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LeBron’s Exulted Brand Takes Detour

Gail Sideman — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:00:51 +0000

I swore to myself before the start of the NBA free-agency period that I wouldn’t write about LeBron James. Sports media are putting in enough hours of coverage about his team status, for all of us.

I realized, however, that I work in and write about sports publicity and PR, and since James announced he would share his intentions of what team he’ll join for the next few years in an hour-long broadcast on ESPN, his story became a good PR/bad PR story.

The fact is that his brand took flight the day he was proclaimed “King James.” With no NBA championship rings on his finger, that name has taken a hit in recent days. If my Twitter followers are any indication, his brand is a punch line right now. (I have to thank the tweeps for keeping me laughing with one-liners that highlights this and their own fake announcements.)

If I were his PR agent, I would advise James to quickly announce a contract with his current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, or a new one, a la Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, and go about his life. Modesty goes a long way toward credibility and respect and right now, he’s not getting much of it. He might slam a mean dunk, but his individual, not team-minded leap to the NBA throne does little to stem the current reaction. Even his most ardent fans are talking about his ego, not his play.

James is a dynamic basketball player who even if he had a professional title, I would advise to keep his enormity in check. We have learned, every Superman, with the exception of the one created by DC Comics, could be here and gone in a flash – and not just the athlete on the field and court. Egos that grab the stage before their titles catch up – if they catch up – tend to fizzle.

To be clear, I thrive on creative and funky promotions as well as the most extensive media exposure available; earning that attention motivates me everyday. I maintain, however, that businesses enjoy credentials before we label them the best in their leagues. James is a business – a brand. I think people want to love him, not resent his ego.

Ken Fang, creator of FangsBites, reminded his Twitter followers that multi-ring earner Michael Jordan quietly faxed two words to announce he was returning to the NBA in 1995. Jordan had the hardware to announce his comeback from Mount Rushmore, but didn’t.

Maybe our society of reality television and entitlement has led to this LeBronisty. In my years of work in the sports industry, however, I think you have to earn it before you own it.

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About Gail Sideman

Twenty years of public relations experience, including 10 in NCAA Division I sports information during which she received national awards for her work, have helped Gail Sideman emerge as a nationally-respected publicity professional in sports, social media and publishing. She is also a veteran support staffer of sports television crews for events that include the NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA regular and postseason and others. You may learn more information about Sideman's business at www.publiside.com or follow her at www.twitter.com/PUBLISIDE and www.facebook.com/gail.sideman.

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Following NBA Free Agency

Sam Taggart — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:00:01 +0000

Over the past year, Twitter has shown us its incredible power when it comes to talking about and sharing “breaking news” and current events (not just in sports). For example, last year’s Iranian presidential elections completely dominated Twitter for a number of weeks, and became the medium for finding out what was happening in the Middle East. Other major news events, like the Hudson River plane crash and Michael Jackson’s death, have proven the same.

July 1 marked the start of one of the biggest summers in the history of the National Basketball Association. A number of the league’s premier players, including LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade, became free agents. 2010 NBA free agency has been quite an experience, and Twitter has truly given fans an insight into free agency unlike we’ve ever had before. Like the events mentioned previously, Twitter has completely altered who controls the messaging and the way we gather information.

LeBron Joins Twitter & Announces “The Decision”

I’ve called LeBron out a couple times on SportsNetworker for not having a Twitter presence. On July 6th, he finally joined. You’re welcome. Within a couple of hours, without having tweeted, he reached 100,000 followers and his account was verified. Since that time, he has tweeted three times, and now has a total of 276,000 followers (9:50PM EST on Wednesday). While the long term results of LBJ joining Twitter have yet to be seen, he has already caused quite the commotion by simply signing up. Should he use Twitter properly (e.g. update regularly, interact with fans, remain authentic), LeBron has a chance to have a major impact on the world of social media & sports.

Apart from joining Twitter, LeBron announced a 60-minute ESPN special called The Decision, where he will officially announce the team he will sign with this season. While some have suggested he announce his decision in a more subtle manner, LeBron has decided that an ESPN takeover is the way to go. He’s gotten sponsors involved, and will give all proceeds to the Boys & Girls Club of America. In the end, can’t get mad at the guy for giving back. Can’t wait for his decision, and can’t wait to see the ratings!

Note: I could write an entire article about LeBron joining Twitter, and I very well might, but won’t ramble on here. Not now. Maybe in a few weeks, once he’s made his decision, and engaged more on the platform.

Chris Bosh & Dwayne Wade Give an Inside Look

On June 30, ten minutes before free agency started, Chris Bosh tweeted, “The time is finally here. Thank you for all the support. I’m nervous, but I’m excited and READY! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!!!” A day later, Dwayne Wade tweeted, “You only get one july 1st. Had a blast but glad the first day has came and went. Gotta get some rest 2morrows another big day.”

And as the free agency period went on over the next several days, Wade and Bosh continued to update fans about what they were thinking and feeling during one of the biggest moments of their respective careers. Receiving updates from two of the prime focuses of this year’s free agency period was an unbelievable experience. To get such direct and honest insights into the process was a sports fan’s dream.

