Digital Media Cafe Blog – Featuring Glasgow 2014, The Locker and Tour de France – David Granger
July 23, 2014
A Friendlier, Social Games: Glasgow 2014
While the Commonwealth Games may not have the scale – or the associated cost – of an Olympics, the Glasgow 2014 organisers have gone big on social media and done it with a great tone of voice, some interesting content and, perhaps most importantly for the friendly game, excellent examples of engaging fans and local communities. As well as getting in early on Facebook, Twitterand quaintly Flickr, all this content is aggregated in a Social Hub on the main Glasgow 2014 site. And this is not only a great shortcut to everything featured, but also a chance to see how the games has through elements such as the Queen’s Baton Relay and use of hashtags – including my favourite Let’s Hear You – taken things back to the fans and the people in the UK to make it as relevant as possible. Which is a tough gig after the World Cup and Wimbledon but the Games organisers have done a great job – it will be interesting to see how social and digital content evolves when the on field action starts.
The Locker: Room for another channel
Many new social channels in sport concentrate on the fans, the consumers. But a new site has just launched in the US with the athletes being the centre of a community. TheLocker was founded by two former lacrosse players with two aims: to allow players to highlight themselves via social media and purchase gear their rivals or team-mates might be using. A bit like the business networking site LinkedIn, TheLocker means players can connect with other teams, coaches and recruiters showcasing their talents, profile and pictures; including images of what they wear and use – and others can then order and buy that directly from the site. Currently TheLocker is tailored to the lacrosse scene in the US, but the aim is to expand the reach to other sports in the near future.
Stop Snapping Sporting Selfies
The curse of the selfie has hit two sports in recent weeks and while it’s nice to show you’ve been there when Tiger Woods tees off or the Tour de France comes past your front garden, the athletes aren’t always so enamored. It might be funny if, in the case of the Tour de France, it wasn’t quite so dangerous. As Marcel Kittel reported some spectators were in the middle of the road taking pictures and when the peloton comes, they move off, but they leave grandma in the wheelchair still there… and while other riders tweeted that selfie-taking was “a dangerous mix of vanity and stupidity.” Tiger’s problems were more, well, just cameras going off, rather than selfies per se – not as dangerous but very off-putting. So, put it on silent, turn off the flash and please don’t shoot Tiger.
Watch the Digital Media Cafe on iSportconnect TV
Having spent eight seasons in Formula One managing the digital channels for world champions Red Bull Racing, David Granger now runs Fact 51, a social and digital content agency.
David’s 
{jcomments on}