One of the best parts of marketing a professional sports franchise is that you undoubtedly have some die-hard fans and as such brand advocates. You also have an emotional connection between fan and brand which can easily be combined with the abundance of video, audio and digital content that is naturally produced through sports broadcasts and media.  However sports marketers like all others are looking for ways in to not only share that content with fans but to really engage those fans and create a dialogue where the most passionate fans help spur on other fans and at the same time feel that their voices/opinions are being heard and acted upon by the franchise. It would seem a perfect marriage for social media marketing.

There are however only a handful of sports teams that you can point to who are really taking advantage of the content, the advocates and the new channels available to them via social media and Social CRM. One team who seems to be getting it right is the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. The Warriors won a 2011 Gartner and 1t01 Media CRM Excellence Award for their work on the “2010 Warriors Draft Challenge.” Continue Reading…

In the world of social media, it seems as though there is always a new tool, application or website to keep up with and, often, it can become difficult to discern which opportunities are worth your increasingly limited time. By now, you’ve likely heard of Pinterest – the social sharing phenomenon with over one million daily users. The site allows users to create and share virtual pin boards featuring everything from fitness tips and home improvement ideas to recipes, fashion concepts and favorite products. It’s fresh, simple and incredibly effective. Continue Reading…

QR Codes are everywhere from business cards to movie posters. I encourage those who sell physical products where you have the opportunity to include a label and where there is any sort of authentic backstory or marketing spin on the product to think about using a QR Code on the product labeling and integrating it with a social media campaign, email marketing and a dedicated website. There are an endless range of products with which you can tell a positive story and make a further connection between consumer and brand post purchase. From organic food to clothing you have an opportunity to engage your customers when they are considering their purchase, but even more post purchase. Check out how the Detroit Red Wings engaged consumers of programs at a home hockey game. Continue Reading…

Brent Leary recently wrote a post on the launch of Hearsay, the new social media company from former Facebooker Clara Shih (also author of The Facebook Era) and I thought it was most interesting to note that companies like State Farm and Farmer’s Insurance Group have already begun using the service. I’ll give a little upfront on Hearsay and then explain why I think it has found a real sweet spot that is missing in the Social CRM, Social Dashboard arena and why it makes for a perfect for tool for franchises and other similar business that have a head office and distributed local establishments. Continue Reading…