Brief
Social media has transformed the way that professional sports teams communicate, allowing players to engage directly with supporters and instigating the rise of influencers, digital-led fan channels and competitive eSports. For high-profile organisations, failing to properly embrace the digital revolution is simply not an option.
H/Advisors Cicero was appointed by the Football Association (FA) to provide deep insights into the character of players it is considering calling up to the international team, media figures (match day presenters and social media presenters) and eSports players, to analyse how they have previously conducted themselves online and to proactively identify any issues that could cause reputational harm.
Strategy and execution
H/Advisors Cicero undertakes research to identify any social media activity that could be deemed inappropriate or offensive. We use social media data software to create a comprehensive report of activity including:
- Any historic ‘red flags’.
- Handling of career milestones (reaction to successes, failures and attention).
- Lifestyle factors (social life, family life, other close associates, religious views, political views).
- Interactions with fans.
- Interactions with other public figures.
Result
We have provided a series of comprehensive reports to the FA which have revealed incriminating and potentially reputation-damaging behaviour, helping the organisation to avoid damaging headlines and allowing it to better prepare and mitigate potentially detrimental news stories.
