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If you build it, will they come?: A case study of digital spaces and brand inthe

National

Basketball

Association

Michael E. Pfahl a,*,

Andrew Kreutzer a, Mike Maleski b, Jeff Lillibridge b, Jeff Ryznarb

aDepartment of Sports Administration, College of Business, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USAbPhizzle, 2206 Superior Viaduct, Ste. 501, Cleveland, OH 44113, USA

Teaching

note

This case examines the marketing strategy for the social media community developed by the Cleveland Cavaliers

(Cavaliers) at www.cavafantic.com (CavFanatic). Students are able to explore the strategic marketing process for the new

community

and

analyze

the

case

materials

through

course

discussions

and

assignments

in

order

to

develop

future

strategies

and engagement opportunities for fans at CavFanatic. Over the course of the case, the students are introduced to ideas

regarding strategic marketing and brand development via examination of a fan site (e.g., brand, brand awareness, and brand

extension). The case narrative is based upon interview information from three members of the Cavaliers who helped create

the original CavFanatic: the former web designer, the former corporate sales representative, and the former marketing

manager all of whom were with the team until October 2011.

The

case

allows

students

to:

Develop a better understanding of how digital spaces can be utilized by sport marketers to promote their brand, to engage

their fans, and to develop marketing and monetization opportunities.

Identify, to explore, and to enhance strategic marketing processes used to develop a brand.

Compare and to contrast the merits of traditional and emerging conceptualizations of brand strategy.

The

case

is

useful

in

either

undergraduate

or

graduate

courses

(online

and

offline)

with

an

emphasis

on

strategic

marketing, brand, and customer engagement. This section includes an introduction to the case, background information on

Sport Management Review 15 (2012) 518537

A

R

T

I

C

L

E

I

N

F

O

Article history:

Received 28 March 2011

Received in revised form 14 February 2012

Accepted 15 March 2012

Keywords:

Brand

Digital space

Internet

Virtual community

Brand extension

A

B

S

T

R

A

C

T

This case addresses the relationship between sport and digital spaces by introducing

students to strategic marketing processes related to developing a team-managed fan

website. Thecasewas created in conjunctionwith three formermembers of theCleveland

Cavaliers who helped create www.cavfanatic.com, the official fan site of the team. Key

areas addressedwithin thecase study arebranddevelopment, brand communication, and

brand extension. The case follows a new hire, Natalie, as she joins the new media teamof

www.cavfanatic.com. The sport marketers she works with review the development of the

websiteandprovide information on thestrategicdevelopmentprocess theywentthrough.

In the end, Natalie is charged with looking forward and developing further strategies to

continue to engage the Cavaliers fans and to develop the CavFanatic brand.

2012 Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand. Published by

Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 740 597 3108; fax: +1 740 593 9342.

E-mail addresses: [email protected] (M.E. Pfahl), [email protected] (A. Kreutzer).

Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect

Sport Management Review

journa l homepa ge : www.e lsev ier .com/locate /smr

1441-3523/$ see front matter 2012 Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/j.smr.2012.03.004

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the Cavaliers and CavFanatic, a contextual review of related literature, and assorted teaching aids to assist in administering

the case and coursework related to it.

1. CavFanatic case study introduction

While many cases have been created to explore various issues related to sport management, few cases speak to the

strategicuse ofdigital spacesby sport organizationpersonnel (Dittmore, Stoldt,&Greenwell,2008; Foster,Greyser,&Walsh,

2006;

Friedman

&

Mason,

2007;

Todd,

Andrew,

&

Sowieta,

2009).

The

digital

world

is

an

important

strategic

element

forsport marketers because it is an ever-changing platform for developing and executing offline and online efforts to achieve a

number of organizational goals (Dixon, 2008).

The increased use of digital platforms across many aspects of life, the sport industry included, attest to its significance to

sport marketers. Online advertising spending stood somewhere in the region of US$68.4 billion in 2010, was projected to

reach US$80.2 billion in 2011, and more than US$100 billion around 2012 (Marshall, 2011; Oser, 2011). The offlineonline

linkages afforded by the digital world are increasingly important to marketing and sales strategies due to the trend towards

experiential

and

inclusive

opportunities

intended

to

foster

community

and

to

monetize

digital

spaces

(Grant,

2006;

Nufer

&

Buhler, 2010; Santomeir, 2008). While integrated marketing efforts might not completely disappear, they are being

augmented with a more flexible strategic framework that encompasses engagement and relational strategies and

opportunities as opposed to transactional ones (Grant, 2006; Nufer & Buhler, 2010).

In class, this case can be used as part of an overall offline/online strategy discussion. It can be used as the basis for a class

discussion or an analytical assignment related to the impact of the digital world on sport marketing (Bostrom, Olfman, &

Sein,

1990;

Caskey

&

Delpy,

1999;

Davis

&

Bostrom,

1993;

Zhang

&

von

Dran,

2000).

Given

the

malleable

nature

of

digitalspaces, the case study information can be examined against future iterations of CavFanatic.

The keydriver of this case is how the digital space can be utilized by sport marketers to promote their brand and to engage

with their fans. Brand is a foundational element of competitive advantage via the establishment of a relationship with

customers across a range of cognitive and emotional levels (Aaker, 1991; Hankinson, 2007; Lee, Miloch, Kraft, & Tatum, 2008;

Shank, 2005).However, traditional elements of brand are being reviewed in light of the opportunities presented by the digital

world (Grant,2006).Thenext section provides abriefhistory of theCavaliers andCavFanatic tocontextualize thecasematerials.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers and CavFanatic

This section provides information on the Cleveland Cavaliers and CavFanatic. The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional

basketball franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Their proactive decision to build and to manage their own

fan

site

is

part

of

a

growing

trend

within

the

NBA

(e.g.,

Phoenix

Suns,

Portland

Trailblazers,

New

Orleans

Hornets).

Information

from

former

team

personnel

provides

insight

into

planning

processes

and

choices

made

given

the

secrecyprofessional franchises have regarding their operations.

CavFanatic is a website managed by the Cavaliers for the fans of the Cavaliers. The website is the primary platform for

relationship development, blending news, information, and content from the team with user generated content, community

engagement opportunities, and social media platforms. The site is also an opportunity for the team personnel to diversify

sponsorship

opportunities

and

to

engage

directly

with

their

fans.

CavFanatic

was

launched

in

2008

and

has

been

popular

with fans since then. The CavFanatic platform offers exclusive photograph and video content from the Cavaliers and spaces

for fans to upload their own photographs and videos, to create blogs, and to engage in dialogue with each other via forum

areas. In order to better understand the nature of CavFanatic, is important to review key contextual elements of the digital

world: virtual communities and social media.

