Ruben Dominguez on Developing Fans, Telling Stories, and Elevating the Brand of the Portland Timbers

@njh287; www.dsmsports.net
On episode 274 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast, Neil
chatted with Ruben Dominguez, Senior Director, Social Media
Content and Strategy for the Portland Timbers MLS club.
What follows is a collection of snippets from the podcast. To hear the
full interview and more, check out the podcast on all podcast
platforms and at www.dsmsports.net.
Best Of The Digital and
Social Media Sports Podcast
Episode 274: Ruben Dominguez

Ruben’s Career Path
“It's been a long journey, but I kind of started like anyone else. I finished my playing
career, and then (in) college, I wanted to kind of be a journalist. As I was writing
articles, I tried to find ways to enhance those, so I started taking pictures, doing little
videos and all that kind of led up to me posting on my own channels and then also
working for a news station. I started to do things on social for them when it was kind of
in its infancy. I got a chance at Texas A&M to do football social content, [then] moved
on to the basketball side there, but ultimately wanted to get back into the soccer space.
So I've kind of gone up the leagues in the US from USL, NWSL, and now working with
one of the best franchises in MLS. So it's been really cool.
“I think as far as the [career] tip goes, I'm just always ready. I always have a resume
ready and you just never know when the opportunity comes, so I just try to take that
into every day. It's been a fun ride and hopefully there are many more years to come.”

On intentionally and organically developing a diverse skill set
“I think it's half and half. I think I realized that I always wanted to be well-
rounded, kind of like being an athlete. I feel like I had that mentality where
I would — like I played soccer — I do some things on the pitch and I was
like, I need to work on my left foot or I need to work on, you know,
checking in to receive the ball, and kind of diversifying my game like that.
So I kind of approached the professional space in the same way.

“I'd say the other half of that was probably my college curriculum. I had
graphic design classes, I had photography classes, I had video editing
classes, and I had sports business classes. So as I kind of dabbled in those
in the college space, I felt like I liked everything I was doing. I really liked
graphic design, I really liked taking photos, I loved video editing — I think
that was probably by far my biggest love in the space. So when it came time
to put them all together and really show what I could do I think it just kind
of naturally came. And luckily the platforms gave you a space to put that
stuff out in the world where people can see [it], so it was fun in that sense.”

On constructing a team and generalists vs. specialists
“I think it goes both ways. Like, I think if you bring in somebody that is very
specialized in something, I think if they have the right attitude to want to learn
and want to expand their skill sets, that's a great path to take. And I think if you
have a generalist that needs to find their niche and find something they want to
really lock in on and become an expert in, I think that's also a good route to take.
I don't think either of those is wrong. I think for myself, though, coming in as that
generalist and trying to find what works, I think what's really helped is that the
people that I manage and work with I can kind of see how they see things or know
what they're going through. So I think it really helps in just managing a team,
knowing the expectations for each piece, how long it takes, because I have been in
those trenches as well. It breeds a good environment for all of us that we're
working in, and we kind of understand and empathize with each other.”

On developing a strategic mindset as he came up executing content
“I think my earliest lesson, this is hilarious to think about now, but I think back to
it often — when Snapchat was kind of in its infancy, I used to travel a lot, whether
it was for my own games or just travel for vacation, and anytime I seem to be on
the road, I would do this thing called ‘Road Trip with Ruben’, and I would post
and people would send in questions and I would answer them. It was just funny
and a chance for me to talk with my friends, just to pass time on all these trips.
It's a good laugh and I look back on it now, we all had fun, but I think that was my
first insight into, Okay, you can give people what they want? I would test it and
some trips I wouldn't do it and people would see me somewhere and they're like,
Why don't we do Road Trip with Ruben? When is it coming? And of course, this is
not thousands and thousands of people, it's just my friends, but I thought it was a
really valuable lesson into giving people what they want.

