Just a quick post to understand the importance of branding your events.  With so many channels available sometimes fundamentals of event branding can get lost.

Effective use of team’s logos and colour is crucial to your event.  Your fans display their affiliation and pride in your team by wearing your logos & merchandise.  BUILD ON THAT!

Any venue can quickly become “home-ground territory” which your fans will love to soak up.

Additionally connect your event with your online fans using hashtags like #jetsrally.  Extending your event branding to your online platforms helps your fans to show support for your event.  What you will find is fans will be engaged online both at the event and away from the event (at home or on the move).

Take a look what the NY Jets did on a very large scale with their Jets Championship Rally held in Times Square before their big game against the Chargers earlier this year when I was in New York on #SportsGeekTrip.  Not only were the fans excited about the upcoming game (which they lost unfortunately) but when all the billboards started to change to Jets green the energy in Times Square was magnified.  You could say the fans loved the branding of the event as they tore down the sponsor signs (as pictured above) and walked back to the subway with them, then again that may be Jets fans

What have been the non-game sports events you’ve been to?  What made them special?

For more photos of #sportsgeektrip become a fan of Sports Geek on Facebook
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SRG Conferences – July in Sydney & Auckland – NBA, Real Madrid, Tottenham
Follow @SportConference for updates

A look at the AFL pre-season Sports Social Media Index (SSMI) developed by Sports Geek sees a vastly different ladder than most AFL pundits are predicting for the 2010 AFL Season.

Bombers, Dees & Kangas lead

Essendon are front runners in the social media stakes engaging their fans via Twitter & Facebook then backing it up with “The Hangar” developed to bring fans to the club web site.  With an updated website expected soon look for more improvements from the Bombers.

Melbourne is proving itself in social media led by CEO Cameron Schwab (@CamSchwab) tweeting news and presenting Demons strategic plans on YouTube on Whiteboard Wednesday.

North Melbourne have a well rounded approach to social media they even have a Facebook fan page for CEO Eugene Arocca linked from their Facebook fan page.

Hawthorn had success on YouTube with a video poking fun at the new myki system getting 24,000 views even though it may have caused president Jeff Kennett some grief.

Middle of the pack

Some of the clubs in the middle of the SSMI ladder have gone through the steps on setting up on social media platforms such as Facebook & Twitter but are yet to truly engage with their online fan base.  Sports Geek will be keen to see what social media advances these teams make in the 2010 season.

Social Media Cellar Dwellers

Brisbane, Western Bulldogs & Geelong are dragging their feet with little or no social media presence.  They already find themselves behind AFL newcomers Gold Coast & Greater Western Sydney who are both developing fan bases via social media.

About SSMI

Sports Geek has developed the Sports Social Media Index (SSMI) to rate the performance of sports franchise using social media. The SSMI cover the key platforms of sports social media, how each platform is used and how they engage their fan base.

The key to the SSMI is not about comparing Facebook fans or Twitter followers but how teams connect with their fans and increase the value of their brand using social media.  SSMI was developed after meeting with US franchises in the NBA, NFL, MLB & NHL seeing how they are engaging fans using social media. US sports franchises are reaping the rewards from social media efforts securing sponsors for social media driven events as well as high fan satisfaction ratings from fan surveys.

If you want more information on SSMI please contact Sean on 0407047200.

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek to connect your fans with your sports marketing efforts

If you work in the ever changing world of sports communications you maybe:

• wondering “what’s all the fuss social media about?”
• starting to use Twitter but not sure what to tweet or why to tweet or when to tweet?
• the administrator for a Facebook Fan looking for strategies to grow your fan base?
• aware of some social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), heard of others (Foursquare, LinkedIn) but wondering how to tackle them all with an integrated approach.

Well what you need is the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop!

After the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop you’ll understand how social media can keep your fans connected.

