The Cleveland Cavaliers haven't only been the best team in the Eastern Conference over the last two seasons. They've found a way to stand out in the mobile arena as well.
The Cavaliers have one of the most visible mobile presences in the league, connecting with the vast majority of their fans on smart phones and tablets instead of desktop computers. As of this year, 64% of the Cavs' total web traffic comes from mobile, up from 45% just three years ago.
"We need to be everywhere the fans are, and having a mobile experience and native app allows us to do that," says the VP of Digital for the organization, Michael Conley. "More importantly, it’s a mobile-based audience. We have a lot of functionalities on our app that allow us to individually reach each user that we don’t have on our website."
In order to personally connect with each fan, the Cavaliers have integrated their ticketing program, Flash Seats, into their native web app. That way, the organization is able to record each user's behavior, monitoring which pieces of content they look for within the app. This allows the Cavaliers to deliver personalized content to each user through push notifications, with the help of Urban Airship, a company that aids brands with mobile media engagement.
"If I only want to see LeBron James dunks in the fourth quarter of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, I can have that preference saved in my profile," Conley says.
In the world of a la carte media consumption, the Cavaliers are delivering specialized content directly to their fans –– sparing them the hassle of sifting through videos and stories themselves. Conley says this model is all about convenience.
"People are living and dying on their smart phones –– and it’s a tip of the hat of the fans who allow us into their smart phones," he says. "That’s why it’s been paramount for us to look into the preferences fans provide to us that set the foundation for how they want to engage with the organization."
Monetizing digital can be tricky, but the Cavaliers have come up with a way to seamlessly integrate brands into their mobile app experience. Take Kyrie Irving's Uncle Drew persona, for example. Pepsi needed to build new momentum around that ad campaign, so they reached out to the Cavs to generate some buzz. In due time, the Cavaliers were sending out information about the latest "Uncle Drew" sketch to their fans all over the country.
It's an innovative way to format an advertising partnership, and necessary given consumers' increasing aversion to traditional ads. In addition to creating greater awareness for a product, the Cavaliers are also giving their fans entertaining content. It's a win-win.
"We’re fortunate as an organization to be at the cutting edge of where the technology is," Conley says. "We’re focusing on fan experience first. And if the fan experience is correct, everything else falls in line."
