A part of me is laughing and a part of me is not necessarily crying, but maybe just not laughing as hard. Brandon Davies getting kicked off BYU’s basketball team is remarkable in many ways. However, I will only mention two here.
First, this basically kills BYU’s chances in the Big Dance. With only a few games to go before it all begins, BYU has been shot in the foot by one of it’s own big men. What an amazing turn of events! Cloud 9 has officially made it’s way back to Earth.
Second, BYU has actually followed through on it’s own self-imposed Honor Code. While there are notable exceptions, I think it is fairly well known (outside the bubble) that many BYU athletes are given a pass from the rules. Imposing those rules in this situation has at the very least shown courage, and has earned my respect for the time being. But, there is always tomorrow.
Can I laugh as hard now when the zoobs get knocked out in the first round? Time will tell.
Social Gaming
Just saw an article on Mashable about the trend of brands creating social games to engage users online. I’ve thought a lot about this type of engagement, and really think it has lasting appeal in certain circumstances. However, the game has to have strong relevance to the brand or it will not be beneficial in the long-term.
Take two of the examples from Mashable. First, is the Century 21 We City [iTunes link] game. With the help of ngmoco Century 21 created a game that is like any other city building game out there. This is a great implementation. Century 21 is ultimately in the business of building cities. It has as its backbone the real estate industry. So, a city building game fits perfectly.
The second example Mashable gives is MasterCard. Now, I understand that MasterCard’s example is simply a charity game to give money whenever people play the game. While this is a great cause and I understand the power that cause marketing can give a brand, I also think that the benefit will ultimately be short-lived. People can play games anywhere; why would I or anyone else play one on MasterCard’s Facebook page?
Of course MasterCard may have this little game campaign run for just a few months or so. But why invest so much time and money on a peripheral project that will just be replaced by another? Make something that will last for years, not months. Take a cue from Pepsi and its Refresh Project.
via Mashable