Fri, Feb 22: Marketing meeting with forum fans

[weberwildcat1]

Is the meeting over yet? Any news?

 

[wsucatfan]

bobandwaldo[/color]"]Is the meeting over yet? Any news?

The meeting is over, it was about 1 hour long and I think we made some progress. There were about a dozen of us that attended, Bengalhater came so I would like to hear what he thought. He could list everyone that was there. I was meeting most of them for the 1st time so I don't want to leave anyone out. I thought it went well, although next time I should not talk so much :-X

From the meeting I gathered the following:
1. From President Millner down they are concerned about the lack of support and attendance.
2. I think some good ideas were passed around and hopefully some of them will be able to be implemented. (if you would like I will post most of the ideas, let me know)
3. We need to help, again it comes down to put your money where your mouth is. Volunteers to help with posters, PurplePak making noise on campus, students bringing friends and families to the games.
4. This summer has been highlighted as a critical marketing time frame, we briefly discussed having a follow up meeting in a few months to re-evaluate where we are at and what needs to happen before the football season starts.
5. From contests to promotions each game must become an event, something more than just a game so the attendees will want to come back.

I know a lot of you posting have and are upset with the marketing department. I know I have had my concerns too, that said I think that things are headed in the right path. Change takes time and will not be easy. If we all band together now is the time we can make it happen. If you think the PurplePak is not getting the job done, join and help them be the club to join on campus. Sitting and complaining, calling for people to lose their jobs will not make things better. But it does show you care, and the Athletic Department, Alumni Assoc., WildCat Club, PurplePak, etc. are grateful that you do care enough to vent your frustrations.

Rally the troops, the General is in the house, we have a tough game tomorrow.

 

[weberwildcat1]

wsucatfan[/color]"]

bobandwaldo[/color]"]Is the meeting over yet? Any news?

4. This summer has been highlighted as a critical marketing time frame, we briefly discussed having a follow up meeting in a few months to re-evaluate where we are at and what needs to happen before the football season starts.
5. From contests to promotions each game must become an event, something more than just a game so the attendees will want to come back.

I only wish for once football season could follow basketball season at Weber...seats would for sure be able to fill easier starting off with a a lot of wins! I guess none of this is worth saying but it seems like on a typical year the fans come out for th first football game and by the end of the season they stop coming to football games...and the bad part is many of the students are new freshman so then they don't bother coming to basketball after they saw the way football turned out.

wsucatfan, I'm on board with you and bengalhater...let us know what the next step will be if its not the meeting in a few months.

 

[n.ogdencat]

I would have loved to have been at the meeting. Unfortunately, I had a number of projects I had to finish for school and a major meeting with my graduate committee in Logan, sorry ya'll for not be able to attend. I will for sure attend the next one. I have a three prong plan with ideas that will hit up Students, Community, and Alumni separately.
I think this years football team will help out. As long as there is a chance for the Cats to win the Sky then people will go to the games and they will become excited for basketball. Unfortunatley, we played a hard pre-season schedule and after the Utah game people haven't been really interested in coming back to the Dee. Fickle Fans! Oh well, no matter I will be at the games as long as I'm in Utah.

 

[wildcat1]

Was anything said about lowering ticket prices or offering any type of family pass, kids are free, etc? Because frankly until they do something like that it won't change. Also, unless it's top secret, what are their marketing plans for this summer? I like the idea of calling games an event, I shamefully admits this but I went to the BYU-Provo vs Mich. St game earlier this season; anyway they did somethings that I though Weber could do that would help make the event seem more big time. They had one of those dudes that has a microphone and get the crowd involved with things like games or text message the answer to a question and win an IPOD or something, i know they bug some people but i works. Also their half time show was the BYU-Provo students trampoline dunk team(students = free) and that was entertaining. [tr][/tr]

 

[smjcpa1]

There is a family pass for those of you who don't know about it. For football you can get up to 6 tickets for about 100 bones. This is for the whole season. For Basketball you can get a family pass of up to 6 ticket again for about 150 clams. This is CHEAP!!! Don't need to lower prices!!! The price of these tickets is cheaper than going to a movie. If you add in the cost of snacks at the movie you are WAY better off to go get season tickets. If you look at the web site to buy tickets you can see which seats you can get. I have told this to as many people as I can. Still the word doesn't get out. If you buy tickets you should know about this option.

 

[smjcpa1]

wsucat fan, please post the ideas that were discussed. I would love to hear them and help to implement or add some additional. I was meeting with clients during the meeting.

 

[wsucatfan]

smjcpa[/color]"]wsucat fan, please post the ideas that were discussed. I would love to hear them and help to implement or add some additional. I was meeting with clients during the meeting.

Here are the ideas I presented:

Build a WSU themed resturant for alumnii, students, and professors to gather around, a place to hang out, watch games together, eat good food, etc.

