Rally the Crowd

Building a brand voice system rooted in pride and belonging for a professional basketball franchise

Brief

Get basketball fans

Who were bombarded with generic hype content

To engage deeply with the team's digital ecosystem

By creating a voice system rooted in pride, passion, and belonging

Role: Lead Copywriter
Client: Professional Basketball Franchise

Insight

The franchise had huge visibility and status, but existing content felt dry, scattered, and disconnected from the fan experience. Fans couldn't tell what the platform offered or why it mattered. Communications were inconsistent across channels, and the voice didn't match the energy or identity of the brand.

The real opportunity wasn't just rewriting. It was repositioning.

Fans didn't want another access tool. They wanted something that felt like theirs. Something rooted in pride, passion, and presence in the stands.

Truth: Loyalty is emotional, not transactional. This was a moment to rally and the brand needed the right signal.

The Creative Platform

I positioned the platform not as a product, but as a signal. A way for fans to feel seen, heard, and connected to something bigger than a transaction.

My approach began by identifying the gap between visibility and connection. From there, I:

  • Defined messaging principles that unified tone across paid, owned, and internal channels

  • Shaped a flexible voice system to reflect momentum, belonging, and purpose

  • Guided a content structure that delivered clarity across every user touchpoint

This wasn't about crafting lines. It was about creating alignment. The brand needed to sound like something fans could believe in.

Three principles that unified tone across 200+ touchpoints—from game-day hype to heartfelt season moments.

Approach

I led the digital voice and messaging work for the fan network. Every message, callout, and touchpoint had to speak with clarity, energy, and brand purpose.

The Work:

- Codified strategy and rollout plan for multichannel launch

- Crafted flexible voice system across paid, owned, and earned content

- Shaped key messages and rollout copy for banners, emails, pages, and headlines

- Defined core message architecture and hero value proposition

- Created editorial voice guidelines and writing prompts for internal playbooks

- Partnered with designers and creative leads to ensure content guidance aligned with visual storytelling

- Delivered 30+ rollout assets to support launch and activation

Every line had a job. I audited 200+ touchpoints to ensure voice, messaging, and content built toward unified launch.

Voice in Action

The voice system came to life across every fan touchpoint—from pre-game hype to post-game celebration, from push notifications to email campaigns. Here's how it showed up:

Pre-game hype that feels personal, not performative—building anticipation while honoring the emotional weight of game day.
Real-time celebration that captures the raw energy of the moment without relying on empty hype or generic sports clichés.
Post-game gratitude sequence that turns celebration into connection, inviting fans to share their own moments and stories.
Game day alerts that feel like a rallying cry from a friend, not another transactional reminder cluttering your lock screen.
Loyalty messaging that positions rewards as recognition, honoring the emotional commitment fans make all season.
First-time experience establishing belonging from screen one—the app as home court, not just a tool you downloaded.
Homepage messaging framing membership as movement, not transaction—inviting fans to join something bigger than themselves.
Text alerts that feel urgent and personal without being pushy—respecting SMS intimacy while building game day excitement.
Physical touchpoints proving voice extends beyond digital—even hang tags reinforce pride, recognition, and belonging.
Technical failures become brand moments—maintaining voice and empathy even when systems fail or maintenance is required.
Transactional emails transformed into anticipation-building moments honoring the commitment of showing up, not just buying.

Results

The voice system became the foundation for fan engagement strategy—driving measurable growth across digital platforms

Why it Worked

  • Positioned loyalty as emotional connection, not transactional benefit

  • Created a scalable voice system that worked across 200+ touchpoints without losing authenticity

  • Unified scattered communications into a cohesive brand narrative fans could rally behind

  • Built internal playbooks that empowered teams to maintain voice consistency beyond launch

  • Drove measurable results: 178% increase in app engagement, 3× growth in active users, $4M+ in traffic