Seattle Seahawks Spiritof12

Spiritof12 Social Media

Thanks to Mike Flood the VP of Community Relations with the Seattle Seahawks, Sports Techie got to tag along with the Seattle Seahawks Spiritof12 community relations team while they searched for fans at Qwest Field  to interview and post on their newly designed website Spiritof12 before the first preseason game on new Head Coaches Pete Carroll record. Seahawks won 20-18 over the Tennessee Titans.

Social Media

Mike explained to Sports Techie that the Spiritof12 concept is a micro site focused on the fans. This gives the fans a platform and social media to call their own. Fans can log in with a Facebook account and begin to generate content with their own videos and pictures. Fans can participate in chats. The team’s virtual schedule is visible.  There is a ‘Spotlight’ page that has fan friendly activities. The ‘Seahawks Nation’ page is an interactive map that tells you how many Hawk fans live in each state. KickApps is the main App they are using to create and manage the web site.

Fans all over the world, such as the military personnel, can engage with Spiritof12 members across multiple social media outlets such as their YouTube channel at spiritof12dotcom, a program named Twackle that broadcasts a twitter feed, an established and growing Facebook page,  a UStream channel ready for live video web cast, and, a possible Smartphone app (more about smartphones below) that could be further developed as the site catches on.

Spiritof12

I met with the Spiritof12’s Bill Boehlke and WeeHawk before the game. Bill is a former producer of the Wayne Cody (rip) radio show and a Seahawks consultant. He remembers the Super Bowl day when the Seahawks main web site had 1.2 million unique visitors. I’m impressed with Bill’s technical know how.

WeeHawk is a marketing character who has his own Facebook following. 

Following WeeHawk and Bill around on a Seattle record breaking temperature day of 96 degrees was sweaty work but I love it. Interacting with Hawk fans while searching for a sports technology angle was awesome. They moved from tailgate to tailgate, from the front of Quest Field to the back, searching for filming opportunities. The target fan has good energy, wanted to be recorded and could answer questions about how they felt the direction of the team was going, about Pete Carroll or did they have opinions of the new football players. It was easy to notice the energy these guys bring to Spiritof12, very authentic.

ELVIS

Then along came an authentic Elvis Presley.

My fave interview of the day was Elvis Presley, he defined Spiritof12. The combination of his confident demeanor, the real team belt buckle and popping green slacks made him stand out alright but it was also his genuine Elvis delivery and the ability to think on his feet like a true fan that was contagious. When the Spiritof12’s Canon Camera and wireless mic was on, so was he. Elvis was asked to talk about Coach Carroll and his cosmic response is legendary. I used my iPhone to record this Sports Techie moment for Seahawks Spiritof12 fans to enjoy. Record your own Hawk fan vids and post them onto spiritof12, I’d like to see them.

 Blue Thunder

The best smartphone video of the day to help understand the power of the Spiritof12 is Blue Thunder, no, that’s not a Zoolander pose, it’s the Seattle Seahawks marching band. They put on quite a performance. Thanks Blue Thunder for your unique Spiritof12 connection with the fans.

Pictures

Best smartphone picture of the day is this newest of Spiritof12 fans. When I showed her the picture, her tiny little smile was the also day’s best moment, I’m sure her Mom would agree.

 Here’s a Sports Techie tip

It helps to have the technology in a Smart Phone to capture these lifetime sports moments that can be easily saved, shared and analyzed.

From Nielsen: Multipurpose smartphones that allow users to access the web and email as well as run thousands of apps and share text and picture messages are now 25% of the U.S. mobile market, up from 23% in the last quarter according to recent data from The Nielsen Company. By the end of 2011, Nielsen predicts smartphones to overtake feature phones in the U.S. market.

Speaking of Sports Techie kids, I especially Touchdown City. It’s an interactive galore of sports tech related activities for the entire family. Look for a latter Blog about TD City.

Thanks once again to the Seattle Seahawks, Mike, Bill and WeeHawk along with Elvis, Blue Thunder and all the fans. Enjoyed learning about your community relations social media operations and the Sports Technology used to make it so. The Spiritof12 is Sports Techie!

 More smartphone photos of the day can be seen below: