By: Amy Jo Martin

The Social TV entertainment offering is only limited by our imagination. Yesterday, Dwayne Johnson turned the trending tables on national TV and dictated worldwide trending topics. During a live broadcast, he declared that certain phrases would trend instantly. Within minutes, they did.

Dwayne Johnson instantly bumped the live broadcast into the #1 Social TV spot:

More than 250 million users are on twitter and the trending topic list garners more than 150 million impressions each day. It’s safe to say this social call-to-action generated new viewership. The timing and spike in ratings speak to the impact Social TV has on the bigger picture. Additionally, advertisers are spending well into six figures daily to earn a spot on this worldwide trending topic list. When a brand can make this happen organically, influence is proven.

For other Digital Royalty Social TV case studies, such as The X Factor, click here.

By Kristin Adams

This morning the Ultimate Fighting Championship made a major announcement with Fox Sports that will bring the sport of MMA to the biggest sports network in the US over the next 7 years. The announcement played out on social media and was syndicated across multiple channels. Here is how it went down:

8:44 am PST: President of UFC @DanaWhite tweets a teaser to a big announcement. It is retweeted/replied to 600+ times.

10 am PST: Director of Communications sends press release to thousands of members of the media. Historic moment shared on Twitter via yFrog photo.

1 minute later: Press conference goes live on Ustream, Fox Sports Facebook, and UFC.com.

Instantly: Members of the media, like @DarrenRovell, begin live tweeting the press conference.

10:26 am PST: TUF (short for The Ultimate Fighter) starts trending on Twitter in the United States.

1 minute later: Ultimate Fighter is trending on Twitter worldwide.

10:55 am PST: 13,455 viewers have tuned-in to Fox Sports Ustream channel to watch live.

10:56 am PST: New Twitter account @UFConFoxSports sends its first tweet with a photo from Studio 2A.

1 hour later: @UFConFoxSports has 1,270 new followers. (Two hours later that number is more than doubled.)

12:23 pm PST: The @UFC sees a major spike in conversation with more @-mentions in 2 hours than the previous 24-hour period.

Social media has changed the way news breaks around the world. (Remember when Shaq retired via a Tout video?) Knowing this, UFC and Fox Sports leveraged real-time conversations when fans were most engaged to increase their social footprint, extend reach of the news and amplify their message around the world. The result: a deeply integrated, syndicated and cross-promotional Social PR win.

By: Kirsten Stubbs

In the same way advertising titan Leo Burnett found success humanizing brands with mascots like Tony the Tiger, The Pillsbury Doughboy and the Jolly Green Giant, the new generation of social media marketing invites consumers to glimpse behind a logo and to the humans behind a brand. While many companies shy away from this idea in fear of losing control of their brand, some take a more daring approach.

Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas has virtually developed its social media voice around key players in its brand. Among them, President Anton Nikodemus,Vice President of Marketing Jessica Cipolla-Tario, and Executive Director of Casino Marketing Johnny Quinn use Twitter not only to tout their brand and offer value to consumers, but also to show off the personality behind the hotel through banter with followers as well as each other.

Earlier this week, the three executives launched a groundbreaking Twitter competition in which each executive created a Monte Carlo package deal of their favorite indulgences based off of their Twitter namesakes: A battle royale to be promoted solely via social media.

While the deals speak for themselves (with perks ranging from room specials to discounted dinners, show tickets to spa packages), the real fun comes from the personality behind each package.  Do you see yourself as a member of #TeamJohnny,  hanging with the Jabbawockeez and buying rounds of drinks for friends, a player for #TeamPrez, indulging in steak dinners and a lavish VIP status, or the star of #TeamDiva, treating yourself to the ultimate spa experiences? There’s something relatable for everyone. And once you’ve heard about the Twitter rivalry, it’s hard not to root for a team. The friendly competition between executives has been non-stop.

All trash talking, name-calling and dance battling aside,  it all comes down to one superseding lesson in marketing: Humans connect with humans, not logos. Since implementing personality strategies while working with Digital Royalty, Monte Carlo Resort and Casino has nearly doubled it’s revenue per available fan and follower (Rev/PAF). The money doesn’t lie.

