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MethodologyIn April of 2020, I had the opportunity to lead a team in developing and executing the Akron RubberDucks “Opening Day At Home” live event. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, sports was forced to take a different form during the 2020 season, and the Opening Day At Home project brought the sights and sounds of Canal Park to fans across the nation.
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Promotion
Due to a baseball season that, at the time, was postponed, our marketing and promotional efforts were shifted. Through an increased attention to social media engagement, we promoted the event through animations, social graphics and news articles, as well as built a relationship with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to throw out a first pitch while wearing a custom Akron RubberDucks-branded tie.
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Live ActivationDuring the early part of quarantine, one of my goals was growing the Akron RubberDucks YouTube channel. By enhancing the quantity and formatting of the videos posted, we were able to grow the platform's subscriber count by 406%. Due to the success on the platform, we produced a live production hosted on YouTube that was watched by over 2,238 people live and currently has over 7,800 views.
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Community Response
“Wow, what a great way to spread some positivity in this climate with the virtual Opening Day. A great job by you and staff to set the stage with the well wishes. Tim Kurkjian was a nice surprise! The dedication to Tom Ball and Governor’s first pitch were great touches as well. The video was great from start to end, including the ‘win’ and fireworks.” |
“This is great stuff. Very well done! “ "I got goosebumps at the start of the Virtual Home Opener. Thanks for reminding us what we have to look forward to!” |
“I’m sorry that opening day had to be virtual but such a creative way to kick off the season. Hopefully this summer, we can get back to in-person sports viewing.” |