Butler Blue 2 is making a big splash in social media

As a proud Butler University alumna whose desk is decorated with plenty of BU paraphernalia, I wrote a new post for my company's blog today that highlights some of the great work BU is doing on the social media front. I'm by no means an objective author, but don't hold it against me!

Lucky dog knows how to leverage the power of social media

Butler Blue 2, Butler University’s charismatic English Bulldog mascot, has embraced national-celebrity status and is putting his personality to work in promoting the University. What began several years ago as a blog and collection of cute videos has now become a top-notch integrated social-media campaign that is engaging fans – including potential students and donors – around the country.

He blogs. He Tweets. He connects with fans on Facebook. He has his own photo stream on Flickr. A live webcam allows fans to check in on him during the day while he’s at work. He even has his own channel on YouTube.

Blue 2 first earned national attention when Butler surprised the nation by becoming the Cinderella team of last year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. With the tournament being held in Indianapolis that year – Blue 2’s hometown – he was able to easily attend the games, as he does regularly on campus at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Fast forward 11 months, and the NCAA ruled that he would not be allowed to attend this year’s early-round games. The rule says no live mascots are allowed in the first few rounds. A maelstrom of fan disappointment ensued, and the University communications team admirably leveraged that support. They created Blue 2 masks for fans to print out and wear to the game to show their support of their mascot, protest his exclusion, and allow Blue 2 to be there in spirit.

When Butler made it into the Final Four, the NCAA decided he would be allowed to travel to Houston to participate in the festivities and support his team. In the spirit of a true celebrity, Blue 2 shared the announcement with his 4,500+ followers on Twitter and Facebook.

Local and national media alike have jumped on board, interviewing him (and his “dad”, Michael Kaltenmark, Director of Web Communications), covering his 7th birthday party thrown by the University, even following him through his pre-travel pampering session (which included a bath and pedicure). National entertainment-network TMZ has even been profiling the happy dog’s movements. (ESPN's Kenny Mayne doesn't appear to be a fan, but he's one of the very few.)



Butler’s marketing efforts during March Madness have extended well beyond Blue 2, though he has arguably become the University’s second-most sought-after spokesperson, er, dog, following members of the basketball team, of course. After each win, alumni received eblasts within hours that included printable posters (to show your spirit at the office), trivia contests for prizes, viewing-party information, and an invitation to send fan photos that would be shared through the various alumni social-media accounts. Word has it that the students who man the school’s telemarketing efforts have been especially active this week, too, looking to capitalize on the spirit and capture monetary support for the University.

Kudos to Butler University for embracing these opportunities and using it to promote the school. They’re showing what a truly integrated marketing campaign can do for an organization, and we could all learn something by following along.

Butler Blue 2 has managed to master social media, and he doesn’t even have thumbs.

(And I can’t finish this without saying GO BULLDOGS!)

148/365 New theme: Spirit

What better way to start a new theme -- "Spirit" -- than with some school spirit?

I went to a Butler University basketball game on Saturday night with some fellow alumni (go dawgs!). I've attended a shamefully low number of BU games since my time in school there, and this was my first as an alumna. Oddly enough, I went to a Pacers game with some other friends the previous weekend -- that's more basketball games in eight days than I've been to in five years. By going to the two in such quick succession, I was really struck by how different the two games really were.

Even aside from my affiliation with the school as an alumna, which definitely makes me biased, the atmosphere of the Butler game was ten times more energizing and fun than the Pacers game. To start, the Pacers have struggled with fan attendance for the last several years, following the infamous brawl on the court in Detroit. They've had to resort to selling tickets for $0.75 recently to fill seats and draw fans to the games. I'll give the management credit for making changes to improve the team, but they have a long way to go before they regain a crowd's loyalty.

Now, when you go to a Pacers game at Conseco Fieldhouse, at least half the seats are empty. Most people seem to be there for the socializing aspects of game-going rather than for the game itself. The arena is pretty quiet.

