My Journey Up the Ladder
Category: Blog - November 04, 2008
I'll admit it. I'm that guy.
I look at social and new media and understand how it works (for the most part), I understand the importance of it and the opportunities that come with it, but I have a difficult time becoming an active user. I consider myself pretty tech-savvy, and with Email, IM, GPS, text messages and my BlackBerry - what else do I REALLY need to clutter up my day? There's "real" work that needs to be done, and the technology I have now is just fine, thank you.
Well, what if our parents dismissed the idea of email and our grandparents said no thank you to the typewriter? Point taken.
A professional goal of mine is to be more of a social media user and start climbing the ladder - the Social Technographics Ladder.
Until recently, I would have to label myself as a "Spectator" or "Joiner." I'd read, view or listen to user-generated content, visit social networking sites, etc., but anything more would give me a migraine, and I would quickly find something "easier" and more comfortable to do. Once I took the leap of faith and actively participated on LinkedIn (not just to build up my contact list), did some simple Internet research and took a closer look at my traditional resources, I was able to find helpful ways new and social media relates to me.
Having a sports business and marketing focus had me quickly becoming a member and participant at SportsMarketing2.0, National Sports Forum and more. What have I learned? The Ladder for one. How teams are using online tools to track information for sponsors and new tactics to reach target audiences, and what the recommended sports marketing conferences showcase.
In online forum discussions I've participated in (yes, I am proud of myself), it's amazing the ways new mediums continue to effect and shape the sports landscape, some of which the casual, and even avid fan, may be unaware of.
While team and league sponsorships are still typically thought of by the general consumer as stadium naming rights, in-stadium signage and commercials geared towards males ages 18-32, sponsors are taking a closer look at allocating their sponsor dollars online with social media being the vehicle equipped with GPS to find their target. The struggle I see? What happens when these sponsors don't need the team to provide them access to their target? Is that possible? What will sponsorships look like on team Web sites, chat rooms, blogs and text message updates in the future?
Going back to the "cluttered" comment from before - this new research, participation, information gathering and blog post took me, well...a minimal amount of time. Let's leave it at that. Needless to say, I think I'll continue to climb the ladder attempting to leverage these advancing mediums to help make meaningful and smart decisions for our clients' business.
Matt Hansen
Account Supervisor
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