Dwight Howard rocking his Beats headphones.
Technology and professional athletes go hand-in-hand. How many times have you been watching a pregame show and saw teams entering the arena with all of the players wearing Beats headphones?
Some players wear them out onto the court or field to help them get into the zone while they warm up and prepare to compete.
The relationship between technology and athletes reaches much further than headphones though.
Athletes have never been as accessible to fans as they are today. Technology plays a huge role in connecting fans with their favorite teams and players but it also gives the athletes a chance to showcase their personalities off to the world too.
Brandon Jennings, Nate Robinson and LeBron James have all created shows to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at their lives and personalities off of the court. It’s a great way to build a fan base because people who may not actually watch basketball still check out their show to see what their lives are like. It’s also a great move on the business side of things.
Athletes are able to use Twitter to showcase and promote new products they endorse. Kevin Durant has used Twitter to play games with fans where he hides a book bag packed with his Nike apparel and sneakers at a mall or random location and gives clues so fans can find it. He also posts Twitpics of his new sneaker releases and gives details about new colors and ideas in the works.
Athletes have used YouTube to post shows and commercials too. They no longer have to go through a major company or spend their own money for ad time on TV to run a successful marketing campaign. Using Twitter, Facebook and YouTube is enough to reach millions of people all for free.
Sports Geek Note: It might be “free” to post on social media, but campaigns need to be developed & integrated with the brand & the athlete to be truly effective. That creative & planning comes at a cost, but when done correctly it can be very cost effective.
Athletes that do have a huge company like Nike, Adidas or Under Armour funding them can produce some pretty impressive viral campaigns, but again, a major corporation isn’t a necessity.
The Nate Robinson show that was mentioned earlier was filmed by one man who purchased the camera and equipment and set out on some adventures with Nate to film and share with the world.
IPads and iPhones are used to capture videos and pictures from all of the places these athletes get to visit and they can quickly upload them to social media sites. Instagram is a newer app that’s getting a lot of attention as players add effects to their photos and share them with the world. People can add them and view their photos and also share their photos with their favorite athletes.
Another reason behind athletes being so tech savvy is that many of them get the products for free.
NBA teams are giving players iPads that are stocked with game film and notes to help them prepare for games. Collegiate athletes get a lot of free gear from participating in different tournaments and being affiliated with a program that maybe sponsored by different brands.
Not only do the athletes enjoy getting free tech, but fans see them using the newest products and want to go buy them for themselves. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Dr. Dre & LeBron James
Megan Brown is both a sports and social media addict. Currently, she is a social media networker at Slingshot SEO. When not tweeting with athletes or yelling at referees, Megan enjoys cycling, going to techno concerts, and shoe shopping.
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