Gen Z influencer Griffin Johnson reaches about 15 million followers with his social media posts.
But July 31, he'll be addressing a much smaller collection of a couple hundred people with the potential for having far more impact than anything he might post on TikTok.
The 26-year-old Johnson will be one of the featured speakers at The Jockey Club Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where he will address a group of the sport's most powerful and influential leaders with the intent of advocating on how powerful a tool social media can be for creating new fans.
"When you're talking on social media, you are showing them your life. For the Round Table, what's important is that you have a group of very powerful people who have changed the world and some who have changed the sport. At the end of the day, all of them accomplished something fantastic and that's why we're all here," said Johnson, who has nearly 10 million followers on TikTok alone. "I just want to tell them my story and break it down as to how I have been impactful and how what I am doing can be impactful for horse racing. I think it can help them with their businesses and benefit the ecosystem and economy of the sport. These are the people that move the levers."
Johnson exploded on the racing scene this year by becoming a 2.5% owner of the 3-year-old Sandman through America's Best Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds' "A Stake in Stardom" program. Trained by Mark Casse, Sandman won the Arkansas Derby (G1) and through Johnson's social media work with Churchill Downs so many wagering dollars came in on the 3-year-old that he was a surprising 5-1 second choice in the Kentucky Derby (G1), where Sandman was seventh.
Beyond that, it is estimated that his posts about Sandman and the race generated more than 212.2 million impressions, 3.3 million engagements, and 35 million views from March 20-May 5.
ABR reported a 586% increase in impressions as well as a 311% increase in engagements, and 545% increase in video views in the run-up to the Run for the Roses, which attracted a television audience of nearly 18 million, its highest figure since 1989.
Now Johnson will try to influence racing leaders and educate them on the virtues of social media.
"People want to know what is an influencer. So, I want to break down what that means. Number two, everyone knows the numbers and the engagements but how do you convert that to make it mean something," Johnson said about his talk. "Finally, I want people to see the value of an influencer and how they can implement it into their business and use it for the tool it is."
Johnson has already brought together several key members of the racing industry as he will be the focal point of a joint marketing venture involving the Breeders' Cup, The Jockey Club, Keeneland, and the New York Racing Association.
"We did a deal that joined the Breeders' Cup, Keeneland, NYRA, and The Jockey Club, so the big players are starting to take this seriously and come together and work with me. It's been a blessing and so cool to get everyone to work together," Johnson said. "The goal is to educate the sport on how it can get into social media and do it effectively. They're just leaning on me to make the first step and my goal is to walk the whole sport through this because I want to make horse racing one of the most-watched sports in America in the next 10 years.
"This was the most-watched Triple Crown in history and I credit a lot of it to social media. And that's just the start."
Jim Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, said Johnson is a "leading light in the marketing of the sport."
"He's been a leading influencer and we're grateful for his support and interest in Thoroughbred racing and anxious to hear his ideas on how we can grow the sport and sustain it," Gagliano said.
An important element in Johnson's deal with the quartet is that he will have free rein to use his experience to craft the content as opposed to posting a predetermined amount of content.
"I'm always down for people's ideas. But I've had my finger on the pulse of social media for six years and I know how if it's used correctly, it will take businesses to new heights. I have 15 million followers and there's no network. No production. I just pick up my iPhone. I press the red button to record and when I am done, I upload it when I want," Johnson said. "I want to make sure everyone leverages their marketing money properly. I don't want anyone to get burned, because there's no reason for it. I've been doing this for a long time at a high level and I've built companies by strategically implementing social media into everything I do for a long time. I want to make sure everyone is protected."
A main reason why Johnson's posts have been so well received is that he has truly embraced the sport. His followers not only see him at the racetrack on big days, but also at Casse's barn helping with the care of Sandman in the early morning hours.
"Social media is a beast. If you don't work it right, it will chew you up and spit you out. Celebrities get a check, come for the big day, and leave, and people know it. With all the content out there, consumers are getting smarter and smarter. With celebrities, you don't get to touch them. I go out to the track and take pictures with people. If a Tom Brady comes to the track, he's ushered in and out. I'm at the barns every morning at 5:30, hanging with the grooms, and people see me there. It definitely comes down to authenticity. It's going to take time with these one-offs and being strategic with them until we find more people who are players."
Casse said he has been impressed with the way Johnson has become a huge fan of the sport and the bond he has developed with Sandman. Johnson's commitment to the sport can also be seen in his partial ownership of the Casse-trained Ewing, a 2-year-old entered in the Aug. 2 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2).
"I love him. He's a wonderful young man. I really admired him when, the day after the Derby when Sandman ran poorly, he was at the barn for two hours with no media around. The horse loves him," Casse said. "From a personal standpoint, I have a guy who has worked for me for years and he has an 18-year-old daughter and she's really into Griffin. For the Preakness, she and 20 other girls watched the race because of him and Sandman. That's amazing but for the Belmont Stakes, even though Sandman wasn't in it, they still watched it because they developed a liking for horse racing. That's what Griffin brings: a younger crowd to the sport."
Johnson's emergence on the scene comes at a time when sports betting has created tens of millions of new, young bettors.
"A lot of true horsemen ask me and give me a hard time. They're like, 'Great, you have a lot of eyeballs and new kids but they don't spend money.' I've been doing a lot of analytics and studying and 55% of kids under the age of 21 have said they put in a sports bet. They don't bet a ton of money. It's 20 bucks or 50. I have kids coming up to me at the track saying they bet $50 to show on Sandman," Johnson said. "I don't post a bunch of gambling content and that's because people are betting because they feel like they are educated.
"The biggest piece of Gen Z is that they like to feel that they know what they are getting into. So, the reason so many people feel comfortable to bet on Sandman is because they've known who I am for years. They can say, 'I know a horse. I know someone in racing.' People see me post content about Sandman every day and that makes them comfortable to bet on Sandman because they feel like they are a part of Sandman. It's honestly a bet of support rather than a bet to win. I'm not promising people Sandman is going to win. I'm not shilling him out for money. People are doing it on their own accord because they are drawing their own conclusions."
The Round Table will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Among the other guests are ACG Advocacy's Shawn Smeallie, John Stewart and Dr. Ryan Kelley of Fastbreak AI, NBC's Steve Kornacki, the New York Yankees' Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, and NYRA's Glen Kozak.
