Nike Canada has recruited a new brand ambassador, spokesperson and journalist – dubbed by the brand the ‘walking, talking Wikipedia of hockey’ – Steve Dangle will report on ice hockey for the giant sports brand across multiple social media channels
Described variously as ‘young’, ‘smart’, ‘energetic’, ‘opinionated’ and ‘unpredictable’’ – Steve Dangle is something of a breath of ice hockey fresh air. Nike newest ‘field reporter’ and ‘ice hockey marketing man’ is not a player but a YouTube hockey blogger.
Dangle, who is following Team Canada as they prepare for an assault on Olympic Gold in Vancouver across a slew of digital platforms, has one of the most respected hockey blogs on YouTube. An ‘everyman come star’, he rose to fame through his popular video blog covering his local pro NHL team the Toronto Maple Leafs and has a loyal following on www.leafspace.com.
His YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/SteveDangle) has more than 260,000 channel views and 1 million video views. He also has a much followed Twitter account (http://twitter.com/StevE_dangle) where he voices his opinion on the game.
21-year-old Dangle is covering the thrills, spills and fights for Nike through the duration of the Olympic ice hockey tournament. He has been given total access to Team Canada , from warm ups and training, to players and games, by Canada Team sponsor Nike – he is reporting via a Nike Training-branded YouTube channel, Dangle’s Angle.
His content includes opinion and videos, exclusive pre-game and post-game interviews with members of the team as well as post-game analysis, and all are also available www.atinside.nike.com/blogs as well as on a dedicated Facebookpage. Real-time commentary was provided via a Twitter feed, constantly updated by the blogger at each match.
Comment:
Using a genuine, self-made blogger as its sponsorship front man leverages the growing trend for ‘everyday sponsorships’ rather than just star names. It makes the most of ‘peoples champion’ type popularirty and helps battle any negative big brand corporate cynicism.
A clever Canadian initiative that looks set to boost grassroots interest and generate genuine brand advocacy. Nike is more than just a kit supplier, but a voice of the game.
Links:
http://inside.nike.com/blogs/niketraining-en_CA/tags/steve_dangle
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