Nov

22

Shaq gets his own Twitter account

Filed Under Social Media, Sports PR 

A post by Adam Ostrow on Mashable has a great story of Shaq proving that it really was him on Twitter. Apparently, there had been a Twitterer pretending to be Shaq and when he learned of this, he decided to create his own account. In fact one user following his account did not believe that it was actually the real Shaq. After some back and forth, the Twitterer received a phone call from the man himself. A later tweet by Shaq stated that he was going to get some tickets for the Twitterer and his family. 

Kathleen Hessert, who manages Shaq’s online marketing, commented on our post yesterday: “Shaq is a joyful person and a riot to be around. He not only gets attention but actually attracts people – he’s magnetic and genuine. That’s why I recommended that he twitter. Frankly it suits him and he’s one of a select few who actually do care about his fans. He’s learning twitter on the run and tomorrow I’m showing him how to respond@ to a fan.”

I think it’s a great opportunity for athletes who may be more technologically savvy. Not only does this provide him with a way to interact and engage with his fans, but it also gives him an avenue to promote his own brand and refute any false statements or accusations. 

“Somebody out there was trying to use my language and trying to speak for me,” O’Neal, sounding more amused than offended, said Wednesday night in a telephone interview. “Rather than have that happen, I thought I’d do it myself.”

O’Neal added: “It’s a fun thing. It’s a way for fans to connect.”

In both Shaq’s and Britney’s cases, they took to Twitter to take matters into their own hands and set the record straight. However, Britney’s account is done by her team (and it sounds like her comments are what she “said” to the team) whereas Shaq is all him and that’s what makes him appear more approachable and genuine. I’ve enjoyed watching Shaq over the years and always appreciated his candid quotes, but his move to Twitter bumped up my personal opinion of him. I think this is a great boost for his brand especially now that he’s not the player in the NBA anymore.

Comments

5 Responses to “Shaq gets his own Twitter account”

  1. Russell Scibetti on November 23rd, 2008 9:11 am

    Great story! I’ve been following the_real_shaq on Twitter also. It shows you how many great ways there are for teams and athletes to engage with their fans in a very genuine way.

    This story was also one of my “Picks of the Week” – thanks!!

  2. Christy on November 24th, 2008 6:32 pm

    Russell – Yeah, he’s been really entertaining so far and I love how it gives fans a chance to really connect with him. He’s such a dynamic personality and I think it’s great for the Suns brand too (especially with few Suns’ staff members finding their way on Twitter as well).

    Oh, I liked your pick for The Olympic Games Effect book. I’m planning on buying it to read it over Christmas break – great find!

  3. Russell on November 24th, 2008 8:20 pm

    Cool – let me know how the book is. Right now its still on my wish list. I haven’t had much time to read lately!

  4. Brian Howe on December 9th, 2008 11:52 am

    you know Lance Armstrong is on Twitter as well.

    http://www.twitter.com/lancearmstrong

    He posts tons of photos from his travels as well.

  5. Christy on December 9th, 2008 8:30 pm

    Brian- Thanks for the comment! I do follow Lance Armstrong on Twitter. As a big fan of him for quite some time, I’ve really enjoyed it. I would love to see him interact with readers a bit more like Shaq does, but it’s definitely great way to let fans in as he tries to return back to cycling and use LAF to fight cancer.

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