Name: ESPN Sports Storytelling
Uploaded: 2022-09-23T12:42:36.998Z
Duration: 456.3
Description: Renata Policicio, Vice President of International Fan and Media Intelligence at ESPN discusses how the company used qualitative and quantitative frameworks to define what impactful storytelling is within the sport industry.

ESPN Sports Storytelling.vtt

English

{{00:00:11}}
Our mission was really to
understand and quantify what

{{00:00:16}}
makes a sports story powerful.

{{00:00:18}}
So our mission was to bring the science
behind the magic, as we say, because

{{00:00:24}}
telling stories really is a combination
of magic, but there's also a method.

{{00:00:31}}
So that was our mission.

{{00:00:34}}
So the ask was to create a unique
perspective, but also a framework that

{{00:00:40}}
was actionable and could be a source
of thought leadership, should define

{{00:00:46}}
what makes for impactful storytelling.

{{00:00:49}}
So what are the main attributes
and the main characteristics

{{00:00:53}}
of the best stories in sports?

{{00:00:56}}
And also measure our proficiency
across those characteristics

{{00:01:01}}
using real world ESPN examples.

{{00:01:04}}
So then we designed about six
months program to really try

{{00:01:11}}
to accomplish that mission.

{{00:01:13}}
So we started with qualitative.

{{00:01:15}}
We talk to experts from
inside and outside ESPN.

{{00:01:20}}
We talked to 56 fans across a week.

{{00:01:24}}
So it's what we call fan diaries.

{{00:01:27}}
And that means that we gave them
little homework every day for a

{{00:01:30}}
week, especially watching stories and
letting us know how they felt about it.

{{00:01:37}}
And then at the end of the qualphase,
we had eight focus groups with fans

{{00:01:42}}
in the east and the west coast.

{{00:01:44}}
After this phase, we already identified
18 main attributes that according

{{00:01:51}}
to fans described the best sports
stories, according to them again.

{{00:01:57}}
So after that, we went to I want
to say the most challenging part

{{00:02:02}}
of the project, which was to design
a quantitative framework that

{{00:02:08}}
could really help us measuring and
quantifying those 18 qualities divided

{{00:02:16}}
after some regression into five main
groups that understood and explained

{{00:02:23}}
the most powerful sports stories.

{{00:02:26}}
So digging a little bit deeper into
this quantitative phase, we talked

{{00:02:31}}
to 1200 sports fans across the US.

{{00:02:35}}
And what we use to quantify those
attributes that I mentioned to you

{{00:02:40}}
was to use 60 short format stories.

{{00:02:43}}
So videos from ESPN and
other media outlets.

{{00:02:47}}
All of them sports stories.

{{00:02:50}}
All of them short format.

{{00:02:52}}
So we use those 60 videos to really
understand how fans would rate or

{{00:03:00}}
evaluate each video according to
four main KPIs that you see here.

{{00:03:06}}
And I'll get back to them in a minute.

{{00:03:08}}
And all of the 18
attributes that I mentioned.

{{00:03:12}}
The videos also needed to
include all the leads that we

{{00:03:16}}
wanted to understand deeper.

{{00:03:18}}
Those are the NBA, the NFL,
MLB, NHL, MLS, and not only

{{00:03:24}}
MLS, but soccer internationally
as well, tennis and golf.

{{00:03:28}}
So after this, I want to say
very big quantitative effort,

{{00:03:33}}
we applied equations modeling.

{{00:03:36}}
So a predictive modeling, a regression
analysis to really understand per

{{00:03:43}}
demographic and per league each of the
18 attributes impacted or predicted

{{00:03:52}}
each of the four KPIs that we wanted
to measure, and the four KPIs were

{{00:03:58}}
defined by us as entertainment value.

{{00:04:01}}
So the pure entertainment value
of that story, of that piece.

{{00:04:06}}
Brand affinity, so how much
brand equity that story would

{{00:04:11}}
try to the media outlet that
produced the story that'd be at

{{00:04:15}}
ESPN or any other media outlet.

{{00:04:18}}
League affinity, so how much brand
affinity the story would bring

{{00:04:23}}
the to the league, not only to the
media outlet but to the league that

{{00:04:27}}
was being portrayed in that story.

{{00:04:29}}
And recommendation, how likely
were fans to recommend that story?

{{00:04:34}}
So those were our four main KPIs.

{{00:04:38}}
So after the modeling, we found
that the 18 attributes that I showed

{{00:04:44}}
you were divided by fans into five
qualities, five groups that explain

{{00:04:51}}
the most powerful sports stories.

{{00:04:54}}
And we will dig a little bit
deeper into each of the five.

{{00:04:58}}
But if you're asking
yourself here they are.

{{00:05:02}}
First is relatability.

{{00:05:03}}
Second one is substance.

{{00:05:06}}
Third one being provocative.

{{00:05:09}}
Fourth one humor and fifth one being
conversational, so really making

{{00:05:15}}
us comfortable so we participate.

{{00:05:17}}
And again, we will dig a little
bit deeper into each of them.

{{00:05:21}}
But what I can tell you now is that
those five qualities predict most

{{00:05:26}}
of a fan's reaction to a story.

{{00:05:29}}
So remember the four
KPIs here they are.

{{00:05:33}}
And here you can see the
predictive power of the model.

{{00:05:37}}
So we were very happy with those
numbers because we know that you

{{00:05:42}}
may or may not like a story for
personal and subjective reasons.

{{00:05:47}}
And we're talking about sports stories.

