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NHL exec: Tablets, mobile Web and apps connect brand with fans

NEW YORK - An executive with the National Hockey League at the 2011 Mobile Marketing Forum said that mobile applications, tablets and mobile Web sites have helped connect the company with its passionate fans.

The executive spoke at the ?The NHL?s Use of Mobile to Run Content, Offers, and Drive Traffic to Games has Proved Beyond Doubt that it Gets The Medium? session and discussed how the company?s mobile strategy has evolved. Specifically, the executive talked about the importance of video and gaming in mobile for its users.

?Our goal is to give people as much content as possible so that they can interact and play with their favorite sports games,? said Christopher Golier, vice president of mobile marketing and strategy at the NHL, New York. ?Our users are passionate about the NHL and sports so we?re trying to give them multiple mobile platforms to engage with.?

Game on
Each of NHL's platforms functions very differently with both engagement and usability, per Mr. Golier.

However, the executive said the key component to his company?s strategy is video and interactive features because it grabs the attention of NHL fans who want instant access to their favorite NHL games.

Whether it is in the format of live-streaming videos or game recaps, users like to feel in-the-moment with their favorite teams, and digital platforms let them interact with the brand in a unique way.

?Everything on our platforms center around getting people to the actual games,? Mr. Golier said. ?Our goal is to get people to videos because we?ve found that action and games is what our users are interested in.?

For example, the homepage of the NHL GameCenter app is set-up like an arena with a bird?s eye view of an ice rink.

The homepage also features customized content where users can store information on their favorite teams.

?Fan customization is important to us because our fans have high loyalties with their hockey teams,? said the executive.

According to Mr. Golier, one of the most popular platforms for the NHL is video because it makes users feel like they are sitting in the front row at a sports arena.

?Sports casts, live streaming and unique content with game highlights consistently do well because people are looking to get into the game,? the executive said.

In addition to personalized apps and videos, the executive also said that the NHL also uses apps such as GetGlu, an entertainment check-in app, to let users interact with other hockey fans.

Free fans
Mr. Golier said one of the biggest challenges with the NHL's mobile efforts thus far has been trying to find ways to swing users from free platforms like the NHL Gamecenter app to buying the paid Live version.

?Our objective is to make money while connecting with consumers,? the executive said. ?But getting someone to switch from a free app to a paid app is difficult.?

One way the company has brought in paying customers is by offering a free sample of the paid platform.

Mr. Golier claims that 43 percent of the NHL's premium broadband users subscribed to the service because of a free trial.

The executive said he has also noticed a difference in paid users depending on the platform.

For example, the paid to free content ratio is four times higher on the tablet than it is on a smartphone.

Mr. Golier used the tablet example to again explain the company?s consumer habits. They want interactive gaming features like videos that help them connect to the sport, and the executive believes it is best accomplished with tablets.

The executive also explained how the more interactive features on tablets show an immediate result with users with a high number of click-throughs.

Mr. Golier claimed that the NHL's broadband users grew 124 percent from October 2009 to October 2010, further proof that sports fans want instant access to videos and game coverage.

Regardless if users are engaging with free or paid content, the goal of the company's mobile efforts is to tap into the company?s demographic and user habits with mobile.

?Mobile has become a sector of the NHL's marketing strategies,? Mr. Golier said. ?Everyone at the NHL is a fan, and we have to find ways to engage with them through multiple platforms.?