May 28th, 2008
Deathwatch for Old Media Dinosaurs in the Sports, Outdoor, Athletics & Recreation Industries
I’ve now been “officially” working in the Sports, Outdoor, Athletics and Recreation industries for slightly more than 3-and-a-half years now, and I must say I continue to be shocked at the overall lack of new media sophistication I see within these industries.
Understand that this is not meant as a slam against all companies in these markets (although it may come across as such).
I also recognize that almost every company I now find in any industry has a Web site. But for many companies, that’s it. And in some instances, companies have little more than a brochure-ware Website.
Others are beginning to step forward and are beginning to embrace newer forms of interactive media, sometimes known as Web 2.0 technologies. These solutions and tools include
- Blogging,
- Online video,
- Social networks (MySpace and Facebook being the most popular, but not the only ones),
- Microblogging (through such tools as Twitter and Pownce, to name two), and
- Podcasting.
What’s even more amazing to me, however, is the seeming lack of interactive / Web 2.0 sophistication among the media companies serving the outdoor and recreation industries. Here again, I’m not attacking every media-publishing company serving clients and/or end-users in the recreation, sports, athletics and/or outdoor industries. Just most of ‘em.
To be sure, there are exceptions.
In the sports world, ESPN has long been the market leader in many respects, and it has continually looked for opportunities to provide new and exciting ways to cover the world of sports while interacting with sports fans everywhere.
Case in point, you can now subscribe to Twitter feeds from ESPN — several of them, in fact. I know ’cause I’m following ESPN on Twitter as PoppaP4SOAR.
Another exception is our client Interbike.
Rich Kelly, the marketing director for all of the Nielsen Sports Group trade shows, is a definite Web 2.0 guy who gets the value technology can bring to the table for a savvy company. Perhaps that’s why he engaged our agency, SOAR Communications, to create a blog for Interbike (InterbikeTimes) nearly two years ago. [And I might add, he's been actively blogging for Interbike ever since.]
But to be honest, ESPN and Nielsen’s sports media properties are a few of the exceptions among the “old” media companies. And most of the old media companies should actually be called OMDs — Old Media Dinosaurs.
Meet Two New Media Companies Serving the Recreation and Outdoor Markets
We met the founder of a new media company serving part of the S-O-A-R universe about 10 days ago: Chris Bennett, a transplanted Cali dude who now lives in Utah (which means he misses cutting up the waves of SoCal, but loves shredding the fluffy powder of Utah).
Anyway, Bennett is something of a search engine optimization (SEO) genius who gets fabulous results for his clients through his firm 97th Floor. More importantly to this conversation though, Bennett and a partner recently decided to put their expertise to work in concert with their love for action sports.
The result? The launch of 5ones.com, an online media property dedicated to covering the action sports of surf, snow and skate. And in a little more than six months, Bennett and his buds have done a great job of capturing a nice slice of attention in the skate, snow and surf news and information markets. (FYI: You can also use Twitter to follow 5ones.)
And about a month ago I met Todd Toth, VP of marketing services for Vital Media Network, at the Sea Otter Classic on the Monterey Peninsula (in California).
Toth and the VMN team have launched three online media properties, much as Bennett group has, specifically
- Vital BMX,
- Vital MX, and
- Vital Skate.
Here again, these three online media properties are part of the new wave of media properties that are just beginning to emerge in the Sports, Outdoor, Athletics & Recreation industries.
And you watch.
If the OMDs do NOT adapt, they’re gonna get killed off by the faster, savvier, more customer -facing and -connected new media companies.
Great post! I definitely agree the market is just emerging. There are handful of web 2.0 companies like TeamPages.com, Sportsvite.com, and Takkle.com that are exploring the amateur sports market. But it seems like no one has really figured it out yet. The closest one that I think is on to something is Takkle, and they’ve earned the attention of SportsIllustrated, as SI has a stake in Takkle. It looks like the dinosaurs might be starting to wake up and realizing the potential that web 2.0 sites have in amateur sports.
Poppa P, I’d love the chance to chat with and hear your thoughts and advice on what we’re doing here at TeamPages.
Cheers,
Mike
Thanks for the comment Mike. (And nice to meet you online.) I agree, there are some rumblings that suggest that some of the Old Media Dinosaurs (OMDs) are beginning to wake up and smell the opportunities that New Media/Web 2.0 offers. But only a few.
I’d love to connect up about TeamPages.com. (Sounds like you and your nine other co-founders have had some fun.)
Anyway, I’ll try and reach out to you later today. Or you can call me at the office at 801-523-3730 x11 or on cell at 801-556-8184. Or reach me via email at poppa.p@soarcomm.com.
I look forward to chatting soon.
Dave (“Poppa P”) Politis
P.S. You might also check out TheBettyFactor.com, as it’s all about the best and worst of marketing communications.
c/o SOAR Communications
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Thanks for the kind words, David, and the call to action for the OMD and the rest of the sports industry.
I think the challenge that we (in marketing) all face with the “New Media World Order” that is upon us is that, while I think most of us understand the opportunity that exists now, how do we take the concept of open communication and social networking and make it work for our brands? Is creating yet another – albeit more focused on a particular category, sport or niche – social network for people to join the answer? I’m personally just about tapped out of mental capacity to join and be active in any more networks. “Socialnetworkitis” is how someone phrased it not too long ago. Maybe it’s using some of the existing networks and platforms out there already to enhance the experience of your particular community that your brand serves. Stepping away from the website as just a static e-brochure, as you mentioned, would be a big step forward for most companies.
Ultimately, though, you have to begin with the marketing 101 mantra of making sure you understand your strategy before you start throwing out new tactics – no matter how cool, slick and web 2.0 they may be. Where are you trying to take your brand? What are your brand’s pain points? Once you know the goal that you need to achieve online for your company, then you can go about looking for tools to help you make that happen.
Just a few thoughts on a Friday morning…
Wow! Great comments, Rich. I couldn’t agree more.
Great Topic.. I’ve been working in the Industry for 7 years 7 months and 25 days, but who’s counting. Dave could the lack of new media sophistication be, it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks? More then anything, I Believe it’s the cost behind the set-up and then to bring in the specialist if we’re really talking about the Sports, Outdoor, Athletics & Recreation Industries, Who’s footing the bill.
How do you handle the time that it would take for Blogging, online videos, social networks and everything else, Build them, Great idea how many parents and Athletes would be watching or listening.
The producers and those we pay to Blog, go to networking parties. Lets talk about the handful out there that using the media today (online video is having the largest effect) and that’s working within their customer base.
I’m not our media guy, that’s Joe Scacciaferro, he’ll be heading up our on site Television Production Studies and Radio Broadcast fac. He agrees with you too, it’s time to create and open the doors to the future in this Industry.
In My Opinion the way we get this whole thing to come together and work, 1st it will take years like everything else that we done that is successful. 2nd Word of mouth. We have to reach our buyer and show them what we have to offer, their age is 11 yr.s to 21 years old. We’re in the Industry, together we can make it happen..
Check out the site,
http://www.magicsportscomplexandresort.com/
I appreciate the opportunity to say hello and throw in My Opinion.
I was searching for an sports Blog and your site came up # 4.
It would be my Pleasure to say hello sometime.
Ron:
Thanks for the supportive comments. The Magic Sports Complex & Resort sounds very interesting. How is it being received by the local community and inestors at large?
David (“Poppa P”) Politis