In the past, to try to understand what certain athletes were trying to say, individuals had to rely on mass media outlets. One example of this was a tweet that came out, which had to do with a story about LeBron James apparently wanting his teammate Kyrie Irving to be traded away. If this had happened when traditional media was still prominent, consumers would have been relying on the mass media and would have assumed that LeBron really did want Kyrie out of there.
However, in this case, LeBron actually re-tweeted the story and disputed the facts of it. It was fortunate that social media allowed LeBron to have a direct voice with consumers so that he could communicate what the truth of the situation was. This is a great example of how social media’s advent has allowed athletes to communicate directly with certain consumers.
You no longer need a specific medium to get in touch with your audience members when it comes to consumers. But it also works to create this back and forth with professional athletes, as a lot of athletes are very interactive on Twitter and other social media.
Another interesting story occurred involving LeBron James. In this case, going back to the first time that LeBron, as a member of the Miami Heat, came back to visit the Cleveland Cavaliers, there was a fan that went out on the court and completely disrupted the game. The fan was ejected immediately, but from the video of the incident, you could see that he had said something to LeBron, and a lot of people were wondering what had been said.
Afterward, though, the fan actually went online and tweeted at LeBron James, thanking him for showing him some love on the court. And LeBron was actually able to tweet back at him and give him props. So, it’s not only that consumers can now get information unfiltered, but it’s also an interesting way that athletes can now interact directly with fans and consumers, in a way that they had never been able to before. This is a pretty cool thing because it’s an easy way for fans to get in touch with their favorite sports stars, which can really mean a lot to both parties.
Sports management education can help you learn more about how athletes build their brands and interact with consumers, as well as many other interesting concepts and topics relating to global sports and sports management. If you don’t necessarily have the time and/or resources for an in-person education, online sports management education may just be perfect for you.
