End of semester reflections...

Graduation is rapidly approaching here at The University of Georgia, so as the schoolwork begins to wind down, I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on the semester. It is safe to say that this semester has helped to provide me with the clearest picture of my career beyond the classroom. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the huge impact that my social media marketing class, and most notably my professor, Jennifer Osbon, has had on my career outlook post-graduation. 

While I already harbored a particular interest in social prior to this MARK 5000 class, the content, thought, real world application, and energy that Professor Osbon brings into the classroom and her lectures each day was hugely refreshing. Easily the best professor I have had here at the University of Georgia, her rookie year here has already begun to give the Terry College of Business a modern edge that it needs to continue improving its growth and sustainability well into the future. 

More than willing to help her students in regards to career aspirations, she never shies away from actively using her expansive network to put her students and The University of Georgia on the metaphorical digital marketing map. This is not to say that other professors here at The University of Georgia are unwilling to aid students in regards to career aspirations (actually, its is quite the opposite), merely that Professor Osbon has proven herself to be among the most proactive in this regard. Simply put: she is here for the students.

I'm quite confident that The Terry College of Business' "baptism" into the fray of digital/social marketing could be helmed by no one better.

To current students... register quickly before classes fill up! They promise to do so quickly.

My digital Masters weekend...

Here we are in mid-April, nearing the tail-end of Masters weekend, with the final round of the tournament shaping up to conclude dramatically (as usual). While probably oversimplifying things, it is safe to say the last 4 days has consisted primarily of eating, watching the Masters, and sleeping. 

Backtracking a bit... on Thursday, my social media marketing professor spent a sizable portion of class time discussing the emerging prominence of multi-screen audience engagement. How appropriate. Within a few hours I found myself camped out in front of my television, tuned into the Masters with the Golf Digest "Social Hub" loaded up on the laptop alongside a live-updating leaderboard. Up to this point, I had yet to realize the irony of the situation... until I made the decision to pull-out the iPad to view a few highlights. Here I was, sitting in the living room with 3 different screens loaded up, creating my own little digital world all situated around a single televised event.

Courtesy of my professor's lecture and dumb coincidence I came to realize just how penetrating and powerful digital media has become in regards to creating a broader, more engaging, event experience.

Building a Digital Ballpark Experience

In 2012, Major League Baseball launched the "At the Ballpark" application in an attempt to build a consolidated portable device-driven ballpark experience. With the explosion of mobile devices and social media, Major League Baseball saw an opportunity to amplify the digital experience of ball game attendance. The "At the Ballpark" application is this "opportunity" put to action. 

In general application allows attendees to:

• Access ballpark information/maps/etc.
• View schedule/ticketing information
• Access team statistics
• Order food/beverages (in select stadiums only)

Socially, attendees are able to upload/share photographs of their experiences at games, and participate in social media conversations with others in attendance/watching the game.

As a whole, the MLB "At the Ballpark" application does an exceptional job of creating a centralized digital experience for attendees, and has been positioned for continued success well into the future.

*Also worth noting is the fact that MiLB teams have begun making attempts to build a digital experience around ballgames. (See IronPigs Launch MiLB's First Social Media Hub).