It continues to amaze me when I see how much social media is impacting the world that we live in. The devastating earthquake that recently hit Haiti has once again thrown social media into the spotlight for it’s ability to rally the masses when disaster strikes.  There have been many amazing news stories about how new media (Twitter, Facebook & Mobile in particular) have played a major role in fundraising efforts. Here are a few of these stories:

• Twitter Grows Up in Wake of Aftermath of Haiti Earthquake – The Twitter account for the Red Cross, which on average had been adding roughly 50-100 followers a day before the Haiti quake, has gained more than 10,000 followers since.
• Haiti Earthquake: Twitter Photos Sweep Across the Web – Photos taken by journalist @CarelPedre on his mobile phone are providing a glimpse into the devastation that has slammed the Caribbean nation. Another Twitter user, @MarvinAdy, shared those pictures through TwitPic (), resulting in tens of thousands of views and countless retweets.
• Twitter Used to Help Land Plane With Aid for Haiti Earthquake Victims – Twitter, the messaging service often used by the self-absorbed to update the world on their breakfast choices, may have actually saved lives in Haiti Sunday.

YYC4Haiti Fundraiser

Closer to home, the effect of social media can be seen in the overwhelming support that has been shown for YYC4Haiti, a Calgary fundraiser for the Canadian Red Cross Haiti Relief (organized by @alex_ruiz @C_DIG & @that_angela and supported by a number of great volunteers).  The event, which will be held on Thursday, January 28th at Flames Central has mobilized the city’s social-media and business community to raise funds for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. (Check out the official press release)  All of the Calgary sports teams, including the Flames, Stampeders, Roughnecks and Hitmen have shown their support through donations to the silent auction and many businesses have also stepped up for a good cause.

To hear more about the event from one of the organizers, listen to Camilla Di Giuseppe’s recent interview w/ Rob Breakenridge on AM770 Radio:

YYC4Haiti interview on AM770 Radio

I can’t remember where I heard this term, but “One person may not be able to help a thousand people, but, thousands of people can help one person each!”  We are all fortunate to live in a great country like Canada, so, let’s all do what we can to give back a little!

How You Can Help

Follow the official YYC4Haiti Twitter account: http://twitter.com/yyc4haiti/

Add a Twibbon to your Twitter profile: http://twibbon.com/join/YYC4Haiti

Join the official YYC4Haiti Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/YYC4Haiti/405051695230

Donate to the cause on Facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/433271

RSVP for the YYC4Haiti Event @FlamesCentral: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=294505628046&ref=mf

And, if you are attending the event, keep an eye on Alex Ruiz…..rumor is she’s got her eye on the PEZ basket: http://twitter.com/alex_ruiz/statuses/7966276701

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Trevor Turnbull interviews Steve Dangle (YouTube star) and Laura West (Nike – Digital Brand Manager) at the 2010 World Jr Championships regarding the NikeTraining.ca campaign and social media. To see the complete article visit: http://sportfanconnect.com/nike-steve-dangle-social-media-interview-at-2010-world-jr-championships

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Trevor Turnbull sat down with Mike Yasieniuk (President – http://yastech.ca) to talk about their recent project: Juniors2010.ca. They discuss the site concept, sponsorship, how they used social media to drive traffic to the site and future plans for the site.

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While on my travels over the past 3 months, I have met a number of amazing people in the Sports & Social Media world.  Many of which, I first met and conversed with via social media (Twitter, Facebook, Blogs).

One of these bright minds is Jason Peck. Jason is the author of http://jasonfpeck.com (a blog focused on the sports business, sponsorship, new media, social networking, and whatever else he finds interesting).

I was flattered that Jason asked me to contribute to his new ebook: Sports and Social Media Predictions 2010.  The ebook includes insights from many of the brilliant Sports & Social Media enthusiasts I have met over the past 6 months and provides many great thoughts on where we may be heading in the world of Sports & Social Media in 2010.

2009 has been an amazing year and I believe we have only just begun to see the impact that social media will have in the sports world. I hope to one day meet everyone included in this ebook.  In the meantime, I’ll be sure to follow them online!  I’ve included a list of the contributors at the bottom of this post.  Be sure to give them a look and feel free to drop any one of them a line.  If there is one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s that the online social community is all about sharing!  And these folks are certainly willing to share their time and expertise!

