Sometimes the best of marketing activation plays are the simplest. Even with all levels of social media in use, the sound of the spoken voice sometimes is the most effective, and sometimes most underutilized method of communication today, and remains a way for elite entertainers and athletes to reach very personally with their fan base. After all, anyone can Twitter or set up a Facebook account, or even write correspondence, but who can mimic the spoken wor. It shows that the star is committed to his fan base by literally speaking to him or her. Ironically the use of reverse 911 technology has been the impetus for outgoing voice calls for years, and it has effectively been used in mass campaigns for politicians and for season ticketing calls and reminder by teams. But now the advance of that technology has created a much more personal opportunity, one which the mucic industry has been the first to seize. Monday's New York Times profiled the work of Say Now, a Silicon Valley company which has literally engaged thousands of the top music stars to communicate one to one with their ever growing and very passionate fan bases. The technology enables fans to even get select live calls from pop stars, and gives the stars the ability to do mass open calls for those who choose to call in as well as answer questions asked directly to them, in their own voice. On the marketing side, record companies can also use the signup list to send voice messages about special offers and promotions, all of which have an audio opt in, and now movie companies are using the technology to get viral posts on call to action items built into their street campaigns. All very effective. So why not sports for “Say Now. The company has tried sports in the past, with limited effectiveness. One reason is the constant time drag athletes have, as well as the limited amount of information that can be put forth that would remain interesting to fans. Movies and music have a build up to an event or a launch, sports is much more constant repetition. Also the Say Now brand is built both around star quality and individual marketing, something which team sports may have a hard time allocating, and something which individual agents may have trouble delivering dollars for. Now there have been some interesting uses of the technology as a ticket call to action, especially in the college space. Schools like Arizona State and Boston College have built immersive online programs that end with a call to action from a coach, but there is not a followup for constant, intimate contact in play after the first round of calls. That could come some day soon, and the Say Now idea would be very effective to build campaigns like an All-Star vote or a Heisman play. Who can make the Say Now jump from entertainment to sports as part of a digital and social media pla. The athlete who can engage year-round, has relevant thoughts on and off the floor, and is committed to build brand. It won’t be an easy find, but it can be a very lucrative one for the right brand.
