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Category Archives: Digital

July 17th, 2011

What will be trending today in the U.S.? My Prediction: #3stars

As covered in this space before, popular hashtags within the past week have been #marrymehope and #marrymealex in reference to USWNT players Hope Solo and Alex Morgan.

Despite its struggles in sustaining its teams over the past few years, the WPS has been highly proficient in it’s ability to use social media, and in particular Twitter, to build it’s following and it’s loyalty among a core base.

One player from the USWNT who has been very active with her Twitter activity, even during her busy work trip to Germany this summer, has been midfielder, Megan Rapinoe, who uses the handle @mpinoe.

With less than 3 hours to kick-off, she had time to notify her followers that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent the team “big wishes”.  Clinton will be watching the game on television during her trip to Greece.  She further went on to say that “It’s Go Time America!!!!!”

Today, social media will be uniting not just fans of the team and the game all around the world, but it will also be a unique way for fans to connect with their favorite players before the game and after the game in a way that wasn’t dreamed possible when the 99ers had their day in the California sun.  I look forward to following the players up it’s official shut-off the PDA time.  And if it’s a positive result for the USA today, it will be my go-to tool for keeping up with their sentiments and their celebrations behind the scenes.  I might even be able to join in by adding my prediction for the most popular topic at 4pm today in the USA: #3stars

As we get closer to kick-off, it will be interesting to see what starts trending, at what time, and where in the world.

Here are my  predictions for our World Cup trending topics of the day:

5. #USWNT

4. #PressureMakesUs

3. #AbbyWambach

2. #WorldCupFinal (which is already trending in the U.S. 2 hours before kick-off)

and if all goes according to plan:

1. #3Stars

Posted in Digital | by Tom Lillig
June 29th, 2010

Sponsors Go Social

Brand activation is the typical goal for any sponsor of any sporting event.  If the brand can truly come to life for the audience base through a combination of on-site, TV viewership, online activity and other channels; the the brand will have elevated itself into the rarified air of becoming truly integrated into the sporting event itself.  At the World Cup, a variety of sponsors representing a variety of industries have taken their best shot at this heightened level of engagement.  Weaving their brand story or message into your customer’s daily interactions and goings-on of the World Cup is not easy, but many of this year’s World Cup have been able to gain unprecedented access into the lives of their target audiences through social media tools, games, activities and videos.

Continental Tires CountiTireKick Game on Facebook

Adidas’s Facebook Match-Up Contest on Facebook
Posted in Digital | by Tom Lillig
June 22nd, 2010

3D: Feast for the Eyes or TV with Goofy Glasses

The kickoff of the 2010 World Cup opener between South Africa and Mexico represented more than the start of the world’s biggest sporting event.  It also marked the launch of ESPN’s dedicated 3D television network, a step forward in the growing push by media companies to bring 3D technology to the masses.

From an industry insider perspective, 3D technology is the next logical jump for television after HD.  But the question remains: will customers buy this technology in their own homes?  Paying to see Avatar in 3D in an Imax theater is one thing, but paying a bare minimum of $2,000 for a TV capable of broadcasting 3D images is an entirely different beast.

Network executives at Sony and ESPN have admitted the multimillion dollar effort to encourage the spread of 3D is risky, as “The country hasn’t really gone over [to this technology] yet,” according to ESPN spokesman Brian Burns.  One possible reason fans haven’t jumped at the opportunity to see games in 3D?  Those goofy glasses.

No matter what you want to watch in 3D, special 3D glasses are a necessity, as the technology sans glasses remains jarringly primitive.  But something tells me it would be a bit strange to turn, jumping and yelling about a goal, to one of your friends for a high five, only to be confronted by glasses all around you.  Time Magazine’s Sean Gregory, who watched the World Cup opener at ESPN headquarters in 3D, referred to the glasses as “Elvis Costello-looking shades” in his review of the technology.

Some tech critics believe it’s all about gaining trial of the 3D technology through a major sporting event knowing that the experience is truly something special.  But with the World Cup being viewed through so many different out-of-the-home media this year (mobile, online, bar around the corner from the office), 3D technology may not be able to capture significant trial until a few more weekend games are played.

We’ll wait and see to see if this technology will catch on before MarketingSoccer.com purchases it’s own 3D set.  We predict the biggest stumbling block to adoption will be the same three words we spoke of earlier:  Those goofy glasses.

Casey Larkin and Lauren Weber, Stone Ward interns and University of Notre Dame seniors, contributed to this post.

Posted in Digital | by Tom Lillig
June 15th, 2010

BudHouse Brilliance

What do you get when you combine reality television, the World Cup and an online interactive community?

Marketing brilliance, as exemplified in this year’s Anheuser Busch World Cup promotion.   BudHouse, found at www.budhouse.com, is the beer maker’s elaborate multi-channel program developed in conjunction with summer’s World Cup featuring 32 fans – one from each World Cup participating country – living under one roof in South Africa.  Through the website, visitors can watch the BudHouse activity (think the global reality TV stalwart, Big Brother, which is in fact a bigger deal outside the U.S. than in the U.S.) and participate through online voting to affect house activities.

Housemates will be eliminated from the house as their home country is eliminated from World Cup competition, leaving one extremely happy fan with the opportunity to present the ‘Man of the Match’ award following the final match.

Anheuser Busch has created a unique sponsorship activation program that not only brings their partnership to life but gives actual breath to the lives of soccer fans around the globe.   BudHouse presents a once and a lifetime opportunity for 32 fortunate fans and also 32 youthful representatives for their countrymen to follow as they become semi-participants in this year’s World Cup.

