Ever since July 1st, the nation has been glued to the media in hopes of Free Agency confirmations, specifically regarding NBA superstar LeBron James. Although I am not a big fan of basketball, I have been sucked into the excitement and curiosity of the Free Agency buzz. With gossip and news spouting from every source, everyone has been on high alert for more regarding what was dubbed as "The Decision". However, it was the sudden use of Twitter that quickly created a LeBron James epidemic that became impossible to escape.   

Timing is everything; and that could not have been any more correct when it came to LeBron James' decision to join the Twitterverse. The "King of Akron" who has previously steered clear of the social web, made a splash by joining Twitter with the handle @KingJames on July 6, merely five days after becoming a free agent and one day after trending across the Twitter platform with a paid advertisement. NBA star and friend, Chris Paul, announced the arrival of LeBron to the Twittersphere, by tweeting it (of course), causing mass re-tweets and an overall hysteria in the sports world. Did LeBron join Twitter to announce where he would be playing next season? Would he drop hints as to where he might end up? Was it just a big PR stunt to create buzz? News channels helped spread the story like wildfire, leaving unanswered questions murmuring throughout the media landscape.

James' list of followers surged to an incredible 25,000 in just one hour after Chris Paul's announcement - even before a single tweet was posted on the @KingJames Twitter page. In the following seven hours, that number shot up to over 150,000 followers. This surpassed Twitter superstars such as Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears who took weeks to reach similar numbers.

James made his official entrance with his first tweet, "Hello World, the Real King James is in the Building 'Finally'. My Brother @oneandonlycp3 gas'd me up to jump on board so I'm here. Haaaa".

As is bound to happen with all major Twitter accounts and news stories, fake LeBron James pages popped up all over the web - most namely, @LeBronJamesEgo, with over 311,000 followers in just 24 hours. This page has been used to continuously poke sarcastic jabs at LeBron James and the hysteria surrounding his free agency and decision, much like @BPGlobalPR has done throughout BP's Oil Spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.

After less than a day on Twitter, LeBron's publicist confirmed that he would not be posting "The Decision" on his Twitter account, but rather with a one-hour special on ESPN. The formal television decision surprised many who expected the new-found Twitter fame to be a prime court for James' announcement. However, LeBron tweeted the morning of his big decision, that he would be answering questions from Twitter during his ESPN special. The integration with his massive Twitter following would come through use of the hashtag #lebrondecision.

With all eyes on "The King" - who is undoubtedly looking for that championship ring wherever he has considered playing - the timing of his announcements during this crucial time have been vital to his popularity and career. Rather than appealing simply to his hometown of Akron, Ohio and hopeful Cleveland Cavaliers fans, James encouraged fans from major cities all over the US to follow his every move (and tweet) to know if he could have brought the national title to their doorsteps. The unprecedented uproar from fans has presented James' camp with opportunities to integrate fans (and bandwagon fans) of all ages across many platforms.

On the night of July 8, LeBron's long awaited decision came, as promised, with hoards of media attention. James chose to sign a contract with the Miami Heat to join fellow NBA superstars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Eager and confident Miami Heat fans used Twitter and other internet outlets to tease the rest of the nation as their team builds on its already-existing star power. Meanwhile, this formation of what seems to be an unstoppable trifecta immediately upset anxiety-ridden fans all over the nation. Cleveland fans cursed James for his lack of loyalty and slathered derogatory remarks all over Twitter for abandoning his home team. Many posted photos and videos of James jerseys being set on fire and defamed in just about every way imaginable. Other eligible cities commiserated for not becoming the "chosen ones" and criticized his coward move to follow the leaders. The presence on Twitter and other social media outlets was inundated with the good, the bad and the ugly all aimed at LeBron James.

While "The King" and his camp deserve praise for their incredible PR feats and the LeBron James microcosm that they have so tactfully created, the work won't end now that the announcement has been made. If we think that the buzz was too much to handle a mere hours before his official announcement, the boundaries are now endless that our knowledge has been quenched. Expect LeBron to be a trending topic across the nation for days to come, with endless retweets and mentions from opinionated basketball fans and those caught up in the excitement of free agency. As LeBron continues to dominate the Twittersphere with no end in sight, the real question is, will his basketball legend mirror that of his recent social media title?





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Ever since it became apparent that consumers were spending more and more time on their phones (and less time tuned into the television set), companies have been scrounging for ways to avoid missing valuable touch points with key audiences.

Introducing iAds - Apple's new mobile advertising system. Developed to be part of the iPhone 4.0 OS, Apple has sold ad space to a number of big-name brands hoping to break through the clutter of mobile marketing. What makes iAds different is that once the user clicks on the advertisement, they are no longer forced to exit the app into a separate web browser. Rather, the interactive ad opens into an HTML5 window, allowing the user to stay within their current app and "emotionally experience" the ad.

But, how will people actually feel about iAds?

Reviews have been mixed. A recent study conducted by JiWire found that people have been surprisingly open to mobile advertising as a whole.

Why you might ask? It turns out that if consumers can forgo paying for an app in exchange for putting up with a few ads, they're all for it. Another reason is that mobile ads tend to be tailored to specific consumer preferences (based on their location). In this way, consumers immediately benefit from deals and offers they may have otherwise missed.

On the other hand, not everyone is looking forward to iAds. An article by Slate notes that the new ads will only contribute to the online clutter by overwhelming people and invading privacy. It's also been noted that despite the hype, there really isn't anything new behind iAds, beyond the name itself.

The comments above point back to a theme we've seen since digital and mobile marketing started gaining speed: as long as the consumer believes they are being targeted in an authentic way, everything remains copacetic. Cross that line, and that's when things start to get messy. Authenticity is key for mobile marketing. If companies are bold enough to invade people's space while they're on the go, they better have something of value to offer. This holds true whether using AdMobs (Google's version of mobile advertising), or iAds.

While iAds may have a catchy name, companies choosing to be among the first to advertise through the system have realized the value of being associated with Apple. This goes to show that you can't underestimate the value of a name and the fact that consumers expect Apple to bring their "A" game, thus making them more likely to click on the ad in hopes of discovering what the "experience" is all about.

It will be interesting to see how the success (or failure) of iAds plays out and the effects that the new system will have on the way brands and consumers play in the mobile advertising space.





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Today, BrandSmart 2010 kicks off in Chicago, hosted by the American Marketing Association. Considered a leading event for branding thought leadership, attendees will learn best practices around effective brand management and engagement. Among speakers at the conference is Zócalo Group's very own, Dave Kissel, who will be presenting on the topic of "Word of Mouth Marketing: The Most Powerful Form of Influence is Now the Newest Way to Build Brands."



For a full conference schedule and updates on the event, check out the BrandSmart blog and website.

For a more personal discussion around brand building, be sure to check out Dave Kissel alongside marketing recruiters, Geri Kleeman and Marilyn Vojta, as they discuss how to effectively manage your time and communicate your personal brand. In the article, they offer insight into building a strong brand and the 10 components necessary  to get you there. Check out the article, "Personal Branding and Today's Job Market", to find out what they are!





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