The NFL’s winningest program of the last decade has proven itself as the quintessential franchise, both on and off the field. Under the guidance of Kraft Group’s President, Jonathan Kraft, and General Manager and Head Coach Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots have undergone one of the most remarkable franchise turnarounds in sports history.
Since Kraft’s then-record purchase of the Pats for $175 million in 1994, New England has seen its hometown team transform from mediocre in performance and monetary value to a perennial power, with three Super Bowl championships. While Belichick’s offensive innovation and football intelligence has been the primary cause of the Patriots’ success and global popularity, Kraft’s technological innovations have played a role worthy of recognition as well.
As Co-Chairman of the NFL’s Digital Committee, Kraft has been able to use the Patriots’ platform to experiment with the latest technological strategies over the last two decades. In 1995, the terms eBay, Craigslist, and Wikipedia had yet to reach the average American household, yet it was the Patriots who found themselves an online audience through the first official NFL blog in the mid 1990s. From the first live-blogs to the first official website in 2005, Kraft’s Patriots repeatedly demonstrate themselves as an organization that enjoys beating you in more ways than one.
When discussing the Patriots’ innovative and efficient use of tech, Fred Kirsch is one individual that should come to mind. Kirsch, the Vice President of Content and Publisher for New England, spearheaded their first blogs of the 90’s, cleverly titled “Kirschwords” at the time, and continues to develop new digital methods to engage fans.
The launch of the first Patriots app in 2009 marked the second official NFL team app after the Dallas Cowboys. Now, in 2015, the Pats’ app network includes Patriots Daily, a mobile version of the team newspaper; New England Patriots, a live video, audio, and news hub; and Patriots Gameday Live, an app tailored specifically to fans experiencing the game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
In an interview with SessionM, Kirsch stated that the daily number of page views on the New England Patriots app actually surpasses that of Patriots.com, especially on game-days. Kirsch went on to mention the growing app and media market in which the Patriots franchise must compete with other media sources to attract fans to their content. In other words, the millions of loyal Pats fans around the globe support the same squad on the field, but remain loyal to separate media outlets for coverage. To combat this divergence of allegiances, Kirsch’s team has connected with Boston-based SessionM, a media loyalty and advertising platform.
SessionM is a free program that connects mobile users on a deeper level to apps and advertisements through a reward system called mPoints. Individuals using an app with SessionM will be able to earn mPoints for viewing new content, sharing social media posts, returning to the app daily, and more. It is the developer’s choice as to where and how users of their app earn mPoints, making it a versatile platform effective for nearly all apps on the market.
SessionM also places mPoint opportunities on qualified ads already within an app to allow users a chance to cash-in on a picture or video clip they may otherwise skip or ignore. As mPoints accumulate, users earn real rewards, including gift cards, designer products, and whatever else is currently available on the mPoint rewards market. Occasionally, mPoints can be used to enter sweepstakes to earn exclusive prizes and memorabilia.
So far, their partnership with SessionM has reaped the Patriots’ media team digital dividends. The Patriots are able to develop strategies using mPoint incentives to direct online traffic and point fans towards specific content, and for their cooperation, fans are rewarded. With SessionM, both parties win. Fans continue to frequent the Pat’s online media and SessionM shares the ever-growing ad revenue.
New England’s massive success and popularity shows in their considerable presence on the core trio of social media networks: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Not only do the Patriots lead the NFL in Twitter followers (1 million+), but they are at the top in Instagram followers (810,000+), and Facebook likes (5,750,000+), respectively.
In 2014, the Patriots’ social media scored an astounding 94 rating on Klout, an award-winning platform used by over 200,000 companies to enhance and grow brands through social media. However, it certainly does not take a media expert at Klout to recognize the Patriots’ influence online, and it certainly is no secret as to why they are so successful. The Pats simply put more effort into expanding their social media, and adding consistently interesting content.
The Patriots’ fan contests put more on the line than your typical franchise. This year, one lucky Patriots fan was actually able to walk on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals as an honorary captain. Another lucky fan was singled out among the masses and decorated as the official Patriots Fan of the Year, and awarded with hundreds of dollars worth of tickets, field passes, and team gear.
If you are a New England fan and unable to make the tailgating scene at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots Pre-Game Social on Facebook offers you the best virtual experience to connect you with thousands of other fans across the web. In partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts, the Patriots Pre-Game Social gives you a live radio broadcast two hours before the game and an immediate post-game report in which you can ask questions by posting, calling, tweeting, and e-mailing–discuss news with other fans and post photos of how you are watching the game on Sunday.
As the old adage goes, “success is not an accident,” and the Patriots are living, thriving proof of that expression. Whether it be technological advancements or developing an unknown receiving core, the NFL’s model franchise never stops evolving. Excellent leadership throughout the front office, on the sidelines, and on the field has translated into success on all fronts for New England.