“Now, for me on my side, the other part of the strategy I had to learn was like,
what do you want to put out? Do you want to keep doing this? So I think when
you match those two together in any position you're at, giving the people what
they want, but also showing what your brand is — I think when those two meet in
the middle, you have a very solid strategy and you can really build off of that.
Obviously, when you get to measuring success, you're looking at numbers or kind
of the objectives. But I think that's a really cool thing is just setting those
objectives and working towards those and giving an ample amount of time to
judge those successfully, and then from there, you can make the decisions. Do you
want to keep doing this? Is this something you can phase out? And then just kind
of going from there. So yeah, I think back to that often and I try to remember that
when we're really trying to sell a sports franchise, a team, a school — you got to
give the people what they want, but make sure that it matches your brand and
you're being true to yourself.”

On covering the basics for diehard fans with more novel stuff to drive
engagement and casual fans
“I think it's a little bit of both. I guess the best example I can probably give is
a lot of times here with the Timbers, we have a lot of opportunities to go out
into the community and have fans meet players and things of this sort.
People will say, Oh, Ruben just wants to go to the event or whatever, [but] I
really use these times to talk to fans and kind of gauge them in that sense
because, you know, if you read the comments, you can get some stuff out of
that of what people want. But when you come up to people and they're
telling you what they like about the channels or what more they want to see.
I think it's always the best thing that you can get, so I really take that stuff
seriously.

“The best example I can give getting to that is press conferences. So when I
first got here, I really thought that, as a soccer purist, as a football purist,
that press conferences and hearing from the manager and players is the
best insight that you can give. Win, draws, losses — it just really gave the
opportunity for a manager to speak, so I was pretty hell-bent on getting
those out. Even if they didn't do the best numbers, there's a good chance to
just provide people with info about the team and dictate narratives. With
that being said, a lot of people saw that as low [engagement] numbers, not
really any juice for the squeeze. But now that we've kind of had a little bit of
a higher-profile manager [Phil Neville] come in and people are wanting to
hear, I thought it worked out well, and now that's something that gets a lot
of buzz when we put those out.

“I think also you have to look on the content side, as well. We can use that
to our advantage, we can use those bite-sized clips to put out and tell
stories as well. Then I also think, too, that's a chance for our partnerships
team to turn around, and if that's a sellable asset for them, they can use
that as well because they know that it's recurring and it's going to do the
numbers that the client wants. So that's one of the things. And yeah, it
might not be the greatest piece of content, but I think there's a lot that you
can get out of it for the organization.

“So when you're looking at these specific things you're doing, whether it's
training photos or arrival photos or all these things that kind of are
recurring and come about, I think you just got to kind of put it in that
context. How does it work for the fans? How does it work internally for you
all? Is it something that you can get a lot of juice out of the squeeze for, and
then how does it work for the business side? And that's kind of how we
make decisions with everything. I think we have to kind of put it through
that thorough process, and even if it doesn't hit some of those marks, but
you feel like you really want to do it, you go with it, you check the numbers,
and you check the pulse of the community to see how it goes.”

On taking big swings and getting away from the norm
“I think my team will back me up on this, but I'm kind of of the mindset,
like, we need to be trying stuff all the time. I think sometimes we do get
caught up in, Okay, here's a match day. We gotta do this, this, this and this.
And I'm kind of of the mindset of like, okay, I know we've done this for the
past three weeks the same way, can we take a different look at this? Can we
do this a different way? Can we do this from the players’ perspective? Can
we do this from the fans’ perspective? So I really do like to take those
swings just as a content crew and, in full, I think that's the beauty of what
you see on social. I think so many people mindlessly scroll, scrub through
and you just really need something that catches the eye.

“I think more so when we do take those risks, we ask the same questions —
how is this going to affect the brand? What is this going to do for us? Could
this be something that lives on? If we do it, what metrics do we need to
measure for — and not just numbers-wise, it's like the pulse of the
community. If we do something and we see that a lot of fans like it and
they're like, We want more of this, but maybe it doesn't fit our brand, then
we'll look at it and say, Okay, where can we fit this? Or we say, hey, maybe
this is our brand because this is something our fans like, our players like,
and those are the people that we're speaking for when they go out into their
communities and when they get to talk to their people, what do they want
to show about their teams?”

