This Saturday (Feb 20, 2010), the 15th edition of the Nissan Verbier Xtreme by Swatch (full name), the final stage of the Freeride World Tour, will take place in the eponymous internationally-renowned Swiss Alps resort. I plan to attend, as it is just an hour’s drive away from my place -- and is usually very spectacular. If you wonder what the fuss is all about, check out the video below.
As I was checking the event’s website (link above) and listening to radio ads promoting it, I asked myself how well the event organisers, sponsors and venue were leveraging social media.
So here’s my totally subjective “Social Media Scorecard” for the 2010 Verbier Xtreme.
Event’s website interactivity: auto-play videos + video gallery; decent image gallery; small “news” and “community” sections; no real visibility of/interactivity with sponsors >> 7/10
Facebook fan page: only for the Freeride World Tour (FWT); few fans, little activity; also Facebook group, only for the FWT; many more group members; frequent/interesting group posts; no customisation of design; little interactivity (discussions) >> 7/10
Dedicated YouTube channel: only for the FWT (FreerideWorldTourTV); customised channel design, comprehensive video footage, sizeable subscribers Nr>> 9/10
Dedicated Twitter account: only for the FWT; no custom design of Twitter profile; account only tweets out info.s, no interactivity>> 6/10
Title sponsor-specific promotions/buzz: production of a few sponsor-themed TV shows; otherwise just banner ads on website’s homepage + at the end of videos >> 5/10
Overall score: 6/10
What do you think? Which other criteria would you take into account? Shae your suggestions and impressions in the comments !
I just came back from an awesome 2-hour (road-)bike ride. Near-perfect spring conditions, dry roads, not too much traffic. Road biking (like running) mostly leaves your mind free to think – and I’m currently thinking quite a bit about sports (I have a triathlon and a marathon coming up in a few months), sports management (how I can contribute to make it better), and about this blog. So I did think during the bike ride. The result: this short post about what can be seen as 2 contradictory aspects of sports – the passion that it invariably generates, and sports as a business.
On the one hand, sports is clearly, undeniably, about passion, emotions. Joy. Tears. We’ve all been there – practicing it or simply as fans. It’s rewarding at times, frustrating or even painful at other times. I don’t know about you, but video footage of triumphing athletes often brings me to tears, literally. And you often want to share those emotions – you want other like-minded people to know about how you feel (and reinforce the community spirit).
On the other hand, sports is a business. Even when you simply exercise, when you want to feel or become better at what you do, you needs a system, a methodology, a vision, a plan. And you need money. So sports is also something that you manage, as efficiently and effectively as possible.
In my view, there is an enabler that (when used properly) bridges the gap between these two dimensions of sports: technology. Take the road bike I use (a Kuota Kharma, so light, smooth and responsive, I love it!). It is the result of ongoing technological innovation, which has had to be initiated and managed by the company which designs & produces it; the company has to be managed properly (leveraging leading-edge technological tools) for its great products to continue to be available for its customers; and it allows me to feel even more passionate about road cycling. Or take this blog. It is only a technological tool, a medium – through which I want to express my passion for sports, and for how well it can be managed.
If you’re passionate about sports, subscribe to this blog – I hope that through the upcoming posts (which I promise will be more regular than they have been so far), I’ll convince you that you can also become passionate about the technology you can leverage to manage sports properly.
As Lewis Howes, one of the most respected authorities in sports networking (don’t miss a post of his Sports Networker blog), likes to say at the end of his newsletters: stay passionate !
Gabriel Mangano defines himself (on Twitter) as an "entrepreneur, social-media fanatic, consultant, coach, sportsman, sports manager - all rolled into one."
