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vs

Georgia Bulldogs

Atlanta Falcons

Ashlyn Faulkner October 20, 2017

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Table of Contents Executive Summary………………………………………………………………… 3

Brief Overview

Georgia Bulldogs Football…………………..…………………………….. 4

Atlanta Falcons………………………………………..…………………….… 5

Company Comparison Overview………………………………………... 6

Analysis of Social Media Presence…………………………………………….. 7

Goals/ Strategies/ Target Market……………………………………………… 8

Platform Comparisons

Facebook………………………………………………………….…….... 9 – 10

Instagram………………………………………………………….…….. 11 – 12

Twitter……………………………………………………………….…… 13 – 14

YouTube…………………………………………………………………. 15 – 16

Results………………………………………………………………………………….. 17

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………. 18

Winner…………………………………………………………………………………. 19

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Executive Summary

The collegiate and professional sports industries are two of the most

profitable industries in America. Fundamentally, both are entertainment

based industries, appealing to consumers of all ages and genders. Football is

no exception to this vast audience. During the 2014 regular season, the total

average attendance to NFL games was 17.36 million fans – a number which

has grown in the past two years. For college football, that same average is a

staggering 49.1 million*. The Atlanta Falcons franchise and the University of

Georgia Bulldogs football program are both great representations of just

how successful the combined business of sports and entertainment can be.

Although both teams are not in the same league, they are direct competitors

due to their close regional proximity with a nearly identical target market.

This report analyzes the varying digital marketing strategies that each

team’s brand chooses to take on consumer social media platforms. It also

highlights their successes and failures, expressing which brand is the overall

most effective on each platform. It is important to note that since there are

many NCAA teams in the state of Georgia but only one NFL team, the

Falcons are expected to have a larger overall fan base. So, although they may

have overall more “likes” or “followers” than Georgia Football, that does not

equate to a better overall social media marketing strategy. This report

compares the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Bulldogs’ marketing tactics on

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as their general

strength, sentiment, passion, and reach on social media in order to analyze

communication between brand and consumer. Suggestions are also given

for how each brand can improve in areas where their platform may be

lacking. Utilizing these comparisons will eventually help to establish a

leader in overall social media marketing strategy between the Georgia

Bulldogs and the Atlanta Falcons.

* There are 666 collegiate football teams in the NCAA; the NFL has 32. So, while we can expect the annual number of

attendees to be far higher at college games than professional, it does not mean that one is more profitable than the other.

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Overview: Georgia Bulldogs Football

The Georgia Bulldogs played their first football game in 1929.

The current program is located in Athens, Georgia playing in the historic Sanford Stadium. The team is currently a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which is one of the most popular and competitive conferences in the NCAA. The Bulldogs currently hold 14 conference titles, 7 division titles, and 2 national titles.

The University of Georgia is not only a highly regarded educational institution, but also a business and a brand, and the UGA football team is no exception. While the NCAA has strict rules that prohibit payment to players and many other monetary limitations, nonetheless, Georgia Bulldogs football makes millions of dollars in profit every year. After their 2014 season, the Georgia was the #3 most profitable football program in the nation, bringing in a gross profit of $51.3 million. This is all to say that Georgia Bulldogs football, although under NCAA restrictions, is as much of a business as any other brand.

A major focus of the Georgia Bulldogs brand strategy is on tradition and pride. These two concepts play a major role in marketing the image of both the institution itself and its athletic program to the target audience. Appealing to these emotions is a strategy that is deeply embedded in marketing to the Georgia Bulldog fan base, and Georgia football is perhaps its biggest proponent. Capturing the passion and excitement derived from the sport, and marketing that through various platforms to their target market is a major driver of sales and brand awareness.

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Overview: Atlanta Falcons The Falcons became a professional team in the NFL in 1965.

Located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, they are currently playing

their last season in the Georgia Dome before moving to the new

Mercedes-Benz stadium for the 2017 season. They have won 5

division championships and made one Super Bowl appearance in

1998, however they did not win.

The main purpose of the Atlanta Falcon’s franchise is to play

and succeed in professional football, while simultaneously

providing the residents of Georgia with a fulfilling spectating

experience. The Atlanta area is currently experiencing rapid

population growth. Combine that with the fact that the Falcons are

the only NFL franchise team in Georgia, and this Atlanta football

brand has a competitive advtange that they certainly have the

ability to capitalize on. The Falcons annual revenue was $336

million in the 2015 season. Although the investment in the new

Mercedes-Benz stadium is pricey, it brings with it enormous

potential for future sales and brand awareness to those living in

Atlanta, especially in helping draw in consumers who may have

never considered attending a game before.

