How a new Web platform and digital technology are helping the AFL increase fan engagement

Traffic up 34 per cent according to Australian Football League (AFL) organisation

AFL Media head of operations Michael Solomon.
AFL Media head of operations Michael Solomon.

A new Web platform, stronger digital strategy and taste for technology innovation are all playing key roles in the Australian Football League’s (AFL) efforts to lift interactive and timely fan engagement. And according to the group behind the game, they’re also opening up new ways to raise awareness and drive interest in the sport.

The AFL has increased website traffic by 34 per cent since the introduction of a Web content management system (CMS) in March 2013. The OpenText CMS platform was introduced to ensure that if an AFL fan is visiting the site using their PC, smartphone or tablet, content is optimised for that device.

According to AFL Media head of operations, Michael Solomon, the biggest benefit since the rollout has been the increase of “trustworthy and timely” news about AFL players and clubs.

“The website is often the first port of call for fans in the morning and has been designed so they can get a snapshot of the AFL news and highlights, while being able to delve more deeply into a topic of interest,” he commented. For example, fans can find out more about fantasy tipping on AFL matches and where to buy tickets to games.

According to Solomon, the website now averages 4 million unique visitors per month during the AFL season. The most popular sections are match day, video, news and fixture information.

“The trusted [news] resource is something we wanted from the outset. We tend not to sensationalise anything, we stick to the facts and present a story that is easily digested,” he said. “This is underpinned by traditional journalistic quality across the written content and video. This has been our strategy from the outset and the numbers suggest we are achieving excellent results.”

Appealing to fans

Read more: Suncorp appoints content marketing consultancy Edge to deliver Business Insurance Hub

While the AFL site may boast healthy traffic numbers, Solomon acknowledged its marketing teams have gone on the offensive in New South Wales and Queensland to try and drag punters away from popular National Rugby League (NRL) and rugby union codes.

“From a marketing perspective, we have very targeted strategies from participation through to attendance, which have successfully drive interest in the AFL. According to Repucom data, we have seen double-digit growth in AFL interest from NSW and Queensland over the last four years,” said Solomon.

Social media is also a big part of the AFL’s digital media strategy. Its Facebook page has 627,000 likes, while the official AFL Twitter account has 221,000 followers.

“We’ve had players; an umpire and the coach of every club take control of AFL Twitter to chat directly with the fans. As an example, the coaches were put through a `press conference’ by the fans days before the season began, where they had the opportunity to discuss which players were taking on new roles, who was likely to debut, and what they do away from footy,” Solomon said.

Getting technical

Aside from the website and social media engagement, the AFL is branching into wearable technology. Fans who own a Pebble smartwatch have been able to receive updates about the game on their watch since May 2014. The AFL Live app lets users receive real time scores and updates to their smartwatch.

Despite Google Glass not being commercially available in Australia yet, Telstra and Seventh Beam developed an app called AFL Glassware in September 2013 for the 2014 season. The app allows fans to choose a live game commentary or have the commentary translated to text via the optical display. Customers can also view scores and stats while watching the match.

Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick

Follow CMO on Twitter: @CMOAustralia, take part in the CMO Australia conversation on LinkedIn: CMO Australia, or join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMOAustralia

Signup to CMO’s new email newsletter to receive your weekly dose of targeted content for the modern marketing chief.

Join the newsletter!

Or

Sign up to gain exclusive access to email subscriptions, event invitations, competitions, giveaways, and much more.

Membership is free, and your security and privacy remain protected. View our privacy policy before signing up.

Error: Please check your email address.
Show Comments

Latest Videos

More Videos

More Brand Posts

What are Chris Riddell's qualifications to talk about technology? What are the awards that Chris Riddell has won? I cannot seem to find ...

Tareq

Digital disruption isn’t disruption anymore: Why it’s time to refocus your business

Read more

Enterprisetalk

Mark

CMO's top 10 martech stories for the week - 9 June

Read more

Great e-commerce article!

Vadim Frost

CMO’s State of CX Leadership 2022 report finds the CX striving to align to business outcomes

Read more

Are you searching something related to Lottery and Lottery App then Agnito Technologies can be a help for you Agnito comes out as a true ...

jackson13

The Lottery Office CEO details journey into next-gen cross-channel campaign orchestration

Read more

Thorough testing and quality assurance are required for a bug-free Lottery Platform. I'm looking forward to dependability.

Ella Hall

The Lottery Office CEO details journey into next-gen cross-channel campaign orchestration

Read more

Blog Posts

Marketing prowess versus the enigma of the metaverse

Flash back to the classic film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Television-obsessed Mike insists on becoming the first person to be ‘sent by Wonkavision’, dematerialising on one end, pixel by pixel, and materialising in another space. His cinematic dreams are realised thanks to rash decisions as he is shrunken down to fit the digital universe, followed by a trip to the taffy puller to return to normal size.

Liz Miller

VP, Constellation Research

Why Excellent Leadership Begins with Vertical Growth

Why is it there is no shortage of leadership development materials, yet outstanding leadership is so rare? Despite having access to so many leadership principles, tools, systems and processes, why is it so hard to develop and improve as a leader?

Michael Bunting

Author, leadership expert

More than money talks in sports sponsorship

As a nation united by sport, brands are beginning to learn money alone won’t talk without aligned values and action. If recent events with major leagues and their players have shown us anything, it’s the next generation of athletes are standing by what they believe in – and they won’t let their values be superseded by money.

Simone Waugh

Managing Director, Publicis Queensland

Sign in