7 Great Promotional Ideas From Minor League Baseball

Minor League Baseball delivers some of the finest, unconventional ideas in all of sports. Here are seven (7) great promotional and entertainment ideas that teams from all leagues can consider benchmarking to enhance the game day fan experience at their venue.

I. Durham Bulls "Rock On" Promotion

The Durham Bulls created an entertaining segment where fans seated along the 3rd base line engaged in a singing competition against fans sitting along the first base line. The team played some commonly recognized rock songs that were easily embraced by the crowd. We should see more of this in Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball! Simple, yet effective. 

II. Live Rain Delay Theater Entertainment (Miscellaneous MiLB Teams)

The following clip demonstrates how a series of MiLB teams used a splash of creativity to entertain fans during rain delays and stoppages of play. The performances require some pre-game planning but serve as a great way to demonstrate additional entertainment value for fans.

III. Lake County Captains - "Are You Smarter Than an Umpire?" Promotion Presented by the Ohio Lottery

The Lake County Captains created a promotion replicating the popular show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" by creating a promotion where fans can test their sports IQ head-to-head against an umpire between innings.

IV. Charlotte Stone Crabs - Closest to the Pin Contest on Golfer's Appreciation Night

The Charlotte Stone Crabs attracted golfers in the local marketplace out to the ballpark by offering a post-game closest to the pin contest that allowed golfers to test their skills hitting a shot from home plate out to a flag in deep center field.

 

V. Lake County Captains - "The Price is Right" Promotion Presented by BJ's

The Lake County Captains did an excellent job creating a promotion replicating The Price is Right that features three (3) lucky fans being called out of the stands and onto the field to participate for a chance to win prizes.

 

VI. Lake County Captains - "Build El Burrito" Promotion Presented by Chipotle

The Lake County Captains created a simple on-field promotion where fans have to race to use a series of ingredients to build a burrito. The promotion, presented by Chipotle, served as a great awareness driver that also enhances the fan experience between innings.

VII. Lake County Captains - Michigan International Speedway Tire Race

The Captains teamed up with Michigan International Speedway to create a competition where two (2) contestants had to race head-to-head rolling actual tires used in NASCAR races around the infield for the chance to win ten (10) free tickets to an upcoming race.

Guest Editorial - Brands Capitalize on the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

Hubert Munyazikwiye is the author of SportsMarketing.fr, the leading French blog on sports marketing. Founded in 2007, SportsMarketing.fr focuses on highlighting brand activation across the world of sports. Hubert's articles are written in French but would welcome having English guest writers contribute to the site to share more insights and activation from the United States.

Over the past few weeks, sports fans across the globe have been captivated by the excitement and competition generated around the 2011 Women's World Cup. The competition, held in Germany, has attracted many leading brands across the world who are looking to engage fans in new ways.

Here is a quick breakdown of how some of the leading brands across the world are capitalizing on the craze of the 2011 Fifa Women's World Cup:

GLOBAL SPONSORS

adidas

Amongst FIFA Sponsors, adidas has clearly emerged as the leading brand activating around the 2011 Women's World Cup. Adidas created a special microsite, referred to as the adidas Weltmeisterin 2031, which invites parents to register the birth of their daughter to receive a baby starter kit, complete with a pair of football shoes, a shirt, shorts, and a ball. With the creation of the Weltmeisterin 2031 campaign, adidas can directly contribute to the creation of the next great generation of female soccer stars in Germany, particularly those who could could compete for their nation during the 2031 Fifa Women's World Cup. 

NATIONAL SUPPORTERS (GERMANY)

Allianz

Allianz, a global financial services company headquartered in Munich, dedicated a section of its website to the Women's World Cup. The company partnered with a collection of brand ambassadors (current and former players) as well as Steffi Jones, President of the Organizing Committee, to create a series of short video clips and exclusive blog editorials.

