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Post image for A Virtual Pep Rally

A Virtual Pep Rally

May 25, 2010

It’s not often you see two competing brands intentionally position their consumers against each other and encourage a battle. We suggested this very idea to two of the brands we work with. They’re teaming up, challenging their fan bases (and each other) to have it out . . . for the greater good.

On Wednesday during the Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Indians baseball game, the two mascots Southpaw (@Southpaw) and Slider (@SliderTheMascot), are going head-to-head in a Mascot Rivalry and bringing together two opposing fan bases, virtually. We like to refer to this as a Virtual Pep Rally.

For each #GoWhiteSox and #GoTribe hashtags that are tweeted during the baseball game on Wednesday, the two clubs will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (@SU2C). In addition, the losing team’s mascot with the least amount of hashtags by the last out of the game, will have to make good on the pre-determined wager.

Social media provides an environment, free from rules and politics, where partnerships can be formed and relationships can be strengthened. Even if those partnerships are between two opposing baseball teams.

Creating a special hashtag for an event provides a low-barrier for fans to participate virtually and show team spirit, by simply tweeting a designated hashtag. In this particular case, by tweeting their team’s hashtags, fans are contributing to cancer research. So, it’s a win-win for everyone involved (minus the bragging rights).

Quick Hashtag 101: Utilizing hashtags when hosting an event or announcing a new product, makes it both easier for users to find particular tweets with similar subject matter, but also allows organizers to effectively identify and track all tweets with the same keyword. #GoWhiteSox #GoTribe

Virtual events such as this example, are simple and low-maintenance ways to connect with your audience and increase fan engagement. Plus, a little competitive banter between two mascots is a great source of content. Proof: http://twitpic.com/1qygql and http://twitpic.com/1qz09v

To follow the heated battle on Wednesday at 11:05am CST:

Team Chicago White Sox:

Message to Fans, White Sox Official Twitter Account, Mascot, Tally: #GoWhiteSox

Team Cleveland Indians:

Message to Fans, Indians Official Twitter Account , Mascot Tally: #GoTribe

Missed the Virtual Pep Rally? Here’s a recap of all of the action:

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Post image for White Sox Go Virtual with SoxFest

White Sox Go Virtual with SoxFest

January 25, 2010

Sure, pre-planning of the annual White Sox fan convention, SoxFest, included press conferences, media-only events, seminars stocked with current and former players, autograph sessions and thousands of square feet of White Sox merchandise, but it also involved something new.

New on the agenda? To make SoxFest 2010 the most interactive and virtual experience to-date. Intentions were two fold. Adding and making content virtual was one-part keeping out-of-state and international connected, and one part about unifying attendees as not just fans who share a mutual affinity for the same team, but as a tightly connected community.

And virtual it was. Full disclosure, VP of Communications for the White Sox, Scott Reifert, published a detailed list of initiatives that the White Sox had planned with Digital Royalty on his blog a week prior to the event–complete with two namesakes of the Digital Royalty brand: “Hide & Tweet” and “Twitter Tag.” Other specifics included videos of Digital Royalty’s Amy Martin interviewing player Mark Teahan about social media, fan videos, event photos, quotes from seminars, Q&A opportunities, mascot olympics, a Twitter/Facebook booth serving as the social media home base, and day-by-day video recaps–all of which would take place online or be housed on whitesox.com/soxfest. MLB White Sox-branded Flip cameras, iPhone’s and Twitter fingers were all ready to go.

In the two weeks leading up to the event, Reifert and White Sox staff hid SoxFest passes around Chicago and tweeted hints of their wherabouts prior to their location — “Hide & Tweet”. If winners weren’t already waiting for the tickets based on clues, they would arrive just five minutes after the location was divulged. In one case, a fan waited outside in chilly Chicago since 4:00 a.m. to snag tickets that wouldn’t be available via Twitter Tag until 6:00 a.m. The local NBC affiliate even joined the Twitter games and highlighted the activation live throughout the broadcast as their main anchor tweeted in attempt of winning the tickets.

When SoxFest had become sold out, the interactive aspect of SoxFest served a new purpose: to offer value to fans although they weren’t able to attend the event.

In turn, positive results were generated. Official White Sox accounts experienced across-the-board growth in follower counts, as well as interaction rates. Large crowds gathered to watch Chicago mascots (NFL Chicago Bear Staley and NHL’s Tommy Blackhawk to name a few) compete at mini Olympics. And, fans were given social media-exclusive opportunities to win autographed baseballs, t-shirts and bobble heads throughout the weekend.

Rewarding was the amount of conversation and gratitude that was shown throughout the three-day ordeal by fans. Countless tweets and comments such as “I love what you’re doing interactively, 4,000 miles away suddenly doesn’t seem so far.”

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Post image for Social Media Sells Product & Generates 300% Increase

Social Media Sells Product & Generates 300% Increase

December 22, 2009

As we’re all gearing down from last-minute, overnight-shipping, how-do-I-wrap-a-basketball frenzy, it’s good to reflect on exactly how some of our favorite gifts came to us. No, not by sleigh, but e-commerce. Social media drove online sales up 300% for one dR client.

In the last few months surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas, we collaborated with our clients who sell products and merchandise online about how to utilize their preexisting social media presence and relationships to direct new and existing consumers to their online stores.

Discount Tire was one of these clients. After leaking promo codes and directing consumers to offers via Facebook and Twitter, Discount Tire experienced substantial results in terms of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, over-indexing from years prior.

But even if your brand isn’t in the business of exclusively selling retail products, perhaps e-commerce is a portion of your overall business. Take the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for example. The UFC and UFCStore.com needed initiatives that would inform consumers that they could still order gifts in time for Christmas, as well as direct them to their online property–free of off-tone, sales gimmicks. Enter Dana White. UFC President Dana White and UFC personnel selected a handful of their favorite apparel items, both male and female, from the UFC Store and shared them with their online network. Dana White posted his favorite hooded sweatshirt to nearly 1 million followers on Twitter, as well as his Facebook page. It was a personal touch that combined e-commerce and social media for astounding results.

The same year-to-year increase in sales were seen for the White Sox, who employed not an official White Sox account, but the social media channels of mascot Southpaw and Vice President of Communications Scott Reifert, encouraging fans to consider buying White Sox merchandise for their friends and family.

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