Comments on: London 2012 and Social Media

By: Alex Balfour

Alex Balfour — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:21:21 +0000

Thanks for your comments Rachel. Your post concerns me as I think I must have left the wrong impression of what we are hoping to do and what we think is possible. There are, it is true, restrictions on content distribution, particularly around live moving images and commercial assoications. The reason is simple – the games are expensive to run and the organisers need the support of sponsors and broadcasters to stage them at all. In return they are granted protected rights.

However the modern social media landscape has changed the relationships between not only the Games and the public but many of these organisations too and we are in an interesting period of change.

What I tried to make clear is that we are working with all our partners to ackowledge and make the most of these changes. As my last few slides (see: http://www.slideshare.net/balf/pinkerton-lecture-2008-presentation/) made clear we are actively considering sharing specator content in real time in physical environments around the games. We cant police the impossible nor can do we want to impede the probable.

Speaking two days before me the President of the IOC, Dr Jacques Rogge, addressed an audience in London thus: “new technologies present us with new opportunities to engage and interact. On the internet today, people do not simply sit passively
consuming content – they actively create, connect and share it. We can’t
resist changes technology brings. We can’t and we shouldn’t.
What we should do is focus on the immense opportunity these new
channels provide us with; to think more boldly and imaginatively.
The Olympic Games will continue to be one of the very few global events
that can deliver a mass audience…Our challenge is to use the new digital revolution to communicate the power and joy of sport between Olympic Games. And to get young people and adults interested in the Games and sport by taking them seriously, and listening to them.”
http://www.london2012.com/documents/culture/jacques-rogge-2008-de-coubertin-speech.pdf

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:03:50 +0000

Thanks Stuart, David. I think there is going to be a lost opportunity, but not for lack of Alex’s trying. The system just won’t let him, that’s what I took out of it.

By: David Terrar

David Terrar — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:02:38 +0000

Fascinating and depressing – sounds like there is a real opportunity in 2012 that will be stifled by “command and control” a lack of understanding of the new media landscape. Wish I’d been there, so great to get your report.

By: London ain’t Beijing baby! | Stuart Glendinning Hall

London ain’t Beijing baby! | Stuart Glendinning Hall — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:00:24 +0000

[...] Rachel Clark’s blog on yesterday’s IET Pinkerton Lecture, on using social media to inspire change. Delivered by [...]

By: Stuart Glendinning Hall

Stuart Glendinning Hall — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:44:03 +0000

Great post, thanks Rachel. I also made it to the presentation and was struck with the thought that this was a real opportunity to mark out London from Beijing; to creatively use social media to generate a people-led games, rather than a government-sponsored games.