Okay, you're UConn's new head of athletic marketing - aaand, GO!...

[epark88]

For those that don't know, the former marketing director for the UConn AD announced on the morning of 18 APR that she was leaving to take an assistant AD gig at Maryland - via Twitter, no less. Perfect timing too, because the new uniform reveal shindig was on the afternoon of 18 APR.

Whatevs. Bye.

So now there's an opening for a new AD marketing guru, and I'm pretty sure that there are several folks in the 'Yard infinitely more qualified for the gig than the person who just left. So let's hear all your ideas.

Me? I'd immediately can that damn DJ and work from there...

Sent From my BlackBerry Z10 using TapaTalk

 

[CL82]

Really? Football without the incessant yammering of a DJ? Sir, have you no traditional values? Why how would we fill the empty space? We'd be forced to listen to one of the finest marching bands in the nation! Who wants to hear that at a football game?

I don't have time now to do a through list but are some ideas...

1) What's our message? Pick a single cohesive narrative and hand out talking points, so that every coach, prof., spokesperson is hammering it home.

Eg., UConn has a tradition of excellence in all endeavors with the focus and will to hit any goals. Regional MBB becomes the dominant power of the Big East. Football fastest rise to a BCS game. Two Big East Championships when playing 1A football less than 10 years. Woman's Basketball most successful program of all time. Soccer, Field hockey, NCs. Outstanding academic achievements over the past 20 years. Trend in every area is on the rise. Legislative commitment assures this will continue. When this university sets it's mind toward a goal, it achieves it...etc. Make sure that this gets repeated until it is the knee jerk reaction of any commentator or university president. Consistency is the key. Emphasize our tradition as well.

2) Fill the Rent. I couldn't care less about pricing. Just make sure that every seat is filled. Give season ticket holders dirt cheap purchase rights to additional seats. Offer seats to Connecticut high school teams, for outstanding games (team of the week, etc.) I don't care if you've got to go and get the homeless, just make sure that the place is packed every game. The one thing we got in the AAC TV deal is visibility. Perception is reality. Make sure that everyone sees the joint packed every game. Use incentives to make sure people are in their seats at the start of the games, giveaways, pre-game events, etc. Only open one exit gate until the 10 minutes after the end of the game. Make it easier to leave then rather than the 3rd quarter. Change the culture. It won't take long.

3) Move the kids down front for BBall so that the place looks more full. Establish a giveback policy, so that unused seats get filled.

4) Send season ticket holders blue gear. Do basketball blue tee giveaways at the start of early season games. Give items to fans that are wearing blue special incentives, meet the players etc, for the WEAR BLUE! Fan of the game...

5) Hire Santini to our institutional commercial spot emphasizing the points in number 1 above.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

yo yo yo where my husky fans at yo yo

Like, big 10 impressions aside, if Michigan comes to the rent and has to endure 3.5 of the "dogpound dj" it has to rank as a low point in UConn marketing history. now that is saying something.

 

[pepband99]

I was actually going to start a "fix what you can fix" thread in a similar frame. Unreal timing.

1) FIX THE DAMN RADIO NETWORK. Our coverage is appallingly awful, when compared to other BCS schools. No radio coverage a sizable portion of our own state. Satellite should be seen as a national audience, not a patch to our home audience. Get Fairfield/New London County affiliate pronto, and blanket the whole state. Reach out to get affiliates in MA/NY/RI, as well.

2) Ban Jock Jams. Forever. It's been 15 years now, enough is enough. Stab DJ Dogpound to death with the copy of the CD, win win. I'm pro-band, so feature our excellent band for things we drown in Jock Jams now (anyone remember the pre-basket-clapping being led by a bass drum, and not a stupid song?)

2a) Ban Welcome to the Jungle. I have a great idea for a 3rd down alternative that I'll pass to Kyle Muncy.

3) Pimp our logo, especially as it's new. I'm tired of going to sites that sell stuff with NCAA logos on it, and not having UCONN available.

I'll come up with some others, but this would be my 100 day plan.

 

[WestHartHusk]

I was actually going to start a "fix what you can fix" thread in a similar frame. Unreal timing.