3. Contextual literature review

While

students

are

immersed

in

the

digital

world

each

day,

they

need

to

be

able

to

analyze

the

implications

of

this

worldin relation to sportmarketing. Studies of digitalmedia that do not question important social and cultural elements related to

it are not complete (Flew, 2002). The convergence of social, economic, political, cultural, and technological changes ripple

back into individual lives and communities (Flew, 2002). Thus, as technologies emerge and fade and enable and constrain

strategic choices, current and future sport marketers must work to establish a strategic view of technology. In doing so, they

will avoid the trap of trying to chase each new technologywithout an understanding ofwhat use and value it can be to them.

This

section

explores

issues

related

to

the

digital

world

including

virtual

communities,

social

media

opportunities,

and

how

these technologies can be leveraged to help to achieve organizational goals.

3.1. Virtual communities

This case involves a virtual community, which is described as an information source and place of social interaction

(Mason,

1999;

Rheingold,

1991,

1993).

Drawing

parallels

with tribes developed in relation to materiality, community, and

brand

(Maffesoli,

1996),

virtual

communities

are

networks

of

individuals

built

around

a

common

interest

(e.g.,

a

sport

team,a chocolate bar) (Acosta & Devasagayam, 2010; Green, 2001; Maffesoli, 1996). The communities can have different sizes,

M.E. Pfahl et al. /Sport Management Review 15 (2012) 518537 519

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scopes, and purposes (Dholakia, Bagozzi, & Pearo, 2004; Ellis Porter, 2006; Garton, Haythornthwaite, & Wellman, 1997;

Rheingold, 1991, 1993; Walther, 1996; Wellman & Gulia, 1999). While virtual communities remain important to digital life,

social media platforms have had a meteoric rise in importance over the past several years.

3.2. Social media

In thepast ten tofifteen years, socialmedia opportunities emerged andnow augment traditionalwebsites. Theyprovide a

platform

for

interactivity

via

strategic

marketing

and

brand

activities

(Grant,

2006;

Mangold

&

Faulds,

2009).

Social

mediaareplatforms individualsuse to seek out connections and relationshipswithothers through various technologies intended to

facilitate theirdevelopment (e.g., FaceBook, Twitter) (Safko,2010).Inmany ways, theuse of these technologies signals a shift

in power and communication opportunities between sport organization personnel and fans (and between fans). Two-way

communication

is

facilitated

by

the

social

media

platforms

rather

than

relying

solely

on

unilateral

messages

from

an

organization (e.g., television advertisements) (Safko, 2010).

Today, sportsmarketers are paying more attention to socialmedia opportunities and options. For example, the Cleveland

Indians offer an entire suite dedicated to social media usage that can be rented for each game and the Boston Red Sox

personnel have used Twitter and FaceBook to consult fans about a potential time change for a game due to a playoff game

conflict involving the Boston Bruins (Fisher, 2011). At the league level, Major League Baseball personnel successfully used

Twitter

as

part

of

their

All-Star

Game

information

and

marketing

efforts

(Fisher,

2011). Sports

marketers

at

Octagon

embraced

Twackle

as

a

platform

to

engage

and

to

develop

key

analytical

metrics

for

a

variety

of

issues

related

to

social

media

(e.g., content impact) (Fisher, 2011). Finally, athletes and coaches at all levels of sport, including high school, are now using

Twitter

(Joe,

2011;

Holmes,

2011).Socialmedia represents an evolution of theWorldWideWeb and one that allows individuals to develop and to share user

generated content (UGC) and to exercise control over their self representation in the digital and terrestrial worlds (Kaplan &

Haenlein,

2010).

Examples

of

commonly

used

social

media

include

FaceBook,

Wikipedia,

and

FourSquare

(Tapscott

&

Williams,

2008).

However,

social

media

encompasses

more

than

these

popular

platforms

(Table

1).

Social media spending in relation to advertising is expected to surpass US$2 billion in the United States and nearly the

same amount internationally in 2011 (Table 2). While this data highlights an overall trend towards increased spending,

simply spending money is not a good strategy. The digital world offers targeted opportunities to connect with individuals.

Thus, marketing and advertising efforts must be grounded in different elements found in the digital world (e.g., Table 1

elements). Key points about social media and its use in marketing efforts concern individual choice, identity, identification,

intimacy,

collaboration,

and

self-presentation

(Berger

&

Luckmann,

1966;

Kaplan

&

Haenlein,

2010;

Tapscott

&

Williams,

2008; The Economist, 2011). Social media and other digital platforms offer opportunities to address these issues by creating

more personalized messaging for their customers and potential customers (eMarketer, 2011a).

However,

value

is

difficult

to

develop

and

to

measure

in

social

media

realms.

Table

3

provides

a

summary

of

opinions

bymarketers related to the importance of select methods to measure social media sponsorship success (eMarketer, 2011b).

Table 3 shows a few of the basic ways data can be gathered, but technology allows for many types of metrics to be

developed and utilized in order to achieve return on investment and other objectives. Metrics are the keys to success for

sport

marketing

efforts

in

digital

spaces

because

they

are

able

to

capture

important

data,

which

can

then

be

used

to

develop

better and stronger relationshipswith fans. Further, in the same study, the respondents noted certain socialmediaplatforms

weremore valuableperuse than others, at least in terms of sponsorship (Table4).However, this situation is contextual given

the variable nature of activating a particular sponsorship.

Table 4 provides examples of the different platforms that can be mixed together to formulate sport marketing strategies

in the digital space. The price information provided is an estimation of the value, per click and view, of a social media type.

Table 1

Social media platform categories (Safko, 2010a,b).

Telephony programs (e.g., Skype) Social network platforms (e.g., MySpace, FaceBook)

Photograph sharing (e.g. Flikr) User generated publishing

Audio Video

Microblogging/blogging Live casting

Virtual worlds (e.g., gaming, Second Life) Productivity applications (e.g., telecommunications aids)

Aggregating websites Search engines (e.g., Google)

Really Simple Syndication feeds (RSS) Mobile marketing

Table 2

Social media advertising spending 20092011 (eMarketer, 2010).

Year United States (percent share) Non-United States (percent share)

2009 US$1.4 billion (55.4 percent) US$1.13 billion (44.6 percent)

2010 US$1.68 billion (51 percent) US$1.62 billion (49 percent)

2011 US$2.09 billion (49.1 percent) US$2.17 billion (50.9 percent)

M.E. Pfahl et al./Sport Management Review 15 (2012) 518537520

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For example, if a videowas sponsoredby a partner, thepricewouldbe $112.46per view.However, it is important tonote that

these are examples. Team personnel can charge more or less depending upon the complexity of their activities and their

abilities to establish solid return on investment metrics. The FaceBook Like button is increasingly important as a revenue

generation and activity tracking platform. It is monetized when it is used as a reference point for customer browsing

activities and as a way to refer others to the product or service via the interaction of a website and FaceBook, for example.

