Hi
everyone!
I'm writing to let you know that we have heard your concerns
over the last day so I wanted to address them honestly in one post with
you all:
Podium removal: unfortunately due to the number of
resources, equipment changes and funding available we had to remove the
podium in the second week of Nationals. We'd love it there too but it
would mean adding an additional week of events to the
calendar, which with our resource restriction, size of venue and
current funding was not possible. I know many are disappointed by this
so we'll take feedback for next year.
Social updates: again, our resources this week have lessened majorly, this being said we'll try to provide a twice daily update on results. Our results page at www.gymnastics.org.au also contains up to date results. It's just not practical for us to provide live commentary for every event as we are light on for resources. This said if you're attending an event and you'd like to guest post, I'd love to hear from you! Email me at media@gymnastics.org.au
Thanks, Tim
Social updates: again, our resources this week have lessened majorly, this being said we'll try to provide a twice daily update on results. Our results page at www.gymnastics.org.au also contains up to date results. It's just not practical for us to provide live commentary for every event as we are light on for resources. This said if you're attending an event and you'd like to guest post, I'd love to hear from you! Email me at media@gymnastics.org.au
Thanks, Tim
So... over to you guys.
How would you like to see Gymnastics Australia approach social media in the future?
What innovations would you like to see?
What other federations have something cool you'd like to see done at home?
What makes a good competition experience for you?
What's been commendable on the administrative/coverage/management side of events?
Are live updates a help or a hindrance?
What have you always wanted to ask GA?
37 comments:
If people want to comment and give feedback to GA then the door has been opened and they can post on Facebook or email them. Posting on this forum does not help to get feedback where it needs to go.
I'm happy for people to address it directly to GA. I'd really, really like them to. "Over to you guys" + a series of questions is as much a prompt for people to go away and think and address it to the right channels as it is an invitation to leave their thoughts here.
But I know some people like getting it off their chest anonymously so I'm welcoming that to happen as well.
OT but how beautiful is Georgia Rose! She is one of those lucky bitches born perfect in every way!
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0aef2vLghnbEu/x610.jpg
They clearly need to employ someone during major events like this who can multitask and take photos, post quickhits, upload videos to youtube and act basically as a fan liason. And someone who actually knows about the sport, not some random university intern or volunteer. That way GA media people can focus on lining things up with actual media organisations and the fans can also have what they want with informed commentary.
Would you like this employee to be an expert on all 6 competitive gymnastics sports? How many hours a day do you envision them working? That's unrealistic to expect that one person can do all of the things you suggested during the event. I know as I work in media and it is not as simple as you think!
Well for a start if GA paid for those ridiculous Morph things- that was a waste of money- very old fashioned, non-effective PR.
In terms of lining up media coverage in major capital cities- a small team of "media/gymnastics savvy" pr juniors could organise very easily. (speaking from experience)
Quick hits coverage could be done by two specialists/tech savvy people for each sport across finals.
GA needs to audit their limited promotional budget- and get strategic about its objectives for servicing existing and growing potential fan base.
It appears the strategy side of PR/marketing is missing. To not anticipate that fans would expect social media coverage of finals is very naive. If they couldn't afford it...that fan expectation should have been managed.
Great points, 10:32.
I think they did improve over the week, in terms of social media coverage. (Apart from their "issues" on the Sunday, was it?)
Being at the actual meet was a fantastic experience, and one I won't forget for ages.
I wasn't there on the Sunday, but have heard others complain about an announcement that was made. People were encouraged to buy the signature bears for the signing after the awards ceremony. What wasn't explained until after many bears had been purchased was that they didn't mean after the little ceremony immediately at the end of the last session of competition, but the LATER larger ceremony. It meant that people - many with quite young gymnasts who wanted to meet their heros - had to wait a LOT longer for the signing to happen. It should have been made clearer at the outset. I think people felt like they'd been manipulated.
Firstly, I'd rather have what (little) GA provide in the way of info than nothing. So I am grateful for what they do. However, they do need to get with the times and engage in social media and technology more. e.g being able to provide a 'quick hits' would be fantastic. In order to attract and keep gym fans (and let's face it, I think most of us would love a higher level of recognition of our sport in this country, so the more fans the better), GA needs to be relevant and up-to-date with how they relate to those fans. That means embracing technology. Like it or not, times have/are changing and we've got to move with them!
The fact you have to use an independent person's blog to obtain feedback who does not work for GA should tell you something.
