Nike Uses a "Social" Billboard Campaign to Promote Customization in Copenhagen

Nike recently launched an innovative billboard campaign in Copenhagen, Denmark that featured a team of Nike graffiti designers customizing a Nike iD billboard in "real-time" based on Facebook community engagement.

Over a two week period, Nike graffiti artists spray painted a giant white shoe billboard to mirror the most "liked" designs in the Nike Free Run 2 iD Facebook page. On the dedicated Nike Facebook page, consumers can download a Free Run 2 iD application that allows them to customize their shoes and have the ability to purchase them directly on NikeiD.com. Fans can view a complete gallery of designs and vote on them using Facebook "like" functionality.

Check out Nike's unique social billboard campaign below:

Brands Say Thank You To Their Facebook Fans

As brands and sports organizations have begun to fully understand the value of their social media channels, many have began to thank their fans and followers in some unique ways.

Here are three (3) recent "Thank You" campaigns that have generated some significant buzz:

Heineken

Heineken said thank you to their Facebook fans for eclipsing 1 million "likes" by sending out a team of models, positioned as "Heineken Huggers" to give back some love. Check out the initiative below:

Porsche

Porsche celebrated eclipsing 1 million fans on Facebook by creating a custom Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid that features the names of all of their followers plastered on the car. Porsche commemorated the moment with a special microsite and YouTube video to demonstrate their appreciation for their fans. Fans can log in to the Porsche microsite to specifically see their name on the car by using a special search function on the site. For more details, click here.

Chicago

As part of a Facebook Fan Day initiative, the Broadway show Chicago recently demonstrated apprection for their Facebook fans by giving out free tickets to a Sunday matinee performance to those who got ten (10) of their Facebook friends to "like" the show.

On November 15th, Chicago launched the exclusive fan contest on their Facebook page and after just 5 years, the Broadway show had to shut down the contest after receiving such an overwhelming response. Click here to check out a video detailing the initiative.

Let Fans Go In-Depth with Facebook Spotlight Features

Sports organizations looking for ways to promote their players (e.g. rookies, free agent signees, veterans) and give fans new, in-depth insights should consider creating a series of Facebook Spotlight Features.

The NBA Summer League did a tremendous job sitting down with NBA prospects Eric Bledsoe and Wesley Johnson to give fans a personal tour of their Facebook accounts and personal life. The video series allowed fans to learn more about their personal experiences and relationships off the court. The players talked about their Draft Day experiences, their birthdays, friends, graduation day, and family. The excercise may be fun to also do with the dance team, mascot, coaches, and fans.

Teams interested in the concept (and can find players willing to share their personal Facebook account) should model the Eric Bledsoe feature (1st video enclosed below) that has a nice, clean picture-in-picture format. Check out the NBA Summer League Facebook video tours below:

Drive Ticket Sales with "Facebook Friday" Promotions

Are you looking for new ways to drive ticket sales through social media channels? Are you looking for ways that Facebook can help drive your business?

Rutgers University recently announced that it would be offering a select ticket offer to all fans who sign up for its official University Athletics webpage. The promotion, entitled "Facebook Friday", enables fans who join the Rutgers Athletics Facebook page by Friday, January 29th will receive an exclusive promotional code for $5.00 tickets in the promenade for the Rutgers MBB home game against Notre Dame on Saturday, January 30th.

By creating "Facebook Friday", "Twitter Tuesday", and "Social Media Saturday" offers, teams can create a simple, memorable reminder for fans looking for promotional discounts and exclusive opportunities. It is one thing to continuously offer fans bland offers. It's another to create signature promotional campaigns around select days throughout the week (where one can expect to drive significant impressions and engagement). 

Sports marketers looking for other ways to leverage Facebook should consider checking out a Checkers Facebook Coupons initiative that the Charlotte Checkers recently implemented. The team is featuring printable coupons (positioned as banner ads) that members of the Checkers' Facebook Fan Page can redeem for free merchandise, discounts, and special promotions. However it is important to note that if organizations chose to replicate the "Facebook Coupons" concept, one should ensure that they have the appropriate fulfillment and messaging in place to satisfy fan demand on game day!

Check out the conceptual design of the Checkers Facebook Coupons below: