Taking Twitter Too Far
Jul
13
Written by:
7/13/2010
I enjoy a good use of social media, but I really think Nike and Stewart Cink have taken things too far this week.
When it comes to Twitter and the PGA Tour, defending British Open champion Stewart Cink is the king. He was an early adopter, has hundreds of thousands of followers and really has a lot to say -- 140 characters at a time. This week, though, Nike took a couple dozen messages posted to Cink and put them on a bag, as encouragement.
Yikes.
@parshooter9471: You can't spell St. Andrews without S-T-E-W!
@bobdiercksmeier: Win jug #2 @ Open #150.
@JonGPRoRosa: Drive it! Attack it! Cink it!! Play your heart out CHAMP!!
Those are just three of the messages scattered across the surface of his staff bag this week. I love that Cink is so enthusiastic about staying in touch with his fans, but this latest move carries the stench of a classic Nike marketing move. Great move by one of Cink's biggest sponsors, but it's just not appropriate to take to the hallowed grounds of St. Andrews.
I guarantee that, should Cink find the game that abandoned him shortly after last year's British Open and comes up with a win, we'll see a lot more Twitter messages floating around the PGA Tour.