In addition, Monte Carlo is conveying that a stay at their property is not a purchase, it’s an experience. Executives are not looking to take your money and run – they want you to enjoy every moment from check-in to checkout. This type of experiential hospitality based on trust and consistency is what makes visitors stay longer and more often and spend more money. With trust being a human virtue, it all circles back to people connecting to the personality behind the brand. As seen with the Executive Packages, social media is the ideal vehicle to put a face to the brand and subsequently nurture a connection and trust, which in turn encourages people to act, and when they realize the experiential perks of staying at the property, that trust is solidified. A perpetual cycle of a medium supporting an idea that is carried through upon arrival.

Your company may not have a Tony the Tiger or Jolly Green Giant, but your brand’s CEO may follow after charismatic social media powerhouses like Tony Hsieh and Richard Branson, who have become pillars of brand recognition and customer relations. Whether you show up to the social media space or not, people are going to talk about your brand. You might as well show up with a plan, a purpose and a personality and put a face on your social media presence. We’re tracking revenue for each executive package and while we won’t reveal which personality is in the lead, we can confidentially say that in the end, Monte Carlo is the real winner.

Interested in learning more underlying values that power effective social media campaigns? Learn more about our educational division, Digital Royalty University, by emailing Info@TheDigitalRoyalty.com.

By: Alana Golob

In February, Facebook announced iFrame functionality, giving marketers and brands the ability to create CSS tabs or embed websites into a Facebook tab with the ability to track analytics and page views.

The benefits of utilizing iFrames on Facebook tabs are pretty obvious. According to recent reports, the average Facebook user spends 15 hours and 33 minutes per month on the platform and visits the site an average of 40 times per month. Chances are your company’s website traffic is notably less. Embedding a website in an iFrame tab allows you to apply the same key branding elements and functionality, while generating significant website views from a broader audience that your traditional website wouldn’t typically receive.

Additional benefits of Facebook tabs:

• Users can actively participate with your content or campaign by using Facebook plugins within the app, such as comments, live stream capabilities, Twitter widgets, and “Tweet” and “Share” functionalities
• The ability to create newsfeed stories from within the tab, driving new “Likes” and increased visibility
• Utilizing Facebook allows brands to deliver value where consumers can find it most conveniently
• Facebook tabs are more cost effective than building a microsite or adding depth/functionality to an existing site

CASE STUDY:

Recently, DoubleTree by Hilton kicked off a national Cookie CAREavan Tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their signature chocolate chip cookie. Rather than develop an entire website to host information about the tour, Digital Royalty built an interactive Facebook tab within the DoubleTree by Hilton Facebook page. The tab serves as the hub for all tour-centric information, including an interactive tour map showing upcoming stops, DoubleTree by Hilton Twitter feed, YouTube and Flickr streams and a weekly sweepstakes poll and photo upload, where people can enter to win free stays, Hilton HHonors points and other prizes. In order to access the tab and its contents, users must enter through a “Like” gate. This low barrier increases awareness for the brand and adds a bit of enticement for users without requiring too much. After the tab launched, DoubleTree by Hilton saw a 16% increase in new “Likes” over the previous month.

Will traditional websites soon be irrelevant? Facebook allows businesses to create a social, interactive experience for consumers (where they want it) with the potential of reaching an audience of more than 700 million. Additionally, the new eCommerce Facebook model allows for businesses to create online storefronts within their Facebook page. Users can purchase products or book hotel rooms and airfare in any currency, seamlessly through Facebook. According to eCommerce research, users are 18 times more likely to buy directly in their Facebook than when they are redirected to another website. Why not keep your consumers and fans where you have them . . . on your Facebook page?

Digital Royalty has worked closely with Shaquille O’Neal for more than two years to develop his online brand and media network comprised of 6 million friends. Over the course of Shaquille’s historic career in the NBA spanning nearly two decades, he’s had plenty of BIG nicknames:  Big Diesel, The Big Shaqtus and The Big Shamrock. But like many of his fans, Digital Royalty has always seen him as The Big Social Media Center.

