Good article on not devaluing the product / pricing strategy.
I don't care what I pay for my blue back seats, as I am donating to the school. They get it thru seats and/or direct $$ to the UConn Foundation.
It's the marketing that gets to me....
Further, the powers that be, here, can't be so intent on filling without long term strategies. There seems to be a point of inflection.
Form the article: "If Viola and Cifu are to remain committed to the Panthers, they have to be committed for a long, slow process to building the fan base back and it sounds like they are."
Are we building a fan base "back" or building a fan base? a better fan base.....
Points on both sides for a great argument for the Rent.
Having watched the attendance and marketing strategies for the last 11 years, one severe item that stood out
that earlier regimes did not appear to take into account was the building of a long term fan base by better marketing
strategies. We see sales price strategy in effect to get people into the seats....but does it put bodies in the seats for the long term
and build that fan base? IMO, the marketing strategy needs work in addition to the sales strategy. Most of the BY will immediately go to the
product on the field as a start....but, realistically, up until HCPPGDL, it wasn't that bad....
Market your valleys, not your peaks....
Long term fan base and bodies in the seats by better marketing of your valleys (and honoring the people amongst us):
1) Better relations with youth groups
a) Scout Day for all of the Connecticut Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. $1 ticket gets you a seat and a noise making plastic horn.
Put them in non-prime seats. Goal is 7,500 Scouts filling empty seats in a special sections.
****Non prime time game like a Stony Brook****
b) Band Day for all Connecticut high school juniors and seniors in their respective marching bands as guests of our own
awesome UCMB. Goal (5,000 extra seats with showtime starting 1 hour before the game). An extra 5,000 horns in the stadium.
They can fill the scoreboard endzone and play at halftime in that endzone as part of the UCMB show.
*****Semi prime time like Temple****
Families:
c) First Responders Day. a day honoring all police, fire and EMT in the state of CT and the very awesome job they do for us every day.
Tickets for their kids are $1. Goal is 5,000 screaming first responders/families with plastic horns.
Better Cross Product Marketing strategies (with existing known UCONN affecinados:
d) Season ticket holders for football get 2 free tickets (1 game) to Mens or womens BB, in November and December...first come first serve, limited basis.
e) Blue back seat season ticket holders get 4 free ticket (2 games) first come first serve to selected non prime time BB games. ...first come first serve limited
f) Season ticket holders in Mens and Womens BB get 2 games (2 seats), non prime time football games as part of their ticket package.
g) UConn Alumni association Life time members get 2 tickets, first come first serve to non prime time football game.(goal 5,000 per game for 3 shi**y games).
h) Restaurant package deals in the Hartford area.
I) Strike up package incentives with Subway and Dunkin Donuts.
Corporate campaign amongst the big corporations whereby sponsorship and advertising in the Rent ribbon board ($2,500 per game) is good for 50 tickets in luxury box seating. Usually empty.
Small corporate campaign for advertising business card size in programs ($200) good for 10 tickets).
I truly believe that the Athletic Dept marketing idea crew needs to walk across the street from their office and meet with the marketing professors from UCONN School of business because their seems to be a disconnect. Pricing is one thing, marketing is another.....
