#hartnelldown

One of the biggest reasons social media are so powerful in drawing fans, building loyalty, and strengthening fan identification is the element of user involvement. In a way unlike anything available before the explosion of social media, fans can now feel like contributors and participants in the teams they love. In fact, some of the most successful social media campaigns in sports have been fan-initiated. Wise organizations can learn how to capitalize on fan movements.

     As I’ve mentioned, social media works a lot like waves. Anyone who has experienced big waves knows that when a big wave comes your way, there are only a few options. The first is to let it hit you, the thrashing to follow will result—at best—in some salt-water nose spewing and a full body sand rash! Another option is to simply try to swim under it before it breaks. Option three is to turn around, start paddling and ride it to shore. An organization can result to the tidal movements of social media in much the same way. They can let it thrash them, try to avoid it, or turn and ride it.

When Hartnell lefy Philly for Columbus, he posted this
letter on facebook praising and thanking his fans.

     When some Philadelphia Flyers fans noticed how often Scott Hartnell hit the ice, they created the #hartnelldown trend, which kept track of how many times he went down each game. Rather than resenting the joke, Hartnell embraced it, and even started the #hartnelldown foundation. The popularity of the movement has grown into something impressive. Hartnell pays a chunk of money to various charities for each time he falls in a game. It is incredible to see just how much has come of what started as a joke from some fans. When Hartnell was recently traded to Columbus, he announced that the #hartnelldown foundation would continue to support youth hockey programs in Philadelphia and expand to Columbus. If you look at any of Hartnell’s social media sites, it is immediately apparent from tweets and comments that his fans don’t just appreciate his hockey skills; they also respect him and appreciate his class. When this wave came crashing, Scott Hartnell started paddling and rode it in rather than standing and letting the wave score a big #hartnelldown. 

The #hartnelldown childrens' book