Allianz's World Cup-centric website essentially targets two (2) specific audiences:

1. Fans
   • The site features a "Fanschal" application that allows fans to send messages of support to the German national team, which will be used to create the longest fan scarf ever made. As an incentive, fans receive their very own scarf, produced by Allianz, for every 11 messages they send
2. Young Football Players
   • Allianz dedicated a section of its site to highlight its Junior Football Tournament, an initiative that provides 14-16 year old soccer players in Munich with an ultimate soccer experience. During the tournament, Allianz leverages its partnership with FC Bayern Munich to provide participants with training sessions from pro coaches, autograph sessions with FC Bayern Munich players, and a tour of the team's stadium and trophy room.

Deutsche Telekom

As the Official IT Provider of the FIFA Women's World Cup, Deutsche Telekom created an interesting CSR initiative where the company announced that it will donate 10,000 euros for every goal scored during the tournament. The initiative, entitled Herzrasen, will benefit a charity named "A heart for a child". 

Commerzbank

Commerzbank, a financial institution that is in charge of the Women's World Cup Volunteer Program, created an exclusive online diary for soccer enthusiasts to follow throughout the tournament. The diary, referred to as the Fan Block, features contributions from Birgit Prinz (the best goal scorer in the World Cup), Marko Marin (a German soccer player), and a select fan, Amelie Herberg.

FRENCH NATIONAL TEAM SPONSORS

Credit Agricole

Credit Agricole, a French financial institution, created a video content initiative on their official Facebook page that is designed to drive awareness for the team. The campaign, referred to as "Les Demoiselles de Clairefontaine", profiles players on the French national team by asking them fun questions about their live off the field.

Nike

Surprisingly, Nike has done little to support the Women's World Cup in France. The only remarkable initiative the brand has executed to date is an animation of Laure Boulleau's Facebook page, who is one of the most prominent and attractive players on the French National team. The page features a lot of content (imagery and video) highlighting her and her teammates.

Nike 6.0 Hits The Pool to Engage Skateboarders

Over the past 2 years, Nike 6.0 has taken the world by storm with some brilliant out-of-the-box thinking, generating a significant amount of buzz in the action sports space.

In 2009, Nike 6.0 introduced "The Tunnel Jam" after masterfully renovating an aging tunnel into an extensive skatepark and welcoming the world's hottest skateboarders to test it out. The initiative was filmed and turned into a viral piece that generated 1.4MM views and generated a significant amount of buzz online.

In 2011, Nike 6.0 launched "The Pool", an initiative where the company drained and renovated a pool facility in Dagenham, East London and turned it into an ultimate skate park. Nike launched "The Pool" with a series of virals and introduced the world's finest international BMX riders, skateboarders, and action sports enthusiasts to a whole new experience.

Check out the virals below for more: 

Poll: Which Brand Had the Biggest Presence During the 2011 MLB All-Star Festivities?

Nike Gives Fans an Inside Edge During the Preseason

Nike recently launched a terrific campaign that showcases how the world's leading soccer clubs - Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Club America, and Arsenal - prepare during the pre-season. 

Nike's campaign, entitled "Inside Edge", is brilliant because it demonstrates how brands can effectively leverage their sports partnerships throughout the off-season - a time when many lessen their marketing and activation spend. It also showcases how brands can effectively associate several (but not all) team partnerships in one major consumer-facing campaign.

The pre-season Nike campaign takes fans behind-the-scenes, demonstrating how players from the world's elite soccer clubs prepare for the upcoming season. The campaign provides insightful tips, insights, and advice on a variety of training and performance elements, including:

• Mental Preparation
• Physical Fitness and Training
• Advice from the Pros

Check out a few videos from the campaign below:

Johnnie Walker Black Helps F1 Fans Step Inside The Circuit

Johnnie Walker Black Label launched an exceptional series of online vignettes in 2011 in support of its partnership with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team. The brand partnered with Just Marketing International to create a "Step Inside the Circuit" series that provides fans with an intimate perspective of the lives of Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, and their respective teams on and off the track.

The video series is very unique in that it was shot in black and white (correspondign with the Johnnie Walker Black Label brand) and it truly portrays the personalities and viewpoints of both Hamilton and Button. The "Step Inside the Circuit" series has been gradually released throughout the 2011 season after filming took place behind-the-sceness during 2010.

The brand is supporting the launch of the "Step Inside the Circuit" series with limited edition product packaging offering fans a chance to win unique motorsports experiences and prizes and are leveraging a tab on the brand's official Facebook page to drive awareness and buzz online.

