Social media engagement goes interactive

A social media campaign launched for last week’s Capital One Cup Final at Wembley – between Liverpool FC and Manchester City – has been lauded as pioneering thanks to its interactive elements. Created in partnership by the Football League and Hobbynote, the campaign was based on supporters being able to create and receive unique and personalised images from the match using Twitter.

Fans who sent a tweet to @CapitalOne_Cup using the hashtag #WembleyWay received an instant photo reply from a camera snapping real time images of fans moving along ‘Wembley Way’. The function proved popular among fans both walking up to the stadium as well as those sitting at home. The former were able to create a unique memento for themselves, while the latter used it to create a feeling of being part of the matchday experience.

As part of the #FinalCam initiative, fans were also given the opportunity to receive an instant ‘on demand’ photo of their team’s bench and technical area, using either #LFCBench or #MCFCBench. Reaching 8 million people with an engagement rate of 47 per cent. It was the first time ever fans have been given the opportunity to see how the two benches react in real time during the game.

According to data provided by Kantar Media, the match was one of the most talked about sporting events on Twitter across the weekend, attracting more than five times as many tweets as the England v Ireland RBS Six Nations match.

www.football-league.co.uk/

Fans could get their unique shots of the Liverpool dugout during the final

Multi-sport wheelchair launched to boost physical activity

Sports equipment provider Youth Sport Direct has launched an introductory multi-sport wheelchair designed to encourage young disabled people to take part in physical activity.

The wheelchair – manufactured by Roma Sport – is manufactured in a series of seat widths which allow young people the opportunity to take part in sports such as basketball and tennis regardless of their size.

Lightweight and agile, the chair lets users play sport without too much effort pushing a heavy frame.

The launch of the chair marks a focus from Youth Sports Direct and partner the Youth Sports Trust to provide every young person – regardless of ability or disability – the same opportunities to play PE and school sport.

“Making sure we’re doing everything we can to provide young people of all abilities and backgrounds with fantastic PE and a school sport experience from the youngest possible age is so important,” said chair of the Youth Sports Trust, Sue Campbell.

Paralympic athlete Ade Adepitan, an ambassador for the wheelchair, said the benefits of the chairs will be seen in “20-30 years time when people don’t think twice about seeing someone with a disability in sport”.

www.youthsportdirect.org/

Ade Adepitan (right) is an ambassador for the multi-sport wheelchair

Smart sports bras enter the market

Three technology companies have launched smart sports bras to the market in the past month.

The new OMbra by OMSignal records biomechanics to give users more information about their workout and fitness. Real-time biometrics including running distance, pace, heart rate and calories are detected by inbuilt sensors in the back of the bra and recorded in a small OM Smart Box fixed to the bra. The stats are then sent to the user’s iOS device via an app when nearby.

Features of the bra include four-way stretchable, light fabric, in a range of colours, designed to adapt to different shapes, absorb pressure and reduce stress on the back and shoulders.

Meanwhile, fitness monitor supplier Myzone has launched its own sports bra with a built-in fitness tracker.

The Myzone Sports Bra with integrated training technology is designed to let the user know how hard they’re trying during a work out and Myzone says its technology offers heart rate accuracy of over 99 per cent. It also offers calorie-crunch data in conjunction with personal body metrics for accurate calorie-burning calculations.

The third product comes from wearable fitness technology firm Sensoria – creator of the Sensoria smart sock – which has added a new sports bra to its collection of smart running garments. The Sensoria Fitness Sports Bra can be used with most Bluetooth smart heart rate monitors with standard snaps or the Sensoria heart rate monitor, which can be paired with the Sensoria Fitness mobile app to track the wearer’s fitness activity.

www.omsignal.com/

www.myzone.org/

www.sensoriafitness.com/

The OMbra records biometrics using inbuilt sensors in the back of the bra

Digital summit on the agenda at SportAccord

A groundbreaking session at this year’s SportAccord Convention will look to bring the sports industry in contact with the latest thinking in the growing digital economy.

Taking place at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne on 20 April, the Digital Summit will allow leading tech firms – such as Facebook, Twitter and Oculus Rift – to mix with representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and national governing bodies of sport.

Senior leaders will look to share insight and practical advice on what it takes to stand out and genuinely engage with fans and athletes in this fast-moving world – one of the biggest challenges facing organisations in the future.

“Delegates will have the opportunity to hear first-hand, how to embrace the social media phenomenon, and take storytelling and innovation to new heights for the benefit of fans, athletes and sport,” said Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention.

Alex Huot, head of social media, IOC, added: “The more we connect with each other, the louder our voices become and the better the user experience.”

www.sportaccord.com/

The venue for the summit – SwissTech Convention Centre