There are quite a few pro athletes using Twitter as a means of communicating with fans. But in what is believed to be a first, a sponsor has requested that an athlete, in this case Danica Patrick, join Twitter in a co-branded social marketing play. This is something I expect will happen on Twitter more often. Twitter actively engages a wide, defined audience in a way that may be more effective than trying to “push” consumers to an athlete’s website. It will be interesting to see how Danica balances the corporate spokesperson role with her role as an athlete with a fan base.

Eric Fisher from the Sports Business Journal has the story:

IRL driver Danica Patrick has launched a Twitter feed at the behest of watch sponsor Tissot, located @DanicaPatrick. She is believed to be the first major athlete to join Twitter in conjunction with a corporate entity, and Tissot will receive extensive exposure on her feed, including visual branding on her Twitter Web page. The effort was constructed in part by Charlotte-based Sports Media Challenge, and advisors said extensive care is being taken to structure the alliance as more of a natural product placement as opposed to an overt banner-type display. Patrick is due to discuss the Twitter effort at media appearances slated for today in N.Y. (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).

Posted by Jason Howarth | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Del.icio.us, LinkedIn

Tagged: IRL, Product Placement, Sports Business Journal, Tissot, Twitter