This month’s social media in sports review kicks off with a look at Google’s latest technology, the Google Glass project, which takes lazy to the next level. This product draws from existing Google services and uses artificial rendering to display everything from new Tweets to the weather. All though the product isn’t slated to be released anytime soon (2014 at the earliest), the technology is cool to see being developed. This technology begs the question, will baseball players one day be wearing glasses to read a pitch? How about football players wearing Google Glass visors as a QB determines the depth of a receiver and fires? Far fetched perhaps, but technology will change the games we love. It’s only a matter of time.
Leave a comment and let us know what technology you think will be most beneficial in the upcoming years!
For those of us who show a love of connecting people and brands digitally and creating a mutual benefit for both, the Social Media Manager seems to be one of the most coveted dream jobs. Christopher Heine of AdWeek recently wrote a nice piece on a young man who started in the shoes where several of are now, and how we worked his way to this desirable position. Brands are beginning to see more value in this role, and we as marketers, and more importantly value-added executioners, are upping the game through creative and innovative ideas that we all feed off of. It’s good to read a story about “one of us” who has gone on to do great things. So for this edition, I bring you, the feel good story of the week.
Although it’s not the most official rankings system ever, it’s great to see a new system for schools other than the BCS. Check out OU’s Top 25 rankings for schools in Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Partisan politics aside, this election season has seen some examples of clever marketing activation. During the recent Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden nervously threw the word “literally” around a lot, literally. Becoming a trending topic within minutes, Obama’s campaign crew took to Twitter and bought advertising on the site for a promoted Tweet whenever users searched for the term “literally.” Turning an “off the cuff” iteration into a marketing opportunity is all about seizing the moment, and Obama’s team did an excellent job. To read more on the story, check out this Mashable article from Neha Prakash.
Mashable also recently put out a Top 10 list of apps for the sport fan. One of the applications mentioned, Bleacher Report’s Team Stream takes what is working for the media outlet and activating it on-the-go. The app lets you choose the teams you want to hear all about, cutting through all the crud. No longer must you surf through all of the Tebow nonsense. Instead you get to hear about your teams. Pulling in from articles and Tweets, you stay up to date with your team’s news. The main page also brings in some great, true headline stories, stuff you actually want to hear about.
In the “Europeans are always doing cool interactive things” video of the week, check out this new way to pass time at a busy intersections.
Brought to you by Patrick Dorsey of ESPN is the story of how a couple of guys from Davidson came up with some engaging ideas of taking a superstar in the making and making him available to interact with his fans. Not only did Stephen Curry embrace the challenge and ideas, he threw some of his own out as well. Curry never uses the same engagement, but challenges his team to come up with new innovative ways to use digital technology. Whether it’s a Photoshop challenge, a live chat, or a Christmas carol competition, Stephen shows that with the right personality, humanizing (and thus finding ways to monetize) social media can be easier than you think. It feels like some of the big wigs are starting to see the positives of social media. Perhaps with more athletes and brands humanizing themselves and being open and truthful, this marketing “fad” can truly become a career for those wishing to pursue thinking outside of the box.
One more story about a great activation comes from electronics provider Philips. Through the use of Google Maps, Philips hid TV’s around the world, releasing clues throughout their social media. Users were asked to go and pin where they thought the TV was located. The closer user would win the TV. Great. Simple. Engaging. So simple that BMW has a similar engagement platform giving away BMW’s in Sweden. Check out the videos below and let us know which one you think is better executed.
VERSUS
Like hide-and-Tweet and the Tweet-ups that sprang about years ago, I can see sports organizations taking this idea and molding it into ticket giveaways and sponsor activations.
This issue’s must follow is us, @OSMGuy. Ryan and his guest bloggers, myself included, bring to you online sports marketing stories that you typically don’t find elsewhere. Although my rehash of stories each month tends to be on the more entertaining side, other features such as the NFL salaries by team and MLB Cost-Per-Win standings are original content that blend statistics with sports business. Ryan’s analysis comes from firsthand experience in the industry, the curiosity and imagination of “I wonder what this statistic is”, and the ingenuity to decipher and explain to you (the audience) what this implies. If you’re not already a follower, jump on board and show us some love!
Take care! Until next time…
Matt Vinson+