Over my 17 years’ association with the HK Sevens, the serious business of networking has changed beyond belief, as connections can now be made (and lost) digitally. Although on the surface it might not appear so, perhaps I am one of the few people in the infamous South Stand actually thinking about social networking in the party central zone of the stadium.
How are social networks being used by fans and by brands in 2011? Thanks to by far the most popular social network at the Sevens, Facebook, fans are busy trying to hook up with friends, find tickets, share photos with people at home, make new friends and new connections. Through the indispensable smartphone, you can update your friends on how the party is going in real time.
Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook apparently likes to party; however, it's very unlikely that he's 'networking' in the South Stand, even if the Geek look is on trend this year for fancy dress. TIME's 2010 person of the year's influence is alive and well though, as the energy of the South Stand reverberates across the globe digitally via people's Facebook posts and news feeds.
Twitter is the other essential SMN tool for spreading the South Stand love virally. With only 140 characters to play with and using the hashtags #southstand, #HK7s or #HongKong7s, you can update the world on how you're getting on, with the occasional photo or TwitPic.
Last year I missed the Sevens due to the birth of my daughter. Although I watched the rugby action on Sky Sports in the UK, following and engaging with the tweets and Facebook posts from the South Stand was the closest way of experiencing that unique atmosphere and sense of fun without actually being there.
There's also LinkedIn and one would think that would be the SMN of choice in the corporate boxes where the more responsible networkers tend to hang out; however, it’s very likely that a high proportion of the South Stand are 'professionals', and we're not just talking about professional party animals.
Additionally, brands are using SMNs to try to engage with consumers, win new customers, create new fans, create brand loyalty, make a sponsorship programme go that bit further. Are brands missing a trick by not engaging more with the South Stand? Brands have started to realise the power of SMNs at events – at the Glastonbury Festival last year, UK mobile operator Orange set a world record for the most tagged photo. In the spirit of one-upmanship, I could imagine the South Stand wanting to beat that record! Out of the sponsors of this year’s Sevens, Cathay Pacific seems to have got the hang of things with a great video on YouTube and the world record for the largest rugby ball.
Essentially, it’s all about targeting and knowing your market e.g. in order to target the Scots digitally in the South Stand, Apple would have to introduce an Och Aye Phone, and My Space would have to re-branded as Ma Space; furthermore, YouTube wouldn't be the social media network of choice for the Scots, as 'tube' means idiot in Scotland.
Yes, SMNs can be dangerous if you're in the South Stand all weekend and should probably come with a career health warning, especially if you are a professional out of your suit wearing a mankini. According to a recent study by MyWebCareer, an online service that helps professionals manage their Internet presence, 23 percent of LinkedIn contacts are also Facebook friends. Wouldn’t post that photo of you in the South Stand on your LinkedIn profile? Nae bother!
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