Some of the topics covered in the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop include:

• How to monitor your brand in the digital space
• How to find your fans using social media
• What platforms your fans are using
• How to engage your Twitter following
• How to make sales via social media platforms
• Creating engaging social media stories

You’ll also receive some useful information on:

• Social media usage in USA garnered through recent Sports Geek Trip
• How the New York Knicks integrated their “I Declare” campaign with social media

Sports Geek Social Media Workshop comes in 2 forms:

Social Media Heavy Hitters – Comprehensive workshop targeted to leagues, franchises & facilities who want to grow and manage their social media presence.

Small Sports Big Opportunities – Sports Geek gives back to local clubs & leagues to help them find new sponsorship opportunities via social media.

Check out Sports Geek Social Media Workshop for more info.

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek about the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop.

I saw the press releases via TechCrunch announcing FanPulse a new iPhone app just days before the SuperBowl.

Now I love the concept of connecting fans (so much so it’s our tag line) but after playing with the FanPulse app I was disappointed with my initial experience.

FanPulse relies upon the user to grow their on network by inviting friends via the usual methods – Twitter, Facebook & Address Book.  As a new app it needs to “lift it’s eyes” (to use an over-used sports cliche) and have some vision for the application.  This approach limits the fan to only connecting with fans they know, it goes against the model of two of the web’s biggest movers – Twitter & Foursquare.  The release did not gain momentum released too close to the SuperBowl with only 139 check-ins to the big game.

It is hard to get traction with FanPulse if it only works if the onus is on you to get friends to join up.

Is there a rule that you can’t make new friends as an adult? According to Jerry Seinfeld yes (please indulge a Seinfeld fan).

When you’re in your thirties it’s very hard to make a new friend. Whatever the
group is that you’ve got now that’s who you’re going with. you’re not
interviewing, you’re not looking at any new people, you’re not interested in
seeing any applications. They don’t know the places. They don’t know the food.
They don’t know the activities, If I meet a guy in a club on the gym or
someplace I’m sure you’re a very nice person you seem to have a lot of
potential, but we’re just not hiring right now. Of course when you’re a kid,
you can be friends with anybody. Remember when you were a little kid what were
the qualifications? If someone’s in front of my house NOW, That’s my friend,
they’re my friend. That’s it. Are you a grown up.? No. Great! Come on in. Jump
up and down on my bed. And if you have anything in common at all, You like
Cherry Soda? I like Cherry Soda! We’ll be best friends!

But I digress, as someone who lives in the Web 2.0 world I disagree with Jerry as social networking platforms like Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn allow you can make new friends & connections.  What FanPulse needs is to add the ability to befriend other fans who have checked into the sports event as Foursquare does and as Twitter offers with it’s Nearby functionality.  This would make the app instantly more enjoyable as you can start shouting to other fans “virtually” attending the game.

As I blogged prior to my #sportsgeektrip I was hoping Foursquare would provide value.  What Foursquare allowed me to do was connect with fans in the stadium and send friend requests to those fans.  It allowed me to connect with sports fans in a foreign city as well as find out where they go before & after games.

Check out the Foursquare pages I attended games at:

• Madison Square Garden
• Staples Center
• Rose Bowl
• American Airline Center

Look at the Foursquare stats on those stadia! If you’re not excited about that data and what it means for sports then you’re in the wrong game.

Now I’m not writing off FanPulse but the key to a successful social network is numbers whether they be followers, friends or fans.  A few tweaks in the application to allow easy connecting with fans and it could take off.

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek to find out where your fans hang out online.

Follow Sports Geek TV on YouTube.
Contact Sports Geek to find out more about Sports & Tech.
In case you missed it, here’s the list of tweeps who took part in #sportsgeektrip.

