Social networking at the Hong Kong Sevens

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!

Run Forrest Run! - The Gumpathon

Most of us will remember Forrest Gump from the 1994 Oscar winning film of the same name and Forrest’s ability to run non-stop across America. Well, on 10 September, a team of six from the Royal Marines and US Marine Corps will follow in Forrest’s footsteps on the ‘Gumpathon’, a coast-to-coast charity run across America. Importantly, all money raised from the Gumpathon will go towards helping severely injured servicemen and women through the work of three charities: Help for Heroes (H4H), the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund and the US Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

The task ahead for the team is impressive – starting in New York and finishing in Santa Monica, a combined total of 3,350 miles will be covered, with every team member running the equivalent of 34 marathons. Nevertheless, the main focus of this blog is on their notable marketing efforts with a particular emphasis on their digital strategy. From the attractive, well laid-out website and social media strategy to their PR activities, the Gumpathon team, with the help of some professional firms, has clearly worked hard and put a lot of thought into its marketing.

The main marketing platform is the website http://www.thegumpathon.com/ designed by Aztec Media, which is eye-catching, well-designed and easy to navigate, with lots of great information on the challenge; in addition, the methods to donate are well thought out and prominently marked. When it comes to social networking channels and engagement, all the main bases are covered with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and flickr buttons fully integrated into the website. In particular, the Facebook page is already engaging with fans, helping to spread news of the challenge virally, with further engagement made through the blog, which will be updated regularly.

Putting these digital elements aside, Colour Sergeant Damian Todd from the Royal Marines, who originally came up with the idea, cleverly chose a memorable, quirky name for the challenge, leveraging the positive brand association of Forrest Gump with his loveable personality and ‘athletic’ ability. With the assistance of the PR firm KTB PR, significant media attention has already been generated with much momentum moving forward. Of course, the Gumpathon would not have taken place without the help of sponsors – with high profile sponsors and brands prominently displayed on the home page of the website, the team has also clearly marketed the idea effectively in the planning stages to generate that valuable support.

With all the key marketing elements and channels for donations in place, the Gumpathon has all the makings of a very successful fund-raising campaign. It won’t be easy to run across America in eight weeks, but we’re sure they will complete the challenge successfully and no doubt raise a considerable amount of money for such a worthy cause. Nae Bother will be following their progress closely via the website, Facebook page and Twitter, and cheering them on – run Forrest run!