As the most-followed American athlete and first verified celebrity on Twitter, Shaquille has used social media to deliver value directly to his fans when, where and how they wanted to receive the value. He did this before it was the popular thing to do. Few celebrities “got it” early on. From performing Random Acts of Shaqness and bantering with fans to posting hilarious videos and inspirational quotes, he has an innate ability to make his millions of Facebook fans and Twitter followers feel like close friends. He has allowed his friends to see the person behind the personality.

Shaquille naturally wanted to deliver the biggest announcement of his career  – his retirement – directly to his fans, the people who have made the past 19 years possible. Digital Royalty Founder and CEO, Amy Jo Martin, was with Shaquille to help him activate the announcement and engage with fans afterward. In case you missed it, view Shaquille’s retirement announcement is here.

A letter written in 1993 from Shaquille’s long time mentor, Coach Dale Brown, was posted to Shaquille’s Facebook fan page for his fans to read along with his retirement announcement. Digital Royalty is launching Shaquille’s Social Media Museum and allowing fans to take a trip down memory lane in the coming days. He will be touring his fans around his home via www.Tout.com/shaq videos and sharing memories, memorabilia and Shaqisms.

Within five minutes of the announcement, #ShaqRetires was the number one worldwide trending topic on Twitter. With more than 175 million users on Twitter who send 150 million+ tweets per day, that speaks for itself. The world was watching and helping him celebrate virtually. Digital Royalty’s Founder and CEO, Amy Jo Martin, was quoted on SportsCenter, ”Shaquille is the media. He didn’t need a press release so the media could tell the world he’s retiring in their words. He told his millions of friends directly, in his own words. The social influence he has built has given him the freedom to leapfrog the middleman.”

So what’s next for Shaquille? A hunt for a new nickname and maybe Kazaam 2? A rejuvenated rap career? Backup dancing for his buddy Justin Bieber or another stint with the Jabbawockeez? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Shaquille’s fans will be the first to know.

It’s been an honor to work with someone who truly understands the power of being human and rising above a brand to deliver value how, when and where fans want it. Digital Royalty is excited to play a part in the next chapter of Shaquille’s career. “I’ve had the honor to join Shaquille in his journey over the past few years. His number one goal is to make people smile and laugh. Lucky for us, he will now have even more time to entertain all of his friends.” says AmyJo Martin.

You can follow all of the retirement announcement Shaqtion here: #ShaqRetires

By: Britt Johnson

The NBA, NFL, and other professional sports leagues are all too familiar with handing down fines to athletes (and owners/coaches) who violate their social media policies. The UFC has no interest in collecting money from its own athletes. Instead, they are doing the reverse in handing out the cash—$240,000 annually to be exact.

This week UFC president Dana White announced the first-ever incentive-based social media program for fighters during the UFC Summit in Las Vegas where more than 300 fighters were required to go through Digital Royalty University social media training. The allotted money will be dispersed as quarterly bonuses to fighters who make the most impact with their personal Twitter accounts.

Competition was in the air as the program was announced to more than 300 fighters at the annual UFC Summit at the Red Rock Casino in Vegas. Thousands of fans, fighters and media outlets followed along here using the #UFCSummit Hashtag where thousands of tweets were exchanged real-time throughout the week. Mashable and Sports Business Journal also covered the news.

The UFC understands the power of social media. The goal for the incentive program is to encourage the athletes to embrace these new communication tools and increase fan engagement. The UFC and related Twitter accounts are already known for their fighter-to-fighter interactions. The heightened engagement will strengthen the organization’s network, allowing for quick message delivery, more fighter-to-fan interaction and most importantly it provides exclusive value to new and existing fans.

Starting June 1^st, Stikeforce and UFC fighters will be divided into four groups depending on their number of followers. From those groups, three winners will be named in the following categories, each receiving $5,000 for most followers gained, highest percentage of followers gained and most creative campaign.

A social media powerhouse himself, Dana knows the influence Twitter followers carry. Factor in a few hundred additional social media-savvy athletes, and you have a force to be reckoned with.