Thanks

@adamgruer @allihouseworth @allisaasheley @amandarykoff @andrewmbogut @anitakilkenny @ausrob @badz85 @bentortura @BradMayne @brendanjack @chantelleaustin @chrissduffy @christinejg @cram33 @dani3boyz @danieleade @darylcook @davecharest @day2daypa @deanmillson @dj_rod @downesy @emstar666 @espnzone @ezmacs99 @finn_bradshaw @fmome @harry_o @heidiheartshugs @ideasculture @impromelbourne @intair @jamesharley @janemills3142 @jdbasketball @JillDotts @johnrille @katpawz @katwoman5 @kick2kick @lectric @lilylauren @lisahayes4 @lukeii @marcusmoments @markquest @matty_stevens @mcuban @melbournejules @mikefoden @mollyfud @mrthill @nicflux @packers4 @peter_r_casey @philliesmania @pwnolan @r_geez @samanthabell1 @samotage @scottkilmartin @semipro @shoelover79 @snarkle @souldesign1 @sportzfanradio @taraceebee @the_boneyard @the_tony @themonkeyboy @Tim_Butcher @tim_in_CT @Tw1sty @urbansmiler @yummololaberry

A big focus of #sportsgeektrip was to see how much of the buzz around social media translated IRL (in real life).

Most of the teams & even some of the facilities now have a presence on Twitter, it’s how they use it is where it gets interesting.  For a list of League & Franchise Twitter accounts check out our Sports Geek Stars list.

The tweets from sports Twitter accounts fall into 4 categories.

Sports News Information

These tweets are standard fare for sports accounts generally relaying news & articles from the team’s website or local news reports.  These can use tech like Feedburner or TwitterFeed to automatically post to Twitter.  The key is to ensure these tweets are sent at a time when your fans want them and are sufficiently spaced out so you do not flood your fans twitter stream.

@thenyrangers Rangers alum Steve Vickers was this week’s guest on Rangers Radio, check out this week’s show here: http://bit.ly/5ubq1v

But sports twitter fans love the easy “insider” access that you can get with services like Twitpic to get closer them to the team.  It is these kind of updates that give your stream value & are unique to your Twitter “broadcast”. News & notes from practice or simple updates from your team’s road trip that are exclusive to your Twitter stream are more likely to generate buzz amongst your fans.

@VanCanucks http://twitpic.com/117p7l – All #Canucks Olympians wearing their Olympic gloves at practice this morning.

Promotions & Marketing

This is where you can make offers to fans.  Some might be ticket offers like below from the Clippers or sponsor promotions.  The New York Rangers were the only team that I witnessed on #sportsgeektrip that used Twitter at the game when they upgraded some of their twitter followers.  As more sports fans tweet during games expect sports facilities to start engaging with fans in the stadium.

@laclippers Here’s an exclusive offer just for our followers: buy 1 ticket to Sat’s game v. @Spurs, get 1 free: http://bit.ly/951eYQ /CODE: CLIPTWEET

Play By Play

Using Twitter for play by play or score updates can be fraught with danger as many fans may tune out the tweets or worse unfollow due to the high frequency of tweets in a short period.  It can work in a low-scoring sport like hockey or soccer where scores are rare but in higher scoring sports twitter doesn’t translate.  The key thing to remember before tweeting is “Am I providing value to my followers with this tweet?” if the answer is no then don’t hit that enter key.

Score update or highlight tweets however can help generate fervor in your fan base triggering your fan’s Twitter support.  It’s a fine line if you turn your in-game tweets into a more conversational stream (next category) you may see more Twitter action from your fans.

Conversational

This is where Twitter can really help you engage your fans.  Ask questions, answer questions, join in the conversation with your tribe.  Conversations can happen with a “corporate” sports account but many people like talking to a person rather than a brand.  This is where Peter Casey has had success when covering St John’s games via Twitter.

@stkildafc RT @BridgetteHEY: Lock and load! Got my @stkildafc membership today. Two more weeks checking the mail box #gosaints

@CFL Not anymore! Thanks for the heads up… RT @merlin67: @CFL you are missing @MrMann86 on your cfl players list

Here’s one of my faves from a game I was at at MSG

@Peter_R_Casey The ref just copped a feel on the other ref. Right cheek. #awkwardmomentsinsports #stjbb

In a future post I will look at the tech you can use to monitor, track & build your Twitter presence.

Read more about the #sportsgeektrip in these posts.
Contact Sports Geek for more info on how to manage your Twitter presence .

