High-profile athletic events are exciting for Buckeyes as fans — and fantastic opportunities for engaging audiences and showcasing what Ohio State does off the field.
Following the Buckeyes’ thrilling Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl wins, OMC and Athletics crafted a shared approach surrounding the Jan. 20 championship game. We used excitement around the game to:
Social media played an important role in sharing the excitement Buckeyes felt during the championship game — in the stadium in Atlanta, on campus and throughout the state. Our social team immersed our audiences — using photography and videography snippets to show the excitement of being a Buckeye and celebrate Ohio State traditions.
To show how our athletes perform off the field, we relied on our best tool: data that speaks for itself. OMC and Athletics collaborated to identify a short list of proof points focused on the academic success of our student-athletes generally and our football team specifically. For instance:
Ohio State’s football team is one of only two Division I teams to have a perfect Academic Progress Rate, which tracks student athletes’ academic eligibility, retention and graduation rates. The other school is Harvard.
With these facts in hand, we shared in a variety of ways — including social media, in President Ted Carter’s remarks and in talking points to broadcasters.
“Congratulations to our players, Coach Day and staff for their incredible achievement and for setting the highest standards of excellence across the board. What a way to start a historic year for our university!”
According to ESPN, the Jan. 10 Cotton Bowl — where Ohio State defeated Texas 28-24 — averaged 20.6 million viewers and was the most-watched Friday telecast across all networks in four years. The national championship game drew 22.1 million viewers.
The viewership gave us an increased audience for our TV spot, focused on Ohio State researchers who work as teams that further discovery.
The university already brought our commitment to community engagement to the games. The university’s Office of Student Life led events that brought Ohio State volunteers to pack meals for distribution to those in need in the Atlanta area, and for a Rose Bowl service project at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Each was covered by local TV news stations.