Engaging the avid diehards while also striving to reach new and casual fans
“The beauty of social, eh? I think that's my favorite part of the job, is just kind of
figuring that out on a day-to-day basis. I think the thing I can say is that when I
look at the Portland fan base, and this is not to talk poorly on any other fan base
in MLS, but just strictly speaking for Portland, I think it's a very intelligent fan
base in their aptitude for the game of footy. I go to all these other venues and
sometimes it's really loud during maybe like a goal kick or something like that or
just in the regular passages of play. But time after time, week in, week out, when I
go to Providence Park, I'll see, you know, one of our outside players switch the
ball to the other side and you hear the claps in the stadium, and it just feels, as
someone who’s played in Europe, it just feels very European. And I think people,
when they do come into the stadium, they really understand that and they feel
that same sentiment.

“So I think just based on that, you can rightly assume that most of the fans
do kind of like the discourse of what you would call ‘Soccer Twitter’ and
just how you react with your team win, lose or draw, how you are
commenting to other teams, the banter behind it, those sorts of inside
jokes that you would get. So we really try to hit that because we feel like
that's a very wide casting net to get those casuals, but also still satisfy your
fan base. There are times where you would look at it, or some of the people
we talk to that work for European clubs where they say, Oh, that's very
American of you or Americanized, and I think there's a time and place to
do that. But I think also, too, at the same time, we have kind of that
obligation to our fan base to show the game and show our content how they
like to see it. And I feel like that's the way they see it.

“So I don't think it's hard. I think it's challenging; I would say, not hard,
but challenging in a good way, where it gets us thinking and always keeps
us on our toes to put out the best possible content that we can.”

Understanding internet and social success alongside business objectives
“I think you hit the nail on the head; like, I think platform to platform, you really
have to make those decisions. So when we look at a social strategy, we're looking
platform to platform of what we want to do. I think one thing that we can say
about TikTok, for us, is we kind of just want to show the cool aspects of what we
do of our life, our players, and just show those kind of aspects of the game where
it's like you look at something like X or Twitter or Instagram, it's going to be
totally different. I think when we look at Twitter, we want to show that we know
ball, because I think that's the best place where you can kind of display that,
where things kind of go and you see things from different platforms, and when
you do reach these other audiences, whether they support a team in Europe,
South America, we want to show that know what we're talking about, and we're
not one of those typical American teams or have that stigma.

“I think an example we could provide about that is when you're showing
goal clips, I think there would be some brands that would take the route of
just showing the goal in that six seconds and saying that they want to just
show the six seconds of the goal, because if they show all six seconds, it'll
get pushed into something with the algorithm and things like that, whereas
like maybe 30 seconds before that, we had a really great build-up. And I
would say I'm going to show the build-up because, from a brand or being
the admin, we understand the full game. So even if we maybe get less
numbers on that or it doesn't hit that algorithm like we want it to, at least
we showed that product on the field that maybe the real fans that were
tuned in and know the game would say, Okay, that's really cool. I'm glad
they understand it. I like that club.”

On coming to Portland and learning brand and approach as a senior leader
“It was tough, I'll be completely honest. I think when this job came about, I
felt like the team before had done such a good job of cultivating the brand that
I always wanted to be the next person, if I got the shot, I wanted there to be
someone between me before I took something on like this. But the
opportunity came and I kind of just wanted to test out where I could be and
what I can do. I think to your point about, what you do when you come in, I
think I was really hell-bent on this being kind of a project, and in the year one,
I think you would kind of keep a little bit of the, kind of go with the status quo,
because I think changing something cold turkey, especially coming in during
the year, might be detrimental to the brand in some aspects.

And I think I used that six months when I came in till the end of the season
as kind of like my baseline for the things I wanted to change. So keep doing
things the same way so I could benchmark what was going on. Then the
next year coming in really strong and the things that I felt we needed — not
even just a change in that moment that we thought are going to take us to
the next level, but looking into the future on what we wanted to do.

