Evolution of Mobility Technology and Marketing

Based on all the mobile features that exist today,
what sports organizations or brands are using mobility to engage their audience?


Based on all the mobile features that exist today, the one that I am going to discuss is the Brooklyn Nets and how they use mobile technology to engage with fans. The Brooklyn Nets are a professional NBA team that is based out of Brooklyn, New York. The Nets have a new state of the art arena that allows fans to connect to the arenas high powered wifi. Every time a fans enters the arena, they receive a notification to their phone to connect to the arenas free wifi.

The Brooklyn Nets arena offers a mobile app for fans to download and use in their arena. What makes this arena stand out from the rest is the insane accessibility that every fan has wherever they are in the arena, making their experience at the Barclays Center unforgettable. This application does just about everything once inside the arena. You can see multiple camera feed channels, including instant replays, baseline, backboard and overhead camera angles. You can check in to the arena and chat with other fans that are there, take and share photos to social media, order food directly to your seat and even check bathroom and concession lines. Technology has advanced at a rapid pace and the Nets are among a long list of sports organizations that are taking full advantage of this advancement to engage with their audience like never before.

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/how-barclays-center-uses-technology-constantly-improve-modern-fan-experience-167723

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-sports-teams-are-scrambling-to-keep-millennials-coming-to-games/

Interview a Public Relations Professional

Public Relations:

Interview a Public Relations Professional 

Name of PR professional: 

Abbey Dane

Position/Title:

Managing Editor

Location: 

Bellevue Baptist Church

Contact: ADane@Bellevue.org

•  AN INTRODUCTION OF THE PR PROFESSIONAL AND THEIR CURRENT POSITION.

I currently work in the Communications office of Bellevue as the Managing

Editor. While this position¹s primary focus is writing and editing for the

organization, a large component also involves marketing and public

relations support. I also formerly worked for 8 years in the marketing and

communications office at the Memphis Zoo, four of which were in the role

of Director. Some of my answers below will reflect the time I spent in

that capacity. 

• WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND HOW DO THESE RESPONSIBILITIES INTEGRATE WITH MARKETING AND BUSINESS OBJECTIVES FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND/OR CLIENTS?

I am responsible for helping control the message that goes out from our

organization. As an editor this takes on a somewhat superficial role in

merely making sure we use correct grammar and punctuation in everything

that goes out. But on a deeper level, my job is to also work closely with

our graphics and media departments to ensure the image and brand of our

organization is viewed in a positive light anywhere we are represented. I

work closely with our other departments throughout the organization as

well to ensure their voice reflects the mission and vision of the

organization as a whole. For any business, it is important that the

vision is always maintained, in every form of communication, no matter

the audience. It is my job to make sure that brand and that image is

preserved across the board.

• WHAT METHODS OF COMMUNICATIONS DOES THE ORGANIZATION USE TO REACH THE PUBLIC AND HOW ARE THEY EFFECTIVE? 

For the sake of utilizing a holistic marketing approach, we use a variety

of means to reach the public, and the scope of those methods are sometimes

narrowed for the sake of reaching a target demographic. We know that as a

church, and this was also true of the Zoo, our target demographic is women

(25-55, roughly). Many times they are the ones making decision in the

homes regarding church (and vacations, as it were for the Zoo). So in any

broad-stroke marketing we do, communication that is meant to draw a large

audience to an event anyone can attend, we will use multiple channels for

the sake of reaching the most people with the same message. This will

include TV, radio, outdoor signage, digital marketing, direct mail, and of

course, social media. However, depending on the budget and the event, we

might narrow that for a smaller, more targeted event. For instance, if we

are holding a small conference for the men in the church, we would likely

only utilize direct mail, digital marketing, and radio for our primary

avenues. But if we are doing a women¹s event, we concentrate a large

portion of our budget on social media and internal communication through

our women¹s ministry. This is what makes research so important to any

business model. It¹s crucial to know who you are talking to and how to

talk to them.

• WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES YOU HAVE USED TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS AND WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?

During my time at the Zoo, we did a social media campaign that was very

interactive and asked our audience to send us some of their favorite

childhood memories from the Zoo. We later used those images and memories

to spill over into a larger, holistic marketing campaign that included

billboards, TV, in-park experience, and larger social media efforts. The

results were outstanding. Our visitor surveys showed that our audience was

aware of our marketing and had noticed our external messages. This

particular campaign really reached out to our audience on an emotional

level and created a personal connection. You can never go wrong when you

let your audience know you see them and appreciate their voice.

