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.

Baby Boomers are Embracing Digital Media

In the U.S., 80 million baby boomers have turned 65 and are officially senior citizens...and many of them are turning to digital media. You don't believe me? Well, check out some of these statistics (from an article on Mashable):

• Social network use among Internet users 50+ years old has nearly doubled to 42% over the past year.
• In the U.S. alone, there are nearly 16 million people 55+ years old using Facebook.
• According to Nielsen data, 15% of people 55+ years of age are using smartphones
• A study found that around 13% of people aged 55-64 and 5% of people aged 65+ play games using a smartphone or standard cellphone
• 16% of people aged 50-64 have searched online for information on long-term care for an elderly or disabled person

One of the main reasons that an increasing number of senior citizens have started using social media is to connect with friends and loved ones, and also to shar

e experiences with strangers and new friends over the Internet.

In fact, more often then not, the reason that older people don't use social media ISN'T because of lack of interest, but instead because social media platforms have not been developed with these older people in mind.

With this in mind, there are a few key takeaways that every company should consider if they want to reach the "older" people through social media:

1. A growing number of old adults are taking advantage of the web right now...don't ignore them
2. As society and the web mature, companies and individuals need to make sure they are building the web to empower everyone, not just the young and tech-savvy
3. New technologies and new social media platforms will need to be intuitive and easy to use
4. When these new technologies and social media platforms are ready for use by the public, education is key to ensure senior citizens don't fall behind and become victims of the "digital divide"

In the end, senior citizens may be "old," but if companies want to maintain (and even increase) their success, they will need to develop social media strategies that allow senior citizens to easily use the platforms and technologies available to them.

Thank You Marquette...For Everything

It's late Sunday night as I sit here on my couch watching sports. And then it suddenly hit me...I'm going to be graduating in less than two months. I know it's an overly-used cliche, but it's amazing how time flies by when you're having fun. It feels like just yesterday I was stepping into my freshman dorm room at McCormick hall on Marquette University's campus, anxiously waiting to meet my freshman roommate for the first time while trying to console my mother who was on the verge of tears. Hanging up on a bulletin board in my room is a picture of my twin brother Ben and I with our mom, standing right outside my dorm room. It's amazing to look at that picture and see the long way that I have come in the past 4 years...

I have had the pleasure to meet many new people, make many new friends, and create many fond memories that I will carry with me forever. Who knew that I could have so much fun on such a small campus in such a wonderful city.

In the end of May, Ben and I will be the last of our siblings to graduate from Marquette University. Our other 5 siblings, which includes 2 other sets of twins, all had the pleasure of graduating from this fine establishment. However, Ben and I will be the only set of twins to graduate at the same time, which is such a wonderful way for our family's presence at this University to come to an end....at least until our own children reach college.

I guess what I wanted to share with you in this blog is my appreciation towards Marquette University. People say that college is the best 4 years of your life. As I approach the last couple months of my 4-year stay here at Marquette, I couldn't agree more with that statement. So thank you Marquette for everything that you have helped me to experience these past 4 years, I will never forget it. Now, on to the hectic job search.....

The Concert For Life

In 1995, my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was only given 6-8 months to live. But his strength, will, and love for his family helped him survive 2 more years before he passed away in late 1997....I was only 8 years old. I have very few fond memories of my father, and it's sometimes hard to listen to my older siblings tell stories, laugh and tell their favorite memories of him because I know that I didn't get to spend as much time with him as they did. But every year, there is a time where I hear a lot of new stories from the many people whose lives my father touched....

In 2001, my older brother, Matt Wessel, was a senior in high school when he found out that one of his fellow classmates, Kate Pedersen, was diagnosed with cancer. Her classmates wanted to do something to support her fight, so they approached Matt with an idea. They asked if he would be willing to perform a benefit concert for the American Cancer Society in Kate's honor. Matt, who experiened the loss of our father from cancer 4 years earlier, agreed to perform. The concert was called "The Concert For Life."

The concert was held at St. Paul Apostle Church in Gurnee, Illionis, and it was so successful, that it has since then become an annual event. Since 2001, the concert has grown in size and in money raised. Each year, the concert touches the hearts of all those who attend. As the event continues to grow, more and more people will be moved by this special evening of music, love, and hope.

My brother Matt has continued to be the main performer since the concert's inception. While he understands that the concert was put together to support Kate and her fight against cancer, my family and I can see that the concert holds a much more personal meaning for him, and for all of my family. Every year, the concert is a time where Matt can open up his heart to the world and let everyone see the emotion he has felt since our father passed away 14 years ago. It's a time where Matt and my family can sit down, enjoy the inspirational music and reflect on the the father we lost too soon. And it's a time of rememberance, passion and hope.

The word has gotten out about the concert, and like I said, each year it continues to get bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Well, this year's Concert For Life was held last week on Sunday March 13, and the early total of money donated is $43,000 (which will continue to increase as receipts and funds are still being sent in). Overall, the Concert For Life has raised over $320,000, which has been donated to the American Cancer Society.

I guess what I'm trying to say through all of this is that, while the Concert For Life was started to benefit Kate Pedersen's fight against cancer and all those who are battling cancer, I believe my older brother wished to perform the concert as a tribute to my father, as well. While the money is being raised to support the American Cancer Society, Matt wanted it to be a time where our family could come together, reflect on our father, and share this time with each other. And for that, I cannot thank him enough....

"If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, we'd walk right up to Heaven and bring you home again..." - We miss you Dad and you will live on forever in our hearts....

