99SYN14528_SocialSportsFanDoc-V2

Across all levels of fans, motivation for using social
is strikingly simple; everyone wants immediacy and ease
of access to information. As fan level increases, demand
for a richer breadth of information also increases
“You can be watching Sky Sports
News and hear something you
already know because it’s been on
Twitter for 30 minutes to an hour.
– Niall, athlete.
“
Reason for using
2.1 I want it all and I want it now
Smartphone-packing sports fans move fast. So does social. Today, content must be quick
too. ‘Real-time’ is possibly the best example of where brands are getting content right.
This new trend for publishing branded content from social command centres within minutes
of the action is in perfect keeping with what Millennials want.
Immediate access is of massive importance. Wrapped up in this is the need for this access
to be ‘easy’. Content that drops into the palm of their hand, through the channels they already
use, when they most expect it. Don’t make me work: work for me.
Our findings report something a little deeper as a driver of content consumption: ‘breadth of
content’. Millennial sports fans don’t just want one angle on the story, they want all
the angles. They suck up the range of perspectives available and make up their
own minds.
So, brands need to be fast and stand out. This is where creativity counts. Creativity that
doesn’t get in the way of the content, but elevates it. Give them what they want. Give it fast.
And give it beautifully packaged.
Having found out what type of content sports fans
found most interesting, we are now able to evaluate
why this is the case.
Respondents were asked to measure on a scale of
1 (‘not a driver’) to 5 (‘main driver’) how much certain
aspects drive their sport-based social media usage.
Results showed that immediacy of information (79%
main driver) and ease of access to information (78%
main driver) were the key drivers for social media use.
Fans want real-time content and they want to find it,
fast. The need for a richer breadth of information was
the next biggest driver, and became increasingly
important as fanship levels grew. This suggests that
the ability to understand all sides of an issue, and have
all the facts possible, is essential for those Massive
Sports Fans.
78% of sports fans
state that ease
of access and
immediacy of
information are key
drivers for social
media use