“The press conference example is the best idea because the way MLS was
trending, everyone was bringing in higher profile names to the league and I
felt like if we were to get into that game on the Portland side that we would
need the apparatuses to support something like that. To bring someone in
that would feel that they were in a proper environment, especially on the
social side. So I kind of took those steps and, you know, at some points we
lost on those, at some points, I feel like we did some things really well that
we were able to carry on. Then in year three, which is this year, we're really
putting those into practice, building the team that we want to get around
that so we can fly into this new era of MLS.

So I would say there are a lot of decisions to make. And I think
crowdsourcing and talking to people and really seeing what the brand was
about was really helpful for me. I think there's still work to do, which is the
best part. I think if it came easy and we were just kind of going status quo
and going with it, I don't think I would be having as much fun as I do now.
So I think having that challenge a little bit to figure this all out, has been
great and been great development for me as well, and hopefully it reflects
off on my team and what we're trying to accomplish now.

On standing out on social media
“I think it goes back probably to my time at Texas A&M. If you know
anything about the school, I think the biggest thing that's ever said is you see
clips of the Yell leaders and just kind of what games are about, and people
have this wrong idea about everything that goes on there. So when we were
at A&M football, we had our own account that really I wouldn't say dispelled
those, but just showed a different side that wasn't what it was all about. I
think there was a good balance between it, too, because we had the
traditions which you love, and if you wanted to be a part of it you really got
behind, but you also had the cool jersey drops, exclusive shoes, this and that
that you get on the recruiting side. So I think I've always just had that
mindset of going in and changing the perception of what it was.

“USL, the same way they were like, in some people's eyes, the brand that
kind of got pushed to the side in terms of American soccer, which I never
really thought that. Living in San Antonio in college for a little bit, I went to
San Antonio FC games, I still love watching them to this day when I get a
chance. Then going to NWSL, which obviously is really thriving right now,
but at some point everyone was just like, Oh, this is the league that the
national team players come and just to stay fit. But there were really some
stories there that could be told, and I thought that was a really cool part
about the NWSL and dispelling that.

“So coming to Portland for the Timbers, a little bit more established, I'd
say, in terms of some of those things, but also at the same time, I feel like,
yeah, you're trying to reach the level of fandom that some of these teams
that have been around for a really long time and, and trying to be those
teams. And I think the thing I always remember is people can come in and
say, Yeah, you're not an NFL team or you're not this Premier League team
or La Liga team, Bundesliga team, but to some people, the Portland
Timbers are that NFL team.

The Portland Timbers are their Premier League team. So I try to put in the
work for those people because I know how much the teams that I grew up
supporting mean to me and what I want to see. So if you're able to admit
that same sort of thing to them, you have a chance to build a really cool
community. And I think at the end of the day, that's what we're trying to
do. There's no God-given right for people to push the like button or engage
with our content, so we really want to give them something that they can be
proud of and a team that they can follow and support and content they like
to see around that team.

On what goes into highlighting players in content
“I think, speaking on the Thorns side, just the dynamic of that and working
at the NWSL, the national team players are highly regarded. People are
going to switch team allegiances with their players going to different sides.
So I think that's one thing in that in a sense sells itself, where I think the
difference on the Timbers side is I feel like the brand of the Timbers is
almost like the star player and just playing for the Timbers. So we've
always tried to keep that mantra. I don't think this is speaking out of turn,
but I think probably one of the most notable players you would say would
be Timber Joey, our mascot.

I think everyone sees the victory log slices and him holding it up, and just
the tradition of that, which I think is really cool. I don't think that's
anything to really shy away from. But I think on our side we have the
obligation to tell a lot of stories. And I think, since I've gotten here, I've
really made it a point for us to, no matter the player, their play on the
pitch, their status within the team, I think there were stories everywhere to
be told. So we really tried to make that a point to get them out into the
world and tell their stories.

“I played a little bit in Spain and I look back on that time, I probably have
like four pictures of my whole time of playing in Spain and a couple videos.
I think back and I was like, if I had a media team there and I was able to
send pictures back and show my parents and my friends what was
happening it would be the best thing ever. So now I put our players in that
situation, and that's kind of my why. These guys are coming from
Colombia, Paraguay, Chile, Brazil, and luckily now with MLS (on Apple)
you can see the game all over the world. A little plug for Apple. But I think
that's just the most important thing is being able to tell those stories. And
in turn, you have an audience now that's kind of built in from these other
countries that now can watch and tune into games anywhere.

