Amy Martin was known to thousands of Twitterers as the “Princess of Planet Orange” during her highly successful stint with the Phoenix Suns, especially after she helped Shaquille O’Neal join Twitter. Now Martin has founded Digital Royalty, her own digital sports branding company. Sportsin140.com caught up with Amy to ask her about sports on Twitter, marketing, the Suns, her new company and yes, Shaq himself.
How did you first become involved with Twitter?
I attended a digital media conference about 18 months ago and Twitter was a large focus. Previously, I had established a Twitter account very early on but listening to fans was my primary goal and hadn’t activated the account a great deal.
After the conference, I gradually started connecting with fans [to] see what I could learn from them and what type of suggestions they could offer. It was an organic process and fans were extremely receptive. I would experiment by giving away tickets, posting behind-the-scenes photos, throwing viral pep rallies, hosting tweet-ups and just spend a great deal of time listening. Hardly any athletes and very few sports teams were on Twitter [at that time].
You were known as the “Princess of Planet Orange” while you worked for the Phoenix Suns. What was that experience like for you? What were some of your responsibilities with the Suns?
Something that’s indicative of marketers’ success within social media forums is whether or not they have the ability and/or desire to “live the brand.” During my time with the Phoenix Suns, I was accessible to fans at all times. On occasion, I’d be up until 2 AM responding to direct messages and making sure my relationships remained strong. Fans wanted a peek behind the curtains and I was able to give them a different perspective, humanizing the brand. It was a very positive experience and generated a great deal of momentum.
How has Shaq’s presence on Twitter changed social networking for athletes and sports teams?
As we all know, Shaquille speaks his mind, he’s very clever with his choice of words and he resonates with many demographics beyond basketball. This is a unique situation. Through Twitter, we’ve been able to expose different aspects of his life and allow fans to get a better idea of human behind the Shaquille O’Neal basketball superstar. Shaquille has set the authenticity bar very high and become a best practice for the communication tool.
Not all athletes are comfortable with being this transparent, yet it has become expected by fans. It’s become a great case study for fan acquisition as well. People now have direct access to a celebrity that wasn’t really in their pathway before. Without even realizing it, fans are building a relationship with him. On countless occasions, people on Twitter have mentioned to me that they weren’t even basketball fans but getting to know Shaquille better (via Twitter) has sparked their interest in the sport.
You recently founded your own company, Digital Royalty. What can you tell us about it? What are your plans for the company?
Digital Royalty helps brands create their digital universe and become online royalty. We create digital road maps for brands which guide them in establishing an integrated network of traditional digital and social media touch points, all working together in digital symphony. Digital Royalty educates brands on how to expose and evolve their personalities digitally while navigating through the balancing act of being social with human qualities while wearing the ever-necessary brand management hat. Through proprietary measurement methods, their Return on Influence (ROI) is measured and depending on the specific objectives, it can then be monetized.
How do you see the sports industry using Twitter in the near future? What are some of the potential drawbacks to using Twitter from an organizational perspective?
An athlete now has the ability to speak directly to their audience. The “straight from the horse’s mouth” direct messaging is very powerful. It’s authentic. In some cases it can be a disadvantage because they’re exposing new aspects of their life and personality. Having someone that helps guide and build the strategy is important for athletes to consider because Twitter can be a very powerful tool.
Being someone that is immersed in social media and social networking every day, do you believe oversaturation exists in the current market? If no, do you think we will “get there?” If yes, what do you think organizations can do to guard against brand oversaturation?
The amount of clutter within all social forums is growing exponentially. Relevancy, creativity and strategy are three things that will help a brand from falling into the sea of sameness. Attracting the right audience for the right reasons and building a relationship with that audience is key. It’s not necessarily a “land grab.” Relationships take time regardless of where they’re being built.
As a prospective employer in the sports industry, what do you look for in an applicant? What advice can you give recent graduates just learning about Twitter, LinkedIn and social networking websites?
I think it’s important to realize that specifically with social media, a person has to be very passionate about getting involved because it doesn’t turn off. It’s not like you’re going to a job with regular business hours, especially with sports. The events take place at all times of the day. Fans will talk about their favorite team(s) whenever they want. You need to consistently be there to listen, respond and engage.
Students that are just getting starting their careers should fully understand the difference between how they use social media and what it can mean for a brand. Many individuals at the corporate level are developing a Facebook page because they feel they “need” to, which is the reverse of many students who have been using these forums from the beginning. Students have an advantage because they’re more familiar with the space by nature. However, most students have been using these outlets on a personal level so it’s necessary for them to understand what it takes to effectively manage a brand.
Students may not realize how much they know. Social media is most likely already a large part of their lifestyle. They’ve probably spent more time in the space than their potential supervisors; this can be a huge advantage.
