We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kennedy Shriver. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kennedy below.

Hi Kennedy, thanks for joining us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

I joined USA Artistic Swimming as Communications Manager in October 2023, bringing with me seven years of experience in sports communications. However, Artistic Swimming (formerly known as Synchronized Swimming) was a new territory for me, and I was still learning the ropes.

Just a few months into the role, our team was headed to Doha, Qatar, for one of the most pivotal moments in our history: the final opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. My responsibilities at the event included capturing photos during the competition, sharing live results, writing press releases, handling media interviews, and maintaining excitement and engagement across our social media channels during the two-week event.

Honestly, I was nervous. I wasn’t yet fully confident in my understanding of the sport, and I felt the weight of representing such a significant moment for the team.

But here’s where the magic happened. Our team successfully qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics for the first time in 16 years. I captured a powerful behind-the-scenes video of the qualification moment, and it exploded on social media, bringing a huge boost of traction to our page and helping us gain a significant following.

As the months went by, I immersed myself more deeply in the sport, tapping into my creativity and producing fresh, fun, and engaging content that resonated with our growing audience—content that had never been seen before on our social media.

The Olympic Games in Paris were nothing short of incredible. Our team performed exceptionally, earning our first Olympic medal in 20 years, and we saw a surge of 10k new followers on Instagram.

Of course, all credit goes to the extraordinary athletes, coaches, and staff who made such an achievement possible. But I like to think my role in amplifying the excitement and keeping our newfound audience engaged through unique and dynamic content played a small part in the team’s success and the sport’s growing visibility.

Kennedy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Sports have always been a part of my life—whether I was playing, attending games, or simply surrounded by the energy of competition. As a sophomore in college, I decided to pursue a degree in Communications, drawn by my passion for social media, advertising, and content creation.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that combining my love for sports with my growing interest in digital media was the perfect path. By 19, I was already capturing video content at sporting events ‘just for fun.’ That passion quickly turned into a professional opportunity, and I found myself managing social media accounts for multiple teams.

After graduating with my undergraduate degree, the athletic department at my university saw potential in me and created a full-time position centered around content creation and fan engagement. They not only hired me but also offered to fund my master’s degree at Colorado State University.

Over the next two years at CSU Pueblo, I had the privilege of managing social media for 22 sports teams, creating fan-centric videos for our stadium video boards, and running in-game promotions to keep fans engaged. It was an experience that deepened my love for sports marketing and content, as well as taught me the importance of creating experiences that resonate with fans.

In June of 2023, I made the decision to leave CSU Pueblo and was fortunate enough to be hired by USA Artistic Swimming in October of the same year.

What I’m most proud of in my career is my ability to think outside the box and create content that stands out in the sports industry. I’ve always believed in the power of fresh, fun, and unique content—stuff that isn’t just ‘typical’ for sports social media. It’s this creative approach and passion for storytelling that drives me to continue pushing the envelope in everything I do.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building an audience on social media can be tricky because there are a billion of other accounts to compete with. There are a couple of things to follow when you decide you are committed to building your page:

1. Know your Audience – decide who you are trying to reach. Understand their interests, habits, age, location, and pain points. Tailor your content to what will resonate with them.

2. Create High Quality Content – make sure what you produce is high quality, post consistently, and experiment with different types of content to see what your audience engages with most.

3. Utilize Video Content – TikTok is the prime example of demonstrating that video content takes over the industry. Post reels or TikTok videos under :10 to receive the most engagement.

4. DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE YOURSELF – people tend to gravitate towards REAL people. Don’t try to be flawless and perfect on social media (our world is already filled with too much of this) be authentic and come off as ‘relate-able’ to your audience.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

At the Paris Olympic Games, the USA Artistic Swimming team was only allowed to bring eight athletes and one alternate to compete—an incredibly tough decision for the coaches, especially since our roster consisted of twelve athletes. With just two months until the Games, the stakes were high. For the Artistic Swimming community, this moment was monumental, as no USA Artistic Swimmer had earned the title of “Olympian” in 16 years.

Typically, other countries would simply announce their team via a press release, but I knew we had a unique opportunity to make this moment unforgettable. I wanted to elevate it, creating an announcement that would stand out and capture the excitement surrounding this milestone.

For three weeks leading up to the big day, I hyped up the announcement on social media, teasing that the team would be revealed at 8 a.m. PST on June 8th. The countdown built anticipation and had our followers buzzing with excitement.

When the day finally came, we didn’t settle for a traditional announcement. I organized a photoshoot and videoshoot at 7 p.m. that evening—a complete departure from what the Artistic Swimming community was accustomed to. Instead of a typical, understated reveal, I created a hype video more akin to what you’d see for football or basketball players—something bold, energetic, and full of emotion.

The video was a huge success, going viral within the community and beyond. It resonated with fans and followers, and I was flooded with compliments and messages about how unique, fun, and exciting the announcement felt. It was a moment that not only honored the athletes but also brought a fresh, new energy to the sport.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennedyshriver/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennedy-shriver-0158611a0/

Image Credits

JH Exposures