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Los Angeles Clippers’ Social Media Team is Innovating

Ryan Snellings|
PLAYA VISTA, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Boban Marjanovic #51 of the Los Angeles Clippers walks through different photo stations on media day at the Los Angeles Clippers Training Center on September 24, 2018 in Playa Vista, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
PLAYA VISTA, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Boban Marjanovic #51 of the Los Angeles Clippers walks through different photo stations on media day at the Los Angeles Clippers Training Center on September 24, 2018 in Playa Vista, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

The Los Angeles Clippers franchise is innovating in multiple areas including social media where they are working to connect with fans more.

The Los Angeles Clippers are starting the season moving in a new direction both on and off the court. While there’s a new direction for the on-court product, management is focused on endeavors such as building a new stadium, creating new positions, helping the local community and engaging with fans.

As part of their goal to be fan-focused, the franchise went out and hired a new social media team. This team looks to bring the community together by adding new wrinkles to their already existing presence.

The Social Team

Earlier this week, I was able to email back and forth with Alessandro Gasparro, who furthered this sentiment.

"“We want to be much more active in the Clippers social community. We see social as much more than just a broadcast tool. It’s a great way to interact directly with our fans, include them in the conversation around the team, and show we’re listening.”"

Gasparro was hired this August as the Director of Social Media. He joined the Executive Director of Digital Media and Content, Charlie Widdoes, who started in July. Tom Zweibel, the Director of Digital Production just started this week and the team also added two more individuals to help with social and video content.

GIPHY

They have already innovated, becoming the first team to offer GIPHY stickers on Instagram. While this is a small thing, it shows that the social media team is forward thinking in building their brand. It’s not just on Instagram.

"“We see GIPHY as a way for fans to include the Clippers in everyday conversation — with their friends on iMessage, on Twitter, on WhatsApp, etc. GIPHY powers the GIF searches for each of those platforms (and several others).”"

Reddit

On another front, the team has become more active on Reddit. Reddit houses one of the biggest gathering places for NBA fans on the internet (r/nba), so being able to post there and work with fans has a ton of potential.

During media day, the team had both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson participate in an AMA. While it was only for a short time, the two rookies were able to connect with the fans and help them get to know the players.

On the LA Clippers subreddit, the team’s official account (u/nbaclippers) has become more active, posting informative threads and videos. It’s a small step, but means a lot to the fans who check the sub daily.

"“We know r/LAClippers is home to some of the most dedicated fans out there and we want to offer them content unique to the platform (AMAs, sneak peeks, etc.).”"

2018-19 Season

While they cannot give away anything for the future just yet, Gasparro did say to stay tuned as the season gets going.

Are you a fan of the work done so far?

"We love to see feedback on what we’re producing and value the input of our fans — everything we produce is with them in mind. General feedback, constructive criticism, and ideas are always welcome."

You can follow the Clippers on their various social media platforms under the username @LAClippers and on Reddit under u/nbaclippers. As Gasparro said, stay tuned for an exciting season both on and off the court.

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