Catch Up Lady

Closing Ceremonies for Lenovo Voices of the Olympic Games

As it's now the end of September, I think it's officially time for me to stop blogging about the Beijing Olympics. BUT I WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT!

I've already shared what I feel the Lenovo Voices campaign represented for Athlete 2.0 and Olympics of the future.  So before I (finally) put this one to bed, I want to post some thoughts about what made this a unique campaign to work on from the "agency side."

1) THE POWER OF.... A REVOLUTIONARY CONCEPT

This was the first Olympics EVER with athlete sanctioned blogging, which meant that most key players were standing by to see what would happen or dipping a cautious toe into the social media waters.
Bottom Line: We did a synchronized canon balled into the deep end with Lenovo, and the Voices project blazed a trail for other sponsors, OC's, Federations, and countries who will use social media to support, or lead, their Olympic efforts in the future.

2) THE POWER OF... A SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY CLIENT

The Lenovo team we worked with was lead by David Churbuck, and included Alan White, Esteban Panzeri and Tim Supples. These guys GET social media. They blog, they Twitter, and they'll do whatever comes next as well.
Bottom Line: Being a part of a team that's hip to social media allowed for us all to collectively take the project to the next level.

3) THE POWER OF... A REACTIVE TEAM

One of the perks of #2, is that the team worked in real time to react to social media mentions and improve the campaign. When a post appeared on Search Engine Guide criticizing the Voices site for not incorporating SEO as well as it could have, the second commenter was Lenovo's Esteban Panzeri, the tech lead for the project. He commented on Lenovo's point of view, made some tweaks to the site, and then posted a more detailed response on his own blog - which is now the lead in to the original Search Engine Guide Post. No freakouts about a partially negative post, no frantic blackberry messages about the "next step", just smart quick action.
Bottom Line: The Voices campaign was made better because we acted on word of mouth the campaign generated. Yours could be too!

4) THE POWER OF... AUTHENTICITY

We preach this one hard every day, but Voice of the Olympic Games really demonstrated the value of authenticity. The Voices program won kudos for taking the very essence of the Olympics, the athlete experience, and sharing it in a spin-free way that had never been done before.
Bottom Line: Authenticity must be a key element of ANY WOM campaign.

5) THE POWER OF... RESULTS!

And of course there were results. Looking at good ole' traditional "reach" metrics the Lenovo Olympic sites reached over 1.5 million worlwide visitors. 200 mentions on various social media sites reached an additional 10 million UMVs. The Facebook app had over 250,000 downloads, the Zumobi mobile app more than 60,000 downloads (58k plus from iPhone users.) But the real success came with the engagement metrics. The 100 athlete bloggers posted over 1,500 posts about their Olympic experience. These posts generated 8,000+ comments from fans around the world who were eager to connect with Olympians big and small. Over 1.5 million invites were sent through the Facebook app. This project really connected people and got them talking.
Bottom Line: Lenovo accomplished its mission of using Lenovo technology and social media to connect athletes and fans.

So friends, as we leave you tonight, I hope you'll enjoy this video we've put together featuring the highlights from the Voices project. There's no better way to understand the impact technology had on athletes in 2008 than to hear it straight from them. This is Bob Costas Kaitlyn Wilkins signing off.


This post was orginally published to Ogilvy PR's 360 Digital Influence Blog.

London 2012 Already On the Social Media Bandwagon

(File under: I can't just stop posting about the Olympics cold turkey.)

Well, that didn't take long.  In my Wrap Up post on the Lenovo Voices of the Olympic Games project I noted that everyone from sponsors, to sports federations, to country OC's, to bid cities, to your mom was going to start building social media into Olympic campaigns of the future.

From my friend across the pond (who works for the London 2012 communications agency) I have learned that London has wasted absolutely no time using social media to start creating excitement and anticipation for the 2012 Games.  In advance of the Handoff Ceremony last Sunday this video was posted to the London 2012 YouTube Channel.  (That's right, there is a channel!  It was created *two years ago* and it's optimized within an inch of its life.  It already has nearly 1000 subscribers.)

The video encourages people to submit their own celebration photos, which are being collected and displayed in UK-shaped mash ups.  This strategy is a great way to get the Brits pumped about the Games, and sends a strong message that London is not going to stand by and get shown up by the spectacular show that Beijing just wrapped up.  

Vancouver 2010 has some serious catching up to do if it hopes to match London 2012's user friendly interface, prominent use of engaging social media tactics, YouTube channel, blog, and more.

Athlete 2.0: Lenovo Voices of the Olympic Games Wrap Up

Today is the final day of the Beijing Olympics - and while I'm sorry to see the Games end, I'm proud about what they've represented from a social media standpoint.  Many people have compared the Internet powered evolution of the Games in Beijing to the 1960 Olympics in Rome where television revolutionized the public's exposure to event, as well as the athletes.

(Lest there be any confusion Beijing will NOT be remembered as the Games when network coverage went digital.  I found most major network Web sites to have somewhat awkward UI's, and content that failed to deliver behind the expected front of tail stories.  I couldn't get the much hyped streaming to work on my computers, and while I heard there were some social media plays with athletes (which is great) it did not seem to be prominently featured. I believe there was a big opportunity missed here, and look forward to seeing this go further next time around.)

