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#SSIPLWatch Glimpse into Royal Challengers Bangalore's #PlayBold social media strategy

With match action, candid footage and brand tales, Royal Challengers Bangalore has a bright social media presence, we take a closer look.

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Jagruti Verma
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Royal Challengers Bangalore social media strategy

With match action, candid behind the scenes footage and brand tales, Royal Challengers Bangalore has a bright social media presence, we take a closer look.

With fiery red hues and tints of gold, Royal Challengers Bangalore has an advantage when it comes to standing out on social media — their communication is inherently bright. They leverage the star powers of their players, especially captain Virat Kohli, to the hilt. Behind the scenes, candid content also makes for a key element in their strategy. May it be some pictures of the players with the products or specially created promotional content and contests, brand endorsements can be found aplenty on their social media pages. Contests are also a routine feature to drive engagement.

Social Media Footprint

Royal Challengers Bangalore posts pretty much the same content across social media platforms, optimised according to the preferable dimensions on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They are able to have a more conversational vibe on Twitter as there is an option to amplify fan sentiments and have more real-time communication.

Facebook: 9.4 Million followers
Instagram: 5.1 Million followers
Twitter: 3.9 Million followers
Key Hashtags: #PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2020

Live Visual Commentary

While most teams seem to be sticking to Twitter for textual commentary, Royal Challengers Bangalore posts a significant number of creatives on Facebook and Instagram on match days, almost like a visual commentary for those fans who might be following the match on these platforms. The same creatives are posted on Twitter as well.

Looking closely enough, a pattern can be seen where before every match, the team shares a picture of captain Virat Kohli with the captain of the team they would be playing against. These pictures kickstart the commentary that later details all the action of the match for the fans on social media.

12th Man Army

To bring the fans of the team together, Royal Challengers Bangalore has created an entity called the 12th Man Army. The term is used when they refer to fans in social media posts. Special virtual events and interactions are also conducted for the fans under the same umbrella initiative.

Mr Nags Exclusives

Since fans are not allowed in the stadium this year, Royal Challengers Bangalore has tried to add to the virtual experience and keep fans hooked on social media. A part of the strategy is to create content with Mr Nags, a fictional stereotypically Bengalurian character played by comedian Danish Sait. In these content snippets, fans get a glimpse of exclusive footage.

Brand Endorsements

A big chunk of Royal Challengers Bangalore's social media presence is the content they create in partnership with their sponsors. These include posters of players with the brand's logo (like in the case of Gamezop, Myntra and boAt) as well as exclusive content. A segment on social media where insights into the team's game are shared is sponsored by Center fresh. Recently, the team did a contest with Muthoot Fincorp where fans stood a chance to win a silver coin ahead of the festive season.

Also Read: With a focus on regional pride, Kolkata Knight Riders marketing strategy Hai Taiyaar

Regional Pride

Bangalore is an element of the team's social media strategy and so is Kannada. They often share creatives and posts with text in the regional language. Pop cultural references are also used to draw connections, making for interesting content pieces that are relevant to fans there.

Extra Slices Of Action

To keep fans hooked as well as document the life of the team in Dubai, Royal Challengers Bangalore often shares video content on social media. These include footage from the training sessions as well as of players sharing their thoughts on the strategy and gameplay. In one segment, they also share candid moments of the players sightseeing and experience the tourist life in Dubai.

The Green Initiative

To amplify the message and need for a cleaner and healthier planet, the team played one recent match in green jerseys. The posts for this match against Chennai Super Kings followed a green theme accordingly.

Takeaways

  • Leveraging the colours of the jersey helps in creating a stronger visual narrative for a sporting team. It can be seen in the communication of Royal Challengers Bangalore, especially the impact they were able to create when they switched to green for a campaign.
  • There is a lot to unpack when it comes to sponsors, collaborations and partnerships. The team uses these connections to create content that adds to the value for fans consuming it.
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