I started playing hockey when I was 5 years old. Now I call myself a midlife crisis hockey player, somewhat (but not NHL level) living out my childhood dreams of being in the league. So, I couldn't wait for Heidi to join me and talk about our shared love of hockey on the podcast. 

I have known Heidi for over 15 years, since her MySpace and Pandora days, where I got to see first-hand how incredible she was at listening to her customers and using that knowledge to make better business decisions for the companies. This led her to an opportunity at the NHL when they were building out their social marketing and marketing practice.

"It is a privilege and an honor to be the CMO at the NHL. When I first joined, it was our one-hundredth anniversary. It's not too often that as a marketer, you get the opportunity to usher in the next generation of fans with a hundred-year-old brand. So that's what really excited me."

Heidi has taken the NHL to the next level, focusing on bringing new fans into the fold. "How do we grow our fan base and diversify our fan base? It has to start with who's working in our league. Then extends to the fans and the players, et cetera."

Even though joining the NHL was an exciting career move for Heidi, she had no previous experience in sports. "Coming in as a new and casual fan, in the beginning, I could see right away that we spent a lot of time catering to the avid fans. We conducted focus groups that confirmed my observation. Hockey fans are like the coolest, most rabid, fanatical fans out there. They know the rules, history, and tradition. It can be intimidating to be on the outside trying to get in."

Heidi has always focused on what customers are saying. She has never been afraid to hear feedback and tries to connect the old and the new generations to keep her companies relevant. I hope you enjoy our conversation and we inspire you to join our love of hockey.

You can connect with Heidi on LinkedIn and visit the NHL to learn more.

Connect with Chris Cunningham and subscribe to the show.

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Heidi's Bio

As Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Heidi Browning leads the National Hockey League’s growth marketing strategy with a focus on digital, innovation, and social media. With more than 25 years of marketing experience, including success with major brands in Silicon Valley, Browning brings a valuable mix of client, agency, and media owner perspectives to the NHL. Browning is known as a passionate pioneer in digital, mobile, and social marketing and as an executive who advances new ideas and innovation within the industry. Inspired by the intersection of media, technology, and culture, Browning studies generational trends in attention and brand engagement. Her experience marketing to Millennial and Gen Z audiences is essential for engaging young sports fans and will help guide her leadership of the NHL’s new fan database/analytics initiative.

Under Browning’s leadership, the NHL has experienced a 33% growth in followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. She spearheaded the introduction of eight new Twitter accounts, including six international languages, @StanleyCup; @NHLGIFs; NHL Europe on Instagram; and TikTok, Weibo, and WeChat accounts. As a result of a focused strategy on video content, video streams have increased 111% across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Since Browning’s arrival at the NHL, the League’s Instagram engagement has increased by 58%, while followers on that account increased 46%.

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