Guiding the Washington Football Team into the Future
Challenge: Reposition the Washington Football Team following a name change announcement set against the backdrop of accusations of racism in its former name and allegations of a negative corporate culture for women.
Generate positive media momentum for the team around progress made throughout the season, while highlighting the new diversity within the organization while positioning them as a franchise of the future.
Insight: Ushering in new senior executives while leveraging the well-respected head coach Ron Rivera would help gain control of the media landscape and change the organization’s narrative from the top down.
Action:
- Creation and implementation of a proactive media plan to generate positive stories around the team, including the hiring of Julie Donaldson and Jason Wright, the first Black Team President in NFL history.
- Throughout the season MWW highlighted key initiatives around new leadership and the team was working on including the overall rebrand to tell a new story for the franchise.
Impact:
- Negative news sentiment around the WFT dropped from 97% in June to only 10% at the end of 2020