For more information about Digital Royalty University, email Info@TheDigitalRoyalty.com

By: Alana Golob

By now, most brands have had their “ah-ha” social media moment and have realized that in order to build equity, see return and create conversions, a clear strategy must be developed. Hours need to be invested. Many marketing and public relations VPs are scurrying to fill a social media manager type of position to take their existing presence to the next level. Additionally, “Find us on Facebook” and “Follow us on Twitter” messages are being stamped confidently on all advertising creative.

However, do the legal, human relations, sales and operations departments know how social media is impacting their aspect of business and how it can improve their bottom line? HR could be saving dollars from hiring outside recruiters and decreasing staff turnover by using these new communication tools to recruit talent, monitor employees and evaluate candidates. Does the president of your company, most likely the single most influential person behind your brand, have a social media presence? Humans connect with humans, not logos.

The social media landscape continues to do what it does best . . . evolve and grow quicker than anyone seems to realize. It’s a way of life and more now than ever, consumers are turning to their Facebook and Twitter pages for value in the form of advice, breaking news, exclusive content, customer service and entertainment. Consumers expect brands to be online with an attentive ear. If you’re not actively listening, engaging and responding to your audience, it’s similar to not answering the phone or unlocking the doors for business. And, it’s very likely your competitors are listening to those tipping point consumers who are trying to get your attention.

For social media to be truly successful and for that transparency to be apparent, social media must be embraced by every level of the brand from the executives to those who interact with the consumer on a daily basis. There are several challenges. First, no one is going to embrace and support something they don’t understand. Second, the employees who do embrace and support these platforms on a personal level may not feel empowered to use it on a professional level. And last, it is a powerful tool that can be misused in untrained and uneducated hands. That’s where company-wide training comes into play.

If you haven’t taken the next step yet it’s time to go “all-in” by providing your staff with the proper education needed to build a cohesive social media communication strategy for the entire company. Digital Royalty University (dRU) is our education division comprised of curriculums that are delivered both in-person and via webinar series. These education sessions are customized for brands ranging from thousands of employees to five employees.

DoubleTree by Hilton is an example of a large brand that has embraced social media and invested in training to provide the necessary resources for each of their 250+ locations around the world. They’re now able to develop and execute a localized social media strategy. In addition to working with the brand, Digital Royalty University (dRU) is leading a six-week webinar series for more than 500 DoubleTree by Hilton employees. The training is broken down into five separate customized curriculums that cover everything from account set-up on a variety of channels, to best practices and tips on how to build an engaging online community. Additionally, training is a way for DoubleTree by Hilton to bring their deep-rooted CARE culture to life through social media.

When supported by the entire company, social media can also be an effective culture-building tool. Take Tony Hsieh and Zappos for example, social media isn’t just a strategy, it’s part of the company culture. Too often companies focus too much on which employee should be responsible for their social media presence, when they should be focusing on who doesn’t have a presence online and developing a strategy to get them onboard.

For more info on Digital Royalty University (dRU), email: Info@TheDigitalRoyalty.com

— Note, since this blog post was written, dRU has added Google+ to the curriculum.

By: Amy Martin

We tend to dislike what we don’t know. Many people don’t understand, or better yet “get,” NASCAR. Whether it’s a factor of the old points system (which just changed) or pure lack of exposure, many people make fun of the so-called “monotonous day of left turns and mullets.”

I took a trip to Daytona 500 as a complete NASCAR Rookie and gave NASCAR a chance this past weekend and I swear on my iPhone I didn’t see one mullet. Here’s what I learned:

Drivers are unusually accessible. I noticed this is a similar characteristic of UFC on this front. Drivers do fan Q&A’s and autograph sessions THE DAY of the race. The Daytona 500 happens to be the biggest day of the year for NASCAR. I don’t think Brett Favre was chatting it up with thousands of fans the day of the Super Bowl.

I received a magical “hot pass” and could go anywhere. It was uncomfortably exciting having unlimited access and at times I worried about getting in the crew’s way. I was a part of the action and wasn’t the only one. Bottom line, fans have access.

