Fan Engagement Gets Up Close and Personal From Now On

(From Now On is a proud sponsor of Front Office Sports)

What sports fan wouldn’t want a one-stop-shop for all things game related? That was exactly what From Now On had in mind when creating the FanX™ Mobile Engagement Platform. Born to transform the fan experience on game day and beyond, FanX has become a pivotal player in college sporting events, most recently used in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, NCAA Wrestling, NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, and Men’s Final Four. 

“To expand on the success we were having in the college space, we started evaluating growth markets in 2019. We quickly realized the alignment in the high school market with all of the activities and athletics communication that flows through a high school community,” said Sue Thaden, CEO at From Now On. 

That was when a partnership with Eastbay presented an exciting opportunity. Eastbay, a sports-lifestyle company with the reputation for having the latest and greatest choices for pro-grade gear, had fostered relationships with thousands of high schools over the years, becoming their uniform provider of choice. Eastbay was looking for unique ways to extend their offerings, and From Now On provided a missing link with their mobile component, and in turn, utilized Eastbay as an admissions ticket into the high school arena.

“We were excited when we met Brian and the Eastbay team and learned their vision for the Community Connection Program,” continued Thaden. “It was crystal clear they would be a solid partner and that we could bring great value to high schools together.”

The final result has been a neverending victory and a win-win for all. “With the app, we are now able to inspire and empower youth culture by connecting school communities through a powerful engagement platform,” shared Brian Sackinsky, Sales Director at Eastbay. “In addition to providing this valuable asset to the schools, the app has surpassed all the criteria Sackinsky has identified as Eastbay’s ‘5C Framework’ — connectivity, community, convenience, content and collections.”

From Now On provides the platform for the ultimate connection with gameday in your pocket. The community engagement allows users to dive deeper with a brand relationship that exceeds the realm of sports. Convenience is guaranteed with a “one click away” shopping experience, as opposed to emails with links or codes embedded in the body copy. Contentwise, Eastbay gets to be a part of delivering dynamic information built specifically for a school’s needs, and live within and around a relevant environment. Lastly, Eastbay is able to collect data by gathering insights that are relative to a specific community, enabling users to receive targeted and tailored messaging. 

“Perhaps there should be a 6th ‘C’ as ‘Check the app’ has become a commonly used term around Rocklin High School,” said Ryan Spears, Athletic Director. “The app has literally become a one stop shop at Rocklin.”

The impetus for Spears to sign on as one of the first schools to utilize From Now On’s cutting edge technology was the app’s ability to be customizable to Rocklin’s needs— which also included life off of the field. The app was used for the theater program, school calendar, student government portal, and more. The app has completely transformed communication and engagement within the school’s community. Coaches have streamlined their correspondence with players and fans, keeping everyone abreast of all game-related notifications, such as time, location, how to watch, along with providing live scores throughout the game. Fundraising efforts and ticket sales have been made easier and most recently, the app has been a tremendous asset while the school continues to navigate its way through the ever-changing rules and restrictions of COVID-19. Push notifications are timely, personal and guarantee that community members never miss a beat. 

There are no limits to the engagement, which Rocklin demonstrated by implementing a “History of Rocklin trivia contest” and virtual Easter egg hunt, which yielded 1,600 signups in one month. Currently there are 100 more schools in the pipeline, eager to see what community and fan engagement will be like with From Now On.

To learn more FanX™, click here.