I don’t like football (but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn from it)
I don’t like football. I may have slightly more sports awareness than the average arts marketing consultant thanks to my husband and children, but football is not my thing, especially at the professional level. But I was transfixed by the coverage of what happened following Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on the field during the January 2 game between the Bills and the Bengals.
(I’ll pause here to reassure those who haven’t been following the story to report that as of this writing, Damar is home and making a remarkable recovery.)
While injuries to professional athletes during games are certainly not uncommon, this was a shocking one. Perhaps that’s what first drew me to the story, but my fascination continued after the initial curiosity. In the days following this incident, I kept searching for related stories.
I was so consumed by them that I scrapped my planned blog post and started writing about everything I was reading.
As a communications professional, I was fascinated by the media coverage (and the media coverage of the media coverage, including how ESPN had to pivot in an instant from sports talk to something that felt more like CNN.) I started thinking about how those of us in the PR and communications teams of the arts and culture world would react if the unthinkable (or even the unplanned for) happened within our organization. I’ve since been thinking more about how to work with clients to prepare for those tough PR moments – not by providing a playbook for every possible scenario, but rather by making sure that the right processes and resources are in place.
The logistics-loving part of me finds the news stories about the NFL’s Emergency Action Plan truly compelling. There are 30 medical professionals (including a dentist!) at every game and one hour before kickoff, they all meet to review protocols, determine who is in charge in different scenarios, and identify the location of exits and AEDs. The NFL must have systems this comprehensive in place because frankly, the likelihood of injury is pretty high. Fortunately, the same level of risk generally doesn’t apply to our work in the arts, but that doesn’t mean that accidents can’t happen for artists, audiences, or staff. How robust are our emergency plans and how many people on our teams even know what they say?
I have also been utterly captivated by the stories of generosity. It will surprise no one that there was an outpouring of donations to support Damar Hamlin in the days following his hospitalization. A GoFundMe campaign that Hamlin set up for toy drives in his hometown in 2020 has received more than $8.5 million so far.
But it turns out there is more to this angle. Buffalo Bills fans have a long history of charitable giving, and not just when there are high profile medical emergencies (though they do that, too). When their quarterback’s grandmother passed away, the Bills Mafia (as their fans are known) raised so much money in her memory for the local children’s hospital that a wing of the building now bears her name. They also turn to donations in moments of celebration. In 2017, a Bengals win over the Ravens meant that the Bills would be returning to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. The Bills Mafia celebrated by giving to a foundation created by the Bengals quarterback.
Aside from filling me up with warm fuzzies and restoring my faith in humanity, stories like these about the legendary generosity of the Bills Mafia made me think about how this community unites around more than just wins and losses. The Buffalo Bills organization didn’t start this, they didn’t send out marketing materials about donating, or start a charity club with behind-the-scenes access to incentivize giving. It grew organically from within the fan base. There’s a lot of talk in the arts about authentic relationships and community building, but how often are these initiatives driven by the actual members of the community? Are we thinking about what they want or what we want?
I don’t have all the answers. Neither does the sports world. No arts organization can rival the NFL in resources or ESPN in media expertise. We won’t be selling our branded merchandise by the millions to fans around the world. But we can still take inspiration from them, and from any other unlikely source for that matter. Look around, find a compelling story or fascinating news item, and challenge yourself to see how it can lead you to think differently about your own organization.
I still don’t like football, but I’m glad that I followed this story down all its fascinating paths.
If you need help looking for inspiration in unlikely places, let me know. I can help.