• HOW HAS YOUR PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICE AFFECTED THE REPUTATION OF THE ORGANIZATION AND/OR CLIENTS?

From my experience with the Zoo, during the campaign mentioned in the

previous question, we enjoyed a very positive image in the community of

our organization. Because of that campaign, our visitors and members felt

part of something bigger and felt their role in our organization was

really making a difference in the grand scheme of our vision for the Zoo.

I would say the same is now also true at Bellevue. Our goal is equip our

members to reach out and wrap their arms around their city. Everything we

do supports that vision, and as our members are equipped to help carry out

the church¹s mission, they begin to believe the work they are doing is

making a difference, which reflects positively on the direction of the

church. Our work is extremely important for empowering the Body of Christ,

and as long as our message remains consistent to that end, our members and

visitors can join the work we are doing in ceating a far-reaching,

positive reputation throughout the city.

Spokesperson Blog Post (Drew Brees) (Fictional) (Not an actual post) (Class Purposes ONLY)

My name is Drew Brees, Pro Quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. Im here today to invite you to attend the LA Invitational Golf Tournament which will take place on May 7th, 2016 at the Rio Pinar Country Club located in Orlando, Florida. This event is special because it is the 1st annual LA Invitational to take place. The proceeds collected for this event will be donated to The Boys and Girls Club of America, where the main focus is to raise enough money improvements and renovation projects for its Central Florida locations. 

The Boys and Clubs of America is a national organization that provides after-school programs for our youth. This event is important because it donations will help to improve the facilities for its members to provide them with safe places for learning and after-school activities. The overall goal is to provide support for children and families who are less fortunate and to also help kids better their lives now and prepare them for the future. 

So come on out support a good cause and join us for the 1st ever LA Invitational! Im Drew Brees and I will see you there!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCmc9n4IaL0

Come Join Us!! (Digital News Release) (Not a real event)

ORLANDO - The 1st annual LA Invitational Golf Tournament is an event that will benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, where the focus of the tournament is to raise money to donate to the Boys and Girls Club for improvements and renovation projects for its clubs located in Central Florida. The Boys and Girls Club of America is a national organization that provides after-school programs for youth. These facilities provide safe places for our youth to learn and to help grow them to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Our main focus is to provide support for children and families who are less fortunate and to help kids better their lives now and in the future. The event will take place at the Rio Pinar Country Club, located in Orlando, Florida, on May 7th, 2016, from 9am -6pm. The  

The charity golf tournament will feature a shotgun start with two tee times available, 8 a.m. and 1p.m. This years tournament offers participants a full round of golf that includes 18 holes of golf, golf cart, tournament polo shirt, hot dogs, snacks and beverages throughout their round of golf. The packages also include dinner and drinks during the reception following the tournament. Entry fee for the LA Invitational will be $400 dollars per player and must complete registration 1 week prior to tournament to guarantee availability. We are also offering 3 different sponsorship packages for individuals and corporate sponsors to choose from. All signage and sponsorship activation opportunities vary with each package. The Rio Pinar Country Club is underwriting most of the tournament costs, which will allow for the majority of the proceeds raised by the tournament to go directly to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida. The tournament will take place at the Rio Pinar Country Club in Orlando, Florida, on May 7th, 2016, from 9am to 6pm. So hurry up and register and come join us! Lets make this event special for those who need it most. We will see you there!  

For more information of registration and a complete list of sponsorship packages, or to simply make a donation, contact Luis Ayala at 407-346-6136 or email ayala27@fullsail.edu. 

http://www.bgca.org/Pages/index.aspx

WBA bout cancelled!

My current event that I am going to discuss for this weeks blog post is the boxing fight between Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman. The fight between Thurman and Porter was scheduled to take place this weekend on March 12th, at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. However, the fight was cancelled due to Keith Thurman being involved in a car accident the week prior to the fight. Thurman did not have any immediate injuries, however days after the accident, medical examiners confirmed that Thurman had suffered whiplash from the accident and was forced to have to reschedule for a later date. This was a big fight, one that I personally was looking forward to watching. The fight between these two set to be the main event, as they were fighting for the WBA welterweight title. Unfortunately, the entire undercard bouts could not be salvaged and had to reschedule those fights as well. 

