EA Sports – It’s in the Feed

cblumberg — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:43:42 +0000

EA made headlines last month when they announced their support for @aplusk in his quest to punk Ted Turner. The Madden publisher vowed to reward the former “Dude Where’s my Car?” headliner’s 1,000,000th follower with a copy of every game EA makes in ‘09. While the media world (and my co-workers) ate this up, I think we may have missed the real headline. EA is on Twitter?

That’s right twitterverse; the industries’ premiere sports publisher is leveraging the internet’s hottest tool to reach sports fans and gamers everywhere. And get this; they are doing it in a smart way. The EA feed doesn’t just spit out generic information about their lineup of titles or spam your cell phone with tweets drooling over KB24 (ahem, @mattestory). Rather, the feed provides fans with valuable information they can’t get anywhere else. Want to ask Madden cover athletes Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu what it was like to compete against each other in Super Bowl XLIII? Better submit it to @ea first. How would you like a free copy of Connect Four, Battleship, and Yahtzee for your Xbox 360? All you need to do is think of a phrase to replace “you sunk my battleship.” Best 2 get codes. EA has also started leveraging multiple accounts to better tailor their messaging to the subscriber. Tiger Woods fans can get all of the info they need to hit the long ball via @easports. Gamers on the go however may find the information coming from @eamobile much more relevant.

EA has some of the most dedicated followers in the industry (I personally haven’t missed a copy of NCAA Football since Danny Wuerffel was on the cover). It would have been easy for this giant to patronize fans with product information, links to their homepage, and other info readily available all over the web. Instead, @EA is leveraging the power of twitter to start a conversation with their fans, providing them with coveted content and engaging with them in a real way. Utilizing twitter in this way also allows EA to send targeted messages to their fans, as well as make recommendations and drive interest in new IP. So as a marketer and a fan I salute you EA for avoiding the traps so many corporate tweeters fall into. Keep the content coming.

Overtime Ignorance

cblumberg — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:14:13 +0000

Two weeks ago, quarterback Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles admitted to not knowing one of the NFL’s overtime rules when his team’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals ended in a 13-13 tie. McNabb, a 10-year NFL veteran, said that he didn’t realize games could end in a tie until the final play of the game. “I never even knew that was in the rule book,” McNabb was quoted as saying. Since his admission, McNabb has faced massive amounts of criticism, with many calling for the former All-Pro QB to loose his starting job. But is the criticism really warranted? Who amongst us knows all the rules for our chosen profession? Below is a list of 5 industry specific rules we should all take note of, lest we have critics come calling for our starting job.

1. FARMING – By law, you can not plow a cotton field with an elephant in the state of North Carolina.

2. BAKING – In Lehigh Nebraska, store owners are forbidden to sell donut holes to hungry patrons.

3. ADVERTISING – Vermont, Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine are the four states in the U.S. that do not allow billboards.

4. TRANSPORTATION – All taxi drivers in Australia are required by law to carry a bale of hay in their trunk at all times.

5. RETAIL – According to law, no store is allowed to sell a toothbrush on Sundays in Providence, Rhode Island.

Are We Listening?

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EA Sports – It’s in the Feed

Overtime Ignorance