The Need for Speed: Navigating the Fast-Paced World of Sports Communications

In the ever-evolving landscape of sports communications, the ability to react swiftly and decisively to breaking news is not just advantageous—it's indispensable.

However, there is a difference between being reactive to news, and being reactive to planning. Let me try to make sense of that…

In a world where milliseconds can make or break a narrative, being quick, nimble, and reactive isn't just a luxury; it's a survival skill. Its crisis comms essentially – it’s the ability to either play down a story, or make the most out of it.

In the digital age, the speed of information dissemination has reached unprecedented levels. Transfer rumours, managers leaving, new sponsor branding being spotted etc. Social media platforms serve as real-time news feeds, delivering updates and reactions at the blink of an eye. For sports communicators, this means that there's no room for procrastination or sluggishness. Every second counts and being ahead of the curve can mean the difference between leading the conversation and being left behind.

One of the primary reasons why speed is paramount in sports communications is the ephemeral nature of news cycles. Stories break, trends emerge, and narratives shift with lightning speed. In this whirlwind environment, organisations and individuals must be agile enough to adapt on the fly. Whether it's a player/coach change, or an unexpected injury, the ability to respond promptly can shape public perception and influence the trajectory of events.

That to me, is reactive comms. And within our world of sport, it’s a hell of skill.

However, reactive planning is turning around a full comms plan for a significant moment, but at pace.

Unlike a lot of industries, the sporting world can change instantly which means if you’re working in the comms team, you need to be able to adapt a plan quickly whilst thinking of the end goal. I feel for the guys working at the PGA Tour currently.

Some recent examples I’d like to highlight where comms teams have flipped a plan into motion at speed and delivered it really well are below:

1.      Klopp’s Liverpool Exit

Caught by surprise? So was everyone else, but credit where credit is due, the way this was handled by Liverpool FC was fantastic. From in-house production, social first news and being the first to release takes some doing. But, I would imagine that time wasn’t a luxury and speed was everything. So was simplicity – the impression I got was they wanted to do this their way, and on their terms – which lead to impressive output

2.      Tour of Britain

• 19 Jan 2024 - SweetSpot, the former organiser of the Tour of Britain professional cycling stage race, enters into liquidation

• 2 Feb 2024 – British Cycling Announces new vision for major cycling – including the ambition to deliver Tour of Britain events

• 15 April 2024 – British Cycling announces plan for the year and stages

That is an impressive four months. From near death to a phoenix from the flames, but there is a lot of context to this which must have led to a few sleepless nights for the British Cycling team. From legality to operations, they have essentially turned around an event that takes 12 months to organise in 10 months. With a core audience expecting a negative outcome, the comms team have done a great job to get ahead of it and secured a raft of positive coverage

3.      Fury v Usyk

I have had a little experience of working in the boxing world, but I’m always super impressed by the likes of Matchroom etc. who have to change plans constantly. It might just be me, but I feel like this fight has been rearranged 50 times? From sparring injuries to location changes, the comms team has to turn round full plans in very short spaces of time to get maximum coverage. No doubt it will ramp up as we get nearer the fight but there are so many logistical things they have to consider from weigh in’s, drug tests etc – it’s a tough gig that they have mastered!

An important dynamic across all three examples will no doubt be having comms involved in the conversations early and being able to plan strategically. If you involve comms in the planning process, we can act at pace, effectively and with no surprises.

In conclusion, speed is not just a desirable trait in sports communications—it's a prerequisite for success.  By prioritising speed without sacrificing accuracy (I can name a few footballers who should take note here!), sports communicators can seize opportunities, engage audiences, guide the organisations they work for and shape the narrative in real-time.

In this fast-paced world, those who hesitate are not just left behind. They're forgotten.

Written by Matt Peden, CIPR Sports Network Sub-Committee Member and Managing Partner Hatch, a sport specialist creative comms agency based in Leeds