1) FIX THE DAMN RADIO NETWORK. Our coverage is appallingly awful, when compared to other BCS schools. No radio coverage a sizable portion of our own state. Satellite should be seen as a national audience, not a patch to our home audience. Get Fairfield/New London County affiliate pronto, and blanket the whole state. Reach out to get affiliates in MA/NY/RI, as well.

2) Ban Jock Jams. Forever. It's been 15 years now, enough is enough. Stab DJ Dogpound to death with the copy of the CD, win win. I'm pro-band, so feature our excellent band for things we drown in Jock Jams now (anyone remember the pre-basket-clapping being led by a bass drum, and not a stupid song?)

2a) Ban Welcome to the Jungle. I have a great idea for a 3rd down alternative that I'll pass to Kyle Muncy.

3) Pimp our logo, especially as it's new. I'm tired of going to sites that sell stuff with NCAA logos on it, and not having UCONN available.

I'll come up with some others, but this would be my 100 day plan.

I cringe when I watch a bball game on TV from Gampel or the XL and during the pre-game analysis you hear jock-jams blaring, or 'who let the dogs out.' That, along with the jumbotron graphics, make me crazy.

 

[HuskyFan16]

Eh I like the "Lets get ready to rumble," it kind of has a Pavlov's dog effect on our fans and they know to stand... but I understand it can get played out.

1) I think I would definitely start with a social media campaign to end all social media campaigns... Just video after video on youtube of people having fun watching the game/sick plays/people partying at the tailgates all with awesome music that can't help but get you pumped up. Then I would try to reach out to our famous alums, and really see if we could get them to start buying into tweeting about UConn frequently.

2) I keep coming back to videos: a) combine the first two ideas together ala get our famous alums (or maybe just local celebs in general) to routinely do kind of like a "This is UConn [Sportscenter]" series of commercials and email those to everyone on mailing lists that you use to solicit money (that way people are inclined to stay on the mailing lists); b) Make sure any gameday television commercial is not put on the air unless it is undoubtedly the best one of any school in the country. I will have nightmares about that ducking Great Pick for the rest of my lifetime, and that will probably be my purgatory when I pass on.

 

[SubbaBub]

I am donning the flame protection suit and defend the DJ idea though not in it's current form. I remember the tired AHL arena rock played before he got there. Can't go back to that. The wedding DJ in a box doesn't work either.

Put a guy in charge of the music in the press box and allow him to work the crowd with appropriate music at the appropriate time based on what's actually happening. Too much of the PA work is pre-planned, (commercials, video board gimmicks, on-field ceremonies) can most of it and fit the rest in as the situation allows. Better yet have one person control all of it. Too often it seems like different elements are competing with each other.

The crowd vibe is EVERYTHING. Do not screw it up with a Dunkin Donuts ad.

We've had a few moments. Last year,Living on a Prayer nailed it. Dog Pound going nuts and the whole crowd rocking two plays after the music cut out. That's what you are looking for, someone who can read and move the crowd.

There is a ton more.

Almost forgot, no hype talking, ever. Telling me to make some noise, doesn't. Give me something to make noise about.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[CTMike]

Hire HFD? :-D

 

[HuskyHawk]

Dump the DJ. Adopt a theme around "Yukon", with snow machines at the Rent as players emerge in a snowstorm, lead by a team of Huskies (including Jonathan) pulling a sled. Have a "white out" zone in the student section.

At Gampel, move more kids to the lower section, at least behind both baskets. Look to expand it.

Hire a few PIs, and dig up dirt on all the conference commissioners and critical ADs. I want to know about their affairs, nasty habits and other vices. This is what is known as "leverage".

Fix the radio network as suggested above. I want coverage in MA, RI, VT, NH and ME, plus Westchester Cty. Every football and basketball game. Become New England's team.

Keep scheduling up. Maximize possible TV airtime. Play a more exciting brand of football.

On a positive note, took my daughter and her friend to Dave & Busters in Providence. In the ticket-prize area, they had two stuffed (not foam) #1 team fingers. UConn was one and BC was the other. That's a step in the right direction.

 

[CTMike]

Need local, state, regional (New England plus NY and NJ), and national plans of attack to grow the brand.

