Judy Battista of the New York Times recently discussed some team’s rules prohibiting NFL players from using Twitter and social media during the season, specifically, games, practices and team functions.

I have to admit, I’m on the fence with this one. On one hand, I say, “please, give me a break.” Even if a player were to run his mouth (Tweet) about an injury or something said in the locker room, is it REALLY going to affect the outcome of a game, or is this just another way for NFL teams to tighten the reigns on its players, who do not have a good track record with staying out of trouble?

On the other hand, if I were a coach I wouldn’t want one of my players Tweeting during a meeting, much less during a game. These guys get paid millions of dollars to be the best at what they do. Put the mobile device down and pay attention!

The NFL does not have a league-wide social media policy for its players, and I don’t believe it should. Let the teams decide for themselves if they need to develop and enforce social media rules. It is what it is –social. Players should be able to have Facebook and Twitter accounts if they so choose. Maybe the rookies should be required to take a “responsible Tweeting” class at the NFL Rookie Symposium, but if the NFL enacts a ban on social media it begs the question, “What’s next? Am I allowed to talk…at all?” And if you want to take it to the highest level, “Do NFL players have different freedom of speech rights because they play in the NFL?” Hmmm…let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point.

Already, many college programs today restrict the use of Facebook by its student athletes to help prevent the posting of incriminating information that could be used against them (read: they don’t want pictures of the football captain drunk at a party showing up anywhere). I agree with these restrictions. These student-athletes are obligated to represent their school, their community, their sport and their teammates to the best of their ability. Does the same ring true in the NFL? They only wish.

The NFL is still trying this Twitter craze on for size, and much like the other pro leagues, isn’t sure how to use it to it’s advantage, or more importantly, how to control its users.

Matt Hansen
Account Supervisor

I’ve commented before on the communications style of Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh and he continues to impress.

His email to employees about Zappos’ sale to Amazon is, quite simply, amazing. And here’s why:

• He asks upfront that people take the time to thoroughly read the email
• The entire email reads like he is personally talking to each employee
• The language is clean and simple throughout – he uses words that people use in everyday conversations
• There are consistent links back to the company’s culture, team, community that are authentic, not forced
• Tough questions are addressed head on, early in the email
• The links to strategy are clearly defined and easy to understand
• Regulatory concepts are presented with explanations that aren’t offensive if people already know the meaning
• The email included a video of Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO talking equally authentically to Zappos employees
• Tony shared it externally on this Twitter page and the Bezos video is posted at YouTube

CEOs and leaders hesitate to communicate more frankly, personally or publicly because of regulatory and legal constraints. Tony’s email demonstrates there are effective ways to manage those constraints and communicate in an open, candid way with employees and beyond.

Clearly his style has struck a chord with communicators. As of this writing, more than 2,200 people have posted links to his email through their Twitter accounts.

When companies talk about being open and honest rarely do we get an opportunity to so publicly decide whether they’re paying that off. In this case, it’s easy to see that Zappos is.

What have I missed? How else is his email an example of communicating openly and honestly? Or do you disagree?

Kellie Due Weiland
Account Director

I did it. In a past Waxing I wrote about how I’m trying to climb the social media ladder. Well, I moved up a rung by caving in and accepting Twitter as a social media avenue worth exploring for professional development. In particular, for sports marketing and sponsorship activation. You can find me @SportsMarkGuy.

As I try to stay afloat in the twitterverse, I’ll be analyzing how teams, sponsors and athletes market themselves through Twitter. Shaq (@THE_REAL_SHAQ) and the Phoenix Suns (@PhoenixSunsGirl) are among the leaders when it comes to using Twitter as a marketing tool. What can we (consumers and corporate communicators) learn from Shaq’s Twitter popularity, and when will the NBA’s popularity with Twitter spill over into the other major sports leagues? It’s difficult to find players or teams in the NHL using Twitter, but NBA players are Tweeting at halftime!

What I DO think is that Twitter will become the new handshake, or even autograph, between fans and athletes. Will it be just as cool to have Shaq wave to you as he gets into his car after a game, as it is to tell your friends that you are following Shaq on Twitter and he’s eating a pizza in downtown Phoenix right now? Twitter brings these bigger-than-life athletes down to the same level as their fans and allows a connection to be made that has been lost over the years.

Cool Tweets

It’s been about 48 hours since I joined Twitter. Here are two cool Tweets I’ve come across that are great examples of the continually evolving media landscape,

1. Pardon The Interruption (PTI, @PTIShow), a daily ESPN show, has asked people on Twitter to submit ideas for guests on their show.
2. David Schwab @david_schwab, VP and managing director for First Call (a division of Octagon) “twitterviewed” Billy Bush via Twitter and posted the transcript on his First Call blog.

