Sportsbet posts record results for Ashes social media campaign

By Lucy Carroll | 9 November 2015
 

A social media campaign that encouraged people to sledge the English cricket team during the Ashes has produced a record rise in engagement and more than 70,000 tweets for the online bookmaker Sportsbet.

The campaign, which ran from July 6 to July 12, saw people posting their best insults to the poms on the Sportsbet “Pommel” website, or via Twitter and Facebook by using the #pommel hashtag.

The betting agency has reported it is the company's most successful social media campaign to date, with 71,490 tweets, a number one trending hashtag and a 92% share of category engagement.

Social media strategy manager at Sportsbet, Elliot McKay, said the campaign is indicative of the shift in the company's marketing approach, with social media now a “priority” for the online betting agency.

“Social is something we will continue to invest more in. The numbers don't lie, using Twitter and Facebook increases our reach, builds brand resonance and influences punter behaviour. Social does get cut through,” said McKay.

He said that unlike traditional advertising through radio and TV, social media is able to reveal engagement data and is a powerful way to start conversations with followers.

“We're always on when it comes to social and we are quite well-resourced in that area,” he said.

The campaign, which was produced in conjunction with agency Loud&Clear, also gave sledgers the chance to win $20,000 if they were successful in destroying a giant 'box' pinata using a red ball.

“The Ashes is a rivalry synonymous with banter,” said McKay. “It was the perfect insight to build upon. You know you've landed on a strong consumer insight when you get someone like former captain Kevin Pieterson getting involved with the campaign through his Twitter account.”

“What really surprised us was the success we had on live streaming site, Periscope. That's very much a new platform for us and by live streaming the competition we picked up 30 000 hearts and 1500 new followers.”

The focus on social media is significant for Sportsbet, with the company previously coming under fire for their TV campaigns, with ads created for the FIFA World Cup and a recent “Fifty Shades of Grey” parody ad brought in front of the advertising watchdog.

Whereas gaming advertising on TV is restricted by regulation, including blocks on the promotion of live odds during sports broadcasts, there is a lack of similar restrictions on social media.

In October, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation published research into the the gambling industry's use of social media for marketing, which found online advertising could incorporate elements prohibited in traditional broadcast media, including links between alcohol and gambling and connecting gambling to 'value' and 'winning'.

The report, Marketing of Wagering on Social Media: An analysis of Promotional Content on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, found Sportsbet.com.au topped the Twitter leaderboard compared to other betting agencies, with more than 100,000 followers, compared to Crownbet.com.au with 9000 and Tomwaterhouse.com.au with about 24,000.

During April this year, Sportsbet's tweets were the most shared (with a total of 783 retweets, an average of 5 re-tweets per tweet).

Researchers said the report “raises questions about the extent to which social media marketing strategies may avoid regulations which prevent ‘whistle to whistle’ marketing during televised sporting content, and may allow wagering promotions to be offered in real time during matches.”

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