Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Gibbons.
Hi Tyler, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I arrived in Utah to work for ABC 4 on Election Day 2012. I thought I’d be in the market for 1-2 years, then move on to a new job in a new city. I ran the sports department. At that time, we had the Real Salt Lake contract to air their game broadcasts. I developed a weekly, Sunday night sports show dedicated to covering the team, their stories & the other “big” sports events in the market called Real Sports Live. (It’s still on air today, which I’m very proud of.) After a successful 2-year run, the TV contract moved over to the CBS affiliate, KUTV. At that point, the club asked me “what I wanted to do?” To which I replied, “what do you mean?” haha. I took a job as their Director of Media Production (basically a one human social media & content team). Since I joined the club in 2015, I’ve been promoted to Creative Director, VP of broadcast & now my new title, VP of Marketing & Game Presentation. Our group controls everything you see from a creative perspective. All social media, video, digital content, graphics, broadcast, in-stadium presentation … the whole pie. It’s a wonderful, demanding, incredibly fun & fulfilling gig.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Smooth? Not at all! The digital space has evolved & really changed everything from an entertainment, information, marketing & broadcast perspective in the past decade. People don’t need to wait for the newspaper or 10 pm news to be connected to their passion anymore. However, all forms of media are so important in places like SLC. Local news is still the top source for sports coverage here. We’re not the Lakers. You don’t see RSL on SportsCenter often. So, we have to work with everyone to be as accessible as possible. Social media is all-encompassing & demand is at an all-time high. Developing & feeling comfortable about “brand voice” is always difficult & the process has its ups & downs. We’ve also faced situations that were completely out of our hands. Sometimes, news is bigger than your ability to “control the narrative.” That comes with the territory too. Our goal is to be a positive force for change, make our community a better place & something our state can be proud of. Nobody bats 1.000. You need to celebrate your wins. Recognize & learn from your mistakes. Don’t linger in the glory or the failures (personally or professionally) too long. Keep creating things that matter. Everything we publish & do is a statement on the brand. Our group has open communication & holds everyone to the standards we’ve set. We’re good & not allowing ourselves to dip below it. We like to say “we’re good at what we do for a reason.”
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Our mission statement is: to lead & inspire the soccer culture in Utah.
Real Salt Lake is determined to lead & inspire Utah culture by bridging the community through sport. This is reflected through a commitment to the core values of the people of Utah; those of resolute industry, community & pride for the state. It is the duty of RSL to forever champion this industrious resolve as the embodiment of these core values.
Pride: the duty to champion & defend the idea of the club
Community: It is the privilege of the club to enrich the community & to belong to it.
Industry: all great difficulties are met with great & focused actions.
Harmony: only together will our definition of success be obtained.
Integrity: never willing to sacrifice cultural values for the promise of future glory.
The game of soccer has nearly unlimited global influence. Whether this influence is used for good or for ill is at the discretion of those within the game. The Club, RSL, must use its influence in accordance with our core values.
On the field, the club & its fan base demand & deserve a certain level of football. Regardless of year, personnel, or any opposing circumstance, we will produce football with the following metrics:
Aggressive: conviction to play attraction, industrious soccer & to control the tempo of the game.
Selfless: prioritizing team success over individual accolades.
Disciplined: organized, deliberate & resolved in all areas of the pitch.
Off the field, the club & its personnel uphold complete commitment to the practice of the following ideas:
Development: commitment to create, cultivate & champion opportunity through internal growth.
Integrate: complete commitment to upload the pursuits, beliefs & philosophies of the club
Inclusive: an environment that builds value in trusting the diversity of its people.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
My partner, Amanda Roman, & I foster animals through CAWS (caws.org) as a way to give back to the world. We’ve saved 75 dogs & cats the past few years. This past Christmas, our foster dog gave birth to 10 puppies (!) that we raised for 8 weeks until they were old enough to adopt out.
Pricing:
- Season Tickets start as low as $14 a game
- Single Tickets start as low as $19 a game
Contact Info:
- Email: fanrelations@RSL.com
- Website: RSL.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsaltlake/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealSaltLake/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/realsaltlake
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/realsaltlake
Image Credits
Real Salt Lake
