From SportsBusiness Journal
Analysis by Brad Taake in SRM 334 (section 2)
The article we chose for our current event was about the National Football League and the well known social media site Twitter striking a deal to share highlights and other game material and statistics. The new found deal was helped to be put in place by a company that specializes in digital technology and learning technology, Amplify. Some advantages that the Twitter-verse will see is video clips from the game on Thursday nights, and as far as the Sunday and Monday games go you will still get the same amount of coverage but it will not be “live” tweeting, the highlights will be shown after the telecast is finished. Information will be concentrated primarily to Sundays, looking at fantasy football tips and other up to kickoff statistics and information.
I think what the NFL is trying to do to get media to everyone is a great idea, especially for those that cannot either go to or watch the games; however, other than the Thursday game I am not sure that fans are going to want to wait until after the telecast is over to consume all the game information. Other websites, such as ESPN or NFL, and social media might be quicker providing scores and statistics that we as the consumers are looking for right away, not until after the game is already over. Having said that, being provided with in game video clips to see the play to go along with the text in a tweet is going to be a great new way to begin staying connected to your team wherever you are. Sponsorship and ad revenues will surely see a spike within the NFL seeing as how the NFL’s twitter handle already has over 5 million followers so now companies and business will be able to reach out to these fans in a variety of ways. The NFL stated that this extra revenue was not the main factor in getting this deal done, but more so for the fans to view NFL content on their mobile phones in a completely new way.
Since social media is one of the main focus points of class it was obvious to me how this topic fits hand in hand with class. So far this article would tie in with multiple days of the lecture topics such as, Introduction to media and sport, Broadcast media, and other class discussions. Sharing the subject of Twitter and the NFL made this article fun and easy to read while also providing and innovative and potentially completely new way we consume football on the weekends.
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Analysis by Ryan Watson in SRM 334 (section 2)
The article that we are using for our class discussion is about Twitter striking a deal with the National Football League. The main details of this deal are: Twitter has gained rights to “tweet” clips from games. They are not allowed to tweet these videos until after the games have aired on Sunday, but on Thursdays they can post the videos while the game is being played. Other than highlights, there will also be videos with fantasy tips to help fellow fantasy footballers manage their teams. Monday night football is still off limits because this is a big viewing night for the NFL. This deal is significant because the National Football League is known to be very strict about who they let have rights to their content. Twitter will most likely be putting up highlights and big plays of games so fans can easily view them at their convenience without having to deal with commercials on TV. The only thing you need to have access to these videos is a twitter account.
This deal is mutually beneficial because Twitter now gets to put videos up and the NFL can reach a bigger audience of fans with mobile phones. Twitter can also use these videos to put ads on them to generate ad revenue. Verizon is sponsoring these videos in hopes of getting more customers. At the beginning of the videos there will be a quick commercial from Verizon that is probably around eight-seconds. These quick commercials are very common on websites like YouTube and any other video sharing websites. The ad revenue will be split between Twitter and the NFL (does not give a percentage of how the revenues will be split precisely). The big benefit to the NFL is the amount of fans this is enabling to watch the videos mobile. In our world of quickly growing technology people are starting to have access to videos anywhere and everywhere. This new deal gives fans the chance to watch football highlights and fantasy tip videos on current games/players that have happened/are happening that day without having to be at home on the television. From a media/communications standpoint this is huge. In class we have constantly talked about social media and how it has helped open a new world to collaborating and giving people immediate information on breaking news. Twitter in particular gives people the chance to follow sport celebrities and famous organizations that allow them to be up to date on information. I think that we are heading towards a direction where people are going to be able to watch TV shows and other events from Twitter. We probably won’t get to watch a lot of stuff live to start out with, but if Twitter keeps heading down the path of buying rights to content, then who knows what will happen. I personally think this is really smart for Twitter because you can basically watch Football plays in real time without dealing with long commercial breaks on TV. This is also smart for Twitter because companies are having harder times reaching consumers on TV because a lot of people are using DVR to record shows, games etc. and fast forward through any commercial ads, or just going online to stream videos. With this video streaming on Twitter, people are forced to watch a short commercial before they can watch the highlight, which creates a market that companies like Verizon are jumping on. Over a four-year period Verizon is paying one billion dollars to be the exclusive “Twitter super bowl advertiser” so obviously the market for Twitter ad revenue is remarkable.