Though I'm admittedly biased because of my close proximity to Lenovo's Voices of the Olympic Games project, I do believe that Beijing will be remembered as the Games when independent athlete blogging took off in a way that was meaningful for them, the fans, and the Olympics - and I could not have been more excited to have a front row seat at that event. 

Lenovo's David Churbuck offers a great post entitled "Building a Social Athlete" in which he breaks out four benefits for blogging athletes- Recognition, Support, Sponsorship and Satisfaction.  And indeed, almost every athlete blogger I spoke with (old or newly minted) cited many or all of these reasons as motivators for them.  Below is a great interview I did with "long time" blogger, and US 110m Hurdles bronze medalist David Oliver.  David was one of more than 100 athletes blogging as a part of the Lenovo Voices project.

Everyone I talked to from the sponsors, to coaches, to "traditional" journalists, to the USOC sees this "Athlete 2.0" as an essential ingredient in Games going forward - and that's great news for fans.  In Beijing athlete blogs meant that fans could begin to craft a highly personalized Olympic experience from their own living room.  They could follow the preparations of a particular athlete, and get the real, unedited inside scoop on competitions.  They could also connect.  Athletes I spoke to were in awe of the well wishes they received from around the world, which numbered in the dozens for some and thousands for others - like Abhinav Bindra, who won India's first ever individual gold medal.   

American television coverage may never go beyond what appeals to the masses (yes, we'll probably be stuck watching Beach Volleyball, Basketball, Gymnastics, Athletics and Swimming until the end of time - you might be surprised to learn that at present there are 26 other Olympic sports!)  But, well crafted social media projects, and the smart use of digital rights to the Games is going to open up new doors for Olympic fans and spectators around the world.  Imagine thousands (not hundreds) of athletes blogging.  Imagine photo and video libraries co-created with attendees and athletes.  Imagine social networks created around specific sports. Imagine real time streaming of all competitions. Increasingly, we'll be able to tap into the best Olympic experience available to each of us individually - and that is something to cheer about.

*Photo courtsey of Lenovo Voices of the Olympic Games blogger and USA Epee Fencer Seth Kelsey, author of the blog En Garde Beijing.

The Olympic Green At Night

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm a little Olympic-sick at the moment.  Here are some awesome pics of the Green at night that will not make me feel any better. 





Waaaaaa!

Things I Miss/Don't Miss About Beijing

Things I miss:

• Being A Part Of The Olympics:  Whether I was attending events, hanging out at USA House, touring the Athletes' Village, talking to athletes or manning the front lines for Lenovo, I feel like I came as close to the Olympics as you can without actually competing.  Now that I'm home I feel disconnected - like "I was JUST there!  That's MY Olympics!"  Watching on TV is no substitute for the excitement and friendship you find at the Games.

• Made In China: Um, best. food. ever.  Made in China is hailed for having "the best Peking Duck" in Beijing and it has to be true.  I managed to eat here twice and it now ranks in my top meals, up there with Le Relais Entrecote in Paris, the porcini ravioli at Il Panino Trattoria in the North End, my step dad's spaghetti and meatballs and Annie's Mac & Cheese.

• Dragon Fly Spa:  I finally found a place where you can get a 2 hour massage (1 hour head to toe, 1 hour with one person working your head/shoulders and one person working your feet) for $50.  Of course it's like 78,000 miles from where I live.

• No Political Ads: Dear god, it's me Kaitlyn.  Make it stop.  I turned on the TV when I got home last night and less than 3 minutes it I saw my first political ad.

Things I don't miss:

• Squatty Potties: In parts of Asia (and Europe), standard public toilets are just modified holes in the floor.  They don't support TP, so you throw that in a trash bin next to the hole.  Listen, I'm ALL for different cultures and the way they do things - I don't judge.  But, this was one of the most disgusting set ups ev-or.  I'll spare you the deets but it's really really awful.

• Pollution: I know China took some drastic measures to reduce pollution in Beijing for the Games.  It's nice to be home, not that the air rules in DC but it smells good here most of the time with the trees, landscaping, etc. 

• Cab Rides: The fact that they were cheap was their saving grace - but being in cabs for 3+ hours a day was brutal.  Seems like anywhere you want to go is 45 minutes from where you are.

Despite my whine list (whining over things I miss, whining over things that bugged me) the Olympics in Beijing were a once in a lifetime expereince.

Beijing Olympics: The Catch Up Lady On Pin Collecting. That's Right, Pin Collecting.

Disclaimer, I totally stole the idea for this post from David Churbuck, our fearless leader on the ground here from Lenovo.   I too came to Beijing totally poo-pooing the Olympic pin collecting craze.  I mean, yes I once collected miniature spoons from all the states but I was like 7 years old.  I just didn't see the intrigue to all this, and told Rohit before I we left I was not interested in the least.