Measurement

occurs

when

the

button

is

clicked

and

next

actions

are

followed

(e.g.,

to

a

purchase)

(Adobe,

2011). Specific

details related to socialmedia in the sport industry are provided in the casematerials. The information found in Tables 3 and

4 augments information found in Section 3.9 Monetizing the Brand: Corporate Relationships Through CavFanatic of the case.

With

virtual

communities

and

social

media

changing

fan

engagement

within

sport,

it

is

important

for

sport

marketers

toleverage these platforms to achieve organizational goals.

Connecting virtual communities and social media platforms means sport marketers, like their counterparts in other

industries, must seek ways to leverage the digital world for more than passive advertising (Ellis Porter, 2006). However, they

must

critically

examine

the

strategic

and

marketing

challenges

in

the

digital

world

in

order

to

learn how individuality and sport

community are developed (Burnett, 1999; Herring, 2004; Fisher, 2011; Schneider & Foote, 2004; Wakeford, 2004; Walther,

1996). Doing so will help sport marketers develop and implement strategies to engage fans and to monetize digital spaces.

Strategic and critical examinations of digital spaces and community development revealed a tension between an

individuals experience in sport and theways individualswithin communities experience it (Broughton, 2011). For example,

a Pew Internet and American Life Project (2010) study found that, while email usage among older adults is still important,

social

media

and

social

network

platforms

(e.g.,

FaceBook)

allow

them

to

share

news

and

information,

photographs,

and

to

stay in contact with their social sphere. In a sport specific study conducted by Catalyst Public Relations researchers, forty

percent of fans surveyed (2111 adult sport fans) believed their use of social media enhanced their fandom by, for example,

using

digital

and

social

media

to

check

highlights

(Broughton,

2011).

In

another

study,

personnel

at

McKinsey

&

Companyexamined personal habits related to digital technology and found nearly fifty percent of people studied used smart

telephones and other advanced devices to access the World Wide Web and social media platforms (Chappuis, Gaffey, &

Parvizi, 2011). These studies reflect a shared experience that is simultaneously an individuals experience (Grant, 2006;

Lampel & Bhalla, 2007; Pentzold, 2010; Utz, 2009). Studies such as these reflect the impact of social media on sport and the

ways individual freedom and choice can cultivate a web of communities. They also act as a departure point for sport

marketers

to

develop,

to

implement,

and

to

evaluate

digital

marketing

opportunities.

3.3. Strategic marketing in digital spaces

Marketing strategies related to brand are often contested and complicated in terms of what a brand is, how it is created,

and how individual customers interact with it (Aaker, 1996, Stern, 2006). In strategic terms, a quality brand is often thought

to

be

the

foundation

for

competitive

advantage

for

products

and

services

(Aaker,

1991).

Oftentimes,

a

lifestyle

or

personality

is

developed

for

a

brand

in

order

to

facilitate

a

set

of

affective

and

cognitive

connections

in

hopes

of

developing

an

engagingrelationships with and lifestyle adoption by a fan/customer (e.g., loyalty) (Aaker, 1997; Fournier, 1998). However, in the

Table 3

Social media sponsorship success metrics (eMarketer, 2011b).

Metric Very important

(percent)

Important

(percent)

Somewhat important

(percent)

Not important

(percent)

Quality of Content 42.1 37.9 14.1 5.9

Shares 35.6 35.8 22.5 6.1

Clickthrough rate 35.1 39.8 20.9 4.3

Cost per acquisition 35 34.5 23.9 6.5

Cost per Click 30.5 38.1 25.6 5.8Comments 28.5 39.5 26.5 5.6

Sentiment of content 27 41 26.1 5.9

Cost per impression 24.3 37.8 28.6 9.2

Table 4

Social media sponsorship values (eMarketer, 2011b).

Social media type Value

Blog Post US$114.71

Video US$112.46

Tweet US$63.64

FaceBook update US$55.16

Photograph US$54.58

Twitter Follower US$46.53FaceBook Like US$45.63

Check-in US$40.15

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digital world, reaching out to and engaging with individuals and communities is a complicated task. This section illustrates

several ways in which the digital space challenges marketing strategy in sport. These ways include the nature of brand itself

and brand communication and relationship development in a brand extension context.

3.3.1. Changing nature of brand

Studies of brand and the brand development process found linkages between a brand and customers who engage with it

to achieve functional, emotional, and social benefits (Aaker, 1991,1996; Hankinson,2007; Lee,Miloch,Kraft,& Tatum, 2008;

Shank,

2005).

This

is

done

through

strategies

involving

brand

loyalty,

name

awareness,

perceived

quality,

brand

associations,trademarks, and numerous other elements driven by contextual factors (Aaker, 1991). Students can review issues related to

brand in a broad sense as part of class before targeting their application in the digital world (Bagozzi, Rosa, Celly, & Coronel,

1998;Kates&Goh, 2003; Lee,Miloch,Kraft,& Tatum,2008; Pentzold,2010). Additionally, the inherent complexity and sheer

number

of

mediated

messages

suggests

students

would

benefit

from

a

discussion

on

the

marketing

and

brand

strategies

used by sport organizations (Innis, 1995; Grant, 2006). While some might consider brand and brand development principles

to be universal, the hyper-mediated context of the digital world offers many opportunities and challenges for sport

marketers. If for nothing else, this is due to the individuality attainable within the digital world inextricably linked with its

communal nature.

With the trend towards holistic changes in marketing and brand strategy (e.g., engagement and relationship), brands

need

to

become

part

of

the

social

fabric,

almost

as

a

new

societal

custom,

rather

than

static

and

stable

unilateral

messages

(Grant,

2006;

Nufer

&

Buhler,

2010;

Santomeir,

2008).

As

with

the

contested

nature

of

self,

be

it

online

or

offline

selves,

consistency of brand is also challenged by the diversity inherent in digital spaces questioning what brand truly means and

how

it

is

developed

(Park,

Milberg,

&

Lawson,

1991).

Sport

marketers

cannot

rest

on

past

assumptions,

but

must

investigateandunderstand their environments to createmultiple, evolving, and (co)constructed brands or theywillfind success elusive

(Murray, 1984). In other words, brands must be fluid or a lifestyle within a set of cultural ideas accessible and malleable to

individual

tastes

(Horne,

2006;

Grant,

2006;

Maffesoli,

1996).