From Yahoo! Sports
Analysis by Maura Gunning in SRM 334 (section 1)
On the 12th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, twitter accounts all over the country were sending out “Never Forget” and “United We Stand” tweets to show patriotism and support to those who were affected by the tragedy. The professional basketball organizations, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns also sent out controversially commemorative tweets. The Lakers posted a large photo of Kobe Bryant with the words “#NEVERFORGET”, until you looked very closely there was no indication of the true meaning behind the tweet other than gaining publicity for one of the most famous players. The Phoenix Suns posted a picture of a man dressed in a gorilla suit, on a stage, waving an American flag with fireworks exploding around him in celebration. Ultimately, is it appropriate or necessary for professional sports organizations to make comments on subjects outside of sports? Social media has created the mindset that anyone is allowed to say anything they want about any subject they like. No matter how unknowledgeable, twitter, Facebook, blogs, and Instagram have made it possible for users to be the new reporters in their communities. The Lakers explained their actions by saying that the tweet was so remember the way that they commemorated the attacks during the 2001-02 season. It is more understandable that the organizations would comment on the events for any employees, family, or friends affected directly after the event but I argue that it is unnecessary for them to make a statement each year. The news sources should make statements about the anniversary of the attacks to tell us what is happening now to heighten security, about the status of the world currently, about the victim’s family and friends who are still grieving and still in recovery. There was a great story about a husband and wife who 12 years after their son’s death in the towers discovered that his last moments were spent selflessly helping others out of the building – that is a news story. Furthermore for the Suns to choose the image they did was not commemorate in the least. Their twitter image reflects the mood of a wild Fourth of July barbeque party before the firework show, not the somber, grieving day of remembrance following an American tragedy.
This article is relative to the course because of its unique nature in explaining why social media can harm an organization. Most of what we hear about social media, explains it as the next greatest thing when in reality not many people stop to think about the publicity as a danger. I think that this generation especially need to remind themselves of the phrase, “Some things are better left unsaid.” It is not necessary or credible for a basketball organization to be commenting on current world events, just as a college student like myself should not be making statements about the latest rocket science formulas used by NASA. I think that professional sports organizations would be better off to remember that they are experts in their industry, therefore if anything on another subject could be taken the wrong way in the slightest it would be best not to publically post it on any media source. The fans have so much power to interact with feedback and criticism now that professional organizations of any kind cannot risk the danger in unnecessary tweets and Facebook messages.
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Analysis by Kara Camuso in SRM 334 (section 1)
Different teams were showing their support for the 12-year anniversary for September 11th, but some of the teams did not show it in a respectful way. The article that we chose for the current event is depicting Lakers as using the special day just to promote their team. The Lakers Twitter account tweeted a picture of Kobe Bryant with “#NeverForget”. It was supposed to show the memorial ribbon on the jersey, but when followers opened the picture Kobe was the center of the picture with a little ribbon on the side. Seeing that people were offended, they took the tweet down and wrote an apology. The Phoenix Suns also tried to show respect that day, but they failed miserably by tweeting a guy in a gorilla suit waving a flag. This showed poor judgment on their part as it seemed that they were taking the day as a publicity stunt.
From a media standpoint, athletes/teams need to think about what they are posting on social media. As these examples show, things can be misinterpreted, and their organization can be seen as disrespectful. They think they can put anything on the Internet, but there are repercussions to offensive tweets. Also with media, things are never deleted so even though the Lakers and Suns took the tweets down people can still have access to them. Although teams and athletes are posting how they feel, the fans will give them their feedback. For example in our presentation, we show how the Broncos head coach is wearing a hat and a fan responded that the Broncos are trying to get publicity rather than remembering the day. Since these are big organizations, people look more closely at what they are posting to represent themselves. If they communicate in a poor manner, it will say a lot about their organization.
This article is relevant to the course because twitter is a big source of media that people will communicate through. If we want to go into a job with media, this article shows we have to be careful what we put on the Internet. We have to make sure it has a positive look on our organization or it could create a bad reputation. Sports Information Specialists have to choose what goes on their sites and what does not using their best judgment. This also relates back to our class because we talked about how people use technology to establish relationships. The Lakers were trying to establish a relationship with their followers but failed to do so within the way they presented the memorial tweet. Last but not least, in class we learned that organizations should know how and when to communicate, and this is a good example of why this concept is so important. The Lakers and Suns needed to know how to effectively communicate “#NeverForget”.
