Note: I'm an open-minded sports fan who ponders the stadium debate from time to time, and who does client work for SavetheVikes.org. Views expressed here are mine alone.
Although the Vikings enjoy a rabid fan following and stellar television ratings, the on-field love has not translated to a new, publicly funded stadium as it did for the Cowboys.
It's a contradiction I call the purple paradox. And it has me thinking, could the team use social media to move the needle of public opinion in its favor?
Of course, passions rise when you get into the politics of publicly funded stadiums. I'm not going there with this post. Instead, I'm interested in how the team could use social media to make a stronger case to the public in their stadium drive.
If you were in their position, what would you do?
Start by aspiring to a vision greater than the Vikings organization. The best way to gain traction in social media is to do something remarkable or unexpected. Beyond the known benefits like keeping the team in MN, construction jobs and possibly attracting a Super Bowl, how else could the stadium serve the greater good?
Yes, the new stadium design is green, but what if it actually generated energy and gave back to the grid? What if the new stadium and surrounding development consisted entirely of local/sustainable business? What if rural or impoverished Minnesotans had better opportunities to use the facility? Whatever it is, if the public is going to help pay for it, the Vikings need to find more ways to do remarkable things for Minnesota.
Open conversation to the community. Closely related to the first point, this is about crowdsourcing the vision. Ask for ideas from the public to make the stadium a truly remarkable addition to the community. Hold live or online forums to discuss what we want Minnesota to look like and if/how the stadium and team fit into that picture.
Let the public in on the decision making process as much as possible. Look at the Pepsi Refresh Project or the Open Government Initiative as examples of how to solicit the best ideas.
Use players to break the tension. No, the players shouldn't be directly pimped for the stadium effort, but when the debate gets heated, the team's personalities (and there are some great ones) could bring some levity and goodwill to the situation. Imagine pulling off a series of online videos in the same vein as the SportsCenter commercials while poking fun at the Metrodome and the entire stadium situation, you'd have a decent chance of viral success.
Showcase team's current and future good works. Let's face it: Vikings players have never had the squeaky clean image that the Twins enjoy. Yet when you look at the Vikings' community and charitable efforts, they're quite impressive and have actually grown under Wilf's ownership. The problem is few people know about the positive things the players do for the community.
Capture some good, entertaining video of these efforts and start pushing it out through the team's social channels. Players should also be encouraged to get social by talking about their outreach efforts through Facebook, Twitter or personal blogs. Also, start asking what else the players could do for this community. What if each player chose a social entrepreneur to invest in? Plenty more ideas could be generated through crowdsourcing.
Tap into the passion of fans. Get fans thinking more about what the team means to them beyond Sunday afternoon entertainment. There are strong currents of pride, family and community running through the fan base. What if you offered a platform for fans to tell their greatest, funniest or strangest Vikings memories? The public could vote on their favorite videos and winners could get season tickets.
The team's Facebook page has about 360,000 fans, not to mention the many unofficial pages out there. Why not try to start a meme? For example, think of the one thing you'd miss most if the Vikings left and make that your status
Those are just a few ideas. If you have more, I'd love to hear them.
