ESPN/ABC, Mixed Martial Arts, NBA teams, New York Times, SI.com

Lance “Lives Strong” With A Great Social Media Test

We all know that Shaq is the king of twitter, and that Tiger usually breaks news on his web page, and that other athletes have been using various pieces of social media to communicate in lockerooms, to fans and to assist various brand and team partners in growing market size and creating more access to fans. However this week with the start of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong, through his LIVE STRONG website, will use almost all aspects of social media, live updates, real time chats, twitter and other applications, to communicate with fans while integrating all of his sponsors into the program. Brandweek had a very detailed look at the plan Wednesday, which spelled out the sponsor strategy, and other details which will include the ability to track Armstrong’s progress live online. With a mega-event and a mega-star in Armstrong firmly embracing the social media platforms all at once and in real time while going through the race, the brand value of his site, as well as the access to fans, should go up exponentially. A great experiment for an elite athlete who has embraced the technology available to provide the latest info.

Some other good reads…The North County Times has a good look at the Maloof Cup and the money that has been put into growing the event…si.com’s Josh Gross has a good look on the continuing issues MMA has in reaching a wider American audience…and for those who missed it, the New York Times this week had a great feature on the Spokane Hoops 3 on 3 extravaganza…