With all of the potential for both brand loyalty and expansion,

the Atlanta Falcons marketing team should be working harder now

than ever to appeal to the newly established Atlanta residents and a

younger generation who will soon be looking for ways to spend their

independence. A strong social media presence is crucial to their

future success.

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Company Comparison Overview

Georgia Bulldogs

Atlanta Falcons

Year Founded

1929

1965

Location

Athens, GA

Atlanta, GA

Average Ticket Price (varies greatly)

$78.00

$79.00

Annual Revenue (2014)

$51.3 million

$303 million

Average Attendance per Game

90,000 attendees

70,000 attendees

Major Corporate Sponsors

Nike, AT&T, Delta, Chick-fil-A, Ford,

Nissan, Georgia Power, StubHub

MillerCoors, Home

Depot, Coca-Cola, Visa, Verizon, Ford,

Mercedes-Benz, Papa Johns

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Analysis of Social Media Presence Georgia Bulldogs Atlanta Falcons

42% Strength

1:1 Sentiment

68% Passion

14% Reach

Strength: According to these averages, the Falcons have overall greater

strength than the Bulldogs. This means that the Atlanta Falcons’ brand is

12% more likely to be talked about on the web.

Sentiment: Both teams’ sentiments averaged out to the same score. The

1:1 brand sentiment tells us that the ratio of generally positive to generally

negative comments on the web is roughly equal. Without inferring

causation, both teams also have approximately a 1:1 wins to losses ratio so

far this season, so these results aren’t necessarily surprising since each

week the teams play there is about an even number of positive outcomes

(wins) to negative outcomes (losses).

Passion: On average, the Bulldog’s football program beats the Falcons.

Here, the likelihood that proprietors of the brand will talk about Georgia

football repeatedly is 68%, compared to the Falcons’ 59%.

Reach: Both brands have a fairly low percentage in this area and could

certainly invest in improvement. However, the Falcons’ score is slightly

higher when it comes to the number of unique individuals talking about

the brand divided by the number of mentions.

Results… Falcons take the win in social media presence according to

SocialMention averages. This essentially came down to reach and strength,

where the Falcons’ brand beat the ‘Dawgs by 12% more in both areas.

54% Strength

1:1 Sentiment

59% Passion

22% Reach

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Georgia Bulldogs

Atlanta Falcons

Goals

Increase brand awareness

Stimulate sales

Enhance the university’s image

Increase demand in university attendance

Increase brand awareness

Stimulate sales

Expand loyal fan base Convert non-Falcons fans

Strategies

Major platform focus: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo

Billboards

Digital newsletters

Strong emotional appeals to pride or inspiration Hype videos Phraseology such as

“Glory, Glory”, “Dawg Nation”, and “Commit to the G” used frequently in posts on social platforms, graphics, banners, videos, etc.

Major platform focus: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Videos and commercials

Billboards

Digital newsletters

#RiseUp Campaign since 2015

season. Has become a major influence through social media platforms for both the Falcons brand and its followers

Target Market

Sports fans Predominantly in the

North Georgia region, but not exclusively.

Consumers of all ages Includes children.

Georgia Bulldogs is a family friendly brand, so it includes marketing to kids and their parents.

Men and women Although football is more

popular among males, the Bulldogs’ marketing strategy is not directed toward a specific gender.

Current and prospective UGA students

UGA alumni

Sports fans Predominantly in the

state of Georgia, but not exclusively.

Consumers of all ages

Includes children. Georgia Bulldogs is a family friendly brand, so it includes marketing to kids and their parents.

Men and women

Although football is more

popular among males, the

Falcons’ marketing

strategy is not directed

toward a specific gender.

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Platform: Facebook

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Platform: Facebook Georgia Football Atlanta Falcons

Likes: 329,492 Posts average less than 1 per day

leading up to Saturday.

Posts Saturday before the game and then consistently at the end of each quarter

Posts are almost all graphics – either images or videos.

Content includes game updates, general game day “hype”, weekly highlights of “Dawgs in the NFL”, anything else related to Georgia football such as Kirby Smart press conferences or info on cable network coverage of a game.