GA are actually inviting people to contact them directly, using any number of their channels.
I'm inviting people to comment here only if they want to. They don't HAVE to. And GA don't HAVE to take note of whatever's posted here if they choose not to.
Thanks for listening to the fans GA. Quick hits galore tonight.
Hey all! Tim here from GA, I'm the media guy who is looking after social and also the traditional media. These comments are great! I'm compiling it all and hoping to look at what we can action. As I've mentioned, am very open to feedback and even catching up for a coffee - it's important we get what you need right! So feel free to get in touch on email via media@gymnastics.org.au. Cheers for the feedback! Tim :)
Thanks Tim, for being open to receiving feedback and suggestions!
Would love to see a team of a few people devoted to providing fan coverage like pics, youtube vids, quickhits and little novelty tidbits about the competition, as suggested already. People must be knowledgeable about gymnastics, because the actual gymnastics community and super casual fans are two different audiences. Don't try Q and As with the gymnasts where you ask them questions like 'what is the name of your cat? People like us want to know about stuff like goals and skill upgrades, with less fluffy things.
There's a lot you could do with a small contingent on fb, for example, people post interview questions for the gymnasts on facebook and the team arranges to interview the athlete in media time and report back.
Although GA I must admit it's not a good idea to beg for quickhitting volunteers on here! As a national federation should should be able to take care of these things! It makes you look a bit unprofessional.
And the photos! Seriously guys, better quality! When you can tell it has been taken without any care or thought on a mobile phone it loses its value. The 'a bit of a photo' moment on fb during WAG TF was comically dire. You really should be doing something along the lines of posting daily or session-based galleries with photos of at least semi-professional quality. Think about how USAG does it with people assigned to photograph for that very purpose, putting galleries up after each session.
At the moment there is really no visual record of your events for fans except for the tiny watermarked photos on Kangaroo, which are geared towards parents and not fans. People want nice photos worth saving to their computer, ones that show off the gymnasts. Your phone photos are not achieving this at all.
it would be great if GA could have a 24 hours news channel. where we could watch peggy 24 hours a day. like big brother. but called gymnastics brother.
also if GA could purchase nastia liukin and several other american girls to put on the Australian team.
Anon at 9.21. Not sure if that was meant to be a joke but insulting to our gymnasts none the less.
lmao! PegTV!
9.22am - Peggy shops for sparkly hairclips
11.47am - Peggy critiques fabric samples from GK
1.34pm - Peggy calculates start values
3.17pm - Peggy calls Shannon Miller to bitch about Steve Nunno
5.19m - Peggy cleans her wallet and sets aside some silver change for the NSW program
7.18pm: Peggy ponders adding an extra lettuce leaf to the girls' daily rations.
9.15pm: Peggy calls Claudia Miller to tell her to stop calling, after all, Shannon's career ended 12 years ago.
10.21pm: Peggy calls Georgia Wheeler to discuss life in general
9.11am: Peggy tackles Dasha to the ground with an electronic shaver
re: photos... having the gymnast's name(s) and a small caption would be also be helpful.
peggy wouldnt call georgia wheeler to discuss life in general. she'd call georgia to ask if she could eat her on her imported bagels.
Peg imports bagels? Tell her to go to Glick's!
Lol so funy but a littil desrespectful too
Very funny but now to give answers to Tim that he has asked for.
How would you like to see Gymnastics Australia approach social media in the future?
For National events at least, l would like to see live quick updates on twitter and facebook for those people including myself, whom were unable to attend.
What innovations would you like to see?
Perhaps some fun and interesting mini interviews with athletes/state coaches/judges either during training or after or perhaps just before or after competition and to include all levels, National and Elite.
What makes a good competition experience for you?
As a spectator and supporter what makes the difference to my experience is clear information on all sessions including the lists of athletes competing ie, putting a name to the competitors number.
What's been commendable on the administrative/coverage/management side of events?
From afar, Managements ability to quickly try and improve the lack of information and live results that fans have stated they wanted through feedback via social media updates.
Are live updates a help or a hindrance?
Definately a help to those whom for whatever reason are not able to attend Nationals yet are still big supporters of gymnastics.
What have you always wanted to ask GA?
Why as in the past, have Nationals been allocated in 3 years time blocks to host cities?
They were my questions rather than Tim's but he has told me he's taking everything in this post on board.
Great answers, cheers.
