Hitting a Home Run with a Small Gesture
By Adam Barrett
Most people who know me are certain of two things, I love my dog, and I love the Chicago Cubs. The Cubbies have been a huge part of my life for a long time, and it’s always been a sore spot that I’d never had the chance to see them play. Sure, I’d been on a tour of Wrigley Field, and almost been asked to leave (a story for another day), and I’d been to a White Sox game (in Chicago no less!), but the stars (or at least the schedule) never entirely aligned for me to see The Cubs.
That all changed this year.
Earlier this summer, I had the chance to live out my dream of being a bleacher bum over two scorching afternoons at Wrigley Field. I sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame and Go, Cubs, Go with 40,000 other fans, I saw my favourite player hit a home run, and I experienced two things every Cubs fan should — a big win and a blowout loss.
Even with all these fantastic memories, there is one thing that happened during my time at Wrigley that I’ve shared with friends more than any other — and it didn’t happen on the field.
It happened on the internet.
Taking a Swing on Social Media
For better or worse, I’m chatty on the internet. So it made sense that I would announce my arrival when my partner and I found our seats in the bleachers. And, of course, I made sure The Cubs knew we were there.
If you’re not a Cubs fan, you might not know what it means to “Fly the W.” Simply put, it’s the tradition of flying a white flag emblazoned with a blue W after a game to symbolize a Cubs victory (though, if you want to get into the details, the flag was originally blue with a white W). Flying the W dates back to the 1930s when scoreboard operators would hoist the flag to announce to their neighbours in Wrigleyville and travellers on nearby trains the outcome of the day’s game. Over the years, flying the W has expanded outside the friendly confines of Wrigley and taken on a life of its own. Today, folks all over the field, the city, and the world fly their W flags proudly after a Cubs victory.
So, it’s pretty easy to understand why I wanted to be a part of that.
With my tweet sent, I sat down to enjoy a Pepsi and some batting practice. Before long, I felt my phone buzzing. I took a quick look and had to do a double take.
The Cubs had not only seen my tweet, but they also responded to it! As you can imagine, a response from my favourite baseball team was a big thrill for me. I was elated and quickly showed the folks sitting around me. At that moment, I thought the experience couldn’t get any better, but it was only just beginning.
A few seconds later, my phone buzzed again. But this time it wasn’t a tweet, it was a direct message.
My favourite baseball team slid into my DMs.
That’s a sentence I never thought I’d write, but here we are.
We exchanged a few messages, I told them where we were sitting, and they told me they’d let me know before they stopped by. I was so excited and the game hadn’t even started! A short time later, a member of The Cubs social media team arrived at our seats and welcomed us again to Wrigley. As if that wasn’t enough, they also presented us with a gift bag to commemorate our first game.
In the bag was an awesome hat for my partner, and, for me, my very own W flag.
I should mention that there is a third thing most folks who know me are certain of, I can be a little emotional. Let’s just say, I was lucky we were sweating under the hot sun in the bleachers so no one could tell I got a little misty eyed.
I didn’t get to fly the W that afternoon (you can’t be known as loveable losers if you win all the time!), but it didn’t matter to me. What did matter was the gesture. It made me feel important, welcome, and part of the team (but don’t expect to see me in the starting line-up or even pinch hitting anytime soon). It was one of the high points of an amazing vacation, and that flag is something I will cherish for years to come.
And, when I attended the next day’s game, I was sure to bring the flag with me. It’s a good thing I did because I finally had my chance to fly the W in Wrigley.
I think Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo can perfectly sum up how the entire experience felt for me.
Surprise and Delight: A Marketing Double Play
So why am I telling a story about baseball here? Because it’s a great example of effective social engagement and how going above and beyond the expectations of your guests/customers can have a positive impact on your brand. “Surprise and delight” is something marketers hear a lot about, but we’re usually on the other side of these types of interactions and don’t always have the opportunity to experience how special it feels to simply be acknowledged. More notably, it’s easy to forget just how eager folks can be to share their stories of these moments with friends and family — ultimately building brand loyalty and creating new fans.
In this case, I’ve told dozens of people about my experience with The Cubs, and it’s a story everyone has loved. When I got home, I hung the W flag in our den (as a superstitious sports fan who only recently got over the decades-old Curse of the Billy Goat, I think it brings a little luck) and it’s been a conversation starter more than a few times. Perhaps most importantly, it’s all but guaranteed I’ll be making my way back to Wrigley Field again in the future for another game.
This was a very small and simple gesture by the folks who run the Chicago Cubs social media platforms. And for a team currently valued at nearly 3 billion dollars, it certainly didn’t put much of a dent in their bank account. But for me, it was an absolutely priceless moment — and the type of interaction that every organization should be looking to put their spin on when the opportunity presents itself.
Gestures like these are a way to say, “We value you. Your experience matters to us.” They can be as small as sending customers special coupons and vouchers on their birthday, or as large as offering free upgrades to your guests. Even the simple gesture of chatting with social media users using authentic (not boilerplate) responses can make a lasting, positive impression on someone. When done right, engaging with and delighting your customers will have your brand flying a W of its very own.
Do you have an awesome story of an unforgettable interaction with a brand? We’d love to hear about it! Share your story below or tell us about it over on Twitter!
And, as always, let’s go Cubbies!
VERB Interactive is a leader in digital marketing, specializing in solutions for the travel and hospitality industry. Find out more at www.verbinteractive.com.
