If you’re a fan of music festivals or “like” a particular band on Facebook, you probably haven’t been able to escape Bonnaroo since December of last year. When you think of Bonnaroo, you may not think of  brilliant marketers. But after we round up all that they’ve done leading up to Roo thus far, you might change your mind. (more...)

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="246"] Mercedes-Benz left itself open to Twitter ridicule from Audi after the Superdome couldn't keep the lights on at Super Bowl XLVII[/caption] Super Bowl XLVII was an event that will not soon be forgotten, and not just because the Ravens beat the 49ers 34-31. There was a blackout, great advertising on both social media and television and even a halftime show that was not the usual cringe-worthy career-ending affair that viewers have become accustomed to over the last five years. However, perhaps what this Super Bowl did best (other than football) was to show the importance of social media campaigns that garner interest in a product by being timely and relevant to the television programming that people are watching. (more...)

This week's #SoMash is here with the top stories from last week, including the Facebook Gift Card, the Kid President, the Super Bowl Social Media Command Center, and what $4 million marketing dollars can get you in digital advertisement space. (more...)

Ah, Super Bowl Sunday. The annual event where we find ourselves stuffing our faces with chicken wings and devoting a whole day to nothing but football. While most of the Super Bowl Sunday rituals haven’t altered much, the Super Bowl ad is continuously changing. As consumers, we are used to waiting until game day to see the big reveal of an advertisement. But, I warn you, my fellow Super Bowl ad lovers, those days of the big reveal might be coming to an end. (more...)

This past year, we saw the beginning of the content revolution for brands. For years, many have claimed that content is king. Now more than ever, it has a rightful claim to the throne. As proven by Oreo's Daily Twist and Red Bull's Stratos project, thought by some to be the most successful marketing campaign of all time, social media has turned brands into full-fledged publishers. (more...)

The most hyped sporting events of the year are the Super Bowl and March Madness, but the NHL wants to know: why can't the Stanley Cup Playoffs be one?   It can, or at least they are trying.   The NHL's 2012 Stanley Cup Playoff campaign, "Because it's the Cup" took over the "History Will Be Made" campaign from previous years and has added a social media component to try and appeal to the less avid hockey fan. The campaign is broken into segments about the team, the player, and the fan.  

  The campaign was launched a month before the playoffs began and was first aired during a Pittsburgh Penguins-New York Rangers game on March 15th. The fan component began on Facebook when an application was created where fans could put themselves in a photo raising the cup. It later expanded to a "Beard Battle" where fans could customize a playoff beard and send in a picture to win prizes.  

  Clearly the NHL is not new to the use of social media. They were the first league to buy words on the popular mobile app Draw Something and also supports the website Playoff Pulse a Hockey Night in Canada website that gives fans an interactive second screen experience during the playoffs to vote, chat, and take polls during the games.   After realizing the success of social media with the league, individual teams have reached out to their fan base to help interact with their supporters. Of the five remaining teams left in the playoffs (Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings, and New Jersey Devils) all of them have utilized social media to gain more fan recognition and publicity. In addition to customized playoff cover photos for Facebook (see an example below) these teams have several other social media campaigns they are running:  

New York Rangers

  The Rangers are running a "What's your favorite Garden moment?" on their Facebook page with the best image winning a free trip to any MSG event. In addition they are having a "Beard-a-thon" and have raised $89,899 to their charity Garden of Dreams. Their goalie, star Henrik Lundqvist, is the center of one of the "Because It's the Cup" commercials:    

New Jersey Devils

  The New Jersey Devils have launched a "Ready Set Grow" competition that raises money for the Devils' charity Devils Care and so far have raised $14,370.  

Washington Capitals

  The Washington Capitals are on Pinterest and have gained significant followers as they "pin" photos and messages to their fan base. The Caps are also hosting a "Beard-a-thon" to raise money for their charity Fuelfund of Maryland and have raised a total of $26,840.  

 

Phoenix Coyotes

  The Phoenix Coyotes are doing a white out campaign on their Facebook page where fans send in pictures of their best WhiteOut2012 photos for a chance to win prizes.  

Los Angeles Kings

  The Los Angeles Kings have a fantasy hockey challenge that has run throughout the season. They also have a "Beard-a-thon" that has raised $37,306 for their charity Kings Care.   These five teams are the best of what hockey has to offer both on and off the ice and the "Because It's the Cup" campaign helped get the social media ball (or puck in this case) rolling for these hockey clubs. As the latter half of the campaign gets going and the playoff field narrows down to four teams, the NHL can only hope that the last two rounds can be the next March Madness.   Well, they can only hope.

On Super Bowl XLVI Sunday, the New York Giants will challenge the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but the real action will actually take place on Twitter feeds, Facebook statuses, Pinterest boards, the blogosphere, and smartphones.

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