Twitter is being looked over by people more and more every day. The Lakers and the Suns did not post an appropriate tweet to remember September 11th, and they more promoted themselves on the solemn day. Athletes and teams need to be careful how they post things on the Internet because their audience will react, especially by tweeting back at the organization. As students going into this profession, it is important that we know how to communicate appropriately for our organizations in the future.
Analysis by Annie Comber in SRM 435 (section 1)
After years of research and planning the historic racket company Babolat, has created the first “plug-in” racket of its kind. This new racket is called the Babolat Play, which allows players to collect data of their performance after playing. The high-tech racket enables players to connect through Bluetooth connection with a Smartphone or from a USB in the handle of the racket and connect to a computer or tablet. Sensors in the handle of the Babolat Play are responsible for collecting information about the player’s game. This racket can measure various performance data such as shot power, ball impact location, number of strokes, spin level, total and effective play time, endurance, techniques, consistency, energy, and rallies. Players can then compare and share either information online through Babolatplay.com and on a Babolat Play app. The racquet has been approved for play by the International Tennis Federation but not until January of 2014.
From a marketing prospective, the Babolat Play has been slow to launch in the United States however with the use of social media, a famous spokes person and onsite activation, Babolat hopes the top players will be using the racket in the near future. Babolat is a French company that has always launched their rackets in Europe but they have decided to take a new approach and introduce it in the Unites States first because of the strong presence of social media and other wired sports equipment products. Babolat is planning to promote the racquet by traditional advertising in tennis outlets as well as some social media outlets and events. In addition, Rafael Nadal arguably one of the greatest tennis players in the world and is the official spokes person for the Babolat Play racket. Nadal has practiced with this racket and has created a few promotional videos while giving Babolat key feedback. As part of a promotion Nadal used his Facebook page to engage with fans and get them excited for the Babolat Play racket and then chose three fans to speak with him on the phone. Currently ranked number two in the world with over five million twitter followers, Babolat could not have picked a better spokes person for the new racket. In addition, American Express has a two-story, fan suite at the US Open that is the most trafficked on-site activation area at the open. The large space has 6-by-30 foot digital board that lets fans create Art by swinging a racket. There are also full tennis courts for clinics for kids and adults to improve their tennis skills. The Babolat Play racket is not yet incorporated into the American Express Fan Experience but this may be the next step to market the racket. This article relates to our class because it explains how new technologies in sports equipment will be marketed in the future. Babolat show us the effectiveness of marketing in the media via Facebook, Twitter, and videos, while having a famous spokes person promoting the racket as well. Technology in tennis equipment is a new concept for many athletes and fans but with the proper marketing and promotion techniques gathering data about ones’ tennis game will soon become the norm.
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Analysis by Stephanie Nielsen in SRM 435 (section 1)
The world of sports is constantly changing and improving as the years go by. New additions to technology keep appearing and adding more to the athletes and games that we love to watch. The newest phenomenon that is offered for individual athletes is the ability to have devices that can record and track their play during competitions. The Babolat Play Racket is a new addition to the world of tennis and is scheduled to hit the market in January of 2014.
Babolat is a French tennis, badminton and squash equipment company that is best known for its strings and tennis rackets that are used by several top players, such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters and many others. The Play Racket offers many interesting features that will greatly benefit the development of professional and amateur tennis players. The product has sensors integrated into the handle allowing players to have access of information about their game. Shot power and ball impact location along with number of strokes (forehand, backhand, serve, smash), spin level, total and effective play time, endurance, technique, consistency, energy and rallies are all the types of data that are collected through the racket. After the player is finished the information is transmitted through a Bluetooth connection with a smart phone or a USB form. Through a marketing standpoint this individual racket is very pricey for the amateur tennis player. However, knowing the prices of private tennis pro lessons and clinics for this sport, this racket will be able to keep up and have the potential to become a driving force in the development of tennis players. Rafael Nadal is currently the company’s most prominent spokesperson. He is an extremely beneficial aspect to this campaign and product. The Babolat company will need to actively promote this product with social media campaigns to encourage fans to learn about the product. One campaign that Babolat has already done is a Facebook competition where three random fans were selected to have a conversation with Nadal. Another marketing opportunity for this product is for fans that are attending the U.S. Open to be able to test out this product. This will encourage fan involvement while the product is being implemented. The Babolat Play Racket may take a little more time to get off the ground and going but this is an innovative technology product that will open doorways for other individual and team sports to have products developed for their particular sports in the future.