{{00:05:49}}
So you may like that story because wow,
it's a sport that you used to play with

{{00:05:54}}
your dad when you were younger, or it
is showing a game that you went to, so

{{00:06:00}}
there's a lot of personal reasons why
you may or may not connect to a story.

{{00:06:05}}
So we really expected a lot of
the numbers that you see here,

{{00:06:11}}
to rely on subjective aspects.

{{00:06:13}}
But we were very happy to see that
the 18 attributes divided into the

{{00:06:19}}
five qualities, we're able to predict
most of the reasons why a fan likes

{{00:06:26}}
a story or connects to a story.

{{00:06:28}}
So looking at the first KPI,
entertainment value, you can see that

{{00:06:34}}
the 18 attributes together predict
or explain, 77% of the reasons why a

{{00:06:41}}
fan will find a story entertaining.

{{00:06:43}}
So a lot, so almost 80% of the reasons.

{{00:06:47}}
They predict, or they explain 74%
of what makes us like the brand or

{{00:06:53}}
the media outlet behind the story.

{{00:06:57}}
The attributes predict 64% of
what makes us like the league

{{00:07:03}}
that is being shown in that story.

{{00:07:06}}
And 66% of what makes us want to
share, recommend the story to others.

{{00:07:11}}
So that's the predictive
power of the 18 attributes.

{{00:07:15}}
And we were very happy when
we saw those numbers, because

{{00:07:18}}
we do understand that a lot
of the reasons are subjective.

{{00:07:22}}
So we were very happy and felt a
feeling of mission accomplished

{{00:07:29}}
when we saw those numbers.

Our mission was really to
understand and quantify what

So our mission was to bring the science
behind the magic, as we say, because

telling stories really is a combination
of magic, but there's also a method.

So the ask was to create a unique
perspective, but also a framework that

was actionable and could be a source
of thought leadership, should define

So what are the main attributes
and the main characteristics

And also measure our proficiency
across those characteristics

So then we designed about six
months program to really try

We talk to experts from
inside and outside ESPN.

And that means that we gave them
little homework every day for a

week, especially watching stories and
letting us know how they felt about it.

And then at the end of the qualphase,
we had eight focus groups with fans

After this phase, we already identified
18 main attributes that according

to fans described the best sports
stories, according to them again.

So after that, we went to I want
to say the most challenging part

of the project, which was to design
a quantitative framework that

could really help us measuring and
quantifying those 18 qualities divided

after some regression into five main
groups that understood and explained

So digging a little bit deeper into
this quantitative phase, we talked

And what we use to quantify those
attributes that I mentioned to you

So videos from ESPN and
other media outlets.

So we use those 60 videos to really
understand how fans would rate or

evaluate each video according to
four main KPIs that you see here.

And all of the 18
attributes that I mentioned.

The videos also needed to
include all the leads that we

Those are the NBA, the NFL,
MLB, NHL, MLS, and not only

MLS, but soccer internationally
as well, tennis and golf.

So after this, I want to say
very big quantitative effort,

So a predictive modeling, a regression
analysis to really understand per

demographic and per league each of the
18 attributes impacted or predicted

each of the four KPIs that we wanted
to measure, and the four KPIs were

So the pure entertainment value
of that story, of that piece.

Brand affinity, so how much
brand equity that story would

try to the media outlet that
produced the story that'd be at

League affinity, so how much brand
affinity the story would bring

the to the league, not only to the
media outlet but to the league that

And recommendation, how likely
were fans to recommend that story?

So after the modeling, we found
that the 18 attributes that I showed

you were divided by fans into five
qualities, five groups that explain

And we will dig a little bit
deeper into each of the five.

But if you're asking
yourself here they are.

Fourth one humor and fifth one being
conversational, so really making

And again, we will dig a little
bit deeper into each of them.

But what I can tell you now is that
those five qualities predict most

And here you can see the
predictive power of the model.

So we were very happy with those
numbers because we know that you

may or may not like a story for
personal and subjective reasons.

So you may like that story because wow,
it's a sport that you used to play with

your dad when you were younger, or it
is showing a game that you went to, so

there's a lot of personal reasons why
you may or may not connect to a story.

So we really expected a lot of
the numbers that you see here,

But we were very happy to see that
the 18 attributes divided into the

five qualities, we're able to predict
most of the reasons why a fan likes

So looking at the first KPI,
entertainment value, you can see that

the 18 attributes together predict
or explain, 77% of the reasons why a

They predict, or they explain 74%
of what makes us like the brand or

The attributes predict 64% of
what makes us like the league

And 66% of what makes us want to
share, recommend the story to others.

So that's the predictive
power of the 18 attributes.

And we were very happy when
we saw those numbers, because

we do understand that a lot
of the reasons are subjective.

So we were very happy and felt a
feeling of mission accomplished

Case Study

Renata Policicio, Vice President of International Fan and Media Intelligence at ESPN discusses how the company used qualitative and quantitative frameworks to define what impactful storytelling is within the sport industry.

thumbnail_Policicio_Renata-headshot-310x310.jpg

xsmall_Policicio_Renata-headshot-310x310.jpg

Policicio_Renata-headshot-310x310.jpg

Renata Policicio

Vice President, International Fan and Media Intelligence, Global Markekts

ESPN wanted to discover the science behind the magic and method of sports storytelling.

What makes storytelling powerful?

The mission objective was to define the characteristics of impactful storytelling using qualitative and quantitative frameworks. 

The approach

Policicio highlights the five top qualities of powerful sports stories based on their six-month study.