When Citi Field opened in New York, it represented new hope for New York Mets fans and new marketing opportunities for sponsors. The Mets had recently picked up All-Star pitcher Johan Santana and their long-term marketing partner, Delta Air Lines, saw an opportunity to take advantage of the overwhelming hope that fans were feeling about their new star. As fans handed over their tickets and crossed into the new stadium, they were simultaneously transported back in time by the classic brick stadium design of the corridors and propelled into the future by the modern technologies that lined the walls. Each fan was given a backpack, provided by Delta Air Lines, that was a replica Johan Santana jersey with the pitcher’s name, number and a Delta Logo. As thousands of fans took their seats, many wore their backpacks to show their support. Proud fans cheered loudly and slowly took in the gorgeous expanses of their new stadium. In that memorable moment, fans not only saw a new home, but also three significant things repeated over and over: the name “Santana,” the number “57,” and the Delta Air Lines logo on the backs of their fellow fans. What Delta ignited that day was a real-life earned media explosion, and they used an interesting tactic that will help us with the next wave of social marketing. They captured the essence of what people were talking about and inspired those people to engage with the Delta brand around that conversation. When marketers first joined the social media party, they saw an opportunity to talk about their brands and their products. Encouraged by the initial buzz created by the ‘Like’ button, marketers proceeded to put on flashy clothes and offer incentives all to attract even more people to ‘Like’ them. They continued to court fans by sending updates via newsfeed posts and waited patiently by the phone for them to “call back” by commenting or liking a post. This relationship is becoming harder to maintain as consumers mature in their social relationships with brands and social platforms evolve to filter newsfeeds to drive higher engagement. Earned media will become increasingly difficult to secure, and brands will be measured by how engaged people are after the initial ‘Like.’ How do brands continue to earn media and be a part of the social conversation?