Check out a few videos from the campaign below:

Create an Element of Suspense With A Mystery Fan Rewards Box

As teams and corporate partners look for new ways to escape stadium clutter and engage fans on-site, they should consider benchmarking a recent marketing stunt implemented by a travel company in France.

The company, Voyages-sncf.com, created a giant mystery rewards box in a crowded marketplace that rewarded consumers who walked up to the machine, indicated where they would love to travel to in the world, and pressed a button, with a huge celebration (and a trip).

Teams could work with a select corporate partner (airline, cpg, beverage company, etc.) to create a scaled down version that rewards fans with a variety of items - similar to the Coca-Cola Happiness machine. Teams could allow 100 fans per game to reap rewards from the Mystery Fan Rewards Box, with one interaction being shown on the video board. Rewards could range from premium items to tickets to VIP experiences.

Check out Voyages-sncf.com's execution below and consider new ways that you can create an "element of suprise and instant gratification" for fans on game day!

Think Out-of-the-Box to Drive Your Team's Facebook Following

Sports marketers looking for new ways to drive their team/brand's Facebook following should consider thinking of some out-of-the-box ideas to engage consumers and drive awareness on game day. While content on team Facebook pages and online messaging/advertising are effective means to drive masses of new followers, here are a few additional ideas to consider:

Team Viral Designed to Drive Facebook "Likes"

Sports organizations can release a humorous viral where players, team personnel, legends, and fans sport giant Facebook "like" hands - as featured in the Andy Murray/Head viral below. Teams can feature players shooting/throwing/catching/making saves using the giant "like" fingers and/or giving thumbs ups, etc. 

Facebook "Like" Stations Throughout the Concourse

Teams can set up 10-15 designated kiosks throughout the stadium concourse (with a "like sign" overhead) where fans can easily follow the team and their favorite players on Facebook. Teams can reward all fans who sign up by creating a "Facebook Fans HOF" that encompasses photos of all fans who sign up to follow all of the players on Facebook. Check out how Hyundai executed a similar initiative at a recent car show:

Consider Using On-Field Guerrilla Tactics to Drive Partnerships

During the inaugural Sporting KC match played at Livestrong Sporting Park, a man dressed as a cow darted onto the field and amazingly scored the first goal ever at the new stadium (using his own ball). The on-field ambush performance was impressive to say the least.

While teams should never consider this type of fan activity, it does generate a great reaction from the crowd and is a tactic that shouldn't be ignored. Teams looking for ways to drive awareness for new team partners or ones with renowned mascots (either locally or nationwide) should consider staging an on-field stunt that generates stadium buzz.

For example, soccer teams could align with Chick-fil-A to have a trio of cows storm the field during pre-game warmups or halftime festivities chasing a chicken. The same could apply in the NBA (during timeouts, halftime, pre-game festivities), Major League Baseball (between innings), the NHL (between periods), tennis (between sets), etc.

There are a number of non-traditional, simple on-field stunts that teams can consider doing to generate awareness. Instead of having the mascot get tackled by a series of security guards, they can turn it into a humorous play where the mascot scores a goal, showcases a new product, interacts with the team mascot, etc.

Check out the action from Kansas City as a thought starter:

June 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter

Thank you for your continued interest in Partnership Activation.

Click here to purchase the June 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter for $7.99.

After reviewing the newsletter, we would really appreciate it if you would be willing to share it with friends via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal blogs, and other channels of communication. To keep things simple, here is a shortened URL that you can use: http://bit.ly/kEwld3

This month's newsletter features a collection of insights, including:

• Ford Focus Cam
• A List of Official Partners and Suppliers of the 2011 French Open
• Creative Tactics From Across Major League Baseball
• Manchester City FC's Lift The FA Cup Initiative
• Trinity Displays
• Nike's People's Republic of Corinthians
• The Mercedes-Benz Performance Center
• The Durex Guerrilla Marketing Soccer Campaign
• The Vodafone Recharge Truck
• Enticing Fans with QR Code Prizing
• The Cynopsis Sports Newsletter
• June 2011 Partnership Activation Rising Stars
• Major League Soccer's National Sales Center
• Mountain Dew's Pinball Machine Skate Park
• Ole Miss Athletics' "100 Things in 100 Days" Campaign
• A Close Look at the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Finals
• A Look at the 2011 UEFA Champions League Finals
• Adidas' "Football Paintball" Initiative
• Red Bull USA's Cubed Pipe
• Sports Like You've Never Seen It Before
• Idea Box 

Click here to purchase the June 2011 Partnership Activation Newsletter, connect with other readers in the official Partnership Activation LinkedIn Group, and follow Brian Gainor on Twitter for additional sponsorship/marketing tactics throughout the month!