Sports Social Media Predictions 2010

Sports and Social Media Predictions 2010 – Contributors

Brian Gainor - http://partnershipactivation.com
Dan Beeman – http://sponsorshipinsights.com
Darren Heitner – http://sportsagentblog.com
Don, Chris & Kyle – http://blogswithballs.com
Espree Devora – http://zexsports.com
Joe Favorito – http://joefavorito.com
J.W. Cannon – http://twitter.com/khuda1
Lewis Howes – http://sportsnetworker.com
Pat Coyle – http://sportmarketing20.com
Peter Robert Casey – http://peterrobertcasey.com
Rob Katz – http://twitter.com/robkatz
Russell Scibetti – http://thebusinessofsports.com
Ryan Stephens – http://ryanstephensmarketing.com
Steve Cobb – http://activ8social.com
Ty Ahmad-Taylor – http://fanfeedr.com

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While putting in a few hours the other day to research new technologies I may want to incorporate into social media future projects, my colleague, Mike Olaski, came across a the new Ustream iPhone app.  Of course, we had to test this out, but didn’t have high expectations as most new high-tech apps always have a few bugs that make you quit using them after a few minutes.  And, of course, both of us are still sporting the iPhone 3G which, of course, does not have a video recorder built in.

For those of you that are not familiar with the service, Ustream allows anyone with a Webcam to broadcast live video to a private or public audience. In this case, the iPhone acts as the Webcam; all you need is a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. (If there’s no connection available, you can record your video and upload it to the service later.)

uStream Broadcaster

So, the two of us downloaded all three of the new Ustream iPhone apps (Broadcaster, Viewer, Recorder).  The Broadcaster app was the most intriguing as it was claiming to be able to stream live video as well as a number of other cool features.

To our amazement, the app worked seamlessly and soon we were watching each others live streams on our personal Ustream channels.  Obviously, the quality of the video was not exceptional, but considering that we were recording video and audio on a iPhone 3G, the two of us had all kinds of ideas in our heads on how we could leverage this new tool!

Here’s a peak at some of our live video recordings over the past few days (again, keep in mind that we were just testing, so there is no real theme here.  But, it will give you an idea of how the new app works!)

Mike’s Ustream channel – http://ustre.am/98fL

Trevor’s Ustream channel - http://ustre.am/698u

Features

The fact that this app allows you to stream live video to the internet with an iPhone 3G is cool enough, but there are a number of other features that really make this my favorite new iPhone app.

1. Broadcasting – You can choose to broadcast the video “Live” where the feed is sent instantly to your personal uStream channel.  Or, you can choose to record “Local” where your video is recorded and saved on your phones harddrive
2. Geo-location allows you to record where the broadcast originated and then gets included in your description when you are done recording
3. Polling - this feature allows you to ask viewers a question and get an instant “Yes” or “No” response (Although I haven’t used this feature, I think it could be quite useful if you have a large audience and want to put out a quick poll.  However, the simple Yes/No options are quite limiting
4. Live Tweet – There is a Twitter “share” feature included that allows you to sync your personal Twitter account to the app.  By simply pressing this button, an automatic tweet is generated that looks something like this. “I’m broadcasting, from my iPhone, live on Ustream. Come watch! http://ustre.am/698u”
5. Saving – Once you are finished broadcasting, the app asks you if you’d like to save the video (By clicking “Yes”, it takes you to a screen that allows you to give the video a Title and description.  The time, location and date are automatically included in the description)
6. Sharing – Once the video is saved, you have the option to then “Share” the video with your social network through Ustream, Twitter, Facebook, AIM, MySpace and YouTube (Each one of these accounts can be linked to your Ustream account by logging into your Ustream profile online)

I recorded a short video to test out the SHARING feature.  If you check out my social accounts listed in the sentence above, you’ll see that this video was automatically posted to all of my personal social accounts as well.

Conclusion

There have been a ton of amazing advancements in technology this past year, but this app could be one that changes the way organizations, businesses, brands, sports teams, athletes, etc use social media.  One of the biggest challenges of social media is the time commitment. Many people fear, and are hesitant to engage in social media because they feel they are busy enough with their own daily lives to get involved. The idea of managing multiple accounts and making sure that you are not neglecting one vs another is challenging to say the least (if not impossible).

