In the late 90s, a company called Broadband Sports was signing athletes to Web site deals, with the idea being to empower the athlete to take control of their own brands by disseminating their own news and selling their own merchandise.
But, in the end, athletes weren’t really on board with writing about themselves frequently enough for fans to make their sites worthwhile destinations and the retail space never was fully developed.
Fast forward to today where a combination of factors have led to many athletes controlling the flow of their information more than ever before.
Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have not only made it easier to put information out — full blogs need not apply anymore. But the athletes themselves are more into technology and understand the importance of connecting with their fan base virtually more than the last generation of athletes ever did.
Read the rest of the article.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/37362985
Now that you have read the article, next, check out the Lineage Interactive website. Make sure to look at the video. You may also want to browse and check out the careers section.
http://lineageinteractive.com/
In a two-paragraph response (a minimum of five sentences for each paragraph), answer the following questions. In paragraph # 1, discuss your thoughts about Lineage and their corporate mission statement "...to develop lifelong partnerships with clients that have the talent, ambition and vision to create a sustainable, meaningful brand. Our boutique approach to management helps clients operate at a high level in multiple fields.” What do you think about this new strategy of maximizing athlete's marketing potential? Be specific with your thoughts. In paragraph # 2, talk about your favorite athlete and his/her possibilities with a company like Lineage Interactive. If you were Mr. Rodriguez, how would you attempt to maximize the athlete's marketing potential? Be specific with your thoughts.
Please sign your name to the bottom of your blog entry.
