Let the Super Bowl Ads begin!

As I was surfing the Internet today, I came across the first full-length commercial that will air during Super Bowl XLVI next Sunday. The commercial was for the 2013 Audi SL7. Check out the ad for yourself below...

While my feelings regarding this particular ad are mixed, the real reason for this post is to express my excitement for the kick-off to what I call Super Bowl Ad Extravaganza, the one day where companies and businesses around the country put all their eggs into one basket and pray that their creative and marketing teams have come up with the ad that everyone will remember days, weeks and even months after football's main event. I remember the commercial that captured everyone's attention last year....The Force: Volkswagen.

With the cost of a 30-second ad continuing to increase, it's becoming more and more important for businesses to make sure their ads are the ones that stick out. And with most of the Super Bowl's audience not caring about the outcome of the game (like me), their attention is solely focused on the commercials. It's to the point where the Super Bowl Sunday is becoming more hyped up for the commercials than the game itself. Therefore, the pressure is on! Who will step up to the plate this year and hit a home-run? Well, we will just have to tune in and find out.

Ted Davis: Bucks Announcer on Social Media

With Twitter (and the rest of the social networking world) becoming so prevalent all around the world, it has become a major component of success for businesses. The same holds true for professional sports teams. Many organizations simply hand the team's social media controls over to the marketing department (or create a social media department) whose sole job is to develop effective social media strategies to engage with fans and increase revenue in creative ways. But a lot of times, it's the people within a sports organization who "aren't" expected to be tweeting that are the ones who are effectively engaging with fans. One such man is Ted Davis, the radio announcer for the Milwaukee Bucks.

A recent newcomer to Twitter, Ted has made it clear that fan interaction is a major reason for his decision to join the major social networking platform. "What is it that he does?" you may ask. It's simple. Before every game, Ted reminds Bucks fans on Twitter that they can tweet him a question and he will look to answer it during the game on the air. It's not a "big" idea that people are going to say WOW! at, but it's an effective idea that Bucks fans are flocking to. Hundreds of fans tweet a question at Ted during the game, and he does his best to answer as many as he can.

This is the type of interaction that fans are looking for. Not just tweets or Facebook posts that highlight deals and leave no room for communication between a team and its fans. But instead, interaction where fans and a team are actually conversing with one another.

The reason I wanted to highlight Ted Davis is to show that it's not just the marketing/Social Media department that can be effective on social media for a team....it's other people within the organization that can as well. Ted Davis is just one of those people, and as a Bucks fan, I can tell you he's doing great.

You can follow Ted Davis on Twitter at the handle @nbated

The Comeback

As many of you may have noticed, I haven't taken to my blog in a while. Between graduating last May and beginning work in the real world, I kind of lost sight of what I had created here. And after a great conversation with a friend of mine and after seeing my brother begin his blog for his year-long journey in Germany, I've come to realize how effective having a blog can be. It's not just for personal reasons of letting out emotion, detailing experiences, or simply sharing any bit of information I feel people should know. It's also effective for career reasons. Blogs are a great way for you to reach a wide audience of potential employers and a great way for people to see what you are all about.

While I began this blog for a class project back in college, I plan on utilizing it as a means to express many of my interests as I move forward in my career. What interests you may ask? My biggest passions in life are sports and social media, but I also enjoy movies, music, and entertainment.

So if you are interested in joining me along for the ride, please follow this blog. I'm looking to put my name out there in the sports and social media world, and every connection helps.

Thus completes my first entry of the new year, and I hope to provide many more along the way.

Take care everyone.