“I think with the growth of the league, that's something that's really
important as well, is just being able to tell those stories, even going down
into one thing that we've really tried to hone in on is our academy side. We
have probably the best academy we've had in the Timbers’s short history,
so really showing those players and getting them accustomed to what we
do and ultimately banking on if they make it to the first team that we have
archived footage and can tell their story from when they were young up to
now and when they get into the first team. I think probably one of the
coolest things I've been a part of since I've been here is we signed a
homegrown this year. His name's Sawyer Jura. He's Oregon through and
through.

He's from Bend (OR). When we were able to do his announcement, he had
pictures from when he was like 7 or 8 with Timber Joey coming to games,
we were able to recreate some pictures with him and his family from when
they were on the field at games when he was younger to now. He's been on
the first-team squad a couple times this year. So it's been awesome. That's
kind of what we're striving for from a content side, is just having all of that
stuff built up to tell the best possible stories we can, and have players on
this team that people feel like they know and can connect with, and then, in
turn, you feel like it's a family and a community that you're building and
you don't have to depend on X star coming in for you to be a Timbers fan,
you're just a fan of the club.

On the value of reaching and engaging non-local and non-US fans
“I think on the easy answer, you're looking at it and you're saying, Okay, for the
international fans, if we can make them a fan to where one day they make the
pilgrimage to Providence Park, that's probably the goal, right? But I think more so,
you don't have to buy a ticket to support the team. You can be a supporter anywhere
you want. I think probably the best story I can give is there's a little restaurant here by
Providence Park, and I went one day with my mother-in-law and my wife, and we're
sitting there, and the waiter came out, and he's really nice. He's just kind of talking
and I think I had some club merch on, and he asked about the team and he said, ‘Hey,
I'm from Chile. I've always wanted to go to a Timbers game, but I feel like I'm always
working while they're going on or I don't know too much about it.’ And I was like, Oh,
you're from Chile? I was like, one of our [designated players] is from Chile as well.

He's like, Oh yeah, I know Felipe Mora. He played for my team back home
in Chile. We started to talk and, Leagues Cup was coming up, and I feel like
Leagues Cup is one of those where you get a team from Liga MX in Mexico,
and that's where you have a fan base that might be, I'd say it's the gateway
games to the Portland Timbers brand, because you might like your team in
Mexico, or you might be (a fan of) the rival team of the team we're playing,
and you get to come in.

“So, this waiter, I got connected with him. I got him tickets to come, and we got
him to meet Felipe. Felipe ended up scoring in the game. It was a great piece. I
thought that was kind of the essence of what the Timbers are about. Just a
community. This guy worked steps away from Providence Park, had never got a
chance. He was able to take his family there and on the plus side met a player that
he supported for a long time. You just hope that they have a great experience, but
now I wouldn't be surprised if he comes to more games or even bought a kit for
Felipe and things like that. So you know we have a lot of opportunities like that,
and I think you can get really caught up and say, Oh, we want to do a content
opportunity to sell the club, but I think you have enough of those moments just
organically that happen, I don't think you necessarily need to show that or
amplify that in the best way. Maybe sometimes you just do it out of the kindness
of your heart, and you just kind of see it all come together for the club. I think
that's the essence of what we're all about.”

“…From a social and content perspective, we recorded those moments for
him. So if he ever gives us the green light or wants that story told, I'm all for
it. But yeah, I think a lot of our players I feel are like that, they really just like
to engage with the fans. I think some of the things we do before the match
are really cool. We have a little walkway that the players enter and they get
to sign autographs and things for fans, and we always make sure to highlight
that, because I feel like it's a special part of the matchday experience, and
coming from a [college] that is very big on tradition, I feel like we're kind of
the same here in Portland. We have a long history, coming up on our 50th
year of the club, so those sorts of things are just things that you can highlight
and just show people love and feel a part of something at the end of the day.
I think any footy fan that you speak to just wants to feel that community and
feel something to be a part of while supporting their team.”

