Episode 75 of the DSMSports Podcast w/ Jeff O'Keefe of Richard Childress Racing

Best Of... Jeff O'KeefeEpisode 75 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast

Episode 75 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast featured Jeff O'Keefe, Manager of Digital and Social Media for Richard Childress Racing.

What follows are some snippets from the episode. Listen to the full podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or at www.DSMSports.net

@njh287; DSMSports.net

http://www.DSMSports.net/


Jeff's Career Path

Grew up in New Jersey and was a racing fan → Studied PR/marketing in college → Worked internships after graduation and ended up at Sunshine-Sachs doing media relations in a number of industries, beginning as a receptionist and working his way up to Assistant to the President and CEO, working on a number of accounts

“That opportunity allowed me to grow professionally...You got a lot more to learn (after college). That taught me a lot more about work ethic. How to get things done, prioritize things, how to task...Network, network, network. Network so much because it's 95% of what we did, and that's how I got into NASCAR...”



Jeff's work at Sunshine-Sachs included working in PR for Barbara Streisand and Bette Midler, among other diverse accounts.

“It kept you on your toes and kept you fresh on how to deal with certain situations and how to pitch different media...It just taught you how to deal with a client, in certain ways, but also deal with media...and think five steps ahead of the game.”

5 years ago, Jeff got his start working for a team in the Truck Racing Series



“I had the idea that I wanted to work for a team. Under an organization (like RCR), there are many teams that work in the series. Each team has a media relations rep...[Jeff describes how the team's media relations role involved PR, but also a lot more close relationships with the media embedded at every NASCAR event]...

“Re-learning AP Style was a huge benefit, because you're writing three or four times per week, and now with digital and social media becoming so big, you're doing it (even) more now.”



How his role fits into RCR's organization

“I came over to RCR to work with a driver in the Xfinity Series and handle PR, but at the time they didn't anybody solely focused on digital and social...I took that on, as well...At the end of 2014, roles shifted around and they realized they needed somebody solely focused on digital and social...”



On the goals of his role

“It has multiple layers. You want to drive awareness to who your drivers are [and] increase their popularity. But, in turn, you have sponsors who are paying millions of dollars to activate with you and to have their presence be known. So we work with sponsors and social and digital campaigns. We work with them to tell their story organically. I can't stand posts and social messaging that says 'Follow so-and-so on Facebook and get a free hat because they do this,' and it doesn't work.

We've made a conscious effort to integrate our sponsors organically and to share their messaging organically, to tell a story, and to explain what they do and how it relates back to RCR and what we do.”



On improving sponsor activation on social

“It was definitely an evolution...As (Facebook's algorithm changed), we saw that posts weren't doing as well if it were over-selling...So over the past year and a half, we made a really conscious effort to tell our partner story in that organic way and make it really interesting for the fan...We guarantee [fans] have used something (these companies) have made. And there's all these different tentacles based off that sponsorship that we can tap into and they can tap into with us; so it provides for a really strong, creative content campaign each year.”



Sponsors activating with racers vs. RCR

“It's both. RCR has sponsorship that [covers] a season with a driver piloting the car from February through November. Driver business managers go out and sell personal sponsorships. So there are certain places on the driver helmet that they can put their personal sponsors. They can do digital push for personal sponsors...There is definitely a mix of personal sponsors and RCR sponsors all-around.”



“The biggest question for sponsorship is how do you monetize social posts? How much is that worth? We're beginning to work with a company, MVPIndex, that has figured out an algorithm that shows a financial value for social media...”

[Jeff mentions their marketing department uses Repucom to value exposure of logos all over the place]

“I can't wait. To put a value on social and digital kind of gives you a financial value to how you're doing your job.”



Promoting drivers vs. promoting RCR

“It's two-fold. Awareness drivers, I don't want to say comes easily, just because of the media and broadcast and PR push behind them. At the end of the day, the [more] success on the track, the more people know them...For us, we're a company that has been in the sport for 47 years. So it's telling that story of Richard Childress and he's literally the American dream. He bought his first race car for $20...



We're most famous for being the team that Dale Earnhardt had driven for...so we have a lot of fans left over from that...But we also need to bring in new fans, who identify with our younger drivers, as well.”

It's capitalizing on the moments that happen on-track, so you can have those strong moments on social media. [Jeff talks about what happens after a racing win, getting content out as quickly as possible]...It's just, in that moment, and how you can just capitalize on the small wins, as well as the big wins.”



On balancing content and promotion around all drivers on RCR

“Fortunately, there's enough content possibilities each week that we can put something up for each of the drivers...no matter how they're doing. Especially through Twitter – how we use our tune-in graphics to dive tune-in, how we show practice updates and qualifying updates, snapping a photo of them with their families on the pre-race grid, etc.”



“I monitor everything I can. My TweetDeck is almost like Rain Man. I have nine columns...I'll monitor not only their handles, but I'll put their names as a (key word)...It's amazing what people will say when they don't tag a driver...I'll definitely call those people out.”

“None of our drivers have specific PR people outside of RCR. They have business managers [and[ some of them, we'll work on the social side with them...and some deals they might need help with. For instance, 'can you help get this logo in the photo?'”



Helpful Tool: Fyuse app, for 360-degree photo creation for any platform (non-native)



Jeff's race day setup (if he's not at the race)

“I have two computers set up, an iPad, and a television. And that command setup is – I can listen to in-car audio, I can follow timing and scoring, and then I have the race broadcast on TV. And sometimes I'll try to grab GIFs off the online broadcast that I can put out on Twitter, as well.”

“You can't infringe on the live broadcast. We don't have access to Snappy TV...All the live broadcast clips are owned by the partner (NBC)...NASCAR owns all the (content), so if we want clips, we have to go through NASCAR and pay a licensing fee.”



NASCAR thriving in the digital and social era

“Over the past give or six years (NASCAR) has definitely taken the bull by the horns and made social and digital a priority. Prior to a few years ago, they didn't even own their digital rights. Turner owned the rights to NASCAR.com...So they got everything back in-house and they've just been killing it, in terms of content generation. On Snapchat, they're doing stuff nobody else does in sport...Each week, they send out reports (with) how big their reach is with digital and social and even the television ratings. Yeah, television ratings are down, but that's (the case) across the board...But streaming and everything else is way up. Social conversation, it's crazy.”

“In this year's Daytona 500...it reached over 48 million people (on social media)...I think we've been averaging on Sprint Cup day(s), definitely in the millions for sure...”



What a race day is like for Jeff

“It's nuts. You definitely need to have your morning coffee...We'll take Sprint Cup race day, for example...We'll get there early in the morning, right around when the garage opens. I usually try to set an establishing shot, a photo of the race track and it's still really early with the sun coming up. And then we just kind of go through the day to capture things that I might find interesting that the fans will like. That goes from photos to video, whether it's just scene setting. Vine has become a big push of mine...It's six seconds and you can be so creative...

Putting pop music and rap to NASCARs has been a fun challenge this year...Utilize the assets we have in the garage. The guys making final setups of the car. If drivers have any interesting meet and greets with a celebrity or an athlete, make sure you get a photo of that and tag them in the photo, so hopefully they engage with it...



Once race time hits, I'm around driver intros, access on the starting grid where everybody is. Showing photos, maybe using Facebook Live to do a grid walk with them. Once the green flag waves, we usually turn to Twitter to give race updates throughout the race. I'll focus on all three Sprint Cup teams throughout the race. I'll walk pit road to get photos or videos of the pit stop. And basically become a news source that pushes out information of what's going, what they're saying about the car. If something happens and they're in a wreck, are they ok and is the car reparable and is the car damaged?...



If we don't win (then), by the time I'm back in the car and we're heading to the airport, I'll have a post race graphic to show where we finished and highlight that with a photo of the race itself. And then go back that evening and look at if there are any cool photos our photographer shot, I can push out those.”

“Our focus is on Twitter, whether that is the best practice, I'm questioning that. While it is important- spread the wealth across the other networks, especially with Facebook and especially with short clip videos, because a view count is just three seconds...So if we can put up a video that is just six seconds long and show a few of those showing where we are in the race positions, that'll boost our reach and engagement.



We reserve Instagram for pretty decent quality photos. We don't go over-filter anymore, we don't do HD on Instagram. We might pull Getty images to put on there [and] high-quality iPhone images that I'll take at the track, whether it's a pit stop, meet and greets, etc...So you're spreading the wealth around, but (right now), it's been a push on Twitter...I'd rather ideal back (race updates) on Twitter and focus n key moments and better, stronger content.”



