Time For a Little Reflection...

To be honest, when I first was introduced to this project I was anything but excited. Setting up a google reader, posting every week, relating it to class topics and adding links and even pictures seemed like way too much work to be any fun. Plus, in my experience, when professors tell you this is going to be a fun assignment, it always seems like they are trying to convince themselves more than us students because we usually don't take the bait. I have been pleasantly surprised, however, to realize that I am now a fan of blogging. Sure, I may prefer to blog about different topics, but this was a great introduction to an important social media tool that I will continue to use after this class project.

The feeds that I choose to blog about for this assignment are all pertaining to sports topics, however, once this assignment is complete, I will branch out. Since I will be continually blogging, I am excited to really explore other feeds in different areas and hopefully get some positive and beneficial information I can use for future career endeavours. I am also excited to branch out and follow other blogs and hopefully use that as a way to network myself. When searching each time I posted a blog for an article to use, I tried to search for one that related to a different topic we had discussed in class. I wanted to find examples of the different important topics we have learned about because now when I look back through my blog posts, I am reminded of the topics and their importance and relevance and relate it to my personal life.

This assignment was a great way to tie together topics discussed in class with real world examples. specifically for me, I always better understand a concept or idea when I can relate it to something else, and that is exactly what this assignment helped me do. Not only was I staying on top of my current sporting events, I also saw the classroom discussions and topics affecting real world scenarios. I think when I saw the topics present in the articles I was receiving from my google reader, it really emphasized their importance and increased their relevance to my personal life. I am very conscious each day about things such as being my own brand and making sure that it is a positive sustainable brand because I have seen, through the mistakes of others, just how important branding truly is.

Thinking back to the introduction of this assignment, I now realize I should have given it some time before I decided this was going to be just another boring, useless assignment. It is because of this assignment I understand the classroom topics better and can better relate them to my personal life. I have also, first hand, seen the importance of social media and how it is going to be essential in my future, and this assignment was a great way to introduce myself to one area of social media I can keep utilizing. For the first time that I can remember, I am actually glad I was given this assignment!!

My Google Reader Link: https://www.google.com/reader/view/?tab=my#overview-page

Deion Sanders Pushes for the Children

Most of us know Deion Sanders from his run with the Dallas Cowboys; others know him from his TV show or possibly from reading his book. Deion, or "Prime Time" as some call him, is now making his name while reaching out to children. Deion has established the Truth Football club to influence the lives of local youth, however he has decided to take his motivations one step further. In the Fall of 2010, Sanders plans to open Prime U Prep, charter school that will start with kindergarten through fifth grade, with plans to expand to more grades in 2011. Deion's desire to connect with kids on a personal level and develop kids in all aspects of their life is the prime motivation for his development of this school. The school will be ran as a free, open enrollment charter public school with an already established Board of Directors and a superintendent.

Personally, I usually feel as though acts like, reaching out to children from professional athletes is usually done for personal gain or to improve the athlete's brand image, however, a quote from Sanders in this article changed my mind:

"When I played football, I wanted to be great," Sanders said. "I wanted to be the best. I want the best for these kids. I want to educate them. It's not just about playing football. We don't think many of these kids will be professional athletes. But with education, they will be professionals in life -- doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs. People who don't trust me don't trust themselves," Sanders said. "They can't differentiate between the guy high-stepping on the sidelines and the guy praying at night. They can't separate the two entities. But I don't mind being criticized. It only motivates me to do more."

Hearing about how Sanders wants to develop children into "professionals in life" is a statement that made me change my original assumptions. With the development of this school, Sanders is focusing the children on gaining an outstanding education that will take them farther in life than transforming the youth into football stars. I believe it is very inspiring that Deion takes all of his criticisms and turns it into motivation to prove the public wrong. Looking at his acts from a sports marketing standpoint, Deion is really creating a positive brand image for himself in the minds of fans. It is very refreshing to see Deion use his star power that has been created through his football career and use it for the benefit of others. With his continuous outreaching to youth, Deion is not only building upon his already positive brand image, but doing something so fantastic and inspirational for the youth of America.

For more information on Deion Sanders and how he is reaching out to youth today, check out this article: For "Prime Time," pushing for potential kids game.

Facebook...more than a glorified chat room?

We have all heard of it...most of us even have one. The obsession with Facebook is one that is growing at a rapid pace, however, the reasons behind owning and operating a Facebook page are changing. More and more companies and businesses are now making it essential that their organization has some representation in the Facebook world. The article, "5 Essential Apps for Your Business's Facebook Fan Page" highlights 5 ways to utilize your facebook fan page created for your business in order to receive the most social media benefits.

The article suggest 5 different approaches to gain success for your business through your Facebook fan page; Static FBML for your sidebar, promotions, Social RSS, various Polls, and connecting Youtube on your page. These are all incorporation's you can make to your business's fan page in order to utilize the social media component to its fullest extend. Looking beyond the apps and functions of Facebook poses another potential problem for young college students searching for jobs.

With the increasing number of business's creating fan pages for their companies leads to an increasing number of employers surfing through Facebook. Career-searching future employees need now more than every to think about each and everything they post on their Facebook page. It is becoming an increasing popular trend to search on Facebook after an initial meeting or interview, and that could potentially make or break your future with a certain organization. While Facebook is a great social media tool for building your company, the content on your page could also prevent you from receiving a job offer. Remembering everything that is online is always accessible is key.

From the Company's Perspective

Whether a sports athlete is being traded from team to team or just being let go from their original team, their focus remains on how the change is going to affect them personally. However, we need to remember that the change affects the entire team and the company as well as the individual player. I came across an article that illustrates the concerns the sports company considers when debating on changing their athletic roster.

