This is a short (17’) video of my new presentation on the Quantified Self and sports. 

Key points are:

• 1) Technology democratizes sports;
• 2) This is the first era when amateurs have innovations before the pros (from F1 model to lean model);
• 3) More input (sensors), faster processing (Moore’s Law), but not yet better output (feedback loops are rudimentary);
• 4) It’s time to take the platform as an asset to the world of advertising and sponsoring (the middle man is out anyway);
• 5) Bring not only sales and branding into sponsoring, but purpose;
• 6) Create platforms for quantified sponsoring: calories burnt in sport should be higher than calories ingested (on an individual level).

Very interesting article on the “now” in marketing and communication, which is so very much true for sports. The big sports brands already understand: content should be made instantly. Nike does it, adidas does it. Soon everybody will do it.

So onto the next one. Predicting the now:

“Nowcasting attempts to make sense of the present before all the data has been analyzed, in order to project trends sooner, or even continuously.”

And I don’t mean predicting the results, although that can be even more rewarding, but predicting what people will like when watching sports. What will be the key trends of a game? Use this knowledge to create in the heat (NOW) content to connect sports, brand and fans.

Start analyzing the now of sports!

Two quotes on how technology is democratizing sports, both taking from The Next Web Magazine on sports. One is by Florian Gschwandtner (CEO of Runtastic, a fitness app with more than 25 million downloads) en one is by me.

Florian:

“Winning in sports is not just for the professionals, with today’s technology everyone has access to mobile health & fitness apps. 

Gijsbregt:

“What’s new is that technology is democratizing at a rapid pace. A good coach, heart rate monitor or shoe advise is only an app away.”

The democratization of sports (through technology) is a movement that can’t be stopped. Use it to your advantage.

Sports and technology have always made a great couple. What’s new is that technology is democratizing at a rapid pace. A good coach, heart rate monitor or shoe advise is only an app away. Every athlete, pro or amateur, has star potential through their own media. As being active is generally seen as good for us sedentary humans, the innovations will shift from measuring and sharing to highly personal experiences and tailor made feedback. Next frontiers to conquer are the DNA, neuroscience and lasting change in behaviour. And yes, that calls for a whole new set of morals.

I’ve been saying this for as long as I’ve been active in sports: the essence of sports is doing sports not (only) watching sports. Far too little organizations in the sports live by this rule. Even less so the worlds biggest rights holders. But the times are changing and the London 2012 Olympic Games are about to set the standard.

Please read this full interview with Nick Bitel, the newly installed chairman of Sport England, who has a one billion pound budget to make sure the Olympic legacy of the games leads to more sports participation.

Some inspiratory quotes to illustrate his mission and his way work.

About subsidies and results
“Payment by results is important. We are also working more with other providers. The work we are doing with doorstep sports clubs and others is not just with governing bodies.”

“If governing bodies don’t achieve their targets then it’s quite clear what will happen. That doesn’t mean we’ll abandon the sport, we just won’t fund it through the governing body and we’ll find another way.”

About events for amateurs and pros alike
“People want to be enthused. They’re enthused because you’re challenging them and they’re going to achieve something, but they’re also enthused by seeing a Mo Farah or a Bradley Wiggins doing the same event as they are.”

Sports organizations, governments and sponsors have to watch closely and act according to and learn from what’s happening in the UK. It is time to measure results of sports management in changed behavior not in ambitions and pretentions.

Some interesting thoughts on how to create a great stadium experience. It’s not only about the build and sound design, but also about where the away team is located and how much tickets cost.

Strangely there is no mention whatsoever of technology. When I think of creating connection between the game (team) and the spectator, the first I think of is technology. From screens everywhere to the Jumbotron and from great content on aggregation platforms to stadium apps.

Building new stadiums or upgrading existing ones is as much about connectivity as it is about connection.

Hat tip to Kris Götsch for the link

nycgov:

Today Mayor Bloomberg joined the Manchester City players who are in town for a friendly game at Yankee Stadium and some future pros to celebrate that Major League Soccer will be bringing a team to NYC!

Arab money, English soccer/football wit, Bronx sports marketing prowess and a Queens park. New York City Football Club will be a melting pot just New York City it self.

Twitter & ESPN deepen their collaboration and especially focus on in-tweet TV content, says the WSJ.
Thus returns a concept I developed for the Dutch FA more than 18 months ago to the eye of world.

It is one of my sporting mantra’s: watching sports is great, doing sports is better. With the fast rise of corporate social responsibility in sponsoring, the next step is measuring the impact of this type of sponsoring: not in financial ROI but in true changed behaviour.

More and more the indicators for a succesful sponsorship will be measured in actual actions. How many people took the beginning class running? How many took the stairs? How many quit smoking? Take the bike to work?

With the exponential growth of bodily data, the real impact of those actions can be easily quantified: in calories, in fuels or in new metrics still to be devised. I foresee a near future where “obesity creating” companies have to proof that the output of calories (burning them during sports or other activities) is higher than the intake of calories (drinking soda or eating hamburgers), on an individual level.

[calory output by sports] - [calory input by food/drink] > 0 

The future of sponsoring lies not in exposure nor in engagement, it lies in changed behaviour and mostly in behaviour for the good. 

To manage this paradigm shift many tools and platforms will emerge, focused on measuring, quantifying, aggregating, providing feedback, motivating and more. Sprout at work is one of the examples and Nike is buying in. 

- sports business

- sports marketing

- media & sports

- sponsoring & activation

- sports tech/innovation

I’m looking for forward thinkers, people with a “next” focus. Thx!

For example:

http://jwcannon.tumblr.com/