P.K. Subban: Using Social Media for a Social Purpose
“I have many titles but the most important one is that of a difference maker” — P.K. Subban
Within the world of hockey, there is one name that is synonymous with talent, kindness, and generosity: P.K. Subban. Known for his work as a member of the Montreal Canadiens and currently the Nashville Predators, Subban has established a brand that is not limited to the sport he plays, but rather embraces positive acts of generosity. His social media presence shines a light of positivity in a digital space that tends to be filled with vain and meaningless content. His mission to use his social currency and platform to speak for a variety of causes and be an agent of change is admirable, and deserves to be acknowledged.
Subban frequently uses social media to connect with the hockey community, and encourages his fans and followers to act charitably. His philanthropic work is showcased throughout every one of his platforms. With over half a million Instagram followers, almost a million Twitter followers, and the ability to have his generous actions covered by major news outlets in the United States and Canada, it is safe to say that Subban is a social media influencer. Any given post easily obtains thousands of likes (a vain metric — but I will cover that later), especially those relating to his humanitarian work. This ability to go viral was exemplified years ago when a parent filmed him playing street hockey with kids in Montreal, and again when he wore a disguise to drive kids to hockey practice and surprised them by revealing his true identity, later playing a match with them. Although he posts about his career and hockey overall, he consistently shares content of his frequent work with sick children, posting inspirational stories from patients and photos of his visits. Subban also teamed up with Air Canada during the 2015 holiday season to share videos of his “Winter Wonderland” campaign, which saw him re-create the Montreal Children’s Hospital into a paradise of holiday spirit, filled with an abundance of presents, fake snow, and home-style decorations. He presented the public with a social media challenge titled “#CanadaCarols” in an effort to allow every sick child across the country to hear Christmas carols recorded by those who were challenged, including public figures like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Most recently, he created a music video titled “Year One” in collaboration with Toronto rapper Kardinal Offishall to mark the first year of his ten-year pledge to donate $10 million to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. With a clear message that his pledge still stands, although his career has brought him to Nashville, the video saw many sick children dancing happily and singing along, bringing a smile to any viewer’s face. Given his stellar hockey career and his constant collaborations with major companies to help better the world, P.K. Subban is setting an incredible example of creating social content with a social purpose.
Analyzing Subban’s use of social media, there are many strengths and weaknesses. One of his largest strengths is his ability to make use of planned content throughout his feeds. Although this applies to virtually every one of his posts, those special ones that are created at certain times of the year (like the holidays) and that revolve around his charitable work exemplify the personal and inspirational nature of planned content. Every post is unique, the use of personal pronouns is employed, and contextual information allows for viewers to feel as if they are with him. Followers and fans are not treated like consumers or robots: they are treated like friends who are seeing another friend post about what makes them feel happy and fulfilled. We end up feeling closer to him, and appreciate each post whether it centers on the world of hockey, his collaborations with a variety of companies, or the generous actions of Subban himself.
Within the digital realm of social media, users essentially curate their timelines and create filter bubbles through their actions (liking, ignoring, commenting, etc.). As their activities increase, their bubbles become more and more refined to their standards and this could exclude content that one would potentially like to see. Subban has created an online brand that breaks through these filter bubbles, bringing together a community of kindness and humanity, no matter if you are a hockey fan or not. Some personal algorithms may not include any interest in the sport at all, but his content can still reach a wider audience through his multiple collaborations, including Google, Air Canada, the Montreal Children’s Hospital, and Just For Laughs. This allows for him to remain engaged with the hockey community, but to extend his reach beyond that, showing his brand and his values to anyone with interest in any of his collaborations. This can also further build his brand as many fans of Subban are not necessarily hockey fans: they simply appreciate the caring nature of his work and become self-employed brand ambassadors.
Keeping with the notion that he is an influencer of goodwill, Subban frequently posts high-quality material of his work on and off the ice. Photos are well-lit, high resolution, and aesthetically pleasing, further adding to the kind meanings behind the posts. The music video created with Kardinal Offishall follows along a similar path of quality, filmed and edited to look like a legitimate music video and further solidifying the validity of his brand. Quality is important in this sense due to the fact that when these posts become popular on certain platforms and start to trend, the quality is what will most likely attract exploring viewers to click and see, buying into the Subban brand. While most of Subban’s posts are of a higher standard of quality, there are a few exceptions where personal content is posted that is of “normal” quality: selfies, quick little Instagram update videos, etc. These are essential to maintaining that personal and friendly vibe of his branded social media: it’s not a machine of perfection, but rather a blend of various content to make it easier to relate to and connect with, once again further expanding his reach.
As a public figure, Subban frequently collaborates with major companies to campaign for social issues or simply for his own interest, such as his own fashion line with RW & Co. Gaining business intelligence and using certain metrics, both parties are able to analyze data and execute these campaigns in a manner that will seek action from his followers. Looking at vain metrics such as his follower count is useless at first, but when combined with the level of influence he has (ex: getting a large amount of people involved in his work), companies are able to see the bigger picture and partner with him. Conversions could therefore be actionable seeing as many of his social media challenges go viral and fans participate, generating content and using those hashtags to interact with him. Similarly, these campaigns have led to people donating large amounts of money to children’s hospitals while sharing their stories about being inspired, especially around Christmas time. Subban’s partnerships allow for those companies to leverage his fans’ loyalty while simultaneously giving him a larger platform to continue with his philanthropic work.
Contrasting to the dark side of social media, where influencers and their content unintentionally sway viewers to feel like they are not good enough in any sense, Subban is working to do the exact opposite. Shining a digital light on everyone (sick children, those with disabilities, all ages, all races, etc.) and using social media as a medium through which his intentions are positive and inclusive of everyone is inspirational and allows the public to feel empowered and joyful. There is no negativity present throughout his accounts, but in fact extremely optimistic and feel-good content that can only influence viewers to be grateful and push themselves to help their communities more.
Being an influencer, Subban strongly demonstrates three of the seven characteristics presented by Bailey Parnell: he maintains direct access to followers, builds an affiliative bond, and identifies as part of the leisure class. Subban has a large following, but not nearly as big as some Hollywood celebrities. Although this makes his group smaller, his interactions remain very personal and are directly related to that group, tying back to the planned content discussed earlier. His ability to influence, in this sense, is greater. Gaining more recognition for his work, Subban is establishing a stronger affiliative bond. Many already know who he is, and more are learning about him every day, providing a sense of familiarity with the public. They are therefore more likely to be influenced by his actions, and would want to be a part of that larger social context, imitating his humanitarian work. Lastly, he caters his content to the leisure class, aligning himself with all that is good and moral. Never controversial, he embodies and perpetuates wholesome values to his growing fan base, and if the leisure class is embracing this, then he is most definitely on the right path to being a global change maker.
Overall, P.K. Subban has taken the role of hockey superstar and amplified his status and philanthropic work through the proper use of social media. As busy as he may be, the only aspect of his online engagement that could be made stronger is his direct interaction to fans by replying, re-tweeting, liking, etc. He already makes use of these features, but by perhaps taking more time to engage with them in this way, he can organically strengthen and grow his social community. Even when the time comes for him to hang up his skates, we can rest assured that his humanitarian work will not be done, and we can contribute to his efforts through the wonderful power of social media.
