As I have written about in several posts like this initial one from this past fall semester, I am a big fan of what Jonathan Gantt and Jeff Kallin have done for Clemson Athletics when it comes to social media and sports. Their creativity and visual execution in their storytelling and message strategies are truly inspirational to see. They are indeed leaders in not only the collegiate industry, but also for sports teams in general.
Throughout the semester, I asked my students in #Freberg16 to follow what Clemson was doing, especially for the College National Championships when they played Alabama. Overall, while Clemson did not win the game, the entire class said they won for their social media content, which I absolutely agreed with.
I remember telling the class not only did I want them to see what they were doing to showcase their talent through their social media visuals and message strategies, but what they were doing to mentor the future generation of students. This is what really separates Clemson apart as a social media and digital team in my view – the time, support, and coaching both Jonathan and Jeff do for their student interns is very inspiring and definitely a model for all to follow, which is one of the reasons I was absolutely thrilled to hear they would be able to speak to my class via Skype!
We had a chance to have both Jeff and Jonathan speak to our class about what they are doing in sports and social media, lessons they have learned over the years, and things to keep in mind for the future in case you want to get into this particular industry.
One of my students from class, Quinton, wrote a good concise summary of the main points he took away from Jeff and Jonathan’s presentation to the class. There were a lot of takeaways here to be applied both in sports as well as social media. Both Jeff and Jonathan stressed the importance of getting experience, start creating content, and write (which for this professor, is music to my ears!).
I also felt Jonathan and Jeff did an excellent job in brainstorming with the students for their social media campaign proposals. Two groups are working for our local baseball team and they were able to get some insight for ideas and possible strategies from both Jeff and Jonathan. What a great learning opportunity!
Another cool thing that happened during the talk is Jeff and Jonathan introduced one of their interns, Alexa, who recently got offered a full time job at Adobe after graduation – which is really amazing! This was another act that showed the students in class the power of mentorship – and how vital this is for all industries – but especially in the sports industry. I am sure Alexa is going to go on and do great things at Adobe, thanks to the mentorship and support Jeff and Jonathan have given her during her time at Clemson Athletics.
Which brings me to the last point that really impressed me about what Jonathan and Jeff did for their presentation. At the end, both said if any student wanted to network and meet fellow professionals or talk to them about the industry more, they encouraged the students to contact them and they’d be happy to help. WOW. I was very, very impressed and my students were truly amazed, and grateful for this wonderful opportunity. This is another reason why I think Clemson is a leader in so many ways in the sports industry.
Overall, this was probably one of my favorite presentations for one of my classes ever. I really appreciate Jonathan and Jeff taking the time out of their busy schedules and sit down to chat with my students. This was a very rewarding and learning experience for all of us. Thanks again, Jeff and Jonathan!
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