I completely agree with the decision that was made to cancel the fight. I do believe that they did everything possible to make this fight happen, but unfortunately accidents and surprises do happen, where people get hurt and the fight has to be rescheduled. As a huge boxing fan, I would much rather have them reschedule the fight and have both fighters 100%, than have them not reschedule with a fighter having less of an advantage due to an injury. I know there will be questions and disappointments in the days moving forward, but I believe that the boxing commission was right with rescheduling the fight for a later day. As of now, the long-awaited main event between Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter is set to take place on June 25th with the co-feature being WBA featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar taking on Abner Mares. So far the venue has yet to be determined. 

Dennen, J. (2016). Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter cancelled -. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://www.boxingnewsonline.net/keith-thurman-vs-shawn-porter-cancelled/

Velin, B. (2016). Entire March 12 Thurman-Porter CBS boxing card is canceled. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://boxingjunkie.usatoday.com/2016/02/24/entire-march-12-cbs-boxing-card-following-thurman-porter-postponement-is-canceled/

Walk the Talk piece is now available!

For this weeks segment, I decided to write about a few players that the Cowboys should go after in the upcoming NFL draft. I will be discussing three different players and how they would fit in, all the way from needs to wants. So without further delay, here we go. 

First on our list is Joey Bosa, defensive end, Ohio State. Sure the Cowboys have a nice pass rush with the additions of Randy Gregory, Demarcus Lawrence and Greg Hardy, but there have been some developments since the season ended. There are reports that the Boys are going to cut ties with the troubled Greg Hardy and also Randy Gregory has been suspended 4 games for violating the leagues substance abuse rule. This is not great news for us and only makes Joey Bosa a match made in heaven if he falls to us at the 4th pick. Joey Bosa is projected to go number one by most experts. He is just that good! However, I have a different theory. I have a strong feeling that the Titans will take Laremy Tunsil, LT out of Ole Miss to help strengthen their prize possession in Marcus Marietta. Then I think the Brown will go QB at number 2 and take Jared Goff out of California. Then pick 3 is where I think the Chargers could take Boss, but I have a gut feeling that they go WR or CB, maybe Jalen Ramsey, CB out of Florida State. Leaving Bosa still there with the 4th pick. I think that this would be a great fit for the Cowboys and would fill a pass rush void immediately. When you have pro comparisons of a mixture of Jared Allen and J.J. Watt, well it doesn’t take a genius that this kid is nothing less than a beast. 

Next man up, Jared Goff, QB, California. As many of us know, the end of Romo is near. Im a huge Romo supporter and love what he has done for this franchise, but lets be realistic here. Its only a matter of time before age and numerous shoulder and back surgeries will catch up to you. So leads me to believe that the Cowboys could consider taking a QB with the 4th overall pick. Im a big fan of both Goff and Carson Wentz, but the problem here is they are not immediate franchise QBs. We aren’t talking about immediate starters like an Andrew Luck or an RG3. We are talking about players that will have to sit and ride the bench for 2-3 years and wait for their number to be called. Don’t get me wrong, both QBs are good players, but in my eyes, are not worth the value of the 4th overall pick. In my opinion, I think we should go after a QB in free agency and pick a QB in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft. I mean theres even a small chance that Carson Wentz or Paxton Lynch will fall to the 2nd round. That would be golden if it happened that way. 

Next up, RB need. Losing Demarco Murray was one of the worst things we could do. I know he did absolutely horrible in Philly, but it just was not his scheme. He didn’t fit in there at all. In comes Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden for the replacements. I was never a fan of Joseph Randle from the get go. I liked him in college and as a backup RB, but never wanted him to be the main guy. Goes to show my feelings for the guy were not too far off, as he has been dealing with so many off the field incidents and arrests that I literally lost count. McFadden on the other hand surprised us all. I was mortified when I heard the Cowboys had signed him in the off season. Just like many of you, I figured he would not last half of the season due to injury. Well as funny as it may sound, he was probably the healthiest player on our roster! I still like McFadden behind the number one offensive line in the NFL, but age has a way of creeping up on you, especially as physical as the position is. So drafting a RB is definitely a possibility. In comes Heisman winner, Derrick Henry out of Alabama. Henry is probably one of the biggest and most athletic RBs to come out of draft in a long time. At 6’3 and 247 lbs of pure muscle, Henry is nothing less than an absolute beast! Drafting Henry with the 4th is a bold move, but he should come to Dallas and provide immediate production as a starter. 

Well thats it for this week. New segment will be posted next week. Thanks for tuning in!

Walk the Talk segment will be posted tomorrow! Still have a chance to vote now.