Digital Strategy - Pittsburgh Riverhounds

By: Gisela Cuddy

Background

The city of Pittsburgh is renowned for its major sports teams, including the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. However, what people may not realize is that one of the most memorable and enjoyable nights out in the city can be found at a stadium located on the south side. This venue offers impressive views, exciting games, and a welcoming, lively atmosphere that is sure to leave a lasting impression on all who attend.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC was founded in March of 1998 and marked the end of a 12-year professional soccer hiatus in the city following the folding of the Pittsburgh Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League in 1986. The club was created with a vision of embodying the spirit of Pittsburgh and the surrounding western Pennsylvania region, while also offering young athletes the chance to pursue their dreams of playing soccer at the professional level.

Pittsburgh is well-known throughout the world for its sports culture and has a rich sports heritage. The Riverhounds, despite their fame, find it difficult to get recognized in a city that is home to three of the four main sports teams in North America.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds play their home games at Highmark Stadium with the city's skyline in the background.

Digital Strategy

Writing a digital strategy is a six-step process that will allow a company to target its intended audience and increase sales. The initial step involves defining the measurable goals for both the client and the campaign, which should be clearly outlined in the creative brief. Next, it is essential to pinpoint the target audience and tailor content to their specific interests. Understanding the current industry landscape for a particular campaign is the third step that the client would need to be aware of. Identifying competitors and evaluating their online presence is pertinent in making informed decisions on improving the client's brand. The remaining steps include developing a recommended strategy that outlines the channels to be utilized and determining the focus of the content, as well as identifying key messages for each audience and assessing existing assets that can be leveraged or shared with users.

The primary goal for the Riverhounds is to increase the number of attendance at their games and boost ticket sales. By achieving this goal, they hope to cultivate a more dedicated and loyal fan base, leading to a significant increase in the overall profitability of the organization. For the Riverhounds to achieve this, they must be able to persuade individuals to attend games, despite external factors like city traffic and monetary restrictions. Creating an appealing atmosphere like this would attract new supporters, offering a welcoming environment that makes them want to return for future matches.

An important step in developing a robust digital strategy involves identifying and understanding the target audience, as well as determining effective ways to engage with as many individuals as possible. In the case of the Riverhounds, their target audience consists of Pittsburgh sports fans, particularly soccer enthusiasts. By cultivating a fan base among this group, the team can establish long-term loyalty and expand its reach to potential fans who may not typically follow sports.

Establishing a strong social media presence is also important for any brand. The Riverhounds have already made strides in this area by being fairly active on most platforms such as Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok. While they regularly post content on the first three platforms, their TikTok account has not been updated since mid-April. Regardless, they have been engaging with fans to stay up-to-date on upcoming events, broadcasting schedules, and final game scores.

In addition, understanding and finding ways to boost ticket sales for sporting events can help increase the amount of attendees for each game, and involves providing incentives to entice fans to purchase season tickets. By offering discounts and throwing in extra perks such as discounted concessions or merchandise, this brand can drive up season ticket sales and ensure a full stadium at every game.

Fans cheering on the Riverhounds at their home stadium.

One of the most effective ways to boost attendance at sporting events is by providing attendees with exclusive experiences that go beyond the typical game-day atmosphere. This could include giving fans special access to players or offering behind-the-scenes tours of the venue. Fans are always eager to get a peek behind the curtain of their favorite teams, and having the opportunity to meet players or explore other areas of the stadium can be a major selling point.

To increase attendance at their home games during the 2015 season, the AFC Ann Arbor soccer team turned to TrueView in-stream ads to create a buzz within the local community. "You have five seconds to make an impression," Bilal says. "Viewers might skip the first few times, but that fourth or fifth time we can definitely capture them. That five-second model is genius." AFC Ann Arbor originally expected its in-stream campaign to comprise about 25 percent of its marketing efforts. "By the time we were done, it was 60 to 75 percent of our total."

One potential strategy that is often underestimated but could be highly effective in this scenario to gain public attention is to work with the other sports teams in the city. By collaborating with teams like the Steelers or Pirates, the Riverhounds could attract a larger fan base and increase visibility for the soccer league. For instance, hosting a player from one of the more popular teams at a Riverhounds game could help elevate the profile of the soccer league and draw in new fans. This approach has the potential to benefit all teams involved and form a sense of unity among sports enthusiasts in the community.

An example of this occurred last month when the Pirates had the opportunity to showcase their marketing skills by inviting newly acquired Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson to throw the first pitch at their game. This strategic move not only drew in more fans to the Pirates game but also generated publicity for the Steelers and their new player. It was a win-win situation for both teams, as they were able to increase fan engagement and create a positive image for both organizations.

Increasing fan engagement goes beyond attracting more attendees to sporting events; it requires sports teams to deepen their interactions with all fans through various means such as social media, exclusive digital groups, and other athletes who attend. All of this is essential for improving overall fan engagement and fostering a stronger connection between fans and the sports teams in their region.