WASHINGTON 鈥� That the Harlem Globetrotters are in town this weekend shouldn鈥檛 surprise you. They are one of the most well-traveled entertainment acts in the world, one which many of us have witnessed at least once in our lives. But as they celebrate their 90th anniversary this year with their largest tour yet 鈥� with about 350 domestic shows and 115 international ones in 2016 鈥� it鈥檚 the way they are adapting to and succeeding in the digital age that stands out.
It鈥檚 easy to take a cursory glance at a live entertainment option like the Globetrotters and write them off as a form of entertainment born of and for the 20th century. They can鈥檛 compete for star power like they once did, like when Wilt Chamberlain played for the team, now that NBA salaries have skyrocketed. And there are so many other places where consumers can spend their money.
鈥淚n our heyday, the brand had a lot of consumer touchpoints,鈥� says Monica Neal, the Globetrotters鈥� executive vice president of marketing and partnerships. 鈥淭here was the animated series, they were on ‘Gilligan鈥檚 Island.’ The brand was kind of omnipresent.鈥�
The franchise was recently sold to Herschend Family Entertainment, which owns theme and amusement parks like Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, and moved their headquarters to Atlanta. While many of the key cogs of the front office have remained in place 鈥� like 26-year veteran Jeff Munn, who heads up the constant search for the next generation of player 鈥� there have been some innovations. Most notably, the club has stepped up its efforts to connect with new audiences.
鈥淎udiences are so fragmented and the range of entertainment options has just exploded,鈥� says Neal. 鈥淲e needed to make sure we had a presence where our present and future audiences are.鈥�
That has meant an aggressive push into social media, where, as it turns out, despite being an old brand, the Globetrotters have a pretty perfect blend of the right ingredients to compete for the shrinking slice of the attention pie.
Happy Birthday Steph Curry! Now here's how you defend him, NBA teams…
— Harlem Globetrotters (@Globies)
鈥淲e realize that we have to think of ourselves as a content company,鈥� says Neal. 鈥淲e鈥檙e finding our voice and our path as we re-imagine ourselves in the minds of those who are maybe nostalgic about the Globetrotters.鈥�
In some circumstances,聽getting a professional athlete to promote a team social media initiative can be a tooth-pulling affair. But the Globetrotters are fully invested in the success of their club, on and off the court.
鈥淓verybody on the Globetrotters team is an extremely talented individual,鈥� says , one of the players on the current tour, which included . 鈥淵ou really never know when something amazing is going to happen, so we keep our cameras rolling all the time.鈥�
The product naturally lends itself to the digital space. For instance, while the (58,000 followers) may pale in comparison to that of the Wizards (473,000 followers), they have better than 50 percent more Vine loops (37.9 million to 23.4 million). They鈥檙e up , a 40 percent gain over the past three-plus months. And they鈥檙e riding the wave of the NBA, the most active and progressive American professional sports league in the new media space.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tremendous help,鈥� says Neal of the professional basketball鈥檚 rise in popularity through its digital platforms. 鈥淭he NBA is just genius at it 鈥� They invited a whole new audience to enjoy the game and the experience that can only help the Harlem Globetrotters.鈥�
But the Globetrotters get out in the community more than anyone. They have the added advantage of being the 鈥渉ome鈥� team wherever they go, with the World All-Stars (no longer the Washington Generals) playing their foil. That means no matter what town they visit, they have the chance to connect with young fans.
鈥淪uch a huge part of what we do as an organization is breaking down barriers and bringing communities together,鈥� says Neal.
A perfect example came Tuesday, just before the Globetrotters came to the 海角精品黑料 studio. McClurkin and Weekes joined Virginia McLaurin 鈥� known as the 106-year-old woman who at the White House a few weeks ago 鈥� for her 107th birthday and a visit to Roots Public Charter School in Northeast D.C.
The outing was fun, heartwarming and topical, while fulfilling the Globetrotters鈥� larger mission as global emissaries of positivity in the communities they visit.
鈥淚 love being a Globetrotter,鈥� says , another one of the players on tour here in Washington. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been known as goodwill ambassadors for the last 90 years.鈥�
That鈥檚 the thing about the Globetrotters that differentiates them from any other basketball team. Not only do they have all the flashy highlights to compete with the NBA (鈥淲e were doing trick shots before ‘trick shots’ was a commonly used phrase,鈥� says Neal), they have nearly a century of memories built into the American consciousness, both from what they鈥檝e done on the court and off it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely something that we really pride ourselves on,鈥� says Weeks. 鈥淭he way we can touch people鈥檚 lives 鈥� touch these kids鈥� lives especially 鈥� and be a positive impact, we don鈥檛 want to abuse that power.鈥�
And they don鈥檛. While many professional athletes ignore the piles of mail sent their way, each Globetrotter has a personal email listed on their profile on . They make the effort to respond to kids who reach out in advance of games, leaving them with memories that will last a lifetime.
鈥淚n this digital age, it鈥檚 cool to have that contact with our fans, and for them to be able to connect with us,鈥� says McClurkin.
That, more than anything, will help the Globetrotters continue to thrive, maybe even for another 90 years.
You can watch the Globetrotters play at either Eagle Bank Arena (Friday-Sunday) or Verizon Center (Saturday) this weekend. for ticket information.