If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to newsletter@partnershipactivation.com. In the body of the email, please include your name, company affiliation, and contact information when subscribing.

Red Bull Teams Up With Rickie Fowler To Create Capital Drive Hole-In-One Event

Red Bull teamed up with Rickie Fowler, the PGA Rookie of the Year, to create an incredible "Red Bull Capital Drive" PR stunt during the days leading up to the 2011 U.S. Open, played at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD. As part of the stunt, Red Bull designed a 106-yard manmade hole in the heart of Washington DC's Historic Georgetown Waterfront and brought in Fowler to test whether he could make a hole-in-one in a populated urban setting.

With the Potomac River as a serene backdrop, Fowler successfully made a blind hole-in-one shot between two (2) five-story buildings and around one (1) fountain hazard after just a few attempts. Fowler relied on his precise accuracy to make the shot, despite swirling wind conditions and hundreds of spectators making the stunt that much more difficult.

To generate publicity for the event, Red Bull teamed up with Activ8Social to create a social media scavenger hunt in the streets of Washington D.C. that allowed golf fans a chance to "check in" at specified Foursquare locations across the city to win autographed limited edition golf balls and more. The social scavenger hunt event attracted 50+ participants

Check out a recap of Red Bull's Capital Drive event below:

Manchester United Unveils the Facebook Goal Challenge

On Sunday June 19th, Manchester United posted a unique Facebook Goal Challenge video on its Official Facebook page that attracted 27K likes and 2.7K comments within a matter of just two (2) days (however, it is important to note that ManU has 16MM registered Facebook followers).

The video featured a collection of the team's stars, including Wayne Rooney, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Edwin van der Sar, Luis Nani, and Chris Smalling, competing head-to-head in a shooting competition.

Manchester United featured a giant "Facebook Goal Challenge" banner across a regulation sized goal and tasked the players with competing in an accuracy challenge to determine an unofficial champion. There's no word on whether Facebook was actually affiliated with the promotion or if Manchester United just created the stunt while unofficially using Facebook's logo and marks.

Check out Manchester United's cool "Facebook Goal Challenge" promotion below:

JD Motorsports Supports The Launch of Cowboys & Aliens With Facebook Promo

JD Motorsports recently unveiled an innovative partnership with the upcoming action-thriller film Cowboys & Aliens that is generating a notable amount of buzz in the NASCAR space. The partnership marks the first time that a film will serve as the primary sponsorship of a car for multiple races during the weeks leading up to July 29th, the date the movie is released in theatres.

JD Motorsports and the producers of Cowboys & Aliens are leveraging their partnership with an innovative social-media driven promotion that will enable 60,000 fans to have their face featured on the mosaic version paint scheme of the car. To participate, fans simply have to log on to the Official Cowboys & Aliens Facebook Page or the film's official microsite, and input their contact information and upload a photo. The "face car" paint scheme will be unveiled at the Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway on July 1st. By entering the promotion, fans can also win an exclusive trip to Daytona to see their face embedded on the hood of the JD Motorsports car live.

JD Motorsports teamed up with Jim Varga, the founder of Social Fan Wrap, to create the fan mosaic car concept which will feature approximately 25,000 fan photos on each paint scheme of the No. 01 Cowboys & Aliens car, driven by Mike Wallace. The unique promotional campaign demonstrates how NASCAR teams and associated stakeholders are utilizing technology and social media to take their partnerships to the next level!

Red Bull Uses a Unique F1 Event to Support Japan's Tsunami Recovery Efforts

Red Bull Hit the Streets to Energize Residents of JapanRed Bull Racing recently held a tremendous F1 event in Japan in an effort to help re-energize the country following the devastating tsunami events in March 2011.

