Speakers:
- Moderator: Kristi Ellefson, Marketing Communications and Foundation Manager at WaFd Bank
- Guest: Brian Jones, President at Consulting Jones, LLC
- Guest: Melissa O’Brochta, Director, Partnership Marketing at Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena
Length of Lesson: 90 minutes
- 10 minute warmup
- 50 minute video
- 15-30 minute discussion
- Optional: Classroom Activities:
- Build a Brand Partnership
- Crisis Communication Challenge
Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- Explain how strategic communication helps organizations build strong brands and lasting relationships.
- Analyze how storytelling influences audience engagement and public perception.
- Evaluate the importance of collaboration between organizations, sponsors, and media partners.
- Recognize how audience feedback and data inform communication strategies.
- Assess how ethical communication and authenticity contribute to long-term trust.
- Identify career skills – including communication, networking, adaptability, and problem-solving – that are valuable across industries.
1: Pre-Video Warm-Up
Activity: “What Makes You a Fan?”
Ask students to spend two minutes writing responses to the following questions:
- What sports team, company, creator, or brand do you feel most connected to?
- Why do you support them?
- What makes you trust or admire that organization?
Afterward, discuss as a class:
- Is it the product?
- The people?
- Their values?
- Their community involvement?
- Their advertising?
- Their storytelling?
Transition:
“Today’s panel explores how communication professionals intentionally build those kinds of relationships with audiences.”
2: Watch the Presentation
Teacher Note
Encourage students to listen for examples of:
- collaboration
- communication challenges
- audience engagement
- storytelling
- ethical decision-making
- data and measurement
- leadership
3. Post-Viewing Discussion Questions
- According to the panelists, what makes a partnership more than simply a sponsorship?
- One panelist described herself as becoming “an extension” of her partners’ brands. What does that mean, and why is it important?
- The panelists repeatedly emphasized communication and trust. Why are these qualities especially important in long-term business relationships?
- One example discussed changing the “Save of the Game” promotion after fan feedback and performance data showed it was not working. Why was adapting the campaign a better decision than simply following the original contract?
- Several speakers discussed using data to evaluate success. What kinds of information should organizations collect before changing a communication strategy?
- Fans often form opinions about organizations through advertising, sponsorships, social media, and news coverage. How do these communication channels influence public perception?
- The panel emphasized authenticity rather than simply selling products. How can audiences recognize when a company is genuinely supporting a community versus using social causes only for publicity?
- Which communication skill mentioned by the panel (public speaking, networking, adaptability, curiosity, teamwork, storytelling, etc.) do you believe will be most valuable in your future? Why?
- The speakers encouraged students to “say yes” to new opportunities. Can saying yes ever become a problem? How do you balance openness to opportunity with setting healthy personal or professional boundaries?
- How does effective communication contribute to building trust – not only in sports organizations, but also in journalism, nonprofits, businesses, and government?
- What are some potential pitfalls with partnerships like these? What could have gone wrong? What can be learned by hiccups or failures?
- Creativity and open-mindedness are big aspects of collaboration in success partnerships. Where do you go or what do you do when you need inspiration or a creative boost?
- How do you deal with conflicting ideas or unbalanced success metrics? Explain how collaborative goal setting and agreed upon ROIs can help solve these issues ahead of time. (Hint: It’s all about intentful/strategic communication!)
Optional Activity 1: Build a Brand Partnership
Time: 15 minutes
Divide students into small teams.
Each team selects:
- a local business
- a school club or athletic team
- a nonprofit organization
Their challenge:
Develop a partnership that benefits all three groups.
Students should answer:
- What are each organization’s goals?
- What shared values connect them?
- What event or campaign would they create together?
- How would they measure success?
- How would they communicate the partnership to the public?
Each group presents a two-minute pitch.
Optional Activity 2: Crisis Communication Challenge
Present students with this scenario:
A sports team’s newest promotional campaign receives widespread criticism on social media because fans believe it feels insensitive and disconnected from the community.
Working in teams, students must develop a communication response that addresses:
- What happened?
- What information needs to be gathered first?
- Who should speak publicly?
- What message should be communicated?
- How can trust be rebuilt?
After presentations, compare different approaches and discuss how transparency, listening, and responsiveness affect public trust.
Teacher Wrap-Up
Ask students to reflect:
Which idea from today’s panel changed the way you think about communication?
Possible follow-up questions:
- What surprised you?
- What skill do you want to develop?
- How does communication influence organizations you interact with every day?
Key Takeaways
Students should leave understanding that:
- Successful brands are built through authentic relationships, not simply advertising.
- Effective communication depends on listening as much as speaking.
- Data and audience feedback help organizations improve their communication strategies.
- Strong partnerships require trust, collaboration, and shared goals.
- Ethical communication builds long-term credibility with audiences.
- Career success often depends on adaptability, curiosity, networking, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities.
Teacher Notes
Media Literacy Connections
Although this panel focuses on sports marketing, it naturally reinforces broader media literacy concepts by helping students understand:
- Audience Influence: How communication shapes perceptions of brands and organizations.
- Ethical Messaging: The importance of authenticity over manipulation.
- Evidence-Based Decisions: How data – not assumptions – can improve communication strategies.
- Trust and Transparency: Why credibility is built through consistency, responsiveness, and accountability.
- Community Engagement: How organizations use communication to strengthen relationships and demonstrate social responsibility.
These themes encourage students to think critically about the persuasive messages they encounter every day – whether from news organizations, businesses, nonprofits, influencers, or public institutions – making the lesson highly transferable beyond the sports industry
Instructors
Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback. Your input is greatly appreciated!
Lesson Developers
Name
Brett Atwood
Professor of Practice