Through the use of the reality television ‘genre’ Anheuser Busch provides fans worldwide a chance to connect and feel as though they too, are in South Africa supporting their home nation.  In the spirit of supporting those who support your cause, we have been given another avenue to feel the passion of the World Cup in an eerily familiar reality TV manner.  We get to know personally the characters who support their teams, watch their reactions to the wins and the losses, and understand their stories and how they got to BudHouse.

The question that dominates my mind and maybe yours when I think about this concept at this particular World Cup is:  How’d they get someone from North Korea to come to Budhouse?

Well, the answer is, they didn’t.

They instead got Danny, a 2nd generation American from Minnesota, whose grandparents hail from North Korea.  He refers to himself as a “North Korea Die-Hard”.  I know, I know.  Insert your punchline here.  And yes, in Dan’s video, I’m see a South Korean jersey in the background, so I don’t know how much Kim Jong-Il would appreciate Dan’s support (In the Minnesotan’s defense, per a previous post at MarketingSoccer.com, Dan may not have been able to get a hold of the elusive Legea-made North Korea kit.)  All that said, I’m sure Dan was pleased with the respectable showing against Brazil today.  In fact, the Chollima, the nickname for the North Korean team, which means “a mythical winged horse too fast to be mounted by humans”, demonstrated great moxie against the world’s best. (For 9 more enlightening facts about North Korean soccer, click here.)

The BudHouse is filled with characters, some like-able, some deplorable, some annoying — which all in all makes for great entertainment, and a tremendous sponsorship program.

Through the Budhouse program Anheuser Busch has not raised the bar for sponsorship activation; it may have changed the landscape altogether.


This post was written by Alan Turner of Turner Sponsorship Consultants, an alliance company of Stone Ward

Posted in Digital | by Tom Lillig
June 1st, 2010

The Best iPhone Apps for Following the World Cup

Before the World Cup begins in 10 days, every soccer fan who possesses an iPhone needs to make sure they’re prepared for following the month-long extravaganza from the palm of their hand.  In order to avoid stockpiling some of the duds among 300+ iPhone Apps that claim to have something related to soccer, futbol or the World Cup,  Jack Bell and his Goal blog in the NY Times, have provided us all with a helpful guide for the best of the World Cup Apps.

Posted in Digital | by Tom Lillig
May 29th, 2010

Social Media Strategies for Building a League

Social media has woven itself into the lifestyles of just about everyone who has access to a computer.  Young and old, outgoing and shy, active poster and lurker; people are finding ways to make their social media outlets fit within their own lifestyle.  That includes sports fans.  And soccer fans of the men’s and women’s professional leagues.  In this interesting article from Goal.com, the question is posed:  Is the Access (that’s with a capital ‘A’ on purpose) of the WPS social media strategy helpful or hurtful to building a successful soccer league?

I, for one, love the Access that I get from the WPS frequent Twitter updates and player updates.  It gives me a sense of closeness to the players and the team that is rare in professional sports.  The social media strategy the WPS, and most especially the #CRS, has developed is a big differentiator, and one they should be proud of.  I am more inclined to go to a Chicago Red Stars game because of the way the team tries to engage me through social media.  However, the bigger problem with building a women’s professional league is finding enough people that would choose to spend their limited entertainment budgets on a night out at a CRS game over all the other Chicago sports and entertainment options all around you.   It’s a question of competing with not just the Bulls, Hawks, Cubs, Sox and Fire; but also every show, every concert, every other entertainment option that the city has to offer.  Building a new sports franchise and developing and nurturing a large following is an uphill climb in any city, but in Chicago, it’s like staring up at Mt. Everest.

And despite all of the other options, the Red Stars seem to be doing okay for attendance numbers.  So something’s working despite the steep competition.  And congratulations Chicago Red Stars on a great win tonight!  And nice to see on their Twitter page, they’ve already thanked their fans for coming out.  That’s what I call reaching out to the fans!

Posted in Digital | by Tom Lillig
May 22nd, 2010

Nike Writes the Future, Dazzles the Eyes

On Thursday, Nike unveiled its long-awaited integrated soccer marketing “Write the Future” campaign with a 3-minute action-packed film from renowned director Alejandro Inarritu (21 Grams, Babel) and featuring soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba and many others.  The premise of the film is that one goal, one save, one slide tackle, or one move can put in motion a career path to either worldwide fame or one that leaves you, well, living out of a trailer with a potbelly and a big ginger beard.

The film dazzles the eyes and stimulates the imagination as it depicts stunning soccer skill interspersed with fantasy sequences of future consequences.  It ranks with some of Nike’s most legendary soccer campaigns of all time and should be spoken of in the same breath as Nike soccer classics such as “Good vs. Evil” and “Joga Bonito”.  Cameo appearances by Homer Simpson, Roger Federer, and Kobe Bryant demonstrate Nike’s ongoing ability to insert itself into the overall pop culture conversation in a post-Michael Jordan world.  The presence of Brazilian star Ronaldinho, who did not make his national team’s World Cup roster, underscores the challenge that athletic marketers face when trying to balance the realities of team roster decision-making and corporate player endorsements.  I, for one, and am glad he was kept him in the ad and will sorely miss him not being in South Africa.

Less than 24 hours after the launch, “Write the Future” had over 600,000 fans on its Facebook page.  The 3-minute launch film is the centerpiece of a summer-long integrated campaign that will invite fans around the world to write their own future through experiences that put them at the “center of the action”.  Up next for Nike Soccer is another Facebook experience called “The Chance” that launches on June 10th, the day before the opening of the World Cup.

Click on the link to view the 3-minute Nike \”Write the Future\” film.

Also posted in Video | by Tom Lillig