http://mashable.com/2010/02/10/red-wings-qr-codes/

Social Media in sports is nothing new anymore. It’s a great way to connect and communicate with fans as well as build and maintain a strong brand. Teams are trying to come up with new and innovative ways to stay on top of this craze. The Detroit Red Wings have done just that.

Inside the programs you get at the games is a way to access interactive media. Printed inside each program is a QR code. A QR code is like a bar code that you can scan. Those with smart phones take a picture of the code and it instantly takes them to whatever website, video, and/or content the program wants. And apparently it’s quite a hit. Many fans are using their smart phones to scan their programs to get more content at the games.

This reminds me of what we discussed in class. To be a successful team/brand/business, one thing you have to do is connect with your fans. With social media being the hottest part of Internet today, sports teams have to get on board.

This is a great idea by the Red Wings for many reasons. First, with print material slowly dying out, it’s a great way to keep up -integrating the two so that special online content is only accessed through their program. Another benefit is that it can be accessed right at the game. Fans are in the atmosphere, feeling involved, feeling excited. What better way to get them more involved than to give them special access on their phones. People are obsessed with their phones today. Any simple way to give them more Red Wings and they’ll do it. And finally, these QR codes have great potential for the future. Advertisers, marketers, whoever- utilizing these to get fans attention is big, especially now, when they’re still pretty new. For example, advertisers can put in codes that send fans to a discount or special offer. If you have a smart phone, who’s not going to scan a program that has a cool, futuristic code in it that sends you to a special video just for the fans. It makes you feel like you’re in control- a smart move by marketers.

As the article put it, this is a great way to drive “ …home the connection between the team, its fans, online content and the in-game experience.”

I thought this was a great article that fit in perfectly with what we learned in class.