Local- working with local high schools to get them involved at games, as mentioned above. Grassroots.

State- obvious, but always look to include more of Fairfield County.

Regional- there should be no doubt who the top university in the northeast is. It's one thing for us to know it, we need to convince everyone in the region. Every game should be accessible somehow.

National- awareness more than anything. We think we are more well known than we are. Social media blitz.

Overall... my approach would be never rest, never get satisfied. I feel like we've acted too much like an incumbent and not enough like a scrappy start up in terms of getting our message out. Hell I don't think we really even have a cohesive message.

Mentioned in another thread, but I'd convince the powers that be to move the West Hartford campus to Rentschler and turn it in to mini-Storrs. And I would implement my stadium bribery scheme by which 10 people at each home game in their seats before kickoff would win $100 cash on the spot.

 

[The Funster]

UConn has to find ways to make itself distinctive. It cannot be content to do what other schools do, it has to be creative both in how it markets and how it delivers the game day experience.

UConn also has to increase it's endowment. Setup up 5 gallon drums with a slot on top and when we leave the venue after yet another win we can stuff those drums with $5 and $10 bills.

 

[huskymedic]

(3) Pimp our logo, especially as it's new. I'm tired of going to sites that sell stuff with NCAA logos on it, and not having UCONN available .

Dammit - we need a Zaxby's in CT. You are the company you keep!

http://www.zaxbys-theofficialchickenofcollegesports.com/

Tongue out of cheek, can't agree more on this point.

 

[UCFBfan]

I have more ideas but am on my phone so I'll just say this.

I'm cool with the student section at football games being called the Dog Pound. However, stop calling it the best student section in the country. Especially when they make that announcement when the section is at most, half full!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Santini35]

Well, I will say they are starting to put out some decent videos on youtube

 

[Greenback]

Take up a collection for Big Red and video tape him doing the U C O N N cheer. Every time there is a big play show him on the video screen. The cheer needs to be spontaneous, it has lost that at the football games. Hell you could even video tape Calhoun, Geno or even Herbst I think the fans would get a kick out of it, however, they have to remeber it must be spontaneous so get somebody that understands the flow of the game, not the idiots they have up there now.

 

[upstater]

Dump the DJ. Adopt a theme around "Yukon", with snow machines at the Rent as players emerge in a snowstorm, lead by a team of Huskies (including Jonathan) pulling a sled. Have a "white out" zone in the student section.

I'm pretty sure the last thing UConn wants is to have people associate the school with the freezing cold. Only one school in the entire country gets away with that, Vermont.

 

[uconnfan68]

Really? Football without the incessant yammering of a DJ? Sir, have you no traditional values? Why how would we fill the empty space? We'd be forced to listen to one of the finest marching bands in the nation! Who wants to hear that at a football game?

I don't have time now to do a through list but some ideas...

1) What's our message? Pick a single cohesive narrative and hand out talking points, so that every coach, prof., spokesperson is hammering it home.

Eg., UConn has a tradition of excellence in all endeavors with the focus and will to hit any goals. Regional MBB because the dominant power of the Big East. Football fastest rise to a BCS game. Two Big East Championship when playing football less than 10 years. Woman's Basketball most successful program of all time. Soccer, Field hockey, NCs. Outstanding academic achievements over the past 20 years. Trend in every area is on the rise. Legislative commitment assures this will continue. When this university sets it's mind toward a goal, it achieves it...etc. Make sure that this gets repeated until it is the knee jerk reaction of any commentator or university president. Consistency is the key. Emphasize our tradition as well.

2) Fill the Rent. I couldn't care less about pricing. Just make sure that every seat is filled. Give season ticket holders dirt cheap purchase rights to additional seats. Offer seats to Connecticut high school teams, for outstanding games (team of the week, etc.) I don't care if you got to go and get the homeless, just make sure that the place is packed every game. The one thing we got in the AAC TV deal is visibility. Perception is reality. Make sure that everyone sees the joint packed every game. Use incentives to make sure people are in their seats at the start of the games, giveaways, pre-game events, etc. Only open one exit gate until the 10 minutes after the end of the game. Make it easier to leave then rather than the 3rd quarter. Change the culture. It won't take long.

