As I began my role as the new intern for the digital media practice, my first week has been inundated with excitement and learning something new about digital technology. From HTML code to Google Reader, I became acclimated with the breadth of technology and embraced the fast pace digital had to offer. What has fascinated me most amidst the technology and social media is the phenomenon of Twitter. My first day involved setting up my own Twitter account, but I had no idea what to make of it. Everybody wrote about it, everyone talked about it, everyone tweeted about it… But what did it mean to me? As I began following and having followers, I concluded Twitter was merely another social media tool that had a lot of hype. But that opinion and my understanding of social media abruptly changed when I utilized Twitter for one of my own passions—clothing.
New York-based handbag designer Rachel Nasvik has become one of the many new entrepreneurs benefitting from Twitter, with the launch of her local marketing campaign “Thrill of the Chase.” Playing off the notion of losing bags during a night out on the town, Nasvik invites interested parties on a scavenger hunt to search for one of the designer’s coveted and oh-so-cute Alice Bond bags. Through a series of tweets, Nasvik provides real-time hints to NYC hotspots for each bag’s location. Shelling out clues day and night as followers grow by the hour, Nasvik not only communicates with her following, but allows followers to respond and ask for hints or express their feelings for the game. She encourages her audience to engage in all the wonderful places and activities New York City can offer. Because the Alice Bond bag is elusive and equipped with all the necessary items for a fun night out, the search has lured fans new and old to join in on the hunt.
With my own Twitter account, I became engrossed in the game. Where could I get a bag? What could I do to get a bag? I checked the Twitter homepage and my cell phone obsessively, making use of the device setting so that I could follow Nasvik’s tweets everywhere I went. Through correspondence, persistence, and luck, I finally claimed a bag. This particular use of Twitter included the human factor that reinforces online relationships unlike many other digital tools. By motivating online followers to move beyond their computer screens or digital devices, the game has created both an online and real-life relationship. I also realized through the “Thrill of the Chase” the way Twitter could become anything I wanted it to be. Hunting for an Alice Bond bag was merely one of an endless number of ways I could have fun with Twitter. From information portal to communication mechanism, I learned that Twitter and its many other social media counterparts involved so much more than just signing my name up and finding peers, followers, or friends. Each successful utility involves continued multi-faceted interaction and conversation that can move beyond the digital realm. My first week here has and continues to transform my digital perspective. As someone new to this arena, I realized that the only notion that remained constant was that everything digital is going to change and change quickly.