Now I am collating my thoughts from the #sportsgeektrip, if you have a question please hit me up via Formspring.

Formspring allows anonymous questions to be asked and answered via a simple web form.

Could Formspring be a good way of getting fans to ask questions and connect with your sport?

How could you use formspring in sports?

• Take questions from fans for coaches, perhaps a formspring press conference?
• Setup a season ticket sales account to answer queries & encourage sales
• Setup an account specific to an event or promotion to handle questions
• Manage queries from fans surrounding a big news event e.g. New signing or trade

If you have any questions for me about formspring or #sportsgeektrip or anything at all, please ask away…

On Facebook? Become a fan of Sports Geek.
Contact Sports Geek for more info on the Sports Geek Study Trip findings.

After a long flight home to Melbourne from New York I’m back at my local cafe with a much needed coffee able to look back on a very successful #sportsgeektrip.

The primary goal of the trip was to watch, assess, study both sports fans as well as sports franchises and facilities. It was great to hear how fans feel about their teams efforts on the court & field and in the domain of Sports Geek the online world.

Thanks to all the great people I met in LA, Dallas & New York, 3 great sports cities.

Thanks to those who supported the trip via Twitter, Facebook & YouTube, it was very much appreciated.

So many ideas, so stay tuned…

For more photos of #sportsgeektrip become a fan of Sports Geek on Facebook
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I’ve been in New York for a few days now, absolutely amazing city. The city is abuzz about the J-E-T-S who take on the Indy Colts in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. I’m looking forward to attending a pep rally in Times Square tonight.

Madison Square Garden as they say is “The World’s Most Famous Arena” you can feel the history of the place as soon as you walk in. I caught the Knicks play the Pistons on Martin Luther King holiday. The MSG old feel & intimacy is stark contrast to the Staples Center in LA which was a terrific facility but fans were not as close to the action. However it was at the Rangers game that I saw the famous New York passion, the fans made the Garden come alive as they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-2.
However, a highlight for the #sportsgeektrip for me was meeting Knick legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier before the Knicks game.

For more photos of #sportsgeektrip become a fan of Sports Geek on Facebook
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Well with under a week to go on #sportsgeek I thought I’d give a quick recap of the trip so far…

I started with a Sports Geek Bucket List…

Here’s just some of what I’ve done so far:

• Attended a College Tailgate but also the game! BCS Championship Game at Rosebowl with 94,000 of my closest friends.  Go Longhorns!
• Got my picture taken with the BCS Coaches Trophy.
• Saw the NBA’s best player Kobe Bryant (3 times) unfortunately he hasn’t been at his best but does enough to win.  Including a cross town match against the LA Clippers with Baron Davis at his best & Aussie Andrew Bogut’s Bucks who unfortunately had no fight left in them.
• Watched Dirk Nowitski score his 20,000th NBA point against the Lakers from the a private suite at American Airlines Center.
• Saw Mark Cuban at Mavs game unable to meet him he is too excited about his Mavs in season.
• Toured the American Airlines Center with CEO Brad Mayne including the terrific facilities the Mavs in their locker room.  Terrific facility Brad, best HD scoreboards I’ve seen (excluding the ridiculous screen at Cowboys Stadium).
• Fell in love with the beauty & history of Dodger Stadium, will be back for a game.
• Jaw dropping amazement of the magnitude of the Cowboys Stadium with the Cowboys on the field practicing!
• Saw Big Ben Wallace from the Pistons turn back the clock against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.  Great history in that arena, even walking around met Walt “Clyde” Frazier & John Starks.
• Watch some great hockey thanks to the LA Kings at the Staples Center & Dallas Stars at American Airline Center.

That is just the venues, games & sports stars you may know but I’ve met a lot of cool people as well. All the time taking notes on the promotions, marketing and watching offline fans to see how to best connect them with online fans.

If you’re in New York come & say G’day as I’m hosting a #sportsgeektweetup on Wednesday night 7pm at ESPN Zone.