Social Media Impact

Last week during the Q and A portion after the documentary one of the interviewers had asked Tim Tebow, What impacts do you believe social media has had on brand marketing for athletes and what have you done to take advantage of this? Tebow responded by telling the story of Jay Cutler during this year’s NFC Championship Game between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. In the game, Chicago’s offense had played an abysmal first half that would leave them trailing by 14 points.  With 30 seconds before halftime, Jay Cutler had left the game to go to the locker room. When Chicago had returned to the field for the second half, their starting quarterback was seen riding a stationery bike, which gave some indication that he had a problem with his knee from the first half. Cutler played in the first offensive series of the second half, only to come out of the game and never return.  This would cause an uproar among current and former players.  They began to question Cutler’s dedication to the team and his intestinal fortitude. So Tebow’s story was on the negative impact social media can have, but he also believes that it has a positive impact.

            Being a devout Christian, Tebow believes that social media is a great platform from which to reach out and influence fans. It gives him the opportunity to interact with his fanbase and be a positive role model for others.  Tebow said that he started to take full advantage of social media last August and that he plans to use it to its fullest extent in the future. For athletes and celebrities alike, using social media can have its pros and cons, but whoever uses it needs to be aware of the consequences of using it.