Currently playing for the Denver Broncos, Brandon Marshall is currently being looked at by the Dallas Cowboys for possible recruitment to the blue and silver. Sure, there are reasons why Marshall personally would or would not want to be traded to the Cowboys, but this article, Brandon Marshall to the Cowboys? Five Reasons Why It Won't Happen looks at five reasons from the company's perspective as to why the trade is unlikely. This article explains that the company looks at different aspects such as where to place Marshall in the current line-up, offering a long vs. short term contract to Marshall, how Marshall will play after receiving "big money" and most importantly, if Marshall fits the current character profile the Cowboys have built their brand around.

In my opinion, the company's perspective is one that holds extreme importance when debating on adding or removing players from an existing team. Obviously the change is going to affect the individual player, but in the bigger scheme of things, it is going to have an affect on the team and the brand that is has built. The company looks at the long term affects that the change is going to have on their brand and their image that they have created, and we see this in the article when the Cowboys look at what adding Marshall to their team will do to the Cowboys brand long term. They need to make sure that Marshall is consistent with their current brand as well as provide a significant star power to the Cowboys after the deal has been made. All of the concerns the Cowboys have emphasized on in this article are very legitimate when making a change to the team; especially a change that has the ability to have great impacts on the brand of the blue and silver.

Beckham hurts his tendon, his dream, and his brand.

We talk a lot about "star power", about making yourself a brand and how you communicate that personal brand to your elusive fans. Centering your sports brand around one professional athlete can reward you with several benefits, however, for David Beckham, his new sports injury is one that will bring about negative consequences for his personal brand. David Beckham from the AC Milan was injured on Sunday while playing for the Italian club. This Achilles tendon injury means not only the end of Beckham's dream, but his career and his image.

While surgery is expected, Beckham is not expected to be seen at the World Cup in South Africa unless he is appearing as a TV analyst. Looking from a marketing perspective, Beckham earns $16.5 million from personal sponsorship deals and endorsements as well as $5.5 million base salary from the Galaxy. Several different endorsement deals and appearances scheduled for Beckham have been cancelled since the injury. Currently he is faced with the disappointments of loosing his career and ending his dream but also how he is going to rebuild his brand image. Beckham has always been portrayed as an amazing soccer player, but with this injury, how will he portray himself? How can Beckham brand himself if his "star power" has been taken away? It will be interesting to follow Beckham's story and see how he rebuilds his brand and his image now that his talent can no longer be utilized.

Star Power Turned Sour

We discuss quite often in class about the power of branding yourself and how important it is to have "star power" while trying to sustain a positive brand image. We have also discussed the negative consequences that will potentially arise if you act out of the behavior standard that has been set by your brand. Here is a prime example I found from ESPN.com:

Minnesota Timberwolves star center Al Jefferson was recently arrested for suspicion of a possible DWI following the Timberwolves' loss to Portland. Jefferson is a considerable leaders not only to his fans but to his teamates and coaches. He is looked up to on the court during games, but more importantly off the court as well. This consequences Jefferson will receive from this incident will shine a negative light on his image. Jefferson has been suspended from the next two games without pay as initial punishment, as well as spending one hour in jail and a court appearance April 23 for sentencing. Not only does this careless behavior affect his personal brand image, it also looks poorly for the team as a whole. Several spokesmen for the team are expressing their deepest sympathies for anyone who has been affended by this situation as well as their support for whatever punishment Jefferson receivs from his court appearance.

Unfortunatly for the Timberwolves, they have credited Al Jefferson the star power for their team, and this is now seeming like a bad judgement call. When creating your brand and centering it around star power, companies need to remember that the star power is the most influencial component. This power should not be given to just anyone to avoid mistakes and consequences like the ones the Timberwolves will be facing due to Jeffersons carelessness.

Tiger facing his obstacles in the public eye

With the upcoming public statement to be released from Tiger Woods this Friday, majority of my sports articles in my google reader are concerned with the statement. Reading through the articles, it really makes me wonder if this is a sincere move from Tiger. I understand that Tiger is in a position where he needs to focus on rebuilding his personal brand with this public statement of apology, but I do not think I am convinced. The first few articles I read had quoted statements between Tiger and his PR personnel telling him to face the music, tell the media he wants to focus on God and his family, and hope they buy it. How can anything Tiger says seem sincere after hearing about this conversation right when the allegations surfaced?

Although Tiger has lost a few endorsement deals with different companies, the media still seems to think Tiger can ride out this storm. Although he is going through a rough patch, this is not the worst society has seen, and there is a high chance of coming out of this situation with a clean image. I do feel like that with this "therapy" and focusing on his family and working on a relationship with God and his children and wife, the fans and media may potentially forgive Tiger and he could move towards being the ultimate again.

With that being said, is it true or just for show? Does Tiger really want to work on becoming a family man or does he want his endorsements back? Is Tiger going to therapy to get his life back on track, or is he doing it to get back in the competition. If he was not in the public eye, would Tiger even be going to therapy or going through these brand rebuilding steps? Sadly, I do not think he would.

Tiger Woods is someone who is in the public eye; every move he makes is monitored by his fans and the media, and by ruining his good brand name, he now needs to do anything he can to rebuild it in a more positive light. I hope Tiger is sincere in his apologies Friday morning and can work towards rebuilding his family because at the end of the day, family is the most important thing, especially for a celebrity.

Here is the link to the article for more information: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35461129/ns/sports-golf/