PR Case Study: Retaining The Fans Through Instagram - How The Formula E World Championship is Remaining Engaging​Off-track Amidst the Global Health Crisis

PC: Autosport

​Written By Shatoyia Jones, FLP Founder, Wealth Building Educational Consultant; Business Development Specialist

How The Formula E World Championship is Engaging Fans
​Off-track Amidst the Global Health Crisis

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     The all-electric, single seater, open wheel car racing series known simply as Formula E is gearing up for its seventh consecutive running in this 2021 season. As with every individual sports league or organization, motorsport is no stranger to the myriad of challenges presented by COVID-19, and is working to combat setbacks.

     It has been increasingly important for all businesses and organizations to make appropriate adjustments to their social media and PR strategies during these unconventional times, and for the racing series that boasts a worldwide reach, Formula E’s adaptations had to be that much snappier.

​     Though preparations were made as perfectly as possible, the first race of the season has yet again been postponed to February 28th, more than a month from the original start date. In the meantime, the series and its associated presenters have been busy in the online space, taking steps to retain current fans and cultivate interest for new ones.

​Evolving Content
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     Although eSports and virtual gaming became the go-to platform for many different sports leagues in the past year, many recognized their existence as temporary, and maintained centering their Instagram content around the real thing. As many organizations resumed normal competition in the latter part of 2020, their key content resumed normalcy and left eSports and simulated competition for the one off posts sprinkled into their feeds. With the season postponed yet again, Formula E has shifted the focus of its primary content to covering its own eSports series,Formula E Accelerate. Live race coverage, highlights, driver and/or participant quotes as well as formal press releases are all being shared via social media just the same as they are for the traditional in person street racing. Multiple Instagram posts within a day give fans the resurgence of content that they are familiar with, and provides plenty for newcomers to interact with and take interest in.

​Increased Posting

      At a time when we are more in tune with technology and our virtual connections than ever, brands and companies have greatly come to understand the relationship that their online presence has with retaining current followers and attracting new ones. With sports being no exception, an increase in Instagram posts and interactive elements (i.e., stories, polls, hashtags, Reels) directly correlate with an increase in following and attractiveness to broader audiences.

     These posts contain enriched content for the viewer, featuring informative captions, full color captures, and encouragement to comment and become part of the conversation within a specific community.

     Fans of specific teams, individual drivers or car parts manufacturers feel invited to use the comment space as a communal hub when they are constantly given lots of things to talk about. From announcing a new team that fans are familiar with from other leagues, to creating profiles for individual drivers spanning multiple posts, Formula E has capitalized appropriately on content generation via Instagram.

​Live Chat Sessions

      Instagram live was a highly favored platform in the midst of the pandemic for celebrities and the like to connect with their audience that perhaps they would be able to meet in person otherwise. Through their own account as well as through regular presenter Nicki Shields' account, Formula E hosted a multitude of drivers and team leads on Instagram live for Q & A sessions as well as traditional interviews about the upcoming season.

​     These live sessions tend to focus on the on-track personnel vs. the virtual contenders, as the regular season does still intend to go forward. Fans have the opportunity to connect with their favorites and interact with them in a way that potentially would be nearly impossible if attempting to reach out by a more traditional means. These live sessions can be played back on any platform, and promote action in fans new and old to be alert for the next chance to participate.

​​Keeping Commitments
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     In this seventh season, Formula E is building onto its commitment to low environmental impacts by implementing plans for social change as well. Even during the epidemic, the organization has been able to release several announcements concerning a positive step forward in both of these missions. Formula E has declared that one of their teams, Mahindra, has become the first to be “certified as net zero carbon from inception”.

     At the end of December, the league became the first international motorsports rights holder to employ ablack female presenter, UK based influencer Derin Adetosoye. The organization overall is partnered with ABB, a company committed to making a lasting positive impact environmentally, and just two days ago an individual team, DS TECHEETAH, announced it would be partnering with Verizon Media for an extended contract as the conglomerate ventures into the next generation of technological sustainability.

​     Each of these formal announcements saw a visually focused iteration on the organization’s Instagram page and some even spanned multiple, nonconsecutive posts. This kind of exciting, largely sharable content drives home Formula E’s story, and reaches its audience in a very human way to encourage engagement.

Summary

      In sports and entertainment, it is vital to keep the attention of an audience through the use of social media, and Instagram’s high visual platform makes for easy engagement. Celebrating the right-now content that an organization has as well as leveraging specialized engagement forums invites new participants while building up the current audience’s relationship with a brand’s social media presence. Highly shareable content, familiar formats and newsworthy stories all play a huge role in retaining online engagement, which in turn – when the virus allows – will translate to a happy community IRL.
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Links for Further Reading:
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• Formula 1 Favorite McLaren set to enter Formula E in 2023: https://www.mclaren.com/racing/inside-the-mtc/mclaren-racing-signs-option-formula-e-season-nine-entry/ 

 

• Instagram Live with Legendary Racing Driver Stoffel Vandoorne: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKzdFMIA7Sc/ 

 

• Mahindra Declared Carbon Net Zero: http://bit.ly/MahindraNetZero

 

• 21 Year-Old Derin Adetosoye wins Open Talent Call for Presenters: https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2020/december/open-talent-call-presenters-winner

 

• DS TECHEETA Formula E Team Partners with Yahoo and Verizon Media: https://www.dstecheetah.com/news/verizon-media-joins-championship-winning-ds-techeetah/

 

• Increasing Community engagement of Instagram: https://later.com/blog/how-to-increase-instagram-engagement/

 

• Formula E’s Virtual Series: https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/gaming/accelerate

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• ABB named one of the world’s 100 most Sustainable Organizations: https://t.co/1MJUM9Uzym?amp=1