Balancing RCR social and driver engagement with NASCAR social

“We might take key learnings and strong answers from (a @NASCAR Q&A with an RCR Driver) and create a blog out of it for the website, share it that way...Driving people to other platforms, it depends on what's going on, whether it's a sponsor...

Even in-race, we're one of the few teams that'll engage with other teams...Us and Joe Gibbs (Racing) have a pretty good rapport about throwing shade at each other. Whoever is doing better on-track, it doesn't necessarily matter, it's about who's landing the better jabs; and fans eat it up...I know, for a while, a lot of accounts tried to be like the LA Kings and tried go that route – we've done that in the pat and we've toned it back. But interacting with other teams is so key to engagement for fans, because they eat it up.

And when we're doing it, I'm sitting right next to Boris at JGR and we're laughing at it...”



Becoming embedded into the NASCAR community

[Jeff talks about a Sunshine-Sachs boss drilling home the importance of networking]

“There is times when I've created content that, if it's a busy race day and you know it's not going to get that much traction through influential accounts in the Media Center...I've literally stood in the back of the Media Center and emailed every single person in the media, based on where they sit. Just [asking] can you share this tweet, can you share this video? Because they're not looking out for it..so if you just point it out, your piece of content can get that much more eyes on it.”



Balancing the RCR brand and the changing roster of RCR drivers

“I think a lot of fans are attached to their favorite drivers. So that's a good thing and a bad thing. So if you have changeover, you may be losing a driver who has a huge fan base. You may not necessarily lose a ton of fans, but just think about the amount of fans that you'll gain with another driver coming in if they're already established and have been in the sport a while...



“Then if you have a young driver you get the awesome challenge of establishing their brand and trying to get them known to all the fans out there. That's one of the coolest challenges anybody can have, no matter what sport they work in. So the transition period is pretty cool. A lot of the news happens fairly early in our sport...A lot of the team switches or sponsor switches happen fairly early, so there's enough time where fans know what's going on and by the time we get to Daytona, they're psyched about the new season, what's to come...”



Share-able Stat: 6.5M viewers watched the MTV Video Music Awards on TV vs. 16M viewers on Snapchat



Jeff's most memorable experience from his days at Sunshine-Sachs

“There are a few memories, mostly specifically around events. We hsndled the media for Michael Jackson's funeral. And that whole process and time frame was just something you could never forget in your career, and how that week unfolded and what we had to do in such short time and the staff we had was just crazy...

“I would say that, moments where handling PR for a vice presidential speech, through Reverend Al Sharpton, of all people. Rev is a pretty cool guy, not gonna lie. And traveling to London with Bette Midler on her media tour and just getting to know her people and her...She's just a legend and she's pretty cool.”



One thing Jeff would change about NASCAR if he were CEO for the day

“I would make cup races shorter. I would cut them down a little bit [in length]...”



The most memorable social media post of Jeff's time at RCR

“There have been campaigns and things that we've done have been really cool. Like bringing back the #3 for the Sprint Cup series, planning that...The one that shocked me, using humor, was – after the Cup race in Charlotte in 2014, Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski ended up getting into it after the race...pushing and shoving, kind of like getting in a fight...



I wasn't even at the track...I had just left to get in the car, because we didn't win...I see this all unfold as I'm driving home and it blew up very quick...and all I did from the RCR Account was just put out the Ron Burgundy meme, where it was his sitting at his desk sitting with his scotch [saying] 'Welll, that escalated quickly...

By the next day, that single tweet got over 400-500 retweets and just blew up...We had nothing to do with the on-track thing, but Ron Burgundy? That's when you put down the mental note, 'noted.' That was a particularly memorable one just because it was something that I just threw out there, because I thought it was funny...

You learn very quickly what works and what doesn't.”



The RCR drive that does the best job on social media and why

“Austin Dillion. He gets it, he's young. He is exciting, he likes it, he'll engage. He focuses a lot on Instagram, and he's really become a fan of Facebook Live over the past couple of months. Especially when we showed him the numbers associated with it. It almost becomes a competition to see if he can outdo his previous one...He did it for NASCAR at Daytona, back in February. He was the first Facebook Live that NASCAR did. They promoted it heavily, then Facebook Sports promoted it heavily...It was one of the top five Facebook Live broadcasts ever, within sports.