On June 4th-5th, Red Bull Racing teamed up with driver Sebastien Buemi to host an unforgettable showcar appearance in the streets of Japan and complemented the event by raising funds for earthquake relief efforts by selling limited edition t-shirts that generated proceeds for devastated areas.

The unique Red Bull Racing events attracted a crowd of 25,000 spectators and media outlets to the Big Beach Music Festival Makuhari to see Buemi steering his powerful Formula 1 vehicle through a crowded marketplace. The event marked the first time that an F1 vehicle had been driven through the streets of Japan.

The following day, Sebastien Buemi and the Red Bull Racing team put on a thrilling display at the Yokohama Motomachi Shopping Street, where 11,000 fans witnessed a series of burnouts, turning donuts, and straightline runs first-hand. Red Bull's F1 stunt generated notable coverage throughout the country and was picked up on a number of major media outlets.

Check out the video below:

A special thanks to Yuki Suzuki of Japan for her insights and contributions to this column!

Guest Editorial: How Connecting Online Can Produce Real Business Value

Jonathan Norman is a sports sponsorship strategist for GMR Marketing, a major U.S. sports and event marketing firm. Jonathan has been in sports marketing and media for more than 10 years, and has worked on several major corporate branding campaigns around sports. His expertise resides in how brands reach consumers through sponsorship and activation of sports properties. Follow Jonathan on Twitter at @Jonathan_Norman and his official blog here.

The main ballroom at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square was filled last month with the best and the brightest from sports, as executives from the leagues, teams, networks, brands and agencies gathered for the annual Sports Business Awards. Outside the ballroom, there was a familiar scene. Colleagues and friends shared updates and insights that could lead to the next great idea in sports, and introductions were made that could lead to new partnerships that alter the sports landscape.

Networking is critical for our industry, and as many of you know, it’s expanded online significantly in the last five years. Portals such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other industry-specific social communication sites have changed the way we do business. With nearly 750 million accounts between the three major sites, the impact continues to grow.

Twitter has certainly found popularity among the sports industry in particular, as 42 percent of those surveyed in the 2010 SBJ/SBD Reader Survey are using the service, up six percentage points from the previous year. Assuming that our industry has a universe of 50,000 individuals domestically and internationally (a very round estimate), that would mean that at least 21,000 of us could be connecting on an hourly, daily or weekly basis on Twitter.

If we were to look at those Twitter users within the sports business community, we could likely classify them in three ways. I’ll call them “no-shows,” “lurkers” and “connectors.” No-shows are industry members who are not using Twitter. Lurkers are those who have a Twitter account, but use it only for keeping up with the news and conversation, rarely or never contributing. The connectors are those who are plugged in, both receiving and sharing information, all in a highly targeted way.

Each of these groups plays a role in sports business online, but all three have the opportunity to continue to build the community. For no-shows, it’s about getting onto the site, creating a handle and surveying the landscape — listening in. For lurkers, it’s about joining the conversation and interacting with the community — being engaged. If you’re a connector, you’ll want to continue to advocate for using Twitter and engage others to also connect — doing more. That’s where each of these will experience real value. If we look specifically at that value, it’s primarily fourfold. For ease, I’ll just call it the four C’s:

Connection: Twitter provides connection points with colleagues in real time, paired with the ability to network with individuals we don’t normally come across on a daily basis. There’s real value here: Tangible business relationships are formed every day through the medium.

Collaboration: Through these relationships and subsequent conversation on Twitter, we’re able to dissect important issues of the day as a group, each providing our own insights and opinions for the group to consider. While we all represent our own organizations and areas of business, we find opportunities to share valuable thoughts and ideas in an open forum.

Consideration: Through connection and collaboration, we have the opportunity to consider new ways of thinking from other areas of sport. While some may criticize Twitter as a means to erupt with short-sighted musings, it is also a way to read others’ opinions as they unfold, and possibly reconsider your own positions.

Current events: Twitter is increasingly becoming the go-to site for breaking news, whether it’s SportsBusiness Journal reporting a Pac-10 media deal or updates on the latest free agent signing. By simply following one of the many lists of sports business reporters, you can help eliminate the dreaded daily onslaught of Google Alerts.

