FOX Sports North Responds to Disaster in Japan

FS North and Minnesota Twins take action to support new Japanese teammate Tsuyoshi Nishioka and the many victims of the disaster.

Network and team create campaign to raise awareness to support relief efforts.

FOX Sports North Efforts Included:

* Creating and coordinating the production of a PSA with the help of the Minnesota Twins

* Posting numerous articles on FoxSportsNorth.com reporting on the tragedy

* Teaming up with major media outlets, the Japan American Society and FujiTV to spread the word

* Continuing to keep relief efforts on the minds of viewers and readers (and encouraging text to donate)  via on-air, online and social media exposure

Articles: FOX Sports North posted numerous articles online at FoxSportsNorth.com and sent links out to fans via social media:

Breaking news: Fox Sports North published an Associated Press story on the earthquake to get news out as timely as possible.

Nishioka and Family: Many Twins fans’ thoughts quickly turned to the already-beloved infielder and the safety of his family when they heard the news. Nishioka was able to contact his family and assured the media of their safety. FOX Sports North worked with the Pioneer Press about situation in an article by Tom Powers.

Earthquake leaves Japanese baseball players and fans scrambling: The chaos of the massive earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that wrought havoc in northern Japan has touched the lives of Japanese baseball players and fans on both sides of the globe.

PSA
FOX Sports North immediately started working with the Minnesota Twins to coordinate, shoot and create a public service announcement (PSA) designed to raise awareness and encourage fans to text to donate.

The spot features Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Michael Cuddyer. In the video Cuddyer translates Nishioka’s Japanese as he asks fans to text Red Cross to make a donation to the relief effort.

Click here to watch

Formed Relationships & Spread the Word

With the PSA complete, FOX Sports North immediately scheduled it across all platforms (on-air, web, social media) and set up a FTP site, so it could be shared with numerous partners.

Minnesota Twins/MLB: The spot was requested by the Minnesota Twins as well as Major League Baseball. It was posted online and shared across their social media platforms.

Major media outlets across Midwest: The Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) played a role in helping FOX Sports North distribute the Minnesota Twins Japan Relief efforts PSA to news stations, cable affiliates, radio and major online resources across the Midwest via a FTP site in a timely matter.

Japan American Society: The Minnesota chapter of the society; not only helped FOX Sports North with interpretation of numerous news stories, but also helped communicate foxsportsnorth.com articles, and the PSA via their different platforms.

Fuji TV/ Mezamashi TV: A major electronic company, based in Japan reached out to FOX Sports North for a copy of the PSA with plans to air across their multiple platforms

DONATE

If you haven’t already, please help:  text “RED CROSS” to 90999. ($10 donation)