In a newly launched ACC football feature developed by FOX Sports South and executed in partnership with Raycom Media, the network and its ACC football broadcast crew are asking fans: “What should our crew do in your town this week?” Each week, one fan-submitted idea is chosen for a feature to air on that week's ACC football broadcast and the network’s weekly magazine show, ACC All Access.
In the days leading up to the ACC game each week, fans can tweet their suggestions with the hashtag #ACCAllAccess, driving awareness for the broadcast, the segment, and the weekly magazine show. Fans can also tweet their ideas directly to @FOXSportsSouth or to the ACC broadcast team of Wes Durham, Brian Stann, and Jenn Hildreth.
To spread the word, a combination of social media outreach and on air mentions (including in the preceding week’s ACC game and on ACC All Access) promote the segment.
FOX Sports South's ACC Football talent were instrumental in spreading the word:
In the first week the concept was rolled out, over 100 suggestions
were received via Twitter. The overall
reach of these tweets was well over 500,000,
thanks to the large social media following of our ACC broadcast crew and the
participation of several established Clemson influencers.
Keys to the success of this social media integration with the broadcast were the support and buy-in from production and talent. Hildreth brought the idea to production before the season began, so the concept had great support from talent at the very start. FOX Sports South production and social media departments worked closely with Raycom Media to ensure they could execute the weekly feature and received their full support.
Talent genuinely enjoyed engaging with the fans in conversation leading up to the game, and they did a great job spurring the conversation on throughout the entire week, ultimately making the initiative successful by engaging viewers and driving awareness for ACC games. The process also gave the crew an opportunity to bond, build chemistry and showcase their personalities for viewers.
More than one-hundred suggestions came in from Clemson fans,
reaching over 500,000 Twitter users:
Talent and production convened on Thursday to make the decision and filmed the feature on Friday, tweeting out teaser photos and encouraging fans to tune in to see the feature:
Clemson influencers on social media, including the athletic department and local media and bloggers, supported the effort by tweeting about it and encouraging their followers to send suggestions:
Hildreth introduced the new segment as halftime of the S.C. State - Clemson game came to a close, and in addition to showcasing the "winning" suggestion, "Mac's Drive In," a beloved Clemson establishment, several of the best suggestions were referenced, giving multiple participants on-air kudos for taking part. The feature not only highlighted a classic local landmark, but also served to showcase the broadcast crew's personalities and drive a great conversation about the broadcast leading up to the game on Saturday. As the segment wrapped up, Hildreth asked fans to start sending in their suggestions for the following week’s “What should our crew do?” feature in Wake Forest, as this will become a recurring weekly segment on the ACC football broadcasts and on the show ACC All Access.
"What Should Our Crew Do?" - Wes Durham, Brian Stann, and Jenn Hildreth visit "Mac's Drive In" in Clemson, S.C.:
