The Chicago Fire harnessed the force on May the Fourth this year with a Star Wars inspired Vine. The six second clip was looped just short of a million times and reached over 300,000 people.
The video was part of a continued effort to engage fans on social media and make them feel they are part of the club.
“The Vine started about a month ago when I went to our team of communicators, marketers and graphic designers and threw out the idea,” Scott Hammer, director of digital media and communications for the Chicago Fire told us in a phone interview. “We wanted to delve into the fun magician Vine videos. They seem to always resonate well with people.” The Star Wars Vine was not the only post to get widespread recognition. The Fire created an online banner cleverly using their slogan to wish the Blackhawks and Bulls luck in the playoffs. The Fire are looking to use social media to help cement themselves as a figure in Chicago’s storied sports scene. The Bulls and Blackhawks appreciated the gesture and retweeted to over 3 million combined followers.
Only one thought comes to mind as @NHLBlackhawks and @chicagobulls head into the playoffs this week. 
#cf97 pic.twitter.com/s3IOUS3EZA
— Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) April 15, 2015
“We think that there is a huge audience out there that has not seen our product live yet,” Hammer said. “Once they do they will appreciate it. We will not win those fans over by posting generic content. What we have is access to our players, understanding our sport and culture and being able to share what is really important.”
Social media has transformed over the past few years as businesses demonstrate their willingness to communicate with their audience in more fun, engaging ways. But as we have seen with the Houston Rocket’s poorly received Tweet – the line between humorous and offensive is a thin one. Still, the Chicago Fire feel it is important to engage with the lighter side of social media.
“It is about striking a balance between business and fun,” Hammer said. “The comparison we throw around is ‘are we a news organization or are we a brand?’ We are a brand that is trying to sell products, sell tickets and sell an experience.”
But the Chicago Fire realize how tricky engaging with an audience can be.
“It is important to understand what our audience wants so we can cater our content to them,” said Doug Hicks, vice president of communications for the Chicago Fire. “Our supporters don’t feel they are fans, they are a part of the club. Social media is the best way to allow us to engage and connect with that group.”
Hicks says Major League Soccer is at the forefront of providing fans with content through digital platforms.
“We find the Major League Soccer audience is among the most nuanced in the digital media space so we at the Chicago Fire Soccer Club are committed to exploring all options to engage and interact with our fan base,” Hicks said. “We have created a culture of creativity that allows us to push the limits within the digital space.”
Chicago will continue exploring new social media platforms without spreading their content too thin. The response rates on their new Periscope account has been “incredible.” They are also looking into Snapchat to give fans further access to their team.
.