adidas have been quick to jump on Twitter’s new group DM feature by inviting three lucky fans for a chat with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as part of their #ThereWillBeHaters campaign. (Image via Soccer Bible)
One of the most recent updates to the Twitter platform is the addition of a new group direct messaging feature. With the group DM, users are not restricted to one-on-one interactions as up to 20 people can converse simultaneously via private messaging.
Adidas was one of the first major sports companies that sought to capitalize on the group DM feature by using star athletes such as Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema to promote its ‘There Will Be Haters’ campaign. The campaign advertises a new assortment of football boots, which will be worn by many of the prominent professionals contracted to the sports brand.
A competition on Twitter determined who would be afforded the opportunity to participate in a group chat with Karim Benzema via group DM to commence the promotions. During the group conversation, Benzema genuinely answered any questions sent his way and also facilitated dialogue as if he was really interested in making a personal connection. His fans’ follow-up tweets reflect the lasting impression he left on them:
Though a noteworthy innovation, the critical moments lie ahead for Adidas as the competing sports brands make their observations and determine how to incorporate this new Twitter feature into their marketing efforts.
One brand in particular that could of course benefit significantly from the new DM feature is Nike. Nike endorses numerous athletes who have an established social media presence, including LeBron James and Serena Williams. James has almost 20 million followers on Twitter and is usually very active in his interaction with them.
The four time Most Valuable Player and face of the NBA is known for holding question and answer sessions on occasion and giving insight into his life away from basketball. Some of the questions brought up in Q&A sessions of the past have been pretty interesting: “what’s your favorite jay-z song? What about album?” asked one individual. “How do I get my baby to fall asleep?”,asked another. James’ answer to the latter broadcasted his sense of humor replying, “Put my performance in the 2011 Finals on! Night night immediately.”
Serena Williams employs a similar and more frequent method of interacting with her 4.5 million Twitter followers. Each Friday, Williams answers questions on the site that are accompanied by the hashtag #SerenaFriday.
Professional athletes who are as active as LeBron James or Serena Williams – whether endorsed by Nike or any other sports brand – should envision the group direct message feature as the next source of promotional contact with fans.
By connecting to the affective side of individual members of its target market – especially the younger demographic, Adidas’ campaign potentially serves as a watershed moment for other companies to learn from.