Now, in contrast, your experience with the BU basketball game starts before you even walk in the door. Traffic lines the streets near Hinkle Fieldhouse. Parking is at a premium -- we paid some students $10 to park in their yard. And as you walk closer to the Fieldhouse, you can hear the pep band inside playing the school song.

Then, when you actually enter Hinkle, the atmosphere is absolutely electric. 80%+ of seats are occupied, and the crowd is wearing a sea of blue and white. Everyone is truly into the game: with every point, the crowd erupts in a loud cheer. With every ref's call against the home team, the crowd collectively boos in perfect unison. It's difficult to carry on a conversation with the person next to you because it's so loud -- not that you want to be talking, anyways, because the people there are actually there for the game.

And, of course, you have a solid student fan base. They don't hold back when it comes to supporting their team, even if it (oddly) means wearing a green suit to the game.

Fans know the players, their stats, their hometowns, and they're proud of the fact that Butler basketball players actually graduate from college.

The cherry on top? A youthful coach who exudes good-guy-ness and led the team to the NCAA Championship in 2010.

School spirit is not hard to come by. Who wouldn't want to root for these guys?

Camera: Canon 40D with 70-300mm IS lens, varying exposures at 1/160s

93/365 Friday night Indians game

Indianapolis may not have a major-league baseball team, but having a minor-league team in town is a nice trade!

The Indianapolis Indians are a Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the stadium, Victory Field, is right in downtown Indianapolis within walking distance of the Colts' Lucas Oil Stadium.

I generally make it to an Indians game about once every couple of years. (I'm not a very consistent fan, am I?) When I do make it, I'm reminded of my days playing little-league softball as a kid. At that time, we went to at least one game a year as a special outing with our families, and my mitt still bears the faded signatures of some of the Indians' players.

The team now follows most Friday-night games with a fireworks display. Last Friday, I went with a couple girlfriends, but though our intentions were to see the fireworks, we left before the game was over. It was an unusually chilly night with a strong wind that had us wishing we'd dressed a little warmer. (Call us weenies, go ahead.) When 10:00 rolled around and there were two innings still left to be played, we called it a night.

Man, I'm getting old!

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/4.5 at ISO 400 at about 8:00 p.m.

89/365 Are you ready for some football?

Fantasy Football.

Two words that have circled around me in conversation for years, but I've primarily wandered around clueless about the process involved. At work, among friends... at this time of year, it's everywhere.

No more. I'm now a rookie team manager.

Yep, I've bravely jumped into the fray. Blindly. But looking forward to it, nonetheless.

My coworkers have a league together, so it's prime fodder for lunch-room conversation. This year, when the call went out for people interested in participating, I raised my hand. We actually had enough interest this year that we had to split into two separate leagues.

I joined for two main reasons: 1. To learn more about football. 2. To have some fun with coworkers.

The first milestone in my rookie team-manager career happened last week: the draft. Now, here's the thing: I'm competitive enough that even though this is my rookie season, I want to actually stand a good chance of being a contender in the league. So, preparing for the draft was a bit like studying for a test in a class I'd been sleeping through all semester. "Where in the world did all of this information come from and how am I supposed to learn it by then?!"

I consulted some veterans for advice, did some Googling of "fantasy football 101" keywords on my own, and spent some serious time preparing my strategy for the draft. The pressure mounted even more when I was randomly selected to receive the first pick. That meant that of all the offensive players in the NFL, I got first choice for my team. All eyes were on me; that's a coveted position to be in.

I quickly learned in my researching that my initial thought of, "Oh, well, I'll pick Peyton Manning, because he'll go quickly" was a bad idea. Rookie move. Let him go. Go for a top running back instead, because they'll earn you lots of points.

Essentially, what I learned was: load up on running backs and wide receivers. Pick your quarterback in the third or fourth round. Don't worry about a backup quarterback until later, and then only if your primary QB has an early bye week. Leave your defense and kicker until the last two rounds.