I research and use social media tools in my everyday life as a social media consultant, so when I come across an app like this, it gets me very excited!!  The fact that you can stream live video to the internet with a phone that does not include a video recorder is amazing enough.  But, what makes it even better is that you can link all of your social accounts to the app and with one push of a button, send your video out to your entire social network.

Since downloading and testing the app, my head is spinning with ideas on how to incorporate this into my future projects. I look forward to sharing those ideas with everyone very soon!  In the meantime, once you’ve had a chance to try the app yourself, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment!

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While researching the latest news surround Social Media in Sports, I came across this video produced by Hockey Night in Canada (Inside Hockey). In the video, Elliotte Friedman (HNIC Reporter) talks about the impact social media is having on sports and the NHL in particular.

Some key points from the video include:

1. Tampa Bay Lightning become first team in any sport to announce a trade via Twitter (before releasing thru any other media)
2. Ted Leonsis (Washington Capitals owner) discussed how he predicted that traditional media (TV, newspaper) would be in deep financial trouble.  Also acknowledged that the fan base would become big contributors of content. He is quoted as saying: “It’s not a matter of should you acknowledge bloggers, its imperative that you embrace bloggers and use social networks to your advantage”
3. NHL players were shown videos warning them of the impact social media can have on their reputation as “high-profile athletes”
4. Ted Leonsis discusses the fake Twitter account setup under Washington Capitals defenseman – Jeff Schultz.  He says his reaction was not to try to shut it down, but rather, to encourage Jeff Schultz to establish his own official Twitter account.
5. NHL star, Keith Tkachuk, was the victim of identity fraud
6. Sports Agent, Allen Walsh, announced via Twitter that his client, Scott Hartnell, would not be suspended for his butt-end on Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.
7. Ted Leonsis states ” There is a lot more positive that will come out of being authentic, reaching out and being interactive with your fan base than being stand-offish.  This is not going away, it is only going to get more personal, it’s only going to get more interactive. Prices are coming down, technology is getting better…..this is like oxygen…..get used to it!”
8. NHL is considering implementing rules on when it’s players can and can’t use social media.

Needless to say……the best part about this video is Ted Leonsis’s quote stating that there is way more upside to being authentic and participating in social media….rather than trying to stop it.  I recently wrote an article on the Washington Capitals approach to Twitter after visiting with Nate Ewell (Washington Capitals Director of Media Relations) at the Capitals exhibition game vs the Chicago Blackhawks.  See what Nate had to say about their approach to Twitter: http://sportfanconnect.com/day-3-capitals-vs-blackhawks-nhl-twitter. As you’ll notice, the leadership and vision of Ted Leonsis resonates throughout the whole Washington Capitals organization.

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On my travels during the Sport-Fan Connection Tour (http://sportfanconnect.com), I made my way down to Charlotte, NC to meet with Kathleen Hessert and all the great people at Sports Media Challenge. They are doing some exciting things there around social media training, strategy, audits and monitoring (BuzzManager).

Jackie Adkins (Media Analyst w/ SMC) asked me to summarize my travels and tell all their followers about Sport Fan Connect. Here’s a link to the article they posted on their BuzzManager blog and here’s the video posted on YouTube:

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I thought I’d share my recent experience with WestJet as it was one that started sour and ended sweet!

Let me start by saying that I (along with many others) have been quite frustrated by the recent “re-launch” of http://westjet.com.  That being said, I can only imagine how frustrated Westjet must be in having to field all of those calls while their online booking system is not working properly.

I was scheduled to fly from Saskatoon to Vancouver tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct 27th) on a flight that I booked some 2 months ago.  As my plans have changed due to my recent sports tour/holiday (http://sportfanconnect.com), I found myself needing to cancel my flight as I will now be leaving tommorow from Ft. Lauderdale to Vancouver.  In the past, the process has been very simple:

1. Log into your online account
2. Enter your confirmation number and confirm your identity
3. Cancel your flight within 2 hours of flying and get a full credit (minus the $50 change fee – which is one of the lowest among all airlines)
4. If that fails, you could always call the 1-888-WESTJET call centre and, in most cases, have your problem solved within 5 minutes.

