Athletes and Social Media: Is It a Good Mix?

Posted on by smit1817
43

The Controversial Call

After the huge controversial call at the end of the Packers and Seahawks game, social media sites were flooding with traffic. One Twitter profile I became particularly attracted to was . His anger is quite obvious and his use of f bombs towards the replacement refs got me to thinking: What are the rules when it comes to social media and athletes?

Example of TJ Lang's Tweets

The Rules

According to a Mashable Article, there are several rules I was unaware of. I had no idea that players could use social media up until 90 minutes before the game, although this makes sense. It was also news to me that officials, as well as anyone in the officiating department, are not allowed to use social media at all. This article then gives examples of players that violated the rules, including Chad OchoCinco. By breaking the rules, he was fined $25,000! I would rather keep my money than throw it away by engaging in social media.

Another article I found dealt with social media and the Olympics. One of the rules that caught my eye was that the athletes were not allowed to promote and brands, products or services. I would think that the Olympics would be an excellent way for athletes to promote certain brands, but the IOC will not allow it.

Check out some other rules and regulations that athletes have to abide by. Do you agree with them?

Posted in Uncategorized | 43 Replies

Is It In You?

Posted on by smit1817
5

Gatorade is probably the most well known sports drink of our time. Turn your t.v. to a NFL or college football game and you will without a doubt notice large, orange Gatorade containers on the sidelines and the players drinking from green Gatorade cups. But, how did Gatorade get so famous?

The history of Gatorade begins at the University of Florida where the assistant football coach wanted to know why his players were being greatly affected by the heat during practice and games. After research was conducted by physicians at the university, it was found out that the players were losing fluids, electrolytes and carbohydrates through sweat and these things weren’t being replaced. This conclusion was then taken to the lab where a liquid was created to replenish the bodies of these athletes: Gatorade.

The way in which Gatorade was marketed towards athletes is definitely why Gatorade is the go to drink. People from Serena Williams to Robert Griffin III are used in to promote the brand and are used in numerous advertisements. Watching the commercials of famous athletes pushing themselves to the limit will get any sports fan riled up. One of my favorite commercials uses old footage from Michael Jordan’s flu game in 1997. This advertisement can be seen

If you go to Gatorade’s website, you can check out all the athletes that are dedicated to Gatorade. If you click on the athletes picture, you get a full profile of their greatest achievements and a cool moving picture of the athlete.

Check out Gatorade’s for the latest news article about athletes, contests and more.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Replies

Spartans! Prepare for Glory

Posted on by smit1817
8

As the famous rivalry of Michigan State and Michigan football creeps closer (October 20) I couldn’t help but have a flash back of last years game. Not only were we victorious (once again) but there was something else that stood out on the field: the new Nike Pro Combat Jerseys.

Now, these just weren’t your typical green and white uniforms. There was now bronze on the jersey, which really added to the the ancient Greek aspect of Spartans. I think Nike created and excellent campaign when it came to designing new football jerseys for a few selected college teams. Not only did the public get to watch these bold new jerseys on the field, we also had the opportunity to buy the same apparel our favorite football team was wearing. Nike was not just thinking about what the players were going to wear, they were also thinking about what the fans would wear. I cannot even tell you how many people I saw that day wearing the MSU Nike pro combat sweatshirts, jerseys and even the gloves that the players wear. And I’ll admit it that I went out and bought a shirt as well.  All the stores selling this merchandise definitely had to make some major bucks. They had a huge unveiling, and the new uniforms were showcased through detailed photos and even a video.

Now Nike is not releasing Nike Pro Combat uniforms for MSU this year (which is quite disappointing if I do say so myself), but they are releasing them for other college football teams. I’m thinking that they will generate a lot of revenue and it is a great way to keep Nike on every sport fans mind.

What did you think about MSU’s Nike Pro Combat uniforms last year? How do you feel Nike did on their campaign this year for the new jerseys?

Posted in Advertising, Sports Marketing | 8 Replies