The Social Media Games

Not sure what to make of the whole social media game? You've been told it is important. You feel it is important. But with it being such a new player in the media field, you're probably not sure how to best use it or even if you really should be using it.

Last week, the flame went out on the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, but those Games did shine the light on the power of social media and offered some terrific lessons for marketers wanting to know how to weave social media into their marketing activities.

The Vancouver Games could easily be called the Social Media Games. Olympic organizers, sponsors, athletes and fans used numerous social media vehicles to connect and engage with their audiences, share information and commentary on the events, and seek out new ways to experience the Olympic brand.

At the very top, both the Vancouver Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee actively engaged in social media strategies. Both were present on Twitter and Facebook, keeping fans up to date with the latest news and results. The IOC even went one step further with a viewer submitted photo contest through Flickr.com where winners would receive free tickets to an event the next day. And the Vancouver organizers made sure all venues had free wi-fi.

A number of sponsor event sites were hosted all over Vancouver, and with the massive number of visitors and locals alike out to experience the fun side of the Games, site organizers made great use of social media to attract and inform visitors.

The LiveCity site in Vancouver's Yaletown district was an epicenter for celebrations, concerts, and fireworks shows. It also happened to be the home base for Coca-Cola, Panasonic, Acer, and Samsung. All four sponsors had onsite pavilions with interactive brand experiences to share with visitors. The LiveCity organizers created Facebook fan pages and Twitter feeds that informed fans when events were scheduled, provided updates on line up times, and reminded people to check out the four sponsor pavilions. These social media tools allowed visitors to plan their visit to the site and have a more positive and engage experience with each of these brands.

Another sponsor, the Molson-Coors group, had their own celebration site along Vancouver's waterfront. The Molson Canadian Hockey House had a simple formula: combine two great Canadian loves - beer and hockey - and add a social media component through a Facebook fan page to ensure that visitors were able to know what to expect, to share their experiences, and make the most of their time.

Even favorite athletes were on Twitter and Facebook. Short track skating phenom and America's most decorated Winter Olympian, Apolo Ohno was a regular Tweeter, letting fans know about his experiences in Vancouver, what he was feeling going into a race, and when he was making his next TV appearance. So too did Olympic figure skating champion, Evan Lysacek of the USA, and Canadian women's hockey star, Hayley Wickenheiser. In fact, there is barely a Canadian or US athlete that is without a Facebook fan page or Twitter account (click here for a list of verified Olympic Winter athletes and sport associations: http://twitter.com/verified/olympians).

And how can a city that has additional quarter million visitors communicate on transportation matters, especially given that many rely on public transportation to get around? That was the challenge for Translink, Vancouver's local public transportation authority. The communications team at Translink found a perfect use for Twitter, frequently updating their feed to report on changes to bus routes, updates on wait times for the train and ferry system, and reminders to followers on additional tools they could use to better plan their Olympic journeys, allowing mobile users to have quick access to information.

Even the future of the Olympic Movement has taken to social media. Sochi 2014, the Russian resort city that will host the next Olympic Winter Games, provided daily Tweets on happenings at their pavilion, with reports on appearances by celebrities, sports stars, and daily cultural activities, as well as news from their city as they prepare for the next Winter Games.

Sir Seb Coe, head of the London 2012 organization, created a vlog from Vancouver with daily YouTube updates. Beginning from the time he picked up the torch from Hollywood action star and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, to his attendance at Olympic parties and events, Coe reported back to Britons on what they can expect in two years.

There's also a fun side to the story. Will we ever forget the Norwegian curling team and their infamous pants? After making their debut at the curling venue and an appearance on the Today Show, their red, white, and blue argyle patterned pants picked up over 300,000 fans on Facebook. When it comes to raising curling's profile, those pants certainly had legs.

So what are the lessons to be learned? And what does it mean about the use of social media in your marketing campaigns? First off, the numbers show that there are reasons to be in these arenas, especially if you are looking to target, engage, and communicate with very specific audiences.

Twitter is still a bit of a new frontier, but it has strength in certain circles. Last June, a study from Ipsos Reid showed that 26% of online Canadians were aware of Twitter, and of those, only 6% reported using the tool. But the study showed that awareness of Twitter is high among the young and the educated: 32% of 18-34 year olds were aware of it, and 34% of those with University educations were aware. Compare that to those with a high school education or less - a group with only a 19% level of awareness.

A similar Ipsos Reid study show that in an 18 month period, the percentage of people with a social media profile increased from 39% to 56%. Facebook is the dominant social networking site and it had increased its advantage in the same 18 month period. Facebook users skew young - 86% of those between the ages of 18 and 34 aware of social networking have an online profile, compared to 60% of those aged 35-54 and 44% of those aged 55 or older. And Facebook is the favorite of teenagers - of those with social networking profiles, almost all (93%) have a profile on Facebook.

And as online digital video becomes mainstream, employing a strategy that utilizes this medium is a wise investment. A recent Ipsos MediaCT MOTION study indicated 67% of online Americans had streamed or downloaded digital video content with YouTube dominating the short video clip market.

From a business perspective, these tools can be used to create brand interest, inform existing and potential customers, gain knowledge about competitors and tap in to what others are saying about you, and lastly, create a community. For businesses, it's another weapon in the communications toolbox, but it should not be viewed as a standalone channel.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games offered some great examples of how social media can be effectively and impactfully employed. No doubt, your business strategy should include some element of these powerful and highly interactive vehicles.