February in basketball means both the main launch window for new sneakers and the NBA All-Star Weekend and 2014 sees in innovative interactive boost to the event’s annual ‘NBA Jam Session’ in the form of radio-frequency identification (RFID) bracelets.
All basketball fans attending the 2014 NBA Jam Session will receive their very own ‘NBA Jam Band’, sponsored by NBA partner SAP, which measure and analyse fans’ basketball skills in real-time.
Fans can use the devices to track their performance and capture associated Jam Session personal data.
The RFID bracelets also enable those fans to share their Jam Session activities in real-time via their own social media networks.
To enable this, the NBA has linked with fellow sponsor Samsung to provide Galaxy Note 3 phones at each jam session activity space which enables them to ‘check-in’ to their social networks via the Jam Bands and share their data with their friends.
Thus the bands introduce a fresh interactive and shareable experience to the fan-focused NBA Jam Session section of the All-Star Weekend – which traditionally features player appearances, fan experiences and autograph sessions (this year with Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry and Paul George), plus a chance to participate in dunk courts and play interactive games.
Comment
‘Fans are engaging with us in record numbers across social media platforms and introducing radio frequency ID technology with our Jam Bands makes it easier than ever for fans to share photos, videos, and more while at NBA All-Star Jam Session,’ outlines said the NBA’s Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships Emilio Collins.
Of course, there is another key benefit of the bands as they enable NBA partners a further engagement platform.
‘Our partners have fully embraced this technology and integrated it into their activities at Jam Session to give our fans new, fun ways to experience the excitement of the NBA and its players,’ adds Collins.
Fans can share their activity through social media, while sponsors can use the data to tailor promotions to potential consumers – thus helping the new Jam Bands to potentially be a win/win for both spectators and sponsors.
Links
NBA Jam Session Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/JamSession
NBA Jam Session Twitter
NBA Website
NBA All Star Weekend Website