As molecules of interconnected and evolving cultural ideas,

brands

can

lose

their

linear

and

static

messages

due

to

the

contextual

elements

of

the

digital

world

(Grant,

2006).

In this case, fans have numerous reasons for being a fan (e.g., identity, tradition), so having a unified message of Cavaliers

fan can be augmented by opportunities for self-naming and identification by the fans themselves (Grant, 2006). What might

be considered the brandpersonality is challenged in such a scenario because of the humanness and (co)constructed nature of

fandom itself and thedifficulty of applying traditionalbrandpersonality frameworks to fan sites that arebuiltby peoplewith

varying identity, identification, and personality elements in their fandom (Braunstein & Ross, 2010; Hou, 2003). In other

words,

diversity

breeds

individuality

and

community

at

the

same

time.

Marketing

in

such

a

context

is

difficult,

but

the

social

media and digital technologies available help to generate a strategy that can reach individuals while reaching communities

while reaching a revised concept of the traditional mass audience. This shift in focus moves brand communication in

marketing

strategies

from

a

marketing

to

to

a

marketing

with

mindset

(Grant,

2006).

3.3.2. Re-examining brand communication

Since digital communication opportunities afforded to individuals call into question the ways sport marketers approach

brand

communication,

this

case

addresses

related

strategic

marketing

issues,

including

brand

communication,

by

emphasizing how engagement facilitates understanding beyond target audience demographics and habits and canwork in a

sport organizations favor to facilitate community in digital spaces. CavFanatic calls into question students knowledge of the

elements of integratedmarketing communication (e.g., dialogic elements in developing the brand) and how sportmarketers

canbalancebothbrandswithin the overallmarketing strategy (Warner,Chalip,&Woolf,2008). Thus, studentswouldbenefit

from discussions of success measures for brand image, extension, and information exchange (Lane Keller & Aaker, 1992;

Loken

&

Roedder

John,

1993;

Martinez

&

Pina,

2003;

Romeo,

1991).

Fortunato (2008) argued brand image should be effectively communicated to potential consumers (p. 365). Blackston

(2000) followed a similar theme when he stated, the correct attitudes and behaviors of our brands [must be communicated],

because

it

is

these

which

create

meaning

out

of

the

message

(original

emphasis,

p.

102).

The

digital

media

opportunitiesavailable to individuals, numerousmessage channels, and nichemarketing opportunities potentiallymake traditional brand

message strategiesmore difficult to utilize due to several factors. This can occur because people can view the same situation

in different ways as well as work together to (co)construct meaning from it (Anderson, 2008; Ceccarelli, 1998; Fournier,

1998; Grant, 2006; Innis, 1995).

Facilitating community can develop opportunities for strong relationships with fans (Barnatt, 1998; Fournier, 1998;

Kozinets,

2002).

Digital

spaces

such

as

team

managed

or

fan

managed

sites

for

fan

interaction

(e.g.,

CavFanatic),

traditional

websites (e.g., Cavaliers website), and social media platforms (e.g., FaceBook) are comprised of communities of individuals

with diverse backgrounds, but common interests. The development and maintenance of these communities is

(co)constructed among the members and evolves out of disparate and divergent reasons for being and remaining in the

community (Lampel & Bhalla, 2007; Maffesoli, 1996; Pentzold, 2010) making singular, unilateral, and linear communication

from team to fan(s) less desirable as a marketing strategy (Blackston, 2000; Fernback, 2007; Fortunato, 2008; McAlexander,

Schouten,

&

Koenig,

2002).

By

exploring

actions

of

the

Cavaliers

personnel

and

the

fan

community

at

the

CavFanatic

site,

students

can

evaluate

theimportance of human connectivity and as part of strategic marketing efforts (Fournier, 1998). These relationships help fans

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to accept or to reject participation in the new brand opportunities (e.g., contests) (Aaker & Lane Keller, 1990; Bridges, Lane

Keller, & Sood, 2000; Brudvig & Raman, 2006; Lane Keller & Aaker, 1992). Walsh and Ross (2010) attempted to uncover the

results of a sport teamundertaking ahypotheticalbrand extension (e.g., a team brand of clothes ormobile telephones). Their

resultsdidnot show these hypothetical efforts tobe successful, but the study did raise an important issue, and one examined

in this case: how can teams extend their brand?

The Cavaliers already had a thriving forum area on their main website prior to the development of CavFanatic. When the

decision was made to move the forum area to its own website, the Cavaliers extended their brand. Rather than leave the fan

site

where

it

was,

the

team

saw

the

value

in

an

extension

of

the

main

Cavaliers

brand

as

part

of

a

new

brand

effort.Acceptance by the fans was the key to the success of the new CavFanatic website. By allowing fans ownership of the website,

the Cavaliers developed a platform from which to consistently communicatewith their fans and to watch the ways in which

the fans interact amongst themselves (Baxter & Montgomery, 1996; Kent & Taylor, 1998). In addition, CavFanatic is a new

and

attractive

brand

platform

for

corporate

or

charitable

partners

to

utilize.

In

marketing

strategy

terms,

it

is

important

to

note simply extending a brand name does not ensure success. As success is a function of different variables such as sales

volume (LaneKeller&Aaker, 1992), negative information (Romeo,1991), and the consistency of extensionswith corebrands

(Loken & Roedder John, 1993).

In sum, theCavFanaticbrand grew organically, yet strategically through efforts fromCavalierspersonnel and the fanbase.

From the outset, the CavFanatic website had a variety of options and activities to attract fans of all types and, more

importantly,

keep

them

coming

back

for

more.

Elements

of

brand

are

challenged

by

digital

spaces

like

CavFanatic.

To

assist

with

utilizing

the

case

in

a

course,

teaching

aids,

activities,

and

key

questions

are

provided

to

help

guide

students

in

their

examination of the key marketing strategy areas of the case.

4. Teaching aids, activities and questions related to the case

4.1. Teaching aids

Additional information about the CavFanatic website is provided here to help facilitate discussions and analytical work

using this case and to provide guidance towards student responses to the case questions. It is important to note the numbers

provided do not reflect actual values due to issues of confidentiality. Table 5 provides examples of different sponsorship

opportunity areas defined by the Cavaliers personnel for their digital sponsorship goals. Additionally, Table 6 provides

potential areas for online engagement for the fans at CavFanatic.

Integrated

experiences,

for

example,

are

ways

of

activating

single

stream

sponsorships

(e.g.,

an

online

contest)

as

well

as

linking

together

different

activities

(e.g.,

online

action

to

encourage

an

offline

trip

to

a

store)

in

a

sponsorship

package.

