cause the Marlies
are supporting and ultimately raise more money and awareness for that
cause.
5. Local hockey teams could generate even more revenue for the team.
a. In a previous section, it was mentioned that the GTHL has over 50,000
players participating in the league. This statistic is important to the Marlies
because they are potentially missing out on a large return on investment
with a few clever advertisements and promotions. By hosting GTHL Game
Day or Minor Hockey Day and offering discounts on seats, merchandise
and food, the team could bring in much higher attendance numbers for
their games. Not only could revenue increase over time, but there would
be great word-of-mouth promotion from those young fans and their
parents/guardians/coaches who had a memorable experience. This simple
method could reap great rewards over time, even if the team may lose a
bit of money upfront from offering more discounted games. This promotion
would also show the fans that MLSE as an overall organization is trying to
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make things right with the fans, who have been waiting for either a Calder
Cup, Stanley Cup or Championship Trophy for many years.
6. Promote girls hockey by partnering with Ontario Women’s Hockey Association
and the Golf Association of Ontario’s “She Swings She Scores” Girls’ Club
Hockey Program (Golf Association of Ontario, 2016).
a. Female athletes are severely underrepresented in professional sports and
girls do not often get the chance to interact with or watch their heroines
play. By partnering with this amazing program, the Marlies can promote
equality and encourage more girls to come out and participate in sport.
Due to both golf and hockey being a part of this initiative, it would be
helpful to get the Marlies players doing both activities to cross-promote for
both sports and raise money and awareness for the program. Partnering
with this club would also show the organization’s commitment to
empowering young girls through sport and help ensure a more active
future for the next generation. Even more helpful would be the positive
image that the team would garner from helping such a cause.
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Toronto Marlies. (2016). Features Archive. Retrieved from Toronto Marlies:
http://www.marlies.ca/news/FeaturesArchive.asp
Toronto Marlies. (2016). Game Experience. Retrieved from Toronto Marlies:
http://www.marlies.ca/game_experience/InGameExperience.asp
Toronto Marlies. (2016). Marlies Blog. Retrieved from Toronto Marlies:
http://blog.marlies.ca/
Toronto Marlies. (2016, February 18). Marlies History. Retrieved from Toronto Marlies:
http://www.marlies.ca/history/marlies.asp
Toronto Marlies. (2016). News Archive. Retrieved from Toronto Marlies:
http://www.marlies.ca/news/archive.asp
Toronto Marlies. (2016). Our Team. Retrieved from Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/torontomarlies/our-team/
Toronto Marlies. (2016). Press Releases. Retrieved from Toronto Marlies:
http://www.marlies.ca/news/PressReleaseArchive.asp
Toronto Marlies. (2016). Schedule. Retrieved from Toronto Marlies:
http://www.marlies.ca/schedule/index.asp
Toronto Marlies. (2016). School Groups. Retrieved from Toronto Marlies:
http://www.marlies.ca/tickets/SchoolGroups.asp
Toronto Marlies. (2016). Staff Directory. Retrieved from Toronto Marlies:
http://www.marlies.ca/team/StaffDirectory.asp
Toronto Marlies. (2016). Toronto Marlies Facebook. Retrieved from Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TorontoMarlies/
Toronto Marlies. (2016). Toronto Marlies Foursquare. Retrieved from Foursquare:
https://foursquare.com/torontomarlies
20
Toronto Marlies. (2016). Toronto Marlies Google+. Retrieved from Google+:
https://plus.google.com/+torontomarlies
Toronto Marlies. (2016, March). Toronto Marlies Twitter. Retrieved from Twitter:
https://twitter.com/torontomarlies
torontomarlies. (2016). torontomarlies. Retrieved from Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/torontomarlies/
Zwolinski, M. (2012, June 9). Toronto Marlies lose 6-1 as Norfolk Admirals complete
sweep in Calder Cup final. Retrieved from thestar.com:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2012/06/09/toronto_marlies_lose_61_as_n
orfolk_admirals_complete_sweep_in_calder_cup_final.html
Zwolinski, M. (2016, February 10). New Leaf prospect Tobias Lindberg practices on line
with Nylander and Kapanen. Retrieved from thestar.com:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2016/02/10/new-leaf-prospect-tobias-
lindberg-practices-on-line-with-nylander-and-kapanen.html
21
Appendix
Below are the social media interactions that I had with the Toronto Marlies
organization on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook from January 23 to February 22, 2016.
YouTube
January 24, 2016:
January 29, 2016:
22
January 31, 2016:
February 4, 2016:
23
February 10, 2016:
February 11, 2016:
February 13, 2016:
24
February 14, 2016:
February 20, 2016:
February 21, 2016:
25
February 22, 2016:
January 24 – February 11, 2016:
26
February 12 – 22, 2016:
January 23, 2016:
27
January 27, 2016:
January 31, 2016:
28
February 1, 2016:
February 3, 2016:
29
February 6, 2016:
February 9, 2016:
30
February 13, 2016:
February 20, 2016 (2):