Here’s my theory on this strategy, why it’s smart for any sport and why social media will amplify the strategy if embraced by sports. (A.K.A. my key business takeaway from this weekend):

• Access leads to connection. (Fans are able to sign the actual race track.)
• Connection leads to relationships. (At all ages.)
• Relationships lead to affinity. (You can’t fake this affinity.)
• Affinity leads to influence. (There’s a reason so many brands are attracted to NASCAR.)
• Influence leads to conversion. (These fans would likely buy anything this driver is selling.)

Which means NASCAR fans treated exceptionally well by the sport are more likely to buy the products attached to the cars. Smart. Here’s an example of the fan affinity I witnessed.

So, let’s look at some numbers:

• 150,000 fans in the stands were impacted by the philosophy above – a huge number for one sporting venue on one specific day but perhaps not big in the grand scheme of sports.
• 30 million viewers watched on TV
• 500+ million users on Facebook, 175+ million on Twitter and last year YouTube had 700+ billion views. This winning formula comprises the max potential reach.

Point being, there is huge potential when you apply this same access via social media to a larger audience. What if the same behind-the-scenes access available to fans physically at Daytona 500 was available to those billions of potential fans who are not watching the race on TV?

Fans like this one:

It turns out I wasn’t alone in my NASCAR-phobia. The response I received from non-NASCAR fans who followed my Daytona 500 adventure was overwhelming. Many who thought they disliked NASCAR had actually just never given it a chance. After seeing behind-the-scenes photos, video and other content from my time in Daytona, some decided to tune into the race for the first time ever.

And that was just me. What if NASCAR allocated more of its manpower to engaging fans and non-fans on social media utilizing the same all-access philosophy they provide those who physically attend events?

If my #GiveNASCARAChance experiment is any indicator, I would say they could tap into an enormous pool of fan potential simply by showing the true spirit of the sport – a unique mixture of athletic, engineering and mechanical prowess, a sport that truly appreciates its fans– and eclipse the overriding (false) stereotype of mullets and boredom.

I’m always stressing the importance of exposing the human behind the brand. This is being done in the physical world but why not extend it to the larger virtual world?

Of course, when it comes to racing, the cars are the stars. This makes sense for the manufacturer and the sponsors involved because the brands involved stay the same but drivers change. The representatives evolve in accordance with changing times, but the brand holds true. What if the car became the voice of the human? It’s happened before.

I’ll admit it, I was wrong about NASCAR. After removing my stigma-laden misconceptions, I was left with a new understanding of the sport: It’s unpretentious. Fans are comfortable and confident and the staff is happy to be there. I noticed a level of underlying respect exchanged between fans, staff, crews and drivers. It’s a unique and refreshing experience that I had no idea I would love. NASCAR has huge potential to reach new audiences and relevancy and social media may be the perfect channel to do convince people to give it a chance. Your move, NASCAR. Gentlemen, start your engines…

Interested in learning more about NASCAR? Here’s more of my adventure leading up to the Daytona 500:

You may have noticed some virtual jump high-fives between the Digital Royalty team this past Saturday. We were excited and here’s why.

Digital Royalty concepted and implemented the first-ever National Hockey League Hashtag Battle between the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche. The goal for the night was to raise money for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Kroenke Sports Charities as part of the NHL’s month-long Hockey Fights Cancer campaign. And of course, some friendly twivalry. The competition was on: #GoKings vs. #GoAvs. The teams donated $1 for each hashtag tweeted.

We wanted to get #GoKings in front of more than just hockey fans. Our broader target: the general sports fan or Saturday night tweeter who was looking to tweet for the greater good. But there were a few obstacles on the ice.

The Kings vs. Avs game wasn’t nationally televised, therefore, wasn’t easily accessible by the average sports fan. On top of that, it was a Saturday during college football season. The epic UFC 121, heavyweight championship event, was also taking place in the target market (Los Angeles) plus the San Francisco Giants were trying to win the National League Pennant against the Philadelphia Phillies. (Note, the UFC is a dR client as well so our team was performing a social balancing act. Everything netted out as planned. See below.)