Then of course, I started to get pins.  At first they kind of lay around - Lenovo pins at iLounges, exclusive USA pins at the USA House - then you realize you have something people want.  People are JAZZED about your Lenovo sponsor pin!  They want to give you something else for it, and you have like three more in your bag!  All of a sudden I was cooking with gas.  Then, through the kindness of two of our Lenovo Voices of the Olympic Games bloggers (Mannie Heymans and Josiah Ng) I was in possession of two highly coveted delegation pins from Namibia and Malaysia.  Then Harry, who helped me escape across the boarder from Mexico get across the Olympic Green without a ticket, traded me his volunteer pin.  And now I have a ton of pins, and am into the trade.  I don't think I'll end up like this lady - but it's a fun thing to do while you're here and I look forward to trading at more Olympics to come.

Beijing 8/19/08: The Last Day in China

Wasn't this the name of some Academy Award winning movie?  Anyway.  Today was a great last day in China.  I worked for most of the morning/early afternoon, and then headed out to go to the Forbidden City - which is one spot I hadn't made it and really wanted to go.  Sadly, it turns out the Forbidden City closes at 4:00pm, and no they don't make exceptions.  Especially for me and the four midwestern fat asses that were pleading our case.  (I can say that, I'm from the midwest!)

So I set off on a new adventure - walking along the edge of the Forbidden City to see where I ended up, and take some pictures on yet another blue sky day in Beijing.

Not really knowing what do to next, I decided to head towards Tiananmen  Square for some more picture taking.   I took this kind looking old man up on his offer to take me on a rickshaw ride.  His price was 50RMB, which is about $9, and nearly two times what I pay for a 45 min ride via taxi to my hotel.  But, this was one guy I was not going to haggle with for an extra dollar or two savings.  So I happily jumped in the back, and got to feel what it's like to travel by bike (with no shocks) in Beijing, with all its traffic and crazy pedestrian glory.

Arriving at Tiananmen Square, I learned that you are not supposed to take pictures of the military guards.  Apparently I was a long way from Buckingham Palace where you can do anything short of hump a guard to make him laugh. 

What people don't realize, I think, is how many Chinese tourists have come to Beijing for the Games.  On the Olympic Green, at tourist attractions or in the events I'd say over 90% of the attendees are Chinese. At places like Tiananmen Square, I was one of the loan caucasians.  Despite the fact that I had no USA gear on, I got several requests to be in photos.  Maybe they recognized me from my blog.  Or not. 
My day ended near the National Center for the Performing Arts - a building much heralded for its architecture in the US press - where I spent about an hour writing in a journal I bought for this trip.  (I know, I can't believe I still have stuff to put down after talking and blogging all day, either.)

This was my first trip to Asia, and I really enjoyed it. While you can tell that Beijing really pulled out the stops on everything from transportation to the number of volunteers to the landscaping, it really is a great (BIG) city with wonderful people.  Everyone I met made a good impression (save my lunatic cab driver from last night) and went over and above to welcome me to Beijing and make sure I was having a good time.  So thank you Beijing, I liked this city much more than I thought I would and have only great memories on my way out.

Beijing Olympics 8/17/08: Table Tennis With Olympians > Phelps #8

On Sunday I turned down a ticket to see Michael Phelps win his 8th gold medal of the Games.  No, I was not smoking crack.  Sunday I did something I think is cooler, and more real - I got to attend a table tennis match with a bunch of the Olympian bloggers I've been working with as a part of the Lenovo Voices of the Olympic Games project. 

Now, some of you still might think I'm on crack.  But when forced to choose between watching a four minute race that will be replayed from now until the end of time and going to a cool event with a group of Olympians I've come to know over email, the Super Fan answer is a no brainer. 

Towards the end of table tennis, I started thinking about how I was going to get my picture snapped with these folks without looking like a total unprofessional loser.  Then David Oliver (aka gold medal favorite in Men's 110m Hurdles) took care of that for me, and actually asked for a picture with ME, as we'd been emailing for so long.  I found this hilarious, and of course obliged and silently thanked the man for not making me have to ask. 

Now if only I didn't look like a wig wearing man in this picture I'd be all set.

Olympians - They're Just Like Us! Vol V

Since today is my last day in Beijing, this is going to be my fifth and final installation of Olympians They're Just Like Us!

They hang out in Tienanmen Square waiting for a cab! Being a German athlete apparently doesn't help you in this department!

Beijing Olympics: Needing Work Signs For Understanding

One thing I love when I travel abroad is chuckling at all of the ridiculously bad translations from the native language into English.  If I spoke another language fluently enough I would be all about exploiting this weakness for my own financial benefit.  This is an issue in every city I travel to - I wonder if translations in the US into other languages at popular tourist destinations are just as bad?  Hmmm... anyone got an answer on this?  If I'm in a glass house maybe I shouldn't throw stones!

Here are some of the ones I've seen (or heard about) while in Beijing:

• "Waiting for Taxi Area"

• "For Your Safety, Please Do Not Scratch" (at Great Wall)

• "Habitual Abortionists Are Not Permitted" (at Great Wall, does this entail some sort of pelvic exam??)

• "Link Stove Up With Fruit Tree of Roast Duck" (at a restaurant)
  

• Keep of the Glass

And one of my favorites spied today at the Forbidden City: