Finally - A Sports Organization Embracing Social Media

For a variety of reasons, sporting organizations like the NFL, SEC and others are attempting to take a hard line on social media (specifically, on Twitter).  This is happening for a variety of reasons, particularly because of the desire to protect the exclusive relationships with media outlets.  While many sporting organizations are trying to curb and regulate social media use, there are a few trying to embrace it.

The New York Mets appear to be hitting the idea of fan-activated, in-stadium social media out of the park (which is good because as you know, this year, that was a bit of a rarity — sorry, Mets fans, had to do it).  In all seriousness, next year the Mets will debut several activations through txtstation that will help enhance the fan experience.  Fans will be able to submit their pictures taken via camera phone to appear on the big screen. Verizon Wireless Fan Choice Awards will run various text polls to which results will be displayed in the stadium in real-time.

The above examples as well as the various other mobile-based social media initiatives planned for next year will provide a great model for organizations out there looking to capitalize on social media opportunities rather than trying to stifle them.  Nicely done, Mets!

-Andrea

“Social media is about forming relationships and having conversations with customers, not constant promotion.” That’s the motto of Chris Bruzzo, Starbucks’s vice president of brand, content and online, which should hold true in any marketing program these days.

Speaking of Starbucks, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote a fantastic article about how the coffee chain’s social media initiatives have made it the poster child (along with Microsoft) for companies engaging consumers in real relationship-building online. A great read if you have a second.

-Maria

If I was forced to adhere to Patrick Moberg’s New Media Workout Plan, my upper body strength would be out of control (due to my Twitter and Tumblr addictions). However, maybe that would be a good thing.

—Alyssa

This cute, tongue-in-cheek infographic shows how our digital interactions rank in importance, from most urgent to least. It’s funny how true it is — and the most distracting of all is your significant other closing your laptop on your fingers.

—Alyssa

I really enjoyed reading Catharine P. Taylor’s Social Media Insider post entitled “Ten Things I Dislike About Social Media” today.  It just goes to show you how social media as a medium is still flawed in some areas (even though I still think it’s awesome!).  Some of the highlights include:

• “That many of us are hopeless slaves to social networking fashion, flitting from one hot service to another, like Carrie Bradshaw always on the hunt for a new pair of Manolos.”
• “That you have to create a new email account every time you want to open a new Twitter account.”
• “That social media is just as good at spreading irresponsible rumors as it is the facts.”

-Maria

Sports bans of various forms of social media are nothing new.  Earlier this year, the NFL banned players from tweeting during games.  That I understand.  This, I do not.

According to Mashable, the SEC is enacting a new policy this football season which states, “Ticketed fans can’t produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information concerning the Event.”

Luckily, I believe that they will face a heck of an uphill battle enforcing this new rule.  I do fear that other sporting organizations may follow suit.  These are not the players that we are talking about, they are the fans. Sports have been quick to adapt alongside the world of social media, and have thus offered a richer fan experience, enhancing the way we interact with sports.  What the SEC is attempting to do feels like a step backward.

This isn’t the only ban of its kind, and surely there will be more to protect media contracts as well the integrity of the game (for example, a phone going off during golf, probably not a good thing), but I plead with those passing down these rules for a middle ground.  As an advocate for the possibilities of social media (and a huge sports fan), I just cannot see this as a positive change.

-Andrea

Wordnik, a new web venture devoted to expanding and cataloguing our lexicon, went live today, allowing word dweebs such as myself to have a social media resource for vocab.

Let me just say: I think it is completely genius.

After searching a word, one isn’t merely greeted with definitions from multiple online dictionaries, but also Flickr photos tagged with that word, quotations that use the word, statistics on how often the word is used, pronunciations, etymologies, synonyms, and tweets from people who have just used the word.  My head is spinning! I love etymologies!

I think Wordnik is especially poignant at a time when many word-lovers are mourning the death of print and bemoaning the digitalization of books—this site, essentially a thoroughly modern Oxford English Dictionary, proves that much can be gained through the evolution of media.

-Elise

Sadly, this is probably somewhat true. I might have to buy the T-shirt.

—Alyssa (via Josh)