WASHINGTON — That the Harlem Globetrotters are in town this weekend shouldn’t surprise you. They are one of the most well-traveled entertainment acts in the world, one which many of us have witnessed at least once in our lives. But as they celebrate their 90th anniversary this year with their largest tour yet — with about 350 domestic shows and 115 international ones in 2016 — it’s the way they are adapting to and succeeding in the digital age that stands out.
It’s easy to take a cursory glance at a live entertainment option like the Globetrotters and write them off as a form of entertainment born of and for the 20th century. They can’t compete for star power like they once did, like when Wilt Chamberlain played for the team, now that NBA salaries have skyrocketed. And there are so many other places where consumers can spend their money.
“In our heyday, the brand had a lot of consumer touchpoints,” says Monica Neal, the Globetrotters’ executive vice president of marketing and partnerships. “There was the animated series, they were on ‘Gilligan’s Island.’ The brand was kind of omnipresent.”
The franchise was recently sold to Herschend Family Entertainment, which owns theme and amusement parks like Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, and moved their headquarters to Atlanta. While many of the key cogs of the front office have remained in place — like 26-year veteran Jeff Munn, who heads up the constant search for the next generation of player — there have been some innovations. Most notably, the club has stepped up its efforts to connect with new audiences.
“Audiences are so fragmented and the range of entertainment options has just exploded,” says Neal. “We needed to make sure we had a presence where our present and future audiences are.”
That has meant an aggressive push into social media, where, as it turns out, despite being an old brand, the Globetrotters have a pretty perfect blend of the right ingredients to compete for the shrinking slice of the attention pie.
Happy Birthday Steph Curry! Now here's how you defend him, NBA teams… https://t.co/WVQEuItsZf
— Harlem Globetrotters (@Globies) March 14, 2016
“We realize that we have to think of ourselves as a content company,” says Neal. “We’re finding our voice and our path as we re-imagine ourselves in the minds of those who are maybe nostalgic about the Globetrotters.”
In some circumstances, getting a professional athlete to promote a team social media initiative can be a tooth-pulling affair. But the Globetrotters are fully invested in the success of their club, on and off the court.
“Everybody on the Globetrotters team is an extremely talented individual,” says Zeus McClurkin, one of the players on the current tour, which included a recent Twitter takeover. “You really never know when something amazing is going to happen, so we keep our cameras rolling all the time.”
The product naturally lends itself to the digital space. For instance, while the Globetrotters’ Twitter presence (58,000 followers) may pale in comparison to that of the Wizards (473,000 followers), they have better than 50 percent more Vine loops (37.9 million to 23.4 million). They’re up over 200,000 followers on Instagram, a 40 percent gain over the past three-plus months. And they’re riding the wave of the NBA, the most active and progressive American professional sports league in the new media space.
“It’s a tremendous help,” says Neal of the professional basketball’s rise in popularity through its digital platforms. “The NBA is just genius at it … They invited a whole new audience to enjoy the game and the experience that can only help the Harlem Globetrotters.”
But the Globetrotters get out in the community more than anyone. They have the added advantage of being the “home” team wherever they go, with the World All-Stars (no longer the Washington Generals) playing their foil. That means no matter what town they visit, they have the chance to connect with young fans.
“Such a huge part of what we do as an organization is breaking down barriers and bringing communities together,” says Neal.
A perfect example came Tuesday, just before the Globetrotters came to the WTOP studio. McClurkin and Weekes joined Virginia McLaurin — known as the 106-year-old woman who danced with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House a few weeks ago — for her 107th birthday and a visit to Roots Public Charter School in Northeast D.C.
The outing was fun, heartwarming and topical, while fulfilling the Globetrotters’ larger mission as global emissaries of positivity in the communities they visit.
“I love being a Globetrotter,” says Moose Weeks, another one of the players on tour here in Washington. “We’ve been known as goodwill ambassadors for the last 90 years.”
That’s the thing about the Globetrotters that differentiates them from any other basketball team. Not only do they have all the flashy highlights to compete with the NBA (“We were doing trick shots before ‘trick shots’ was a commonly used phrase,” says Neal), they have nearly a century of memories built into the American consciousness, both from what they’ve done on the court and off it.
“It’s definitely something that we really pride ourselves on,” says Weeks. “The way we can touch people’s lives — touch these kids’ lives especially — and be a positive impact, we don’t want to abuse that power.”
And they don’t. While many professional athletes ignore the piles of mail sent their way, each Globetrotter has a personal email listed on their profile on harlemglobetrotters.com. They make the effort to respond to kids who reach out in advance of games, leaving them with memories that will last a lifetime.
“In this digital age, it’s cool to have that contact with our fans, and for them to be able to connect with us,” says McClurkin.
That, more than anything, will help the Globetrotters continue to thrive, maybe even for another 90 years.
You can watch the Globetrotters play at either Eagle Bank Arena (Friday-Sunday) or Verizon Center (Saturday) this weekend. Visit harlemglobetrotters.com for ticket information.