Over the last three years, our industry has developed a subset of executives that actively participate on Twitter, primarily through the hashtag of #sportsbiz, which is a means of identifying conversations. About 800 users consistently use this identifier to stay up to date on news, share insights, connect with fellow professionals and become more engaged in our industry. This community has become one of the critical components of the ongoing education of sports business executives across the globe. The value of this group, and others built around the sports industry, is evidenced through their rapid growths.

Let it be said that the sports business forum on Twitter will never replace the value of working the ballroom and hallways at industry conferences. We need the face-to-face interactions that are the backbone of our industry. And to be fair, some of the criticisms of Twitter are rooted in the truth. While some of the early perceptions of the medium are well-founded (i.e., sharing what you had for lunch), Twitter has evolved and will continue to do so as business professionals embrace the channel. There’s little downside to joining the community.

By engaging through Twitter, we all share in the ability to be more informed and in tune with the sports business industry. It allows us to serve our clients and sponsor partners better and, in the end, further develop our own ability to collaborate and connect.

For smart sports professionals, I believe the choice is easy: We all have to develop an online networking game plan and execute it. Whether you’re a no-show, lurker or connector, commit to the plan and you’ll find rewarding interactions that have real business value.

Red Bull Creates a Rivalry Series on the Slopes Between Oregon and Oregon State

Red Bull recently created a tremendous "Red Bull Rivals" series that featured top snowboarders from the University of Oregon and Oregon State University competing in a head-to-head competition at Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon. Members of the two schools gladly competed for bragging rights in the newest head-to-head showdown of the Civil War rivalry between the two schools.

The Red Bull Rivalry Series demonstrates how brands can use a creative approach to capitalize on a long-standing rivalry to generate loyalty and buzz.

While it's become relatively common to see brands take ownership of rivalry series in the college space, the Red Bull Rivalry Series showcases how non-traditional sports (extreme, Olympic, club) can provide compelling, ownable content.

Check out the Red Bull Rivalry Series below and look for more of these type events in the near future!

Alaska Air Partners With the Timbers To Create Hilarious Ads

Alaska Air is leveraging its designation as the Official Airline of the Portland Timbers with a series of hilarious commercials that incorporate team stakeholders. The airline's first commercial features Timbers head coach John Spencer giving seat belt instructions to passengers and the second spot features the team's iconic mascot, Timber Joey, helping a passenger with his luggage.

The ads have been very well received by soccer fans, especially amongst the Timbers' loyal following of fans. Check out the two (2) spots below and consider new ways that you can take team partnerships to the next level with a dose of humor. 

Alaska Air Commercial Featuring Timbers Head Coach John Spencer

Alaska Air Commercial Featuring Timber Joey

A special thanks to Alan Cassinelli of UC Santa Barbara Athletics for his insights and contributions to this column!

50 Ways Sports Teams Fans Can Engage Fans on Facebook

Sports leagues and organizations are turning to Facebook to offer fans more content, access, and interactivity than ever before. As sports entities begin to fully understand the value of social media, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have become critical channels in the marketing mix to promote messaging, drive participation and interest, and engage fans on a 24/7, 365 basis.

Teams can no longer rely on Wall posts, photos, and shareable videos to drive consumers to frequently visit their Facebook pages and stay for awhile. As a result, it's important that teams identify and share best practices in the social media space both internally and externally.  

Here are 50 creative ways that teams are engaging fans on Facebook outside the traditional elements:  

1. Fans Map - FC Barcelona (Find FC Barcelona fans across the world)

2. Real Madrid Avatars - Real Madrid (Fans can create their own virtual avatar)

3. Arsenal "Like the Players" - Arsenal FC (Fans can easily like all the players on the team)

4. Spread the Word - Manchester United (Fans can easily invite their friends to join the Manchester United Facebook Page  

5. Fountain Tire Shootout - Vancouver Canucks (Fans can play a virtual hockey game to win prizes and coupon vouchers)

6. 3-Point Play - Boston Celtics (Fans can compete in an interactive stats-related game to earn points)

7. Summer Salute - Team Lowe's Racing (Fans can post a military salute or message to troops overseas)

8. Polls / Quizzes - NASCAR (Fans can test their NASCAR IQ via a number of quizzes and polls)

9. NBA Ball of Fame - NBA (Fans can click on basketballs to relive famous moments from the NBA Finals)

10. NBA Turnstile - NBA (Fans can "check-in" to NBA games on Facebook to chat with fans, win tickets and merchandise, and earn badges)

11. Support Your Team on Facebook! - NFL (Fans can scroll through an interactive tab to see where their favorite team ranks in popularity and intensity amongst all teams and within conference/division).