Note: Also cool to see Wade & Bosh direct people to ESPN via Twitter when they announced their intentions to play together in Miami, and to see Wade film a personal video for Heat fans:

Rumors & Speculation

From constant updates from NBA insiders (e.g. “Dwyane Wade told two associates in past 24 hours that his focus is on recruiting a big man (Bosh, Amar’e, Boozer) to Miami now, not LeBron,” from Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski) to speculation from NBA players (e.g. “Breaking News!!! My sources tell me Lebron will announce that he will be goin to the NY KNICKS tomorrow on ESPN.. This is serious.. WOW!!!!,” from the Phoenix Suns’ Jared Dudley), the free agency period has been a whirlwind of speculation, rumors, and debate. Twitter has given a voice to those who wished to participate, and it has been a lot of fun to watch and be involved.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Sports fans are insanely lucky to be living in this day & age, where athletes, teams, and leagues utilize technology to enhance the fan experience. Don’t take it for granted!

What are your thoughts on NBA free agency? Have you been following along on Twitter? If so, what has been your favorite moment so far? And hey, what the heck, where do you think LBJ will go when he makes his announcement tonight?

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About Sam Taggart

Sam is a Creative Strategist for VaynerMedia, a social media agency based in New York City. Sam previously worked as an Account Executive for the New York Jets as well as the New Jersey Nets and spent time working with former NBA player Jalen Rose as well as NFL safety Kerry Rhodes. He now focuses on creative strategy across VaynerMedia's portfolio. You can follow Sam at http://twitter.com/gosam & visit VaynerMedia at http://www.vaynermedia.com.

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Sports Debate: What Athletes Should Be Using Social Media?

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:09 +0000

Question: Who can benefit more from social media: small-time or big-time athletes?

Ryan: My initial reaction is small time athletes and big-time athletes once their career is in a decline. I will start with the argument for small-time athletes. Upper echelon and mainstream athletes already have significant followings. Many have endorsement deals, sell tons of merchandise, etc. Why do we like certain athletes? Because they’re A) really good at what they do. B) something about their personal life, approach, style, etc. resonates with us.

Big-time athletes have two big advantages: 1) They’re better players. 2) This enables them to be on television more, do more interviews and enable the fans to get more insight into their personality. On both accounts, it’s easier to “like” the more mainstream athlete. Social media helps level the second playing field. Dwayne Wade is always going to be a better basketball player than Charlie Villanueva, but now that Charlie has a presence on Twitter fans get significantly more opportunities to witness his personality in action and grow their affinity for him as a person.

Thoughts?

Sam: It’s a tough question, because I think both small and big time athletes have a lot to gain from social media. Even though I whine a lot about guys like LBJ & Tiger not being on social media, I tend to agree with you, that small time athletes probably have the most to gain. A good example is Kerry Rhodes of the New York Jets.

Now, Kerry isn’t necessarily “small time,” but I wouldn’t consider him big time either, not yet at least. We (VaynerMedia) started helping Kerry with social media towards the end of 2008. We actually helped him create his Twitter account. Now, Kerry has 350,000+ followers on Twitter because of his hard work, responding to fans, providing them with good content, and just caring. So, that’s a pretty huge testament to the power of social media for someone who’s not necessarily in the spotlight.

There is an inherent value for big time athletes with social media, because they’re almost guaranteed to gain a lot of fans or followers without too much work. Then, look at big time athletes like Steve Nash, Ocho Cinco, and Shaq, guys who have excelled with social media. They’re not necessarily getting new sponsors bigger contracts because of their social media followings, but all three have made a lot of headlines, and a lot of new fans, because of what they’re doing online. I think social media has definitely helped their public perception.

Social media helps fans connect with athletes, big and small, on a level like never before. So maybe it’s we, the fans, who are the real beneficiaries of social media.

Ryan: This is a great segue to the second argument I wanted to make. I think a lot of the appeal for the big-time athletes you’ve mentioned is that they’re primarily on the down slope of their careers. Granted, all three are still putting up solid numbers, but could it be that they all have the foresight to realize that getting involved in social media can enhance their brand and enable them to remain relevant after retirement?

I think it would be interesting to evaluate a true marquee athletes’ use of social media at the peak of their career, but I can’t think of any right now. Nash, and Lance Armstrong are probably the closest, and Lance isn’t involved in a sport that gets much attention (in comparison to others) save for the Tour de France coverage. That’s one reason social media makes sense for him.

Sam: Good point, Ryan. I think you’re right. Those guys (Nash, Ocho Cinco, Shaq) are all heading towards the ends of their respective careers, and I’m sure that’s part of the reason they’ve taken such an interest to social media.

At the same time, I don’t think we’ve really seen a big time athlete in the prime of their career truly take advantage of social media. Dwight Howard might be one. He’s on Twitter, with 1.5 million followers, and currently has a My Touch 3G branded background. My Touch clearly saw value in Howard’s Twitter presence.

There are other young, star athletes using social media (e.g. Larry Fitzgerald, Dwayne Wade), who really add value for the fans. They’re the pioneers. I think that in five years, nearly every big time athlete will be utilizing some form of social media (whatever that may be in five years), because they will have no other choice.

In conclusion [Ryan]: I think we can both agree that at this point in time small-time athletes probably get more benefit from social media, and there are a multitude of examples to illustrate this belief. That said, it’s also a win-win scenario for a big-time athlete because with less effort they can acquire a bigger following due to the extent of their athletic success. Like Sam said, the real beneficiaries are the fans, and as athletes adopting social media becomes more commonplace we can only hope that it will take the fan experience to a whole other level.

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About Ryan Stephens

Ryan is an Associate Media Analyst at Sports Media Challenge where he helps champion social media strategies for sports, lifestyle and entertainment brands. In his spare time he serves as a social media consultant who is passionate about the power of web 2.0 and its ability to cultivate conversations, build relationships and spread of ideas. Feel free to leave your thoughts on his article in the comments section below, connect with him on his blog at Ryan Stephens Marketing or on Twitter @ryanstephens, and read the rest of his bio here.

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