This

is

demonstrated in the case through the Mexican Delightz example. For the most part, they are developed to use the digital

Table 5

CavFanatic sponsorship opportunities.

Sponsorship opportunity Example

Customized Group Pages CavFanatic

Integrated Experiences Customized offline, online, and linked activation

Rich media Advertisements Video advertisement

Contests CavFanatic of the Month

Video Partnerships Video pre-roll advertisement

Section Partnerships News section title sponsor

Events Fan party at local restaurant

Direct Messages Email newsletter, Ticket offers via targeted email

Table

6Potential online engagement opportunities at CavFanatic.

Online engagement opportunity Examples

Large advertisement NA

No rotation of advertisements NA

Advertisement placement in high traffic areas Ticket Sales webpage

Strategic engagement advertisements Call for action to be taken like a contest

Fewer number of advertisements NA

Roadblocks One sponsor for half day no matter the number of page views

Digital communications Email, FaceBook

Theme nights CavFanatic Nights

Variable pricing options for sponsorship By day and time, by game

Contests CavFanatic of the Month

Theme Merchandise CavFanatic jerseys

Integrated experiences Offline and online linked sponsorship

Coach and/or player interaction Blogs, Live video question and answer

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space

to

drive

individuals

to

other

activities

in

conjunction

with

the

digital

effort

(e.g.,

go

to

a

store)

where

it

is

hoped

the

individualwill purchase the item or additional items if a free offer is made. The main goal is driving traffic with the objective

to

increase

sales

revenue

for

the

partner.

In

the

Mexican

Delightz

case

example,

individuals

are

encouraged

to

redeem

acoupon at a restaurant location for a free item, but while there, they might purchase a beverage or additional food items.

A roadblock a particularly interesting option for sport marketers because it offers a single partner to have space on a

webpage

for

a

set

period

of

time.

This

can

be

an

advertisement

placed

on

the

front

page

of

a

teams

website

from

7

a.m.

until

3

p.m.

on

a

game

day.

The

remainder

of

the

day

can

be

sold

to

another

partner.

The

advertisement

would

not

rotate

or

change

and measurement can be made by the number of page views and clickthroughs to the advertisement. Further, the case

contains pricing information and the discussion questions evaluate the current pricing strategy aswell as futurepossibilities

(e.g., cost per impression billed within a set timeframe, up front lump sum, variable pricing for more integrated engagement

opportunities). Thus, it is important to have a few examples of CavFanatic pricing for different sponsorship packages. Table 7

provides examples of these to help guide discussions and analysis.As the students prepare their answers to any questions or

activities,

they

should

be

able

to

provide

evidence

beyond

this

case

to

support

their

work.

The

information

in

Table

7

can

be

used to augment Section 3.9 Monetizing the Brand: Corporate Relationships Through CavFanatic of the case.

Few sports industrypricing standards exist at themoment.Table7provides examplesbasedupon input from the authors.

The

more

specific

and

useful

the

metrics

to

measure

activities

in

the

digital

space,

the

greater

the

value

of

different

platforms(i.e., high price charged). The next section includes example discussion questions that can be used to examine the case.

4.2. Questions for discussion

The questions presented here are designed to foster class discussions. They are not comprehensive, but do link with the

questions provided at the end of the case. When answering these questions, students should be encouraged to provide

evidence to support their contentions. The tables provided in the Teaching Note will facilitate answers to the questions

provided here, especially Tables 57.

1. Please describe the ways in which team personnel and the fans facilitate and develop community at CavFanatic. In what

ways

can

the

Cavaliers

continue

to

build

upon

the

CavFanatic

brand?

2. What are potential new avenues for fan engagement via CavFanatic?

3.

The

balance

between

the

Cavaliers

brand

and

the

CavFanatic

brand

extension

raises

issues

about

corporate

partnershiprelationships. In what ways can the Cavaliers utilize both platforms for partnership relationships and in what ways can

CavFanatic be used?

4. Please evaluate the sponsorship efforts activated at CavFanatic. What measures of success might be used in return on

investment

analyses?

Please

explain

why

they

would

be

used.

Are

there

measures

not

used

by

the

team

that

might

be

helpful in the analyses?

Several activities were also created to develop the case into the future and are provided in the next section.

4.3. Activities

The activities provided here are designed to build upon the case and the class discussions surrounding it. These activities

are

not

a

complete

list

of

possibilities,

but

are

meant

to

develop

the

strategic

marketing

concepts

addressed

in

the

case.

Once

again,

students

should

be

encouraged

to

provide

evidence

to

support

their

contentions.

Tables

57

will

assist

the

studentswith these activities.

Table 7

Examples of strategic element and pricing.

Type Length Cost Partner limit Special characteristics

Homepage Package 12 months US$23,500.00 20 NA

Video Pre-Roll and

300 250 advertisement

12 months US$15,000.00 4 Archived, multiple traffic driver

Player Profiles 12 months US$8500.00 1 NA

Integrated Experience

(online, offlineonline)

Variable Variable NA Mixed media, data gathering

opportunities, digital communicationsSustainability Package 12 months US$5000.00 1 Highlight with green games in April,

community outreach opportunities,

digital communications

CavFanatic of the Month

Package

12 months US$15,000.00 max 12 Radio, LED, Q-Tube, Access Cavaliers TV,

CavFanatic, data gathering, digital

communication opportunities

Cavaliers Insider Newsletter

Package

Variable US$12,000/mo.

or US$3500/send

max 12 In and off season communication,

direct messaging to audience,

customizable messaging, integrated

experiences, 25,000 plus membership

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1. Please examine the sponsor presence across CavFanatic. Intowhat categories do the sponsorship activation activities fall?

Are there ways to improve the existing activation or to add additional activation points? Please explain.

2. Utilizing an existingCavFanaticpartner (orone youwould target),pleasedevelop anew engagementopportunity thatwill

bring together the partner and the fans. Please be sure tojustify your choice of partner and include metrics to analyze the

success level of the opportunity.

3. Following a similar process to the first activity, please visit other fan sites for sport teams (team affiliated or not) and

examine the engagement opportunities provided. How do they compare with CavFanatic?

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If you build it, will they come?: A case study of digital spaces and brand inthe National Basketball Association

Case

study

1. Introduction

Sport managers across the world are facing new challenges to the ways they approach fan engagement opportunities

because

of

emerging

technologies

on

the

Internet,

global

and

regional

competition,

and

economic

and

social

changes

in

local

markets. These changes make it necessary for sport organization personnel to engage the various individuals and

communities within a fan base and to offer experiences beyond the game day.

