Athletes and sports leagues rely on social media to connect with fans in real time and promote their content. Sometimes, a big social media moment happens organically, like when NBA star Steph Curry delivers a troll-busting post honoring fallen service members or NASCAR star Danica Patrick shares a touching tribute for Memorial Day. Other times, a sports brand can intentionally engineer a viral moment with the help of a creative agency like Zoomph.
While many of these moments capture the worlds imagination, they also teach valuable lessons about the power of social media. In particular, they show how athletes and fans can be influenced by outside influences, even when their actions are taken out of context.
These micro-moments do more than entertain – they bridge the gap to new fans and build communities of team loyalty. They also show the human side of sport, overcoming barriers of location and language to foster a global sense of community.
While positive viral moments can boost an athletes career and lead to endorsement deals, negative ones can damage an athlete’s reputation for years. This can make it difficult for young athletes to cope with sudden fame and criticism, especially when their actions were out of their control. To help teens understand the impact of these decisions, you can role play with them to simulate what it would be like to go viral for a good or bad reason. Afterward, discuss with them how they can use their online presence to promote kindness and positive choices.