NBA: Bringing a Sports Giant to the Filipino People

Challenge

Switchin’ Courts.
Everybody knows what the NBA is—a globally recognizable brand that’s home to some of the biggest superstar athletes in the world. Also, basketball. You know it, you’ve seen it, and you’ve probably played it at some point.
In the Philippines, basketball is the most popular sport among the locals. It would be difficult to look for an area that doesn’t have a court or at least a hoop to shoot into. The challenge for the NBA is to translate its global presence into a local one. They needed tailor made content that was aimed at accommodating the abundance of Filipinos who were just forced into consuming US-based materials.
With over 37 million hours watched in YouTube alone in the year 2020 from Philippine viewers, it’s easy to think that they’re interested in it. So, how do you make the NBA a Filipino league without losing its prestige as a global brand? A partnership with M2.0 Communications was made to shoot that shot.

Approach

Ball is Life.
Part of the plan was to build relationships with key sports journalists, who also served as KOLs for the league. The goal was to get more original, Filipino-authored content as opposed to press releases (which M2.0 Communications also did). Again, the thinking behind this is to enrich its local presence. 
Initiatives to involve the locals more were launched, such as the Jr. NBA Virtual Camp. It was headlined by ambassadors Jordan Clarkson and Jalen Green. The announcement garnered the most coverage of all storylines for the year, securing 22 pickups across top-tier publications—including Rappler, CNN, and ABS-CBN. The Pick ’Em Playoffs Bracket Challenge 2021 also allowed local fans to express their passion for the game through social media. M2.0 Communications was able to lead engagements with influencers and thought leaders in the space.
A campaign was made for Jalen Green as well, in celebration of a Filipino-American competing with the best players in the world. This is a critical step in building up Filipino pride, which is also a high-interest point for local journalists.
As a promotion for the NBA’s Women Academy, M2.0 Communications organized an interview with Jennifer Azzi, a former WNBA player. The entire segment was aired on CNN. The Philippines’ own Camille Nolasco was also selected to represent the Philippines in the Women’s Academy. 

Results

Let’s Keep The Ball Rollin’.
Over the course of the partnership with M2.0 Communications, 13 press releases (with more on the way) were already launched alongside various initiatives meant to engage the Filipino audience through social media. A total of P3,618,639 media value of proactive pickups has been accumulated so far. 
The team was not only successful in bringing a global juggernaut of a brand into the local scene, it still has so much more in store for the future of the sports brand moving forward.