The Innovative Ducks a Little Like Social Media?

Have you watched the Oregon Ducks play football this year? If not, you’re missing out. As I watch how innovative Coach Kelly and the Oregon Ducks are on the field, I can’t help but think of the comparisons they make with social media. Some traditional football fans and writers complain that their offense is gimmicky and more like a video game than ‘real’ football. Does that sound familiar? In talking with some people who have been in the traditional media business for years, they sound a lot like football purists who would rather see three yards and a cloud of dust than the fast-paced excitement that the Oregon Ducks provide every Saturday. A couple of years from now, more and more college football teams will be running an offense similar to the Oregon Ducks. You’ll look back to this season and the tremendous success the Ducks have had and point to now as when the landscape of the college game changed. There was a point a couple of years ago when people were saying the same things about social media: It’s a gimmick. Where do people find the time? I don’t need to know when my friends are going to the bathroom or going to bed. It’s a fad. Look at it now. When used correctly, can anybody outside of those being truly stubborn deny the effect social media can have and does have on marketing today? The Ducks and their video game offense are one win away from a BCS Title game and a 17 million-dollar payout. Groupon and its gimmick have an offer from Google for 6 billion dollars. In this economy, that’s pretty good. The Ducks aren’t in their position just because of their fast-paced offense. They execute the plays. They perhaps have the country’s best special teams and a good defense. So, just like the Ducks, being on Facebook and Twitter alone can’t take you to the Promised Land; you must execute your posts and tweets. Your special teams and defense in your marketing plan must work hand in hand, cooperating with each facet of your marketing strategy. On the football field, as well as in marketing, change happens. Change is a byproduct of creating an advantage over your competitor. If you’re a football purist and dismiss the Ducks for their innovative offense, you’re missing out on something fun to watch, and 70 years ago, it probably would have been against the forward pass. If you’re in traditional media or a small business owner and scoff at social media as a REAL marketing tool for businesses, you need to view it for what it is. If you’re not involved out of “hoping it will go away,” you, are missing out on the fun. Change in inevitable, the Oregon offense is going to change and morph over the next couple of years and so too will social media. With change, more times than not, you’re better off enjoying it than hiding from it.   Go Ducks!