TP1 Internet 360: Providing social media expertise to the World Anti-Doping Agency

As the start date of the 2010 Winter Games nears, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) launched an official Facebook page, a Twitter account, and an interactive section on its Web site devoted to WADA at Olympic and Paralympic Games.

WADA looked to TP1 for the necessary expertise to help them deploy a social media strategy. WADA’s recent entry into social media represents months of discussion, strategy, research and validation. To help WADA manage the buzz, TP1 provided a response strategy that included a decision tree based on different criteria.

WADA's social media strategy is featured in Montreal social media examiner Alison Cummings' article "Social Media offers WADA new way to connect with athletes, youth and spread its Play True message":

WADA looked to Montreal-based web marketing agency TP1 Internet 360 for the necessary expertise to help them craft and deploy a Social Media strategy. WADA’s recent entry into Social Media represents months of discussion, research and validation led by TP1 founder Jan-Nicolas Vanderveken.

"Like many organizations, we didn’t know where to start," Frédéric Donzé, WADA Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications, recalls. "Jan-Nicolas Vanderveken and his team helped us to better understand the world of Social Media – which is always evolving – and to establish a strategy that is in line with what WADA wants to convey in terms of messages and perception. We are quite happy to be able to benefit from their expertise and look forward to that continuing."

Based on the profile of their target groups, it became clear that Facebook, then Twitter would be the focus of WADA’s entry into Social Media.

"With Facebook, we are targeting the general public. WADA is a global organization, so we needed to consider what Social Media channel is most used worldwide, and that is Facebook," Vanderveken explains. "And with Twitter, the influencers are the target – the media and bloggers who are then going to spread the message on their channels."

Stats from WADA's Facebook page are already providing valuable data on visitors and fans, thanks to an external monitoring tool set up by TP1. "We’re serious about tracking what’s going on, and after the Olympics will see what these metrics can tell us about WADA’s Social Media activities," Vanderveken says.       

Alison Cummings is a web strategy consultant and social media blogger based in Montreal. You can find her on Twitter @alisoncummings and Facebook.

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About the World Anti-Doping Agency

WADA was established in 1999 as an international independent agency composed and funded equally by the sport movement and governments of the world. Its key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring of the World Anti Doping Code (Code) – the document harmonizing anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries. WADA is a Swiss private law Foundation. Its seat is in Lausanne, Switzerland, and its headquarters are in Montreal, Canada.