How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?

House of Highlights set the standard in engagement boasting 52 of the top 100 branded content posts on the platform in addition to producing 4 of the top 15 videos on the platform for both views and engagements. For both sold and unsold posts, HoH ended the year in the #2 spot for engagements and the #3 spot for engagements and views - across the entire platform. This is all on top of becoming the #1 sports media brand Instagram with more than 17 million followers.

As for a benchmark, it's important to note the balance struck between paid and unpaid content and an ability to bridge the gap by remaining true to brand voice throughout. This is a blueprint for all to follow.

Objective:

House of Highlights began as an NBA Instagram account with approximately 500K followers six years ago. Since then it has become the #1 sports media brand on Insta with more than 17 million followers, covering a multitude of sports. In 2019, the team wanted to build on this massive reach by diversifying the brand's sports content beyond the NBA, elevating new talent, creating deeper connections with a loyal Gen Z audience, and driving further revenue through authentic brand partnerships.

Strategy & Execution:

House of Highlights’ strategy, simply put, is to curate the best content on Instagram by being celebratory, inclusive, and relatable. While many sports accounts focus on highlights of a game, House of Highlights (oddly enough) tries to catch what the naked eye missed. That could be as simple as a pre-game handshake or a funny blooper that the broadcast unknowingly filmed. This gives our audience a leg up on the personalities of their favorite leagues, teams, and players. Realizing today's fan seeks personalities, HoH developed programming like The Broadcast Boys, the Through the Wire Podcast, The House of Highlights LIVE show, and The Reel, featuring fresh new faces to connect directly with audiences. The team also broadened the playbook beyond its NBA-centric past - with only 41% of content focused on the NBA. From soccer, to football, and most notably to User Generated Content, House of Highlights delivered. Probably, most notably, it is #1 in branded content boasting 52 of the top 100 branded posts on Instagram in 2019 including the #1 branded content post of the year.

Results:

House of Highlights set the standard in engagement boasting 52 of the top 100 branded content posts on the platform in addition to producing 4 of the top 15 videos on the platform for both views and engagements. For both sold and unsold posts, HoH ended the year in the #2 spot for engagements and the #3 spot for engagements and views - across the entire platform. This is all on top of becoming the #1 sports media brand Instagram with more than 17 million followers.

As for a benchmark, it's important to note the balance struck between paid and unpaid content and an ability to bridge the gap by remaining true to brand voice throughout. This is a blueprint for all to follow.

Production

Bleacher Report
House of Highlights

Credits

Doug Bernstein
General Manager
Bleacher Report

Samuel Gilbert
Sr. Manager of Production & Strategy
Bleacher Report

Drew Muller
Business Operations & Strategy
Bleacher Report

Nyerr Praham
Director
Bleacher Report