This case evaluates the marketing strategy for the social media community developed by the Cleveland Cavaliers

(Cavaliers) at www.cavfantic.com (CavFanatic). While many cases have been created to explore various issues related to

sportmanagement, few cases speak to the strategic use of digital spaces by sport organization personnel (Dittmore, Stoldt,&

Greenwell, 2008; Foster, Greyser, & Walsh, 2006; Freidman & Mason, 2007; Todd, Andrew, & Sowieta, 2009). The case

explores

the

marketing

strategy

for

the

new

community

and

uses

discussion

questions

and

assignments

to

develop

future

strategies and engagement opportunities for fans at CavFanatic. Throughout the case, issues regarding strategic marketing

are studied by examining issues the Cavaliers personnel faced as the fan site was developed (e.g., brand, brand awareness,and brand extension).

The combination of developing the new CavFanatic brand and extending the Cavaliers brand into this new venture offered

the team a chance engage the fan base in new ways (e.g., forum area participation, user generated content opportunities).

Further,

this

move

provides

a

new

brand

to

generate

revenue

through

sponsorship,

ticket,

and

merchandise

sales.

The

guiding

questions of this case are: (1)How did the Cavaliers utilize the strategic marketing elements tofacilitate community and togenerate

monetization opportunities? and (2)What should the team do in thefuture togrow thefan community and the new brand?The case

follows Natalie, a new hire for the Cavaliers and a member of the new media team as she begins her new position.

The different sections of this case study outline strategic marketing processes related to the development of CavFanatic,

the ways in which the team plans to engage supporters and sponsors, and the avenues for future site development.

Interspersed throughout the case are sections that highlight strategic marketing topics related to the case. At the conclusion

of the case, questions are asked about how the team personnel can continue to develop fan engagement and revenue

generation opportunities. The next section introduces the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise and the CavFanatic community.

2. The Cleveland Cavaliers

Established

in

1970

by

Clevelander

Nick

Mileti,

team

personnel

at

all

levels

have

had

to

overcome

perceptions

of

ineptitude, bad luck, and irrelevance in the crowded sports and entertainment marketplace of Cleveland. As a struggling

expansion franchise, the Cavaliers had little success in the early years. Season after season went by with relatively few wins

and little fan interest except for the excitement of the19751976 seasonwhen the teammade a remarkableplayoff runwith

a talented mixture of youth and experience.

Subsequent ownership changes in the late 1970s and early 1980s failed to significantly alter the fortunes of the Cavaliers.

In

1983,

George

and

Gordon

Gund,

bought

the

team

and

within

a

few

years

fans

saw

a

change

in

the

teams

fortunes.

The

fan

basewas re-energized by a change in team colours and a new core of young, talented,marketable players and coaches:Mark

Price,Ron Harper,Craig Ehlo,BradDaugherty, LarryNance, and head coach LennyWilkens. This teamhad several50pluswin

seasons

and

was

a

perennial

playoff

contender

before

another

period

of

rebuilding

began.In 1994, the team moved from their rural residence of Richfield, Ohio to the downtown renewal project known as

Gateway. In tandem with the Cleveland Indians, Gateway was designed to renew downtown Cleveland by moving the

Indians from old Municipal Stadium to a state-of-the-art home field (Jacobs Field, now Progressive Field) and brought the

Cavaliers back downtown to a new facility adjacent to it (Gund Arena, now Quicken Loans Arena). However, even a new

arena could not help the Cavaliers galvanize their fans to watch an uncompetitive team.

After

nearly

ten

years

of

futility,

redemption

came

in

the

form

of

a

60800 superstar-in-waiting

from

Akron,

Ohio:

LeBron

James. The team once again changed colors, returning to the wine and gold combination of the teams early days. For the

seven yearsJames was with the team, they received significant media exposure and on court success until his departure in

2010. Current team owner,Quicken Loans founderDan Gilbert, invested a substantial amount ofmoney to develop the team

into one of the fan-friendliest in the NBA and all of sports (Keating, 2009). Upon his taking ownership of the team, Gilbert

brought a renewed sense of customer focus and service to the team, something he developed and at Quicken Loans. The

company

was

ingrained

with

this

ideology

for

over

25

years

including

being

ranked

highest

in

U.S.

Primary

Mortgage

Origination

Satisfaction

in

2010

(Power,

2010).

He

also

invested

in

franchise

infrastructure

by

constructing

a

new

practicefacility innearby Independence,Ohio.He renovated theQuicken LoansArena (formerlyGund Arena) by, among other things,

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CavFanatic was created because we needed to take the fans experience in the arena and bring it to their home or

office. This would allow us, and our corporate partners, to engage with our fans in new ways. He paused. We never

had an officialmission statement for ourwork on the site.Rather,we identified the vision informallyby thinking about

how we could provide our fans with an official community site they could call their own. We wanted them to

showcase their passion for the team and connect with other fans with similar levels of enthusiasm. Primarily, we

wanted to build and to strengthen our connection to our fans. Early on we set goals for the site and worked to

accomplish them.

What goals are most important to the team? Natalie asked.

A number of them, saidNicoleCampbell, namely, todevelop offline/online relationshipsdriving fan engagement, to

monetize the digital space, and to extend existing partnerships while working to develop new partnership activation

possibilities.

Here is a more specific list of the most important strategic goals from the beginning of CavFanatic saidJose handing

Natalie a piece of paper (Table 1).

3.3. Inter-organizational collaboration to pursue brand goals

Immediately,Natalie noticed these goals crossed over departmental boundaries. In her experience,working in the digital

world often blurred traditional organizational boundaries. The balance between interdepartmental goals is important to the

success

of

any

venture.

Your brand goals seem to cross over departmental lines, Natalie said. Who first developed these goals? And who is

in charge now?

Nicole answered, We developed the goals together with several internal teams including Marketing, Web Services, and

Corporate Partners, which is our corporate sales team. She continued, We needed to leverage each team/departments

strengths in order to make CavFanatic successful. To do this, a member of each department brought his or her specific

departmental

goals

and

objectives

for

the

site

and

shared

them.

This

forced

us

to

consider

and

to

balance

individual

department goals against our broader strategic vision and plan. In the end, our overall plan was developed.

This process seemed to work well, but Natalie knew successful goal development processes are more than just sharing

ideas. Often, they are developed after a period of analysis and benchmarking, in this case, involving a select set of other

websites. She asked what else the CavFanatic team did to create the goals for the website.

From the start, we were fan-focused because fans visiting social network sites want to showcase their opinions, to

receive recognition for their dedication, and to have unique experiences, said Jose.