Sponsorship Madness

Notice anything different behind the benches and in the hands of the players in the NCAA basketball tournament? It’s not Gatorade, it’s Vitamin Water. While it would have been thrilling to be a fly on the wall during those sponsorship negotiations, my question is how could Gatorade/Pepsi let this happen?!

It shows up as a clear sign of defeat to consumers when you lose your staple sponsorship to your competitor – all types of questions are begging to be answered. I’d like to know the figures paid, but it shouldn’t matter. Whatever Coke offered to pay for the sponsorship, Pepsi should have beaten it – no matter what. What’s Pepsi’s philosophy behind this? Coke paid $4.1 billion for Vitamin Water a couple of years ago. If that’s not reason enough for Gatorade to be scared and be sure it holds and expands its sponsorship marketing, I don’t know what is. By the way, what’s happened to PowerAde? Is the writing on the wall for the slow discontinuation of the brand?

Matt Hansen

Beehive PR

Despite the abysmal economy and massive bailout efforts, large corporations – including financial institutions – continue to dish out large sums of money for naming rights to stadiums. To the public this may look like either a waste of money or the big and powerful flexing their muscle at the expense of the little people.

But, as Tom Van Riper discusses in his most recent Forbes.com column, “Why the Mets Deal is Right for Citi”, naming rights to a stadium generally result in a good investment for both the stadium/team and the corporation.

Twenty years, $400 million. 25 years, $125 million. 30 years, $120 million. These are some of the most recent MLB stadium naming rights deals that have been finalized over the past 36 months, with the average hovering around $2.6 million annually (chump change, really, when looking at these corporations’ expenditures sheets).

These sponsorship deals become more than just a sign on a building. Included in these deals are activation platforms, exclusive rights to in-stadium products (i.e. Coca-Cola pouring rights) and services (i.e. ATMs and banking services for Citi) promotions, on-site sales and advertising. If properly managed, marketed and activated, these naming rights deals can have a return of upwards of 20 percent annually. In addition, naming rights provide another vehicle for these companies to become leaders in the community and activate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs.

Local Fortune 500 company, Target, recently signed a 25-year naming rights deal with the Minnesota Twins that, if willing, can showcase their dedication to the downtown Minneapolis area and the surrounding communities. With Target already having the naming rights to Target Field’s neighbor, the Target Center, the company essentially “owns” this four-block span of downtown that has potential for revitalization and economic growth. And, with such a wide product offering, the opportunities for community partnerships, charity involvement and product donations (in addition to what Target already does), are multiplied by this deal.

So, next time you head to a concert or sporting event to cheer on your favorite team, think about the name of the stadium or arena, and be attentive to how that company activates that sponsorship within the building and community. You may be surprised.

Matt Hansen
Account Supervisor

While it’s true the economy continues to plummet and corporations are cutting back on their entertainment and hospitality budgets (don’t worry, the Maxim party is still going to happen for those of you lucky enough to be invited), sponsorships and community programs surrounding the Super Bowl continue to thrive. It’s not just the million dollar commercials ($3 million for a 30-second spot during this year’s Super Bowl on NBC) where products and services will be advertised, marketed and shamelessly promoted during Super Bowl week.

David Schwab of First Call, Octagon’s celebrity acquisition and activation company, recently wrote about some of the high-profile celebrities making their way down radio row and engaging in the Tampa nightlife to promote everything from dog food to credit cards.

Chances are any interview you hear or see this week with a celebrity down in Tampa will be part of a media tour setup by the company that hired them as a spokesperson. While these tactics aren’t groundbreaking, and we know the struggles the NFL has with off-the-field behavior, what sometimes gets lost is the community involvement the NFL and its players have done such a great job of over the years.

In the First Call blog, you see what the Barber brothers, Jay Cutler, Brady Quinn, Kurt Warner and Vinny Testaverde are doing, to name a few. They give back to the community and realize the importance of helping the markets they are in. Is it good for their reputation and marketability? Absolutely, but it shouldn’t take away from the good they are doing.

Taste of the NFL is another worthwhile annual program that was started during the Super Bowl in Minneapolis many years back and continues to raise substantial amounts of money for local and national hunger organizations.

Learning from the NFL, the NBA will host its first Taste of the NBA event at this year’s All-Star game in Phoenix. These events and the support of the players and the player’s unions to benefit the community can help all leagues (NHL, MLB, NBA, PGA) with their marketability and reputation. It’s true that all of these leagues are involved in community and awareness programs on some level, but taking a page out of the NFL’s playbook would be beneficial to all.

Matt Hansen
Account Supervisor

Remember the days when reporters would hang around with pro athletes, maybe even have dinner with them after the game? Me neither. Excluding NASCAR, access to professional athletes, especially the stars, continues to decrease on a yearly basis.