Today, however, that was not the case.  Being accustomed to trying to solve my own problems online…I first went to the website to try to cancel my flight.  Not possible at this time.  So, I resorted to Plan B and called the 1-888 # and was informed via prerecorded message that the average wait time is now “60 minutes”!!! No, not 6 minutes…….6-0 minutes!!  So, not thinking there were any other options, I decided to wait it out.

I made it to about the 30 minute mark when my call was finally answered……only to be told that the person I was talking to couldn’t help me because my ticket was booked before the did the website re-engineering.  So, back on hold I go   Another 30 minutes later, I hear silence (usually a good sign because I think it means that someone might pick up on the other end).  But, this was not the case……..CALL DISCONNECTED!!!! (Note the all caps which translates to….not impressed!!)

So, once calmed down, I started to weigh my options:

1. Get back on the phone and wait it out
2. Track down an email address so I can at least have record that I was trying to cancel my flight….but couldn’t reach anyone (that proved to not be an option as I couldn’t find an email address on their website)

At this point….I didn’t like my options.  Then, it hit me……………why not try Twitter???  They seem to be engaged in conversation with most people that try to talk to them on Twitter.  So, it was worth a shot!

I went straight to my Seesmic Desktop application and entered the following message:

trevorturnbull: @westjet tried calling in to cancel my flight tomm…on hold for 1hr then got disconnected. Cant find an email address on your website

Here was the Direct Message reply (approx 10 minutes later):

Westjet: Email us at twitter@westjet.com and we’ll see what we can do to help

I promptly followed up with an email explaining my situation as well as a copy of my email confirmation with the reservation number and all my contact info. Here is a screenshot of the conversation that followed on Twitter.

Being in the business of social media consulting, I come across examples of best practice all the time.  But, when you have a first hand experience like I did today, a person really starts to understand the power of social media. I think the biggest lesson learned from this is that it is one thing to say you “do” social media as a company, but it is another thing to actually do it well!  This is a shining example of how to do it right.  Westjet is not just using a social tool like Twitter to broadcast messages in the way that traditional media works.  Rather, they are taking the time to engage in the two-way conversation made possible through social media.

I have always been one to check Westjet first when looking to book flights.  My previous experiences have all been good, so, I’ve never had any reason to jump ship (unless they don’t happen to fly to my preferred destination….but that is becoming few and far between nowadays with the addition of many US flights now offered by Westjet.

I’m sure there are many people that have felt frustrated with Westjet over the past few weeks. We are all so used to technology just “working” that when it fails, we don’t know what to do with ourselves! Westjet’s use of Twitter is a great example of how all companies/brands/teams/etc can use social media to create engaging experiences that result in loyal customers.  I’d like to see a radio ad or brochure do the same thing

The only thing I would suggest to them is that they more prominently promote their Twitter account through all of their other marketing channels.  I make fun of traditional media…….but the reality is, you need to combine your efforts in order to reach as many people as possible.  Therefor, cross promotion between their TV, Radio, Print, Online and Social marketing is key for maximum success.  After all, I’m sure my parents wouldn’t have thought to ask their question on Twitter like I did today.  But clearly, THEY SHOULD KNOW THIS!  And, the first step is educating people in as many ways as possible.

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We recently ran an online contest on Sport-Fan Connect called Capitals Fan Connect where we asked entrants to submit a video or written story explaining how they connect with Sports using social media.  Roberto, Judy and Sofia Coquis (otherwise known on Twitter as @30ballparksbaby) were our winners.

We met them the night before the Washington Capitals home opener at the Baltimore Orioles game after finding them using the “Nearby” feature on Tweetie (Twitter iPhone application).  Their story was the perfect example of how social media can connect fans with their favorite leagues, teams and other fans.

In this video, we show how we found them at the Orioles game using Twitter which eventually led to an interview at Camden Yards.  We then chatted the following day in front of Capital Hill in Washington, DC to award them the Washington Capitals tickets.  Finally, we put together a short piece that shows the excitement around the Washington Capitals home opener and wrap things up with a conversation at the game with our winners. Needless to say, the Washington Capitals and the NHL have inherited 3 new fans thanks to the power of social media!!

Stay tuned for another video where we talk about their amazing tour in more detail and they tell us a bit about their upcoming charity auction on October 28, 2009. You can check out their website for details on the items available for auction at http://30ballparksandababy.com

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South Carolina Stingrays – Facebook

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