Danica Patrick is the first person to launch on Twitter in conjunction with, and backed by a sponsor, Tissot watches. Danica Patrick on Twitter: http://twitter.com/danicapatrick

What makes this different, and consequently an exciting time for all parties involved, is that Danica is one of the first motorsport athletes to launch on Twitter in conjunction with a sponsor. Tissot see this and social media as a whole as an opportunity for ongoing sponsorship in a less-invasive way than traditional advertising. They’re trying to connect with consumers through social media and one of their company’s ‘faces’.

Both Danica and Tissot are well aware that they are carving new territory in terms of sponsorships on Twitter and are moving ahead cautiously and figuring it out as they go. Both parties want to execute this new venture within the cultural norms of social media.

Danica officially launched on Sunday, May 17th, but prior to her first tweet she already had 2700 followers, which illustrated the demand for her to communicate and connect with her fans in this relatively new medium. She’s already validated that her account is real by posting a Twitpic in uniform from New York.