Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/366594
28 ITFWORLD SUMMER 2014 T he official websites of Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas have not only been given a new look in 2014, they have also introduced a number of changes to improve user experience. At the heart of the updates is Show Your Colours — the ITF's campaign aimed at promoting Davis Cup and Fed Cup as the world cups of tennis — and as such users cannot help but notice the fan imagery that adorns the backgrounds of both websites and their associated social media properties. Design elements of the campaign, such as the use of flags shaped like tennis balls, have also been introduced throughout the websites and there are more visual changes to come later in the year. The changes are not purely superficial, however, and the live blog, which was introduced in September last year, continues to be a fantastic way for fans to keep up-to-date with all the latest news from competitions that span the globe. As well as including news from every tie taking place (many of which occur at the same time), the live blog has photos, videos and highlights from social media, meaning fans never miss out. For those wanting to keep their finger on the pulse of social media, the ITF brought in an online social hub providing the perfect portal for fans to do this. Including photos and messages from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the hub also posts questions, polls and video highlights and even contains a heat map of where in the world people are talking about the competitions. For global competitions like Davis Cup and Fed Cup, social media is a very powerful tool and it's great to be able to show spectators in the stadiums what people are saying in the outside world courtesy of big screens in-venue displaying the very best content. Fans can also show their support for their teams by taking part in hashtag battles, whereby the number of social media posts using a team-specific hashtag is used to calculate a virtual tug-of-war between the two nations. The results are shown on big screens as well as on the relevant tie pages online. The improved fan experience does not stop at social media. With a dedicated camera crew travelling to high-profile ties in both competitions, the ITF is able to generate more unique video content, including fun interviews with players and interaction with fans, which can be seen on the websites and the YouTube channels of each event. The ITF also launched 'Shot of the Day' earlier this year, where the best moment from each day's play in Davis Cup and Fed Cup is captured in a short clip that is shown across all of the digital properties. At the end of the year, fans will be asked to vote for their 'Shot of the Year'. ITF DIGITAL MEDIA Raising the digital The websites of the ITF's team competitions have both undergone facelifts, and visitors looking deeper in DavisCup.com and FedCup.com will discover a wealth of new and exciting content aimed at boosting fan engagement, says Ed Pearson. Mobile technology now plays a central role in both team competitions Hashtag battles are shown on big screens Players are part of the Twitter action