The Grammys Turn Heavily to Social Media

SUMMARY

In one of my past posts, I discussed how the State of the Union address began to utilize social media. Well, this trend is continuing among major national events, as the 2011 Grammy Awards took on an impressive and extensive social media campaign. The campaign involved many aspects, such as geolocation, mobile, web, social media and augmented reality.

The 2011 Grammys' social media campaign was called "Music is Life is Music," and it centers around the idea that everybody has a musical journey with memories tied to certain songs and locations. Here are a few of the initiatives taken on for the social media campaign:

• A Foursquare-esque app called the MusicMapper (mashup of Google Maps, SimpleGeo, and Rdio) that allows users to tag locations on a map of their current city with songs and notes
• Users could share their tags on MusicMapper with others via Twitter and Facebook
• MusicMapper highlights concert venues via Foursquare and allows users to add photos of artists and local venues via Flickr
• A "Music is Life is Music" micro website where users can tag locations
• Several well-known artists have had their musical journeys mapped on MusicMapper, including Eminem
• An app that has QR code reader in which users can unlock exclusive Grammy content via codes on outdoor advertisements and print material. Within the app, 8 previous Grammy performances will be released
• An app that features an augmented reality view that allows users to see all of the tags associated with a location
• A 3-day Virtual Pre-Show called GRAMMY Live on Twitter, YouTube and Grammy.com
• Twitter tracker with hashtags where users could follow updates on everything related to the Grammys

ANALYSIS

The Grammys in 2010 took a major look at the power of social media and did an excellent job in incorporating a social media campaign into its operations. But last year, the campaign, which was titled "We're All Fans," was built around user-generated content. TV spots were user-generated and a website was made that integrated real-time content from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

But this year, the Grammys wanted to make its social media campaign more interactive among users so as not to make it passive, like last year's appeared to be. This year, users have been able to contribute to the data themselves. This represents the shift in communication that social media is helping to create. No longer are people (users) just waiting for updates and contents from operations (such as the Grammys). Now, they are starting and contributing to the conversations that are being had around the event.

Overall, I feel that the Grammys utilized social media very effectively. When it comes to music, music is a facet and a part of everybody's lives, whether they realize it or not. Music is a way for people to express themselves, and now, they get to share those expressions and feelings with others around the world. The social media campaign used for the 2011 Grammys took a major step forward from the campaign used for the 2010 Grammys. People don't just want to give their take on music and express their ideas; they want to be able to share their take on music and express their ideas WITH other avid music fans. This year, the Grammys allowed for this through their revamped social media campaign.

I don't really have any suggestions for the Grammys on how to improve its social media strategy because its such a young venture for the major event. This was only the 2nd year that the Grammys have utilized a social media campaign, and thus, the Grammys are still in the early stages of settling on a social media campaign. But with the many advancements in social media that will continue to come about as time goes on, I would recommend that the Grammys continue to test out new platforms and cater to the trends that take place (as it did this year with making the social media campaign more interactive). I would recommend that Grammys continue to utilize the ever-growing geolocation platform, as more and more people are beginning to utilize this aspect of social media. Also, I would recommend that the Grammys build a Facebook page and YouTube channel (with songs from the nominated Grammy artists for users to listen to). These are 2 channels that are highly used by the public and avid music fans, so having a presence on these social media platforms would be an essential key to success in the future for the Grammys.

SOURCES

http://mashable.com/2011/01/14/grammys-social-media-2011/

http://activ8social.com/2011/02/11/social-media-and-the-grammys/

http://josedweblink.com/Josedwebseo/27/the-annual-grammy-awards-music-is-life-is-music/

The Adjustment Bureau & Battle: Los Angeles are Worth the Trip

I feel it's an appropriate time to blog about something that doesn't involve solely social media. And as an avid movie fan, I couldn't think of a better topic.

I have been called a movie addict by many friends and by my family. I have a knack for seeing a movie and then quoting it for the rest of the night upon returning home. But now at college, I have found it difficult to find time to head to the movies with friends and family because everyone is busy. This has resulted in me not seeing nearly as many movies as I have had my heart set on. Thus, I have opened a Netflix account and watch movies when I can.

While Netflix is great (I will undoubtedly continue to use it), there is nothing like seeing a movie in the theater. These past two weekends, I have had the luxury of returning to the cinema to see two great movies that were at the top of my "to-see list." First, last weekend, I saw The Adjustment Bureau with a few of my siblings and in-law.

It's a movie about a group of people that control the fates of mankind, and how a couple in love has to fight for their right to be together. It's a great thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. While I thought it was a bit short and could have been a little bit more daring, it's a movie that I would highly recommend.

Tonight, I had the luxury of seeing Battle: Los Angeles with my stepdad.

For the past few months, I have had my heart set on seeing this movie and have been looking forward to it. However, within the past few weeks, I have read some harsh and negative reviews about it. It made me question if it would be worth seeing. But when my stepdad asked if I wanted to go see it with him, I jumped at the opportunity. And I must say, I'm glad I did. Battle: Los Angeles is about an alien invasion unlike any other seen before on camera. I won't give much away about the movie because it's something that's definitely worth seeing. The special effects, graphics, and musical score are incredible. All of these aspects worked together to create a very enjoyable movie that had me biting my fingernails until the very end. I highly recommend this movie.

There you have it. Two movies I highly recommend. And while it was fun seeing these movies, I have a lot more on my "to-see list" that I have to start finding time for.