Sweating yet?

So here's where I ended up, in order:

1. RB Adrian Peterson, MIN
2. WR Marques Colston, NO
3. QB Aaron Rodgers, GB
4. RB Ryan Grant, GB
5. RB Joseph Addai, IND
6. WR Hines Ward, PIT
7. RB Jahvid Best, DET
8. WR Steve Breaston, ARI
9. RB Justin Forsett, SEA
10. WR Mike Wallace, PIT
11. TE Brent Celek, PHI
12. RB Chester Taylor, CHI
13. QB Matthew Stafford, DET
14. DEF San Francisco 49ers
15. K David Akers, PHI

Next lesson coming up in my education: What I actually have to do each week with these players! Here we go...!

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens and 430EX Speedlite, 1/60s, f/2.8 at ISO 1250

322/365 Looking up at the Olympics

I'm a huge fan of the Olympics. The variety of sports, the drama, the profiles of the athletes, the appreciation for the training and dedication that they put into their work... wonderful.

For these 17 days, my rear end and my big comfy chair will be very good friends.

I've noticed something interesting, though. As I talk to people, many say, "Oh, I love watching the Olympics. Except the figure skating."

When did figure skating become the uncool sport to admit liking? Are sequins and feathers really that divisive?

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/20s, f/4 at ISO 100

151/365 New kids on the block

I have a great job.

It's great on a regular day, but on Thursday afternoon, we had a pitch-in party celebrating and welcoming all new employees who'd joined in the last year, complete with outdoor games and a session of on-the-spot questioning.

I was considered one of the "newbies" since I've been with the company since the beginning of this year.

What happens when you mix an art director with a cornhole board? A perfectly painted board immediately recognizable as an ear of corn:

Outdoor games, in my book, wouldn't be complete without a rousing game of badminton. I've heard rumors that this net gets set up on a regular basis, but I haven't seen it quite yet.

I'd say this was a great way to officially welcome all of us to the company! Why don't we do this every week?

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/5.6 at ISO 100 and 320 at about 5:00 p.m.

128/365 U.S. Senior Open

I think of my friend Aaron as I write this post. Why? Because he's the biggest golf fan I know, and he probably would have given his left pinkie to take my place yesterday.

The U.S. Senior Open is being held this week on the north side of Indianapolis, at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel. One of my clients at work was involved in putting on the event, so I went to the course during one of the practice rounds yesterday.

What would really make Aaron laugh is the fact that I, being completely uneducated about any players not regularly mentioned in the media, could only discern players from caddies by watching to see who carried the bags.

Sorry!

I did make sure to get a photo of each of the relevant boards displaying the players' names, though, so I could later Google them and try to match faces and names. So here it goes.

In the top photo, the guy in the black hat might be Larry Mize. And the guy in the green shirt is either Mark Wiebe or Scott Simpson.

The guy walking below? I think it's Javier Sanchez.

The final photo here isn't of anyone famous (well, at least I don't think so), it just makes me chuckle.

Check out the kid, intent on his putting game, bent over assessing the situation. Now check out his dad, not quite as enthralled, checking his watch.

Looks about right, doesn't it? Maybe I'm wrong and this kid is the next Tiger-in-training, the guy checking his watch is his trainer, and they're working on making his putting the fastest, most accurate putt possible.

Doubt it. But who knows?

Oh, and for the weeping Aaron, wishing he could be out watching practice himself -- if it makes you feel any better, my uneducated self wore the wrong shoes and now has a blister. I guess it's just karma.

Camera: a borrowed Nikon D300 (talk about a mental challenge -- everything spins or is located in the opposite way as a Canon), 1/250s and 1/500s, f/8 at ISO 200 between 3:15 and 4:00 p.m.

40/365 Patches of clover

I played softball from second grade through eighth. In those earlier years, the pastime girls on my team enjoyed when "stuck" in the outfield was searching for four-leafed clover.