12. Shopping - Liverpool FC (Fans can quickly scroll through ultimate shopping ideas and can get easy access to the team's mobile application) 

13. JetBlue FaceOff - Boston Bruins (Fans can access game information, play games, win prizes, and more)

14. Mavs Spirit Photo Upload - Dallas Mavericks (Fans can submit their best photo wearing Mavericks gear for the chance to have it featured on the team's Facebook page)

15. Fan Zone - New England Patriots (Fans can interact with polls, listen to live broadcasts, post comments, share virtual gifts, play trivia, and more)

16. Share Your Story - San Francisco 49ers (Fans can share why they are a Faithful Fan for the chance to be featured on 2011 season tickets or in a team commercial)

17. Tickets & Promotions - Philadelphia 76ers (Fans can closely follow current ticket specials and promotions using a tab integrated into the team Facebook page)

18. A Date with SFC - Seattle Sounders (Fans can watch video dating profiles of different players on Seattle Sounders FC and partake in a date auction via Ebay.

19. Guess the Kit - Tottenham Hotspur (Fans have to correctly guess what the team's new kit (uniform) will look like)

20. Broadcast Schedule - Portland Timbers (Fans can easily see which networks will be carrying the team's upcoming soccer matches)

21. Locker Room - Los Angeles Lakers (Fans can take a virtual tour of the Lakers locker room)

22. Flickr - Milwaukee Bucks (Fans can scroll through photos of the Bucks' gameday experience posted on their Official Flickr page)

23. U-Stream - Golden State Warriors (Fans can watch a live webcast with a Warriors player each day during Training Camp

24. Trailblazers.tv - Portland Trail Blazers (Fans can watch exclusive interviews, shows, highlights, pre- and post-game shows, and more)

25. AC Milan Jersey - A.C. Milan (Fans can create their own virtual A.C. Milan Jersey (with a custom name and number) and share it on their Facebook wall)

26. Fantasy Manager - A.C. Milan (Fans can create and manage a virtual team of players and compete against friends for the chance to win team prizes)

27. Ice Dancers - Florida Panthers (Fans could vote on their favorite Ice Dancers in a bracket competition that gave away a free cruise!)

28. Stars Text Alerts - Dallas Stars (Fans can easily sign up to receive basic text alerts or student rush text alerts)

29. Leafs on YouTube - Toronto Maple Leafs (Fans can watch a series of YouTube clips directly within a tab on the team's Facebook page

30. Photo Pick-Up - Phoenix Suns (Fans can have their picture taken by Suns personnel at a game and retrieve it for free on the team's Facebook page)

31. Match of the Week - Sporting KC (Fans can receive in-depth information about a premier MLS game each week)

32. Meet the Team - Denver Nuggets (Fans can vote for their favorite players on the Nuggets by "liking" them on the interactive Facebook tab)

33. Letter to Fans - Buffalo Sabres (Fans can read a letter sent from the team's owner Terrence M. Pegula thanking them for their support)

34. Which Cap Are You Like? - Washington Capitals (Fans can take a quiz to see what Washington Capitals player they are the most like and win an autographed jersey)

35. Foursquare – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Fans can view the team’s Foursquare profile and access tips and insights on whose checked-in at Raymond James Stadium)

36. Draft Party Sweepstakes - Charlotte Bobcats (Fans can sign up on Facebook to win a VIP experience at the Bobcats Draft Party courtesy of Donatos Pizza)

37. Fan Forum – Dallas Cowboys (Fans can participate in an interactive forum where they can participate in a live discussion board)

38. Showcase – Sacramento Kings (Fans can scroll through to see all of the Kings’ hottest merchandise in their online team store up close)