:)
GA should at minimum ensure a table of results for every competition is published in the next day's press.
If greater coverage and expert opinion is the expectation, are we willing to accept an increase to the price of admission?
Is the development of an app worth considering? Would you purchase one?
In the circumstance where a fan is unable to attend a competition in person, is it reasonable to accept GA deliver a "delayed" report as long as it was reliable and informative? (eg: after the footy has wrapped up, tv deliver a delayed football coverage. To do otherwise is to risk the sale of tickets.)
Just food for thought.
It would be really helpful to know before competition who the competitors are going to be. There were many calls for work orders or even just competitor lists last week, but I don't think anyone was able to find any.
Publishing the results in the next day's press - as was suggested above - is a nice idea. You could argue that it does get put up on the website pretty quickly, but I don't think that's the point. Unless you're interested, you're not going to go looking for it there. Having it printed in newspapers means that it comes to the attention of the public, and people who aren't already gym fans become aware of it.
Also, when gymnasts are being given interviews, and asked about events other than the ones they are in, it would be good if they could be as expansive as possible. I heard Josh Jeffris talking with Debbie Spillane on ABC radio. When asked about the rest of the championships, he really only mentioned Lauren Mitchell. WE ALL KNOW ABOUT LAUREN MITCHELL. There ARE other women's competitors as well. A mention of Ashleigh Brennan and Emily Little wouldn't have been too hard. But then perhaps he was nervous and forgot - I probably would have been too, on a radio interview! (So we forgive you this time, Josh :-) )
But I do think it is worth pushing the point publicly that there are more women's gymnasts than just Lauren. She's great, but so are the others. :-)
Some of these comments, particularly as they relate to editorial media - display an astounding degree of ignorance.
10.45am- someone put Vegemite on peggys bagels! she decides to blame angela donald and makes her wear a leotard made of peanut butter and jelly.
Hi anon 8:52,
I offer you my apology in advance, I maybe one of the ignorant ones. ;-)
I am not sure what you mean. Can you clarify? Are you referring to the "publishing of results" suggestion offered by anon 7:45?
I've done quick hits for GA in the past, and it's a lot more challenging than people realise (I'm looking at you, anon at 12.16am on May 29). I had a great time doing it, but to do it well you need two people, one typing and one watching. Also, I'm not an expert on MAG so trying to describe some of the moves, esp on pommel, was quite hard! I think you'd find even top WAG gymnasts would struggle with this (I know because some have told me they wouldn't have a clue what the guys are doing on some apparatus).
At 2010 Pac Rims, we had two people doing quick hits, and another taking photos and videos with the GA camera. This was adequate for most purposes but I also took photos with my own camera since I know a bit about gym photography and those photos made it onto the 2010 Pacific Rim FB page.
Basically to do the social media you need more than one person - it's a team exercise. Personally I think the quick hits we did at 2010 Pacific Rim were the best I've seen. Why? Because we worked as a team, we had good knowledge of the sport and the gymnasts, and most importantly, we didn't hit update every time someone turned a double somersault. We waited until each rotation and then updated. I think the quick hits done by International Gymnast and Couch Gymnast could learn from this so that you don't get your newsfeed on FB flooded with posts. I've emailed them in the past about this but no response. Yes I know I can modify my feed on FB but then I actually do want info about a comp, so it negates the purpose.
Tim from GA, I hope you read this because having done social media for GA in the past, I actually do have an insight into how it can be done, and done well. Would love to do it again but bit harder for me to get leave from work for comps now :(
~ Simone Alexander
I noticed the WA gymnastics website has numerous updates on their gymnasts as they competed. That is so fabulous for parents and friends to find out how their child or friend has been going. I was so impressed with their program manager. I wish QLD would put updates on the Qld Gym website in relation to how the Qld teams and individuals competed as the days went on. Come on program managers. It only takes five minutes a day to give a quick summary of the days performances.
I agree, why don't the individual States managers contribute with keeping fans informed. They are as much responsible as Gym Aust.
simone alexander you are AMAZING!
the A-z of australian gymnastics was my LIFE during my high school years. Those reports and profiles were amazing.
Thank you for all of that :)
Thanks heaps anon at 9.05pm on 1st June. I certainly can't take all the credit for the A-Z site (Laura Merrin deserves half!), and we're always happy to hear that people enjoyed it.
~ Simone
I enjoyed a to z I even still have some of the profiles in my pre /slightly post athens folder of articles and what not
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