On the Timbers relationship with the club’s supporters groups
“I mean, I try not to think of them as a marketing tool. I think the cool
thing I could say about the supporters group and ourselves is we have a
common love, and that's the team. I think when a relationship's built on
that, it's fun. It's a chance for us to push each other and go further. I can
speak for myself and the ones I speak to, I always feel like they are
respectful of what we do, and I think if they have suggestions or things they
want changed, it's always brought in such a good way that I really feel like
we can run with and and help out if that's the goal.

“One recently that I can speak of is this year we've really put an emphasis
on kind of the behind-the-scenes of matches. So, matches [where]
something happens, good wins, milestone moments, things of this nature,
we do a post-match recap, and you get to really see behind-the-scenes what
happens in the locker room, even in team talks — everything that you
would want behind the scenes of that moment. We've gotten really good
feedback. Some of the things that have been said is We've never had this
amount of access. It's so cool to see what happens after games because
sometimes they walk off the pitch and then you're done. So I think that's
been cool and just having that feedback.

“Obviously we can show what happens within the stadium, and they're a
big part of that experience. I don't think we ever really take that for
granted, you know, that they're going to show up every game. So we have to
keep bringing it on our side, which I think is fun and a good challenge. So
yeah, I don't know if it's like that at the other clubs around the league, but I
definitely think with us [there is] a very big mutual respect, like even
walking on the pitch before the games, there's a couple that will seek me
out and say hi, and I just love that. I don't know if you get that anywhere
else, but I definitely love that, and it's very special and unique to what we
have at Providence Park.”

On the Timbers hiring of football legend Phil Neville to be their head coach
“I think everyone goes through it, like you said, I think from early on in
Phil's tenure, we were kind of just there. So I don't know if he knows any
different from what we were, but I think early in preseason, we did [mic’d
up segments]. I think in his first two weeks, he wanted to come out and
take in an Academy session, which I thought was a cool experience. I don't
know if I expected what I expected, but he brought all the boys in, talked to
them. He was an academy player himself coming up through Manchester
United, so I thought it was just a great kind of tie-in to this new era that we
were having. So yeah, I think he's probably more used to the cameras than
a lot of players and coaches in that regard.

“So we've just been in there and it hasn't really gone bad since, so I think
we're able to keep doing that. But also, too, we have massive respect for the
sanctity of the locker room and all that goes on there. So we never want to
put ourselves in a position where we're showing [lack of respect]. So yeah,
it's been good so far. I think the fans appreciate it. I think, even from our
internal side, we like what's going out and showing just the different
aspects of what we do on a day-to-day basis.”

“…I think from our end we had we had a lot of new people come in on our
digital side, so I think [with] everyone coming in new, we were able to kind
of set that standard together rather than having like old preconceived
notions of what's going on and things like that. And everyone coming from
their different spaces, too, I think was important, because there's a lot of
different perspective, and we were all able to come together on what we
actually wanted to do and accomplish. I think it's gone great so far.”

On working with the partnerships team to drive revenue with social and
content
“We have a good system and I think it's evolved over time. We've set up
some things to where if we feel there's an opportunity to move something
from an organic space to a more revenue-generating space we have the
tools in place to move that forward. I think there's a good understanding
between both departments, our partnerships department and then our
department on the things that matter and what we want to do. I think the
good thing that they've provided us is they really seek out what we want to
do or what's even possible. So I think there's a lot of good, healthy
conversation around our partnerships.