Today’s salaries (ego), endorsements (ego), visibility and popularity (ego), free agency, etc. have all but put an end to a fan greeting their favorite player after the game, or the media being able to have an honest conversation with an elite professional athlete for longer than 30 seconds. The leagues (NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB) will claim privacy, security and reputation control (see Sean Avery) but come on, really? These guys are more of a threat to themselves then anyone being a threat to them. See Plaxico Burress, or the NFL in general.

Each of the four major leagues has strict media availability policies limiting media to certain amount of player/locker room access after games and practices. For fans, good luck getting a glimpse of your favorite player unless it’s on the playing field, in a commercial or at one of the three community events or autograph signings their contract requires them to attend.

Friend or family? Even Minnesota Wild forward Marian Gaborik’s representative was recently banned from the friends and family area of the event level. Is he really a threat to the Wild’s locker room? Since there doesn’t seem to be any type of reform brewing within the leagues to promote their athletes through fan and media access like NASCAR has been credibly praised for, is connecting through social media a good alternative?

[Side note: a NASCAR driver who drives 500 miles at speeds of 200 mph inches away from other cars will do 3-5 hospitality visits and interviews the day of a race prior to getting in the car. Other leagues: good luck getting within 100 ft of the backup's backup the day of a game.]

I recently heard that a certain prominent professional athlete claimed he sends 300 text messages a day. That’s 300 SENT, not including received. Assuming this guy is awake for 14 hours/day (8 am – 10 pm), that comes out to almost one text message being sent every three minutes for the entire 14-hour a day. Wow.

If the leagues aren’t going to embrace face-to-face access it may make sense to establish one, or any, of the following:

• Get a team cell phone and have a “player of the week” who fans can text and get responses to their questions. 300 texts? Send 10 of them to fans.
• Assign a representative (preferably a player) from each team who can maintain a Twitter or Plurk-type account on what the guys are doing, what’s being heard/said, etc. Maybe do it just on the road or on game day. Something more than a team blogger who’s employed by the PR department.

• Create a team Facebook page and have players, coaches, trainers and equipment managers share their favorite songs, foods and cities they like to visit when on the road. Use the page to distribute weekly videos of what’s happening in different player’s lives on and off the field. Fans could vote to determine the player of the week they want to hear from and answer their questions (see FedEx Racing’s Denny Hamlin). The fans would help determine the content of the next video.

Give us something! No wonder there is so much speculation and rumors in today’s sports news cycle. 

Several high-level athletes like Tiger Woods maintain their own Web site, which I believe helps eliminate rumors, speculation and leaks since you’re hearing it straight form the individual. But for those who don’t, there should at least be a way for them to be visible – we certainly know the leagues won’t let them. Critics will point to the Sean Avery issue, but an idiot will always find a way to be an idiot.

And, fewer injuries? Maybe if there was better access Gaborik would have been chatting with the media or fans instead of playing an intense game of hacky sack and injuring his groin. Sorry, “lower body injury” (another topic for another day).

Matt Hansen

Account Supervisor

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 

Kids born today will possibly not know what it’s like to be lost, learn how to read a map or even ask for directions, thanks to advancing and ever-present GPS technology. This same technology-savvy generation also will be faced with distinguishing the difference between paid product placement, product integration and the “old fashioned” commercial.“For younger kids, it’s not even clear what the distinction is between ads and regular programming,” says Robert Weissman, director of a watchdog group called Commercial Alert. Since the 1980s when product placement became commonplace, consumers and audiences have, for the most part, had the luxury of identifying and determining the products being marketed to them through commercials and blatant product placement.

Now, with the popularity of Tivo and DVRs allowing viewers to skip through commercials, the lines are becoming blurred as consumer product companies are increasing their spending (up 13 percent in 2007) on product placement and integration. The “you can run, but you can’t hide” theory is becoming a battle cry in c-suites of Fortune 500 companies. American Idol is the king of product integration with 4,349 placements during its’ 2007 season. Can you guess which brand? If you guessed Coca-Cola you are correct, and it’s exactly what the folks in Atlanta were determined to do – have the consumer associate their brand and product with TV’s most popular and “coolest” show. This is not product placement, it’s product integration.With product integration becoming more prevalent and better “hidden,” it begs the question of whether or not disclaimers are needed every time we see a product placement on television. It’s possible, but how do you run a disclaimer during live television – like an interview with a NASCAR driver after he gets out of the car and just happens to be thirsty for a Mountain Dew while on camera?

Is it okay for the next generation to not know when they are being marketed to? I can’t see constant disclaimers being the appropriate fix (unless we’d like to see a permanent scroll while watching American Idol), but in this age of political correctness and full disclosure, we can expect to see some significant changes in how our children’s nightly viewing experience is presented to them, the consumer.

Matt Hansen
Account Supervisor