Some were more subtle searchers than others. You could look like you were ready and paying attention, standing completely vertically while casting your eyes to the ground. Or, you could squat down -- or even plop down in the grass if you were truly bold -- and completely ignore what was going on in the infield.

When you're eight or nine years old, not many kids have the skill required to hit a ball all the way into the outfield. So it can be quite boring.

I still think of that when I see a patch of clover and the kid in me wants to stop and look for the four-leafed lucky variety.

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens, 1/125s, f/2.8 at ISO 1000 at about 8:00 p.m.

203/365 High school Homecoming

In high school, few things are more exciting than Homecoming.

My particular high school lived, ate and breathed football. I didn't. But I always went to Homecoming.

Each class decorated t-shirts for the event with puff paint and lots of blue and gold glitter. We decorated floats for the parade, had themed dress-up days during the week, and some went so far as to paint their faces for the game.

Some schools have formal dances to celebrate the event. Ours? Head inside to the cafeteria after the game, shed your sweatshirts, and just dance.

As I was passing the school on my way home from the gym on Friday, I took a detour through the packed parking lot to view the festivities. The game had just started, so people were still pouring in through the gates, and when I rolled my windows down, I could just hear the cheerleaders.

Next year I should plan ahead, go to the game, and get some shots from inside the fence... instead of just from inside my car.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 at about 7:15 p.m.

186/365 Fun at work

I'm part of a "culture committee" at work. Once a month, those of us on the committee are tasked with organizing a fun company event designed as a get-to-know-you gathering.

We serve on the committee for three months, then we rotate on to the "review" committee who approves new ideas and offers feedback.

So, yesterday afternoon we held a cornhole tournament in the parking lot, complete with randomly paired teams, a preset bracket, and gas cards for the top four finishers.The greatest part was not that everyone had a great time and figured out the names of people in different departments. The best part was the team that won consisted of two women who'd never before played cornhole.
I love when the underdog wins.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 between 1:00 and 2:30 p.m. under partly cloudy skies.

182/365 Lonely basketball goal

I suck at basketball.

It's true. I'm not trying to be humble. Of all the sports I've tried, this is definitely my weakest.

I played basketball for one year -- third grade. I didn't enjoy it, I wasn't good at it, and I don't even remember why I wanted to play in the first place.

The family's favorite story about my brief attempt is all my Dad's fault. After practice one day, or at the dinner table, or before a game, he tried his darnedest to instill some of his wisdom in me.

He said, "When you get the ball, turn your back to the person who's guarding you, so that as you dribble toward the goal, you're putting yourself between them and the ball." (Excuse me if I'm paraphrasing, it's been quite a few years since this happened and my memory isn't as clear as it once was.)

"Okay, Dad!"

So I did. In the next game, I got the ball, turned my back to the girl trying to steal it away, and I moved backwards toward the goal.

Did I mention that I got the ball at the opposite end of the court?

That's a long way to dribble backwards.

I stuck with softball after that.

Camera: Canon 40D 1/250s, f/3.5 at ISO 100 under overcast skies at about 6:30 p.m.

147/365 08/08/08 and start of the Olympics

I've always admired Olympians. The amount of discipline, patience and dedication that it takes to become that good at something -- in addition to the fantastic physical ability -- never ceases to amaze me.

It's for that reason that I really look forward to watching the Olympics every two years. And this year, I actually get to root for someone close to home.

One of the female gymnasts, Bridget Sloan, is the sister of a guy in my high school class. I did a lot of the same extracurricular activities that he did, and I also knew another of his sisters through Junior Miss. We come from a small high school in rural Indiana that sometimes produces good football teams, but never an athlete on the Olympic scale.

Signs are posted all over the community. You can see the ones pictured below in front yards, and in front of the schools, plus several local companies have their own signs by the road.I'm really looking forward to cheering her on, along with all of the other great American athletes.

Go USA!

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 at about 7:30 a.m.