“One that we just did is we have a deal with Safeway, which is a grocery
store, and we took a player and we did a four-part series, and one of those,
I thought that was really good. It wasn't really in the plan, but we got all
these groceries from the store for the shoot, so we were able to come
together with the tickets department to deliver it to an annual member, or
what you would probably know as a season ticket holder, and we were able
to do a special delivery there. It was really off the cuff, the player was more
than willing and thought it was a cool idea. So we were able to execute it in
a very short space of time

“I thought that was really cool and kind of the essence of what we're trying
to build. Everyone was on board. We had a shoot, we had production there,
everything ready to go, and we were able to move on that. I think it was
good and beneficial for the brand and beneficial for us in the sense that we
gave the partner something that probably wasn't in the script, but I think
something that they appreciated and reflected positively for their brand as
well. I think we're always looking for those moments or those things that
we can do

“One of my best friends in the world works in the partnership realm, so
when we're not talking about other stuff, we're sending stuff like, Oh, wow,
this is a great activation. This was great. So, yeah, I'm always kind of
looking for those opportunities. Not because we're just always trying to
bring in new partners and make money, but more so that I really
appreciate when there's a partnership that really looks kind of organic and
is not just that kind of logo on a picture and pushing it out. I think
everyone in the social space probably appreciates that as well.”

Ruben’s favorite Timbers tradition and favorite Thorns tradition
“There's so many. I think one that kind of encompasses the whole of both
clubs is during the National Anthem, the scarf waving. If you've ever been
to Providence Park, you probably see it, and then at the end, they yell the
team's name. It's my favorite part of match day.”

Ruben’s most memorable on-air moment or call from his time
broadcasting
“I didn't do too many, there was a I guess, it's the Lone Star Conference,
maybe the Heartland Conference, what we were in for Saint Mary's. They
had a semifinal basketball game, and Kriston Minor hit a game-tying three
to take us to overtime. We went crazy on the broadcast. Probably didn't
show the most decorum there, but it was an awesome moment and one
with one of my good friends that I'll never forget”.

The app or platform or software that Ruben spends the most time on in an
average workday
“[For] this one, I gotta shout out the people at Slate. Slate teams. It's kind
of an editing platform for on-the-go social. I probably spend most of the
day there, especially if we're trying to resize content, add captions. They do
a really good job of having your whole branding library in there, so you're
able to make everything look really nice and consumable for social. So,
shout out Slate.”

The sickest soccer play you've ever witnessed live and the most viral piece
of content from Ruben’s time with the Timbers
“This player is going to LAFC, so I feel bad saying this, but I was in
attendance for Olivier Giroud's goal against Crystal Palace. It won the
[FIFA] Puskás Award. I was actually like four rows behind the goal, so it
was insane. I the person I was with will vouch, but [I] passed out after the
goal just from screaming. But also up there was Dairon Asprilla's bicycle
against Seattle in the Derby. That was just insane, and I felt the roof come
off of Providence Park

“Then for viral content, it might still be pinned on the Timbers account, but
we had one that kind of popped off, at least in the soccer realm, from Juan
Mosquera. He's our young Colombian right back. He kind of got clipped
and started to grab his leg, and he ended up, a guy coming up to him to get
the ball, and he nutmegged him, and we put a really good fitting sound to
it. I won't spoil it so y'all can go look at it, but it ended up doing really well.
Uh, That was probably the most viral thing we've had, but it was also fun.”

What is the Midnight Yell experience like at Texas A&M?
“Most people won't understand it, but the one word I can have to describe
it is euphoric a little bit. This day and age, it is hard to get college-aged
students to go anywhere that's not like a bar or anything at midnight. So
it's really cool that everyone comes to the stadium, and I think just one of
my favorite traditions when we go back on top of them all — and I've seen
it from the stands and now sometimes I go back and meet some friends,
and I get to be on the field. I think that's even better just to see it as a
whole. I know there are viral videos that come out of it from the Yell
leaders and everything, but just one of the best traditions that you have at
A&M, and I think something that makes it really special.”

What was the experience like for Ruben during the pandemic?
“A little topsy turvy. I was furloughed, and I say that just because I feel like
that was a lot of people's experience. So I don't really shy away from it, but
I think it was a good reset for me. I'd been working a couple of years at that
point, and I felt like it was a good time to just lay on the couch and reassess
life. I was able to kind of collab with one of my friends and build a freelance
company called Border Boys Media that's really taken off, so it's cool to see
that. That was kind of like the fruits of the labor during a really trying time
for me, but it ended up being really positive for everyone around, so it was
cool.