3) Move the kids down front for BBall so that the place looks more full. Establish a giveback policy, so that unused seats get filled.

4) Send season ticket holders blue gear. Do basketball giveaways at the start of early season games. Give items to fans that are wearing blue special incentives, meet the players etc, for the WEAR BLUE! Fan of the game...

5) Hire Santini to our institutional commercial spot emphasizing the points in number 1 above.

#2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[4UConn]

Purchase a large sign in Yankee Stadium Right Field that says, UConn: NY's Real College Team and then purchase a sign in Fenway Park that says: UConn: New England's College Team.

 

[cheech63]

For those that don't know, the former marketing director for the UConn AD announced on the morning of 18 APR that she was leaving to take an assistant AD gig at Maryland - via Twitter, no less. Perfect timing too, because the new uniform reveal shindig was on the afternoon of 18 APR.

Whatevs. Bye.

So now there's an opening for a new AD marketing guru, and I'm pretty sure that there are several folks in the 'Yard infinitely more qualified for the gig than the person who just left. So let's hear all your ideas.

Me? I'd immediately can that damn DJ and work from there...

Sent From my BlackBerry Z10 using TapaTalk

100 percent agree.Uconn needs to go to traditional old school football format. I didn't see any of this crap @ Michigan or the Notre Dame games.It's time for joey to go.

 

[Fishy]

Shoot the DJ.

Go to school this summer on minor-league baseball.

That's some of the best sports promotion out there - they get people in the door by pricing tickets and concession right, promoting the hell out of their clubs and then entertaining them through every inning change. You can't turn around in a minor league town without hearing about a chance to win game tickets somewhere - that's good, cheap advertising.

And a good offense would help, too.

 

[huskymedic]

A huge sign @ Bradley as you exit the secured area of the terminal near the Black Bear Saloon that screams "Welcome to UConn Country!

Make it seasonal... Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Soccer, etc...

 

[upstater]

Shoot the DJ.

Go to school this summer on minor-league baseball.

That's some of the best sports promotion out there - they get people in the door by pricing tickets and concession right, promoting the hell out of their clubs and then entertaining them through every inning change. You can't turn around in a minor league town without hearing about a chance to win game tickets somewhere - that's good, cheap advertising.

And a good offense would help, too.

This is a good point. Four different local orgs I'm involved with have deals with the promotion people here in Buffalo. They are always at it.

 

[upstater]

Purchase a large sign in Yankee Stadium Right Field that says, UConn: NY's Real College Team and then purchase a sign in Fenway Park that says: UConn: New England's College Team.

I like this.

 

[lv99]

The first thing I would do if I were calling the shots would be to implement what I like to call my "Stadium of Babel" plan.

I have posted about this on here before. Basically, this involves stadium expansion. But we don't just add a few seats and be done with it. We just keep on adding through the years.

We should be able to add 25,000 seats a year, if we can actually get Malloy and the state legislators to get off their keisters and take some action and get us some funding.

Okay, so here are my calculations. We have 40,000 seats now. We add 25,000 per year for 15 years. That would give us 415,000 after 15 years. That would dwarf the second biggest stadium (Michigan's) which only has 109,901. This thing is going to be immense. It will have its own zip code.

When opposing fans come by at the beginning, they will say "Oh, isn't that cute, they're adding a few seats to their little stadium". And we will give each other winks and nods, thinking "Little do they realize what we have in store". Each year, it will be bigger! More and more seats! More, I say, more! Bigger and bigger! To the heavens! Construction going on 365 days a year! The stadium will be so big that its supremacy will never be challenged. God himself could not sink this stadium!

 

[CTMike]

Shoot the DJ.

Go to school this summer on minor-league baseball.

That's some of the best sports promotion out there - they get people in the door by pricing tickets and concession right, promoting the hell out of their clubs and then entertaining them through every inning change. You can't turn around in a minor league town without hearing about a chance to win game tickets somewhere - that's good, cheap advertising.

And a good offense would help, too.

Really agree on the concessions point. Everything non alcoholic should be flat out affordable. If they want to continue to gouge people on booze to discourage heavy drinking... I don't really agree but I get it.

Ticket prices too. It's time to take a step back and figure the price that will actually fill seats.