39. Host UpClose Contest – Indianapolis Colts (Fans can upload a video of themselves hosting a sports segment for the chance to fly to Indianapolis and host a segment on Colts UpClose)

40. Scarf Yourself! – New York Red Bulls (Fans can add an official New York Red Bulls scarf to their profile picture and feature it on the team Facebook page)

41. Support – Atlanta Falcons (Fans can post questions/ideas/problems that they have and a Falcons customer representative addresses them for all fans to see on a live discussion board)

42. Give Your All – All Blacks (Fans can watch a series of vignettes where the All Blacks players talk about giving everything they’ve got when they enter the pitch)

43. Fan of the Week – Chicago Bears (Fans can submit a message/photo detailing why they are the biggest fan for the chance to be featured online)

44. A’s Kids Club – Oakland A’s (Fans can sign up for an Oakland A’s Kids Club Membership directly through the team’s Facebook page)

45. WTA Extra – WTA (Fans can easily scroll through high-res images of the top WTA players and also see information about their world ranking and Twitter feed)

46. Giving – Tampa Bay Rays (Fans can read about the Rays Baseball Foundation and make a donation)

47. Fanographies – Cleveland Browns (Fans can submit their Browns story for the chance to win 2011 season tickets)

48. Bulldog Club – University of Georgia Athletics (Fans can read about the Bulldog Club, make donations, invest in educational opportunities, and more)

49. Charity – PGA (Fans can read about the PGA’s new partnership with Darius Rucker and download a song which benefits PGA Tour Charities, Inc.)

50. UStream Live – Colorado Avalanche (Fans can watch broadcasts throughout the season and sign up to receive email alerts every time they take place)

The Sounders Score with a Humorous Dating Campaign

The Seattle Sounders recently teamed up a local advertising firm named Wexley School for Girls to create a brilliant marketing campaign that is generating a notable amount of buzz around the team's Official Facebook page.

The campaign, entitled "Make a Date with a Sounder", serves as a humorous marketing ploy that introduces fans to the teams' players via mock dating profiles. The campaign features outdoor billboards, TV and radio spots, personal ads in newspapers (under the headline "Sounders Seeking Fans"), video dating profiles on Facebook, and more.

The heart of the "Make a Date with a Sounder" campaign will live on Facebook:

• Six (6) Sounders players feature video dating profiles where they discuss their best qualities, hometowns, pets, hobbies, appearances, and more
• Several Outtakes
• Links to an Ebay site where fans can bid on a "Date with a Sounder", with proceeds benefiting five (5) of the Sounders' charity partners
• Facebook ads will provide a list of dates and make-a-date links that drive fans directly to ticket sites

Check out an example of the Sounders players' video dating profiles below:

Check out the "Make a Date with a Sounder" campaign on the Sounders' Facebook page below:

LeBron James Takes Fans Behind-the-Scenes During the NBA Finals

Social media serves as an effective means for athletes to build their brands, provide fans with unique access points, and no longer need to rely on traditional media outlets to gain exposure and gain noteriety throughout the year.

While most athletes turn to social media periodically to engage with fans, few have leveraged the channel to provide fans with behind-the-scenes perspectives and insights throughout an entire playoff series or season. In the past few months, LeBron James has emerged as a leader in the space, providing fans with an inside look at his gear, style, and meals throughout the season and 2011 NBA Finals.

James and a collection of his personal assistants have turned to YouTube and his site, LeBronJames.com, to film a series of low-budget vignettes that share with fans what items are in his practice bag, what outfits he plans to wear during post-game press conferences, and what meals he prefers to devour to get ready for big games.

As James' off-the-court virals continue to gain noteriety online, they will serve as a perfect means to incorporate product placement and corporate partner integration (e.g. what cars LeBron drives, what electronics/technology he uses, what music/movies he enjoys, etc.), and will build new followers along the way.

Check out some recent examples of LeBron's off-the-court virals below, which were all recorded specifically for the 2011 NBA Finals:  

LeBron's Practice Bag (Finals Edition)

LeBron's Closet (2011 Finals Edition)

Cookin' with the King (Finals Edition, Game 1)