With that as their guiding principal, Nicole went on to explain how the CavFanatic team reviewed sport and non-sport

social networking sites for structure, opportunities for users, and changes over time. Specifically, the team evaluated two

other

National

Basketball

Association

teams

known

for

having

strong

connections

with

their

respective

fan

bases.

A

few

National Football League teams were also on the list.

Jose pointed out, At the start, we were interested in pricing issues for advertising and partnerships, location of

advertising placements,what advertisers and advertising messages were presented, andwhat kind of content generated the

most page views. Pricing can take the form of cost per thousand, which is based on costs for advertising per every 1000

impressions and billed at a certain time interval. It can also be a set price or lump sum for an advertising space, say on the

homepage, or it can vary depending on the mixture of engagement opportunities developed. For example, if we develop an

integrated engagement experience including a contest that requires online and offline participation, we can have a

multifaceted pricing system based upon the value we can develop for them; data, sales, et cetera.

Table 1

Cavaliers Strategic Goals for s.

Revenue generation (fan) Revenue generation (partners) Technology (CavFanatic) Community (CavFanatic)

To develop the site as a marketing

channel for ticket and

merchandise messaging

To sell a presenting partnership To provide a technology solution,

which offers web 2.0 technology

To be the best online

community in the

NBA/professional sport

To expand data collection points To create inventory for additional

partnership development

To facilitate a fan community

connected to, but separate

from www.cavs.com

To recognize and reward

the most loyal fans with

unique, branded opportunities

To expand online offers/promotions To encourage user generated

content

To provide fans with

opportunities to interact with

Cavaliers personalities

M.E. Pfahl et al. /Sport Management Review 15 (2012) 518537 529

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He added, Additional criteria we looked at included the number of members/registered users, aesthetics, content,

longevity, and recognition by others in the industry and the media. Evaluative criteria always change and we are open to

finding new and different ways to analyze a fans experience and a partners activation efforts.

3.4. Internal team building

The CavFanatic teams goals and strategic planning processes seemed straightforward to Natalie. However, she

questioned

how

the

compromises

between

departments

were

managed.She said, I know cross-functional or inter-departmental cooperation requires compromise, but how did you manage the

potential for conflict? Who made the final decisions about the goals?

Nicole acknowledged this point, Each department developed and presented its goals. Then, the entire transition team

evaluated

the

goals

in

an

attempt

to

integrate

them

into

a

cohesive

plan.

Some

goals

overlapped

and

were

easy

to

address,

but others required negotiation, for example, how and what types of data would be collected.

I made the final decision on all goals as well as how the transition between forum platforms would take place, said

Bob. Advertising space pricing and corporate partnership development were included as part of the overall goal

development processes and all financial projections were handled byJose and myself. The three of us collaborated to

develop promotional efforts to target site members, but the final goals were submitted for approval to the Executive

Vice President of Corporate Sales, the Senior Vice President of Marketing, and the Senior Vice President for

Communications.

However,

we

really

wanted

to

and

continue

to

strive

for

community

and

engagement

within

this

virtual

community.

3.5. Virtual communities

CavFanatic is a virtual community. These communities are information sources and places of social interaction (Mason,

1999; Rheingold, 1991, 1993). They can be built around a social interest (e.g., fan site for a sport team, gathering point for

individuals afflicted with cancer) or developed around products and services (e.g., Hersey chocolate fan club) (Acosta &

Devasagayam, 2010; Green, 2001; Maffesoli, 1996). Some scholars argued that social communities in digital spaces emerged

because of a reaction to the social fragmentation of the modern world (Flew, 2002). Others noted the constant gathering of

people

through

human

history

and

it

should

not

be

a

surprise

that

people

should

seek

out

others

with

similar

ideas

or

backgrounds in the digital world (Flew, 2002).

Emerging social media platforms, such as FaceBook and Twitter, augment traditional websites as a way to develop

connectivity and interactivity among individuals (Grant, 2006; Mangold & Faulds, 2009). Social media platforms help

individuals seek out connections and relationships with others (Safko, 2010). As digital communication moves in this

direction, it brings about a need for increased interactivity by sport marketers with their fans (Safko, 2010).

3.6. Building digital structures

Developing andmaintaining CavFanatic.com is complex, thoughtNatalie. For awebsite as complicated as CavFanatic, did

the teamplan for the technology side as extensively as theyhad the strategic goals?Nataliedidnotwant to call out anyone in

any way as this was her first day with the team, but she thought the process had to be more complicated than the three of

them

made

it

appear.

Looking

at

Bob

Franklin,

she

said,

Bob,

how

did

you

balance

existing

digital

structures

with

the

addition

of

new

components to the online experience? Were there any problems with this from the start? Now?

He replied, My primary concern came from the transition from the old forum area on the Cavaliers website to the new

one onCavFanatic. Since I havefinalwordon the entireCavFanatic site, all successes andproblems land atmydesk.However,

no serious problems occurredwith the transition and the ones thatdid occurweremanageable, you knowjust bugs and easy

things

to

fix.

We

want

to

use

the

latest

technology,

but

we

use

what

we

need

and

what

we

can

manage.

Jose

jumped

in,

We

dont

want

to

get

too

excited

about

a

piece

of

software

or

application

that

might

offer

a

little

return

for a big investment. For us, we need to provide the fans with a stable platform, one they can guarantee will work 24/7,

especially around game-days. Keeping the site available is a key element to develop community. If the fans have no place to

go, they cannot connect with us or each other. Communication is key; engagement, opportunities, fun.

Content updates are key for us, especially news andplayer information like injury updates,Nicole noted. Content is

key to our brand. Blogs, FaceBook, fresh videos; it all drives our brand.

3.7. Building brand in the digital space

CavFanatic

represents

a

new

brand

and

a

brand

extension

for

the

Cavaliers.

Building

this

new

brand

requires

maintaining

elements

of

the

Cavaliers

brand

while

simultaneously

providing

a

platform

for

the

fans

to

(co)construct

what

CavFanatic

standsfor, both among themselves (community) and with the team (relationship). In otherwords, the new community mustfitwith

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the overall values and goals of the Cavaliers and their fans (Bridges, Lane Keller, & Sood, 2000; Brudvig & Raman, 2006).

Reconciling traditional strategic marketing with ideas of engagement and (co)construction requires a perspective

change regarding brands (Grant, 2006; Nufer & Buhler, 2010; Santomeir, 2008). Rather than being static and stable, brands

need tobecome part of the social fabric, almost as a new societal custom (Grant, 2006).Marketing strategy for brands must be

fluid;a lifestyle within a setofcultural ideasaccessible andmalleable to individual tastes (Horne,2006;Grant,2006;Maffesoli,

1996).

Since people are the center of the social media world, the individuality of sport fans, coupled with the (co)constructed

nature

of

fandom

itself,

makes

it

challenging

to

apply

traditional

brand

personality

frameworks

to

fan

sites

(Lampel

&

Bhalla,2007; Maffesoli, 1996; Pentzold, 2010). These sites are built for people with varying identities, identification processes, and

personality elements that comprise their fandom (Braunstein& Ross, 2010; Hou, 2003). In the digitalworld, diversity breeds

individuality and community at the same time. Fluid strategies, grounded in organizational values, are needed to reach

individuals,

while

helping

to

facilitate

communities,

while

reaching

the

traditional mass audience (Grant, 2006). These are

the challenges facing sport marketers as they plan in todays digital world.

3.8. Building the brand with and for the fans

So far,Nataliewas impressedby the strategicmarketing ofCavFanatic. In hermind, though, she continued towonderwhy

the

team

should

develop

a

new

site

when

the

fans

feedback

indicated

they

were

happy

with

the

original

site.

Earlier,

you

mentioned

working

closely

with

the

fans.

I

would

be

surprised

if

some

of

the

fans

were

not

happy

with

the

move,

if

only

because

they

did

not

like

change.

Why did

you

fix

what

didnt

seem

to

be

broken?

she

asked.

First and foremost, we wanted to make sure the foundation of what was successful for us on the existing

www.cavs.com

forum

areas

remained

intact.

The

absolute

last

thing

we

wanted

to

do

was

change

the

forum

culture,

answered Nicole.

Jose added, Our plan from the start was to include the fans in the planning and goal development process. To do this, we

held a series of online town-hall stylemeetings.Weused instantmessage chatplatforms toobtain suggestions, opinions, and

feedback about the process and future site content. The fans, as only they can be, were energetic and enthusiastic about the

move.

Yeah, the support from their feedback was the major decision maker for this initiative and gave us the confidence to

proceed, said Nicole. We like the information and data gathering ability offered by a virtual community, which is

why

its

free,

but

registration

is

required.

However,

we

did

not

want

to

take

advantage

of

our

fans.

Engaging

them

in

dialogue

allowed

us

to

explain

our

thoughts

to

them

and

to

let

them

share

their

thoughts

with

us.

We

cant

doeverything they want, but we need to see what they want and do our best to provide it for them.

Jose

also

noted,

Our

main

website

averaged

around

five

million

page

views

per

month

and

over

250,000

unique

visitors per month during the 20072008 season. After launching CavFanatic, we saw an average of over six million

total page views during the first eight months for it. We expect this growth to continue

In this folder, we put several pages of data about CavFanatic to help you understand where we have been in the past

few years, Jose said handing Natalie a wine and gold folder. It should help you get acquainted with us from both

process

and

outcomes

standpoints

(please

see

Appendix

A).

So you believe the CavFanatic brand was an easy sell to the fans? Natalie asked.

Definitely, their loyalty to our brand is important because we made the CavFanatic site adaptable to fan needs so we

can provide numerous opportunities for entertainment, facilitate fan bonding, and allow new traditions to develop,

said Jose. The key is that we provide these opportunities and not a non-affiliated, third party.

I spent many months exploring the ways we could utilize Web 2.0 elements on the site. I really wanted user

generated content to drivemany of the sites social aspects. When fans can express themselves, they get to know each

other in a personal basis. So do we. Thats why we offer the opportunity to upload photographs and videos and even

allow fans to create groups and blogs in addition to simple chatting; its another product attribute for the fans. We

want

to

engage

them

emotionally,

functionally

in

as

many

ways

and

as

often

as

we

can,

acknowledged

Bob.

From

her

own

experience,

Natalie

knew

personal

pages

can

be

created

on

forum

sites

to

allow

fans

a

space

where

they

could

demonstrate

support

for

the

team.

The

forum

area

is

the

central

feature

of

the

CavFanatic

site

and

gives

the

members

avoice, although moderators have overall control of the content (e.g., rules, locking threads).

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Natalie asked, Bob, do you watch over the content and the chat rooms yourself? It seems like a great deal of work. How

does

this

process

work?

No,

no.

I

can

do

it,

but

others

are

also

involved.

The

sheer

number

of

forum

pages

makes

it

hard

for

one

person,

Bob

answered. We strive to have a place where fans can say what they believe, but we do monitor for language and

content. We find the fans appreciate this and police themselves.

She turned to Nicole, You spoke of helping to facilitate community by offering interesting experiences. Have you offered

any recently?

We did a few creative ones, she said laughing. One time the fans were able to coin the name of former Cavalier Mo

Williams running floater, called the Mo Flow. They submitted new nicknames for Shaquille ONeal when he signed in

200910 and even style designs for Daniel Gibsons next haircut.

Jose pointed to the folder he gave Natalie earlier and said, Over 11,000 members registered with CavFanatic in the first

year and you can see more current figures there. We expect some fluctuation in the numbers, but we are happy with the

growth

curve

and

expect

it

to

continue

(Table

2).

Our forum areas are broken into different topic areas, such as Team Talk, which is the main forum for Cavaliers

information, and Rumor Mill, FreeAgency, Trade Ideas, and Draft Talk. While we cannot post rumors as official news, we

providespace for fans tochat about these issues anddonot try to interfere with thedebates. Ifnot, they would simply find

other places to chat about these topics and we would lose out on engagement opportunities, data, and user generated

content. Other forum areas were developed to capitalize on the fans overall sport interests, such as Off-Topic, which

includes content not related to basketball at all, and the section about the Indians and Major League Baseball. We try to

capitalize on fan interest byhaving a ticket section todiscuss items of interest thereaswell asaQ&A forum tohelp answer

questions

about

CavFanatic,

the

team,

or

anything

else

a

fan

might

need,

said

Nicole

(Table

3).

We found the average fan visit to CavFanatic is over ten minutes and we are in the top three of page views and video

streaming in the entire league, said Bob. The fans click through to almost four pages per visit and if you think of the

number of posts that can be on a particular page, thats quite a lot. The content fluctuates because basically, the videos

are uploaded user generated content by fans. The fans control this and we found we have around 3033 pages at any

given time in a month. We leave the content up as long as the fan wishes to keep it up. Wewill remove it if someone

finds

it

offensive

or

if

it

includes

copyright

protected

content,

things

like

that.

If

we

move

to

another

platform

provider,

then

we

might

purge

some

of

the

content

since

it

might

not

transfer

to

the

new