Austin is pretty cool. He gets it, he understands it. He'll integrate sponsor messaging. He's one of my go-to's that I know I can get solid stuff out of.”



The non-RCR driver that does the best job on social and why

Dale Earnhardt Jr., specifically for Twitter → He is so engaging with fans. For somebody who has resisted social media for years and just jumped on it a few years ago...He has embraced it like nobody's business. He'll hold Q&A's on the flight home from the track. He's a night owl, so he'll hold Q&A's late at night, 3am. He'll chat with fans, he'll respond. He does tune-in graphics...where it's a throwback photo from that race, something he thinks is cool...He really has embraced Twitter in such a cool way.”



Somebody who understands social hands-down is Jimmie Johnson. Him and his team, all-around, do an amazing job on social media. For a while, he got labeled kind of bland. People didn't like him because he was so corporate and sponsored. But then he jumped on Twitter and the stuff he puts on Twitter is really cool. It's raw, you know it's him. He'll go at his haters...Sometimes it'll get him in trouble. I believe he might have put the middle finger emoji sometimes...But his team...what they do on Facebook and Instagram is just a solid, solid presence that is probably one of my top athletes to follow.”



Which speedway is Jeff's favorite on the NASCAR circuit and why?

We'll go with Bristol, because that's the first track my dad and I went to see a Cup race. We've been going to Bristol together for 17 years, so there's a lot of sentimental value. What I love about that track is just because I get to spend time with my dad and that's how we bonded growing up...

Obviously, another go-to is Talladega. Just because it is wild, the fans are crazy, they're awesome. You see a lot of stuff you never thought you'd see in your life. It's like a frat party on steroids. But the on-track competition is some of the most nerve-wracking and competitive you'll see all year.”



The biggest lesson Jeff learned managing the digital strategy and brand for driver Ryan Truex

“I would say with Ryan, it was working with a driver who had a lot of promise...He was running a limited schedule when I worked with him. Unfortunately, funding is a huge part of what we do for drivers. And if you don't have a sponsor, you may be the best driver in the world, but you may not race. And that sucks.

But, working with him, we ran a limited schedule, with a top team. And keep him relevant, even the weekends he wasn't racing; almost becoming a brand manager for him, that was probably a big life lesson in how to keep someone relevant. We finished second in Dover in June 2012 and the next weekend he wasn't scheduled to race...so it was, 'What do we do now? And we did some social stuff and kept the ball rolling a little bit...”



The best food to get in Charlotte, NC

“Everybody's go-to answer is BBQ, you have to go to BBQ. We have amazing places here in Welcome, North Carolina. There's one called Southern Lunch. It is literally what you might picture a mom and pop kitchen lunch place would be. You walk in at noon and you see probably nine peoples' grandparents sitting there having lunch. Very, very cliched southern in the charming-type way.

There's a restaurant in Davidson, NC that is actually rated one of the top restaurants in the United States. It's called Kindred. It is a shareable where you and your date will go and the meals are broken where two people can share them and the food is just so good.”



The RCR driver who everyone will know by 2017

“I've got to go with Austin Dillon. The kid has a really strong brand presence right now, a lot of fans know him. He's won two championship in the sport already and, if all goes well and he makes the Chase, he could potentially be the first driver to win championships in all three series. I think having a strong season this year, he will become that much more popular in 2017. And, if I have anything do with it, so will his social media following.”



Jeff's Social Media All-Star to Follow

“I'm going to say to have the #SMSports hash tag. That hash tag is so valuable. It's like social media class every day. You meet people, that's how you and I got connected. That's where you meet people like Chris Yandle, Jessica Smith is from Under Armour, Karen Freberg...You just learn so much and you gain so much knowledge on the hash tag, so I'm actually going to go with the hash tag and not an account.”



Where to find Jeff and Richard Childress Racing on digital/social

Jeff is @JeffOKeefe on Twitter

RCR is @RCRRacing on all social media platforms



Thanks so much to Jeff for sharing his time, knowledge, experience, and expertise with the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast!

Listen to the podcast and find more episodes and content on iTunes and at www.DSMSports.net.

You can also follow me on Twitter @njh287


http://www.DSMSports.net/

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