Last fall, we launched an integrated Twitter/TV program for Monday Night Football, the #GrudenGrinder, awarded via Twitter and on TV by Coach Jon Gruden. Unlike traditional player of the game awards honoring the player with the prettiest stat line, the #GrudenGrinder applauded the player who made the greatest impact in the trenches. We used @ESPN & @ESPNMondayNight to allow fans everywhere to participate in the selection process for the honor.1. Broadcast Enhancement – The #GrudenGrinder program was developed to make the Monday Night Football broadcast better and more social. Rather than simply flashing a hashtag on the screen, fans were given a specific reason and call-to-action to use the #GrudenGrinder hashtag. 2. Brand Alignment – Gruden’s personality and the Monday Night Football brand speak to avid football fans, who love the X’s and O’s of the gridiron. The #GrudenGrinder aligned well with this positioning. 3. Twitter Talent Marketing – Jon Gruden does not have a Twitter feed, but through the #GrudenGrinder execution, he was able to have a presence on the platform. It is a successful model for integrating talent into Twitter, even if they do not have an actual handle on the platform. 4. Fan Interaction – Leveraging the unique power of Twitter, fans assumed the virtual role of analyst and made their predictions for the #GrudenGrinder award. 5. Fan Rewards – To close the loop and reward fans for their participation, the fan who correctly selected the #GrudenGrinder received a Grinder t-shirt and LG phone.
Please see embedded hyperlinks above.