We knew people would definitely be tweeting heavily about sports. But would they be tweeting about the Kings vs Avs game? We needed to influence a few key groups:

Kings and Avs fans. These teams have an intense rivalry and we wanted to translate it into a social competition. With bragging rights on the line, the tweets came pouring in.
NHL fans. The support of the NHL helped get the word out about the battle to hockey fans who may not have been closely following the Kings or Avalanche. This Coyotes fan is a perfect example.
Online Influencers. We targeted specific sports-influencers who helped us get the battle into the pathways of their followers. Baseball fan and actress, Alyssa Milano tweeted about the battle as well as the the pro-soccer team LA Galaxy. LIVESTRONG CEO, Doug Ulman (a pioneer at using social media for the greater good) supported our mission as did Sarah Palin who must not have been busy with SNL.
Charitable-minded. We anticipated that by this point the #GoKings mission would be reaching the eyes of people who would participate solely to help raise money for higher objective. We knew this had worked when we started seeing “I’m not a hockey fan but…” tweets.

With the chain-of-support in action, #GoKings leaped to the number one worldwide trending topic by the end of the first period (for you non-hockey fans, that’s approximately 20 minutes). Our trending topic status added welcome fuel to the fire. By the end of the game the official hashtag score was #GoKings 29,374 and #GoAvs 13,876.

We scored three W’s with the hashtag battle. Each team shared a new kind of spotlight and exposed their brand in the pathways of new fans, they increase their following on Twitter and and most importantly the charitable organizations benefited.

In the meantime, the UFC 121 event was taking place in Anaheim, CA. To generate buzz on that front, Amy Martin was on the scene with UFC President Dana White sending out his personal phone number to more than 5 million UFC fans on facebook and twitter. By the end of the night, the UFC secured 8 of the 10 worldwide trending topics as the world watched history in the making.

Needless to say, we’ve posted this on our fridge at the dR office for a few days. ]]> http://www.thedigitalroyalty.com/2010/ufc-and-la-kings-keeping-it-trendy-worldwide-2/feed/ 3 http://www.thedigitalroyalty.com/2010/celebrity-shares-phone-number-with-4-3-million-fans-2/ http://www.thedigitalroyalty.com/2010/celebrity-shares-phone-number-with-4-3-million-fans-2/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:32:09 +0000 Digital Royalty http://www.thedigitalroyalty.com/?p=1517

It happened so quickly, some of us may not have even noticed. But one night, several weeks ago, a president of a professional sports league sent out his office phone number to over 1 million fans. By accident.

What happened next? Well, the expected. The phone began ringing off the hook and fans retweeted the phone number, spreading it like wildfire. What was less expected was when the pro sports president began fielding these calls and carried on conversations with numerous fans for close to 90 minutes.

This was Dana White, President of UFC. What was Dana’s initial reaction? “If I’m dumb enough to tweet my number on here, I’m going to sit here and I’m going to talk to these people.”

At Digital Royalty, we listened to the overwhelmingly positive fan feedback and knew we could build upon this situation, learn something from the “accident” and make it something bigger. We used Dana’s serendipitous, misfired tweet as inspiration to develop a concept that will give fans unprecedented access to this larger than life personality. We always set out to bridge the virtual and physical worlds, providing value to fans when, where and how they want to receive it.

Dana now has a socially dedicated phone line with a number that will be available through all his social media channels, which total 4.3 million fans on Facebook and Twitter combined. Whenever Dana has free time to chat with fans, he’ll turn the phone on and invite the 4.3+ million people to give him a ring. Taking time to talk with fans is something that Dana really enjoys. This concept wouldn’t work without an authentic desire to connect with his fans.
When asked about accidently tweeting his number, Dana said: “And then when it was over I was like, that was cool, I’m actually glad that happened.”

On Saturday, Dana gave his phone number to the 4.3 million fans. Within 5 minutes, his number reached over 9 million people via social media due to celebrities retweeting the number. We shared the experience virtually by hypersyndicating video of this taking place for his entire network to watch. The fan reaction was just as we anticipated. Fans from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and all over the world called in to make their predications moments before the event. A powerful testament to social media providing a unique value to fans that can’t be found anywhere else.