As a responsible recorder of human progress and an authority in community building, I’d be remiss if I didn’t write about Jeremy Lin.
Tough to pen something new about him, but how about this: If he removed the second and third syllables from his first name, he’d sound like a country superstar, maybe the long lost Taiwanese stepchild of Loretta Lynn?
Even that wouldn’t approach the level of superstardom Lin has achieved in his three-week ascension. Sports Illustrated cover (the jinx hasn’t happened yet), ebay madness, even rumored dates with Kim Kardashian, a member of a family that apparently can’t get enough NBA players in their lives.
To me, the most amazing thing has been the community of love and support that has grown around him. Granted, his is an amazing Cinderella story, but without the power of social media—last week he hit 2.6 million times on Twitter, more than LeBron, Kobe and seven other NBA elite players combined--there might not have been any $40,000 jersey sales or potential Kardashian Koupling.
For the most part, the explosion of the Jeremy Lin community isn’t a very good lesson for marketers when it comes to building communities for their brands, because of the uniqueness of the situation. But one thing you can learn:
There’s nothing like the combination of success, humility, and a great smile.
Just ask today‘s birthday boy. You know who I'm talking about...
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