Cover photo and profile photo both appropriate and effective

Could do a much better job of utilizing side bar for views and apps and links to other social media accounts

Likes: 1,838,175 Posts average 7 – 10 per day Content posted includes videos,

graphics, links to articles on atlantafalcons.com

Cover photo and profile picture both appropriate and effective

Good descriptions on posts, some writing before the content but not too much

Regularity and consistency of posts does a great job of driving fan engagement

Great use of views and apps on side bar in profile, linking to other social media sites as well as more photos and videos

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Platform: Instagram

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Platform: Instagram Georgia Football Atlanta Falcons

Followers: 284,000

Posts: 3,070

Excellent job of capturing moments that are interesting to the Georgia football brand and its core audience

Posts are consistent

Photos are clean, professional, encaptivating

Hashtags are used consistently throughout the season such as #DawgNation and #CommitToTheG – allows fans to easily connect and interact

Also make use of hashtags for specific games: #TENNvsUGA, #VANvsUGA

Tags locations

Follows others in the industry

Integrated with other social media accounts

Overall, post content is consistent and creates a theme for the overall image of pride and intensity that Georgia Football emulates.

Followers: 508,000

Posts: 3,768

Many action shots, professional, clean and consistent

Posts more frequently, abut 1 – 3 per day

Captions vary; use emoji’s, some in all caps, very few hashtags.

Consistent hashtags include #RiseUp and #Falcons

Makes us of game day hashtags such as #ATLvsSEA

More personal tone as opposed to professional

Follows others in the industry

Tags locations

Does not integrate other social media platforms

Also creates a common theme throughout the account which reflects well on the brand, however, is not as interactive with audience and photos are not as enticing as Georgia Bulldogs

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Platform: Twitter

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Platform: Twitter Georgia Football Atlanta Falcons

Followers: 337,000 Tweets: 8,423

Date Joined: June 2011

Following: 968

Tweets almost identical to Facebook account, clearly done simultaneously; no new content that you couldn’t find on their other social media platforms.

Over 5,000 likes

Average less than 1 tweet per day, until game day, where there are about 5 per day

Very few retweets

No direct response

Followers: 931,000 Tweets: 46,900

Date Joined: September 2008

Following: 652

Approximately 3,000 likes

Tweeted content varies compared to other social media accounts, many similar or the same but there are still a few posts that you can only see on Falcon’s Twitter account

Average 3 – 4 tweets per day

Many retweets, far more interactive

No direct response

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Platform: YouTube

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Platform: YouTube Georgia Football Atlanta Falcons

Subscribers: 7,117 Average upload: 1 per week

(during football season)

Published on a consistent basis

Content: Georgia Football Playlists “Kirby Smart All Access”

episodes Little variety in content

Each video fits into overall channel vision

NOTE: This is the YouTube channel for Georgia Athletics. Georgia Football does not have its own YouTube channel. However, they upload all of their hype videos to Vimeo – approx. 3 to 4 per month during football season. (pictured below)

Subscribers: 25,911

Average upload: 2 per day

Published consistently Content:

Player videos

“Mic’ed up” episodes

Playlists

Game trailers

Interviews

Press conferences

Wide variety of content

All fits into overall channel vision

Great channel experience

Creates a much more personal connection between fans and the team.

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Results

Winner ……………………………………

Falcons had a stronger brand presence on

Facebook

More frequent and consistent posts

Utilized every tool Facebook has to offer

brands

Winner ……………………………………

Both teams had encaptivating content for

its target audience on Instagram

However, Georgia does a better job with

reflecting content that is consistent with

the overall vision of the Georgia brand,

which was pride and intensity.

Winner ……………………………………

Falcons content had more variety than the

Bulldogs, was not just a repost of what

they already have on their Facebook page

More retweets and interaction with other

pages they follow

Tweet on a more frequent basis

Winner ……………………………………

The Falcons did a much better job on

their YouTube channel than the Bulldogs

– regardless of the fact that Georgia is

slightly more active on Vimeo.

Atlanta has a wide variety of videos on

their channel for the audience to choose

from, providing a much more pleasing

channel experience.

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Conclusion Both of these extremely popular brands have spent a great deal of time

and effort in executing a good digital marketing strategy. Georgia football is

consistent in keeping with its core values of tradition and pride in its

institution which has been around for so many years. They do especially well

in photography and videography, keeping the audience interested from

beginning to end of each piece of content.

However, it’s the Atlanta Falcons who have taken their digital

marketing from good to exceptional. Not only did they win 3 out of the 4

social media platforms that were analyzed, but they also succeeded in

overall social media presence. The communication that the Falcons’ brand

has with its target audience is one that the Georgia Bulldogs couldn’t match

– they were more likely to be talked about on the web and had much higher

reach percentage. Atlanta’s marketing team has shown that they clearly know how to take

advantage of the consumer digital communication tools that are available to

every business, and have proven that they really can rise to the digital

marketing occasion.

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Final Score

Falcons: 3

Dawgs: 1

Winner: Atlanta Falcons