What has the Messi effect been like from Ruben’s perspective?
“First and foremost, I think it's been cool for the league. Just as a fan of the
league for so long, I was really young when [David] Beckham came in and
that was my favorite player, and I had the kit. I didn't buy a Messi kit, but I
think it's been really good for the league. And I think from the Portland
perspective we've used this as a time to reeducate fans on our traditions,
what we do, what Providence Park is all about, and I think it's been really
positive. So yeah, it's been cool. I think it's going to be one of those things
that we look back at and look at it as a real turning point for the league.”

The best meal to get in Portland and where to get
it. And the best meal that Ruben had in College
Station [where Texas A&M is located]
“I'll say for Portland, a very underrated food city,
if you've never been. I came from San Antonio,
which I thought was one of the best, especially
Mexican food-wise. My spot that I probably take
everyone to is Cheryl's on 12th. It's kind of like a
brunch sort of place. I get the Portuguese fried
rice, it has genuinely never missed. I think I've
probably gone now, like, 20 times, Cheryl's
Portuguese fried rice is the best. There are some
other ones in there: 10 Barrel pizza. Grassa, the
pork belly mac and cheese.

“Same thing [for College Station]. Very
underrated. I'd say I'm not, a huge
breakfast guy, but there is a breakfast spot
called Hullabaloo Diner. I think it was on
Guy Fieri's show. But anyway, they have
some amazing food. That's probably one
of the best places. But also, there are some
other places — Chimy’s, some stuff on
Northgate. My late-night spot used to be
Antonio's Pizza, I don't think it's there
anymore, so shout out them. But yeah,
Antonio's Pizza. Hit Hullabaloo Diner,
probably the top spot in College Station.”

About the experience of covering the Phil Neville hiring
“Oddly enough, I had just watched the Class of 92 documentary, and then a
couple days later, Phil was going to be our head coach, from what it seemed.
I think they were still working out some stuff, but we got a little bit of a head
start on that in the off-season. It's been great. Phil has been nothing but
accommodating, and I think it's just been a great spot around the training
center and games and traveling and just a really bright and bubbly guy.
Great banter. I think the one story probably from his announcement that
was really cool is he sat down and did an interview, and just sitting there and
hearing his stories about his playing days and what he wanted to bring and
his appreciation for the place. I think he's been a great fit here, so we want to
do everything we can to help him succeed.”

The non-MLS sports team whose social media Ruben likes
“Some good ones there. I'd say all the teams that I support, all have really
good social. I think that's a requirement for me in supporting a team. I'll
say this, I'm a Raptors basketball fan. I just kind of grew up liking Vince
Carter, so I followed them for a really long time [and] some of their social
copywriting is amazing. Same thing with the Yankees. I went to a Yankees
game when I was really young, so they’ve just kind of been my team, so I
really appreciate the copywriting from those two teams. And yeah, another
another shout-out I feel like just from the English soccer space is Brentford
FC. I have a friend there and I feel like they just do a really great job on just
kind of hitting on moments they can capitalize.”

Ruben’s Social Media All-Star to Follow
“I'll give a shout-out to England (@England) in the FA. I've got to meet
with a couple of their folks over the last couple of months and just kind of
get to know them and see their processes, and I think they do just an
unbelievable job across all platforms. It's been really cool to see during the
year. So I feel like it’s a fitting time during the Euros to kind of check out
their stuff and what they're doing with the Lions Den.”

Where to find Ruben and the Timbers accounts on digital/social
Find the Timbers @TimbersFC across platforms and also check out
@timbersfc2 and @timbersacademy for additional accounts!
Ruben is @rubenjdominguez across platforms

@njh287; www.dsmsports.net
Thanks again to Ruben for being so generous with his time to share
his knowledge, experience, and expertise with me!
For more content and episodes, subscribe to the podcast, follow me
on LinkedIn and on Twitter @njh287, and visit www.dsmsports.net.

Ruben Dominguez on Developing Fans, Telling Stories, and Elevating the Brand of the Portland Timbers

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