[JUDGING] Basketball Ireland Masters
Section: Best Multiplatform Campaign - No budget
Organisation Name: Basketball Ireland Masters
Campaign Questions
Name Of Brand Client
Basketball Ireland Masters
Campaign Name
Growing the Game: Basketball Ireland Masters
Personpeople Who Led This Campaign
Pam Grogan
Do You Use Alt Text In Your Images And Caption Your Videos
Accessibility was considered throughout the campaign. All copy, captions and video text were created in-house, with videos and Reels designed to include clear on-screen text and captions so content could be understood even when viewed without sound. While manual alt text was not consistently applied to every image, content was written with clarity and accessibility in mind, and improving the use of alt text forms part of our ongoing social media development.
What Objective For Campaign
The primary objective of the campaign was to establish Basketball Ireland Masters as the home of Masters basketball in Ireland and build a strong, connected community through authentic social media storytelling.
When the campaign began in April 2025, our aim was to create an engaging digital platform that would raise awareness of Masters basketball, reconnect former players with the sport, and inspire more people to return to competitive basketball. We wanted to celebrate the athletes behind the jerseys, strengthen connections between players, families and supporters, and showcase the values of lifelong participation, friendship and representing Ireland.
A key objective was also to demonstrate the value of the programme to potential sponsors, helping to build a sustainable future for Basketball Ireland Masters through increased visibility and engagement. By growing awareness and participation, the campaign also supported the expansion of the programme, contributing to record interest and a record eight Irish teams competing at the 2026 FIBA Masters Open in Greece.
Ultimately, this campaign wasn't just about growing social media channel, it was about growing the sport, strengthening the community and creating a platform that would support Basketball Ireland Masters long into the future.
Outline Your Strategy For This Campaign
Our objective wasn't to create viral content. The audience we were trying to reach wasn't driven by trends or viral moments. Our objective was to create a platform where Masters players felt seen, heard and valued, while giving their families, clubs and the wider basketball community a genuine connection to their journey. Prior to April 2025, the programme had no social media presence.
Rather than creating highly polished, corporate style content, we deliberately chose an authentic storytelling approach. Much of the content was captured on mobile phones by players, coaches and volunteers, allowing audiences to experience the programme through the eyes of the people involved.
The campaign followed the complete Masters journey throughout the year. Content was planned around key milestones including trials, training weekends, the National Masters Cup, Media Day, team announcements, sponsor announcements, behind the scenes moments, daily tournament coverage in Greece and post event celebrations. This created a consistent narrative that audiences could follow over many months, rather than a series of isolated posts.
The strategy also ensured Basketball Ireland Masters developed its own distinctive identity while remaining aligned with Basketball Ireland, the programme's governing body and supporter.
What Were The Outcomes For This Campaign Metrics Next Question
The campaign transformed Basketball Ireland Masters from a programme with no social media presence into a recognised and engaged national community. Since launching our Facebook and Instagram platforms in April 2025, we have created a trusted voice for Masters basketball in Ireland, connecting players, families, clubs, supporters and sponsors through authentic storytelling and consistent, organic content.
The increased visibility helped raise awareness of Masters basketball, encouraged former players to return to the sport, strengthened community engagement and supported record participation, culminating in eight Irish teams representing Ireland at the 2026 FIBA Masters Open. The campaign also established a credible platform for sponsorship, helping athletes and teams collectively secure more than €100,000 in sponsorship, including national support from AIB, while opening conversations with additional partners for future programmes.
Most importantly, the campaign demonstrated that a volunteer led organisation, with no paid advertising budget, could build a thriving community and create lasting value for the sport through authentic, people first storytelling, achieving over one million organic social media views within its first 12 months and creating a sustainable platform for the future growth of Masters basketball.
What Are Your Metrics For This Campaign Real Metrics Please
Between April 2025 and April 2026, Basketball Ireland Master’s Facebook and Instagram platforms were built from the ground up, achieving over one million organic views within their first 12 months. During this period the platforms grew to an engaged community, reaching over 2,000 followers, with a predominantly Irish audience (72–76%), a balanced male/female audience and a core demographic of 35-54 years. All growth was achieved with zero paid advertising.
1,000,000+ organic views in the first 12 months
2,300+ followers in the first 12 months
72-76% Irish audience
Core audience: 35-54 years
Balanced male|female audience
100% organic growth (no paid advertising)
During the FIBA Masters Open campaign the momentum accelerated, generating almost one million additional views, over 17,000 interactions and more than 700 new followers across both platforms. Individual organic posts regularly achieved 10,000-35,000+ views.
FIBA Masters Open Campaign (22 June-20 July 2026)
544,000+ combined Facebook and Instagram views.
404,200 Instagram views.
139,800 Facebook views.
28,000 Instagram accounts reached.
10,200 content interactions.
388 new followers.
50% of Instagram views came from non-followers.
(no paid advertising)
Is There Anything Else You Want To Add Be Brief
This campaign was never about chasing algorithms, trends or vanity metrics. It was about giving Basketball Ireland Masters a genuine voice and creating a community where people felt they belonged. Our tone of voice was conversational, welcoming and authentic. We spoke to our audience as we would if we met them in the gym, at a game or over a coffee.
We believe social media should bring people into sport, not simply report on it. By celebrating players of all ages and abilities, we helped show that basketball doesn't have an expiry date. Whether you hadn't played in five years or thirty years, the message was always the same: there's a place for you here.
If this campaign leaves one legacy, we hope it's this: social media didn't just tell the story of Basketball Ireland Masters, it helped more people become part of it. Because the important thing isn't when you last played, it’s that you play today.
