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Title:

Hitting Bombs: Better Social Business Through Sports Metaphors

Your vote:
Yes No
Organizer:
Tim Walker, Hoover's, Inc.
Description:
Teamwork. Preparation. Execution. Sports abounds with lessons for today's socially enabled business. This panel's Murderer's Row of sports fans/social media pros will make you laugh, make you think, and give you fresh perspective on how sports metaphors can elevate social media practice for you and your company.
Questions
Answered:
  1. How can we take sports metaphors beyond "That was awesome!" to actionable tasks?
  2. How can sports metaphors help my company's approach to social media?
  3. What does sports psychology tell us about high performance in business?
  4. How can my company use social media to cultivate raving fans?
  5. What lessons can businesses learn from Billy Beane and other great general managers?
  6. What can Jerry Rice teach us about individual preparation for business success?
  7. What do the best sports teams teach us about teamwork in business?
  8. How can we use examples from sports to help us focus on our strengths while minimizing the impact of our weaknesses?
  9. What is the business equivalent of practice and conditioning in sports?
  10. Why is Ted Williams' first rule of hitting, "Get a good pitch to hit," so vital for business success?
Level:
Intermediate
Category:
Branding / Marketing / Publicity, Business / Entrepreneurial / Monetization, Content, Social Networking, Sports 2.0
Type:
Panel
Event:
Interactive 2010
Tim Walker
on 17/8/09
Confirmed panelists for this event:

Kyle Flaherty, social marketing at BreakingPoint - football
Jennifer Leggio, ZDNet social business blogger - hockey
Aaron Strout, CMO of Powered - baseball
Jennifer Leggio
on 17/8/09
This will be so much fun!
Sheila Scarborough
on 17/8/09
Oh, you have NO idea what Tim will pull out for this - the guy is a sports encyclopedia, especially baseball.

It will be Phelps-level fun! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Russ Somers
on 17/8/09
Despite the glaring lack of a table tennis aficionado, this will be a great panel!
felicia adams
on 18/8/09
Can't wait to take "awesome" to the next level :) Great panel!
Jim Storer
on 18/8/09
Even though Aaron "putts from the rough", this group is sure to "split the fairways" and "make plenty of birdies."
Tim Walker
on 18/8/09
Russ -- There's still time. ;)

Thanks for the great comments, everybody!
Aaron Strout
on 18/8/09
Just wait until y'all here the intro music. It is going to blow you away.

-Jim, you just made my day.
Molly Block
on 18/8/09
Tim (@twalk) has, like many savvy general managers and/or coaches, recruited -- and will lead -- a 'dream team' of panelists; the group's sharing of its collective sports, business, and social media knowledge (and presentation skills) will, no doubt, enable SxSW attendees to 'score' highly in future social media and overall business-building efforts and success.
DJ Judah
on 19/8/09
This is my 2nd year coaching little league football and 4th coaching youth basketball. My business experience has helped connect with the young players. More than that, the analogies I use in the business world come directly from real examples of team work, sacrifice and sometimes selfish play. We all use some of these examples in everyday business. "batting 1000" , "heading into the home stretch", "I think I will punt", and "It's 4th down one the one yard line" just to name a few. We are programmed to process these metaphors and apply them in real time! I would love a panel like this. It will be as automatic as a Mark Price free throw!!
Sunni Brown
on 19/8/09
Even thought I hate sports, for some reason I still want to come to this. :)
Tim Walker
on 20/8/09
@Molly -- You're breaking it down like a professional scout!

@DJ Judah -- Basically, YOU are the core audience for this panel. ;)

@Sunni -- We hoped to convince you!
Jennifer Wojcik
on 21/8/09
One word: OOOOOOOOH! :-)
Austin Kleon
on 24/8/09
I've been the benefactor of many hours worth of Tim's sports/biz metaphors -- this panel will be a *home run*.
Wesley Faulkner
on 24/8/09
Bo knows only baseball and football. Tim knows it all!
Amber Lambke
on 24/8/09
Tim is an amazing and enthusiastic speaker!

And I second Sunni - I'm not the biggest sports fan but I'd be here in a second!
Beth Gwazdosky
on 24/8/09
Now that sounds like a fun and interesting panel to watch! Great idea Tim.
Kyle Flaherty
on 24/8/09
I may wear my high school football uniform just to get in the spirit. Either way I'm wearing eye black the entire time.
Tim Walker
on 25/8/09
Thank you, everyone.

Kyle, what do you mean you "may" wear your football uniform?
Gradon Tripp
on 27/8/09
Am I the only one that sees the glaring problem with this panel?! Social media is a form of technology. Tech people are sports-phobic. The quicker you realize this and revamp the panel for Xbox enthusiasts, the better we'll all be.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to Jennifer schooling Kyle and Aaron in the sports-knowledge department. :)
Mike Schneider
on 27/8/09
Creative idea. Looking forward to this one as @allengerritsen has a Sports Marketing department and I have several golf clients! and all around... oh and
Beth Harte
on 27/8/09
Not a sports fan (yeah, hard to believe coming from Philly), but I would suffer through the analogy just because it's Tim, Kyle, Jennifer and Aaron!! ;-) This is a great & knowledgeable crew!!

Give me an "S"... (okay won't do the cheesy social media cheer)

Beth Harte
Community Manager, MarketingProfs
@bethharte
Bryan Person
on 1/9/09
Sports and social media? Two of my favorite subjects. This panel has my thumbs-up vote!
Aaron Strout
on 2/9/09
Thanks for the love all. Did Tim mention the fact that we'll be blaring some Jack White for a good 15 minutes before the panel? We'll probably be giving out Fenway Franks and ice cream bars (sorry, no beer) to emulate a REAL sports experience. ;)
Adam Cohen
on 2/9/09
You should add Bryan Person for Cricket ;)

Well done all around, love the inclusion of Ted Williams for lots of reasons. Kyle can borrow my Steve Grogan jersey if his high school uni doesn't fit anymore (ahem). Great analogies, panelists and questions Tim, can't wait to see this panel.
Colin Alsheimer
on 3/9/09
Major thumbs up on the panel. Hope to see you guys presenting!
Ed Illig
on 4/9/09
One thumb up. :)
convert mod files
on 16/10/09
LOL... stop reading rss, squat all day on stats.
free online games
on 24/10/09
I may wear my high school football uniform just to get in the spirit. Either way I'm wearing eye black the entire time.
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