Utilize the idle time in between movies and programs on the WSU TV channel with a ticker of future games, show previous games on TV (work out a contract now for a digital sub-channel, each channel has multiple sub-channels that are not being used, example 5.3, 7.4, 11.5. Most of the time there is dead air. In the Feb. 2009 all tv sets will have to have a converter box to receive these channels, analog channels will end. Planning ahead might help keep the price lower for these local channels. On that note WSU has already broadcast several games this year with KJazz 14, this would probably be the best channel with them self-proclaiming to be the Utah’s Super Sports Network. I don’t know how your contracts with the Big Sky work with TV contracts, hey at least WSU does not have the headache of the MWC and having to deal with getting the MTN on satellite…
List WSU Traditions at Weberstatesports.com (example below from UCF) such as; the victory bell and its background, in 1962 Weber Junior College became the first junior college in the country to move from the juco ranks straight into NCAA Division I basketball. WSU has won 17 Big Sky Conference basketball titles and have made 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Both of these numbers are conference records. Of the 14 appearances, the 'Cats have advanced to the second round 6 times. WSU named the 51st greatest basketball program by Street & Smith Magazine, etc.
Posters, must be done before the football and basketball seasons start. Pick a day, maybe the first Saturday of 2-a-day’s for football or the final scrimmage. You set the date ahead of time, make sure the student body leaders, alumni association, and PurplePak know about it. Then you have more help getting the posters hung up over the town. You could even assign areas to walk or drive door to door asking local businesses to hang a poster in their window. Every WSU building should have a poster, every dorm, especially the Student Union building.
I get a mass email weekly or more from Jennifer Grandi, Assistant Dean of Students for everything going on at WSU-Davis to my WSU email account. We need to do the same thing for everything going on up at the main campus, not just athletics, movies, plays, any event. Media Blitz… as we talked about it, sure they might delete, erase, delete, but that is better than, “oh we had a game, I didn’t know about it”
Jr. Cats program, I honestly did not know it existed until a few weeks ago. Change the amount of money for the yearly dues, give each Jr. Cat a season ticket for the basketball and football season, they are not going to drive themselves up to the game, so now the paying parents will be there. Also at certain age groups double the amount again, say when they start elementary (say 25.00), jr. high (50.00), high school (100.00). Keep records and if the student enrolls at WSU give them say 50% back in a gift card towards schooling. This does 3 things:
1. They are becoming fans coming to the games, their parents will bring them so they will need tickets, and hopefully it becomes a full family event.
2. You are greatly increasing the chance they will attend WSU, you now have a head start in the recruiting battle.
3. For the parents and students this is a “college fund” they are in theory starting to save money for their children’s future.
If you tell someone about an event they will probably blow you off, if you make assignments (think green jello salad) you can get commitments. This applies in the types of half-time shows, I think you do really well with the dance groups, young football-basketball teams, the commitment is the parents and grandparents, extended family coming to watch the kids perform.
Game day suggestions:
Establish Purple and White days, where WSU faculty, staff and students dress in school colors across the campus.
Bring back basketball free throw shoot after game for kids to win prizes, kids pay 1-2 dollars to shoot free throws and if they make it they win a basketball, I still remember going down to the floor and shooting. Younger kids like under 8 shot closer to the basket, older kids say over 16 could pay more to shoot.
Promotions with companies like Local Ski Resorts and a "Reach for the Seat" by car companies which involve tickets placed under a pre-selected seat that the winner could exchange for a gift basket containing gift certificates from local companies and shops. (I noticed more envelopes dropped from the blimp last night)

High school attendance contests (one high school per game), they are the next potential WSU students and fans and this would cover a lot of games, you have locally Weber, Fremont, Ben Lomond, Ogden, Syracuse, Davis, Northridge, Clearfield, Bonneville, Roy, Layton, etc. I would have tickets that could be purchased at the high school (family members also counted towards the attendance of course), marketing is provided by WSU student leaders when they go talk (recruit) to local high schools, and by the high school student leaders:
1.Each ticket was also good for a stomp-dance in the Student Union building after the game.
2.Each game the tickets are collected and at the end of the contest the winning high school with the greatest attendance win a stomp-dance held in the Student Union building.
3.This was brought up during the meeting; bring their band to the game to play with the WSU band. I think this is a great idea, as we discussed it parents and siblings will come because their son, daughter is playing.
4.Along with this idea, have the cheerleaders of the high schools come down to the floor to do some cheers (again same idea brings out family) but also gets the high school kids into the game.
5.Also brought up in the meeting giving out a scholarship somehow (draw, contest) to a High School student at the game. (any kid would even be stoked for ¼, ½, tuition, it might be worth while to spread the promotion to 2-4 students to make the chances greater than just 1 person)
Bring back the full band, they are loud and are the embodiment of student spirit, 15 band members does not do the games justice, most are on scholarships to play their musical instrument, so they should make an effort to attend as many as possible. (again, adding a High School band with our band could accomplish the same thing)
I recently attended the Jordan Circus, every child under 12 got in for free. The circus made their money by the parent’s tickets and by accessories; glow sticks, “light sabers”, food (which is out, except the restaurant) and the biggest money maker… rides. They had pony rides, petting zoo (lamas, pot-belly pigs, pigmy goats, nothing exotic) every one of those kids wanted a ride or to feed the animals and that cost money and the parents thought, hey why not the children got in for free anyway (I know because my 2 kids both begged and pleaded until we gave in). Now I am not suggesting Feb 28th to have a pony ride set up outside the Dee Event Center, but a pre-season, or early season football game…

 

[weberwildcat1]

smjcpa[/color]"]There is a family pass for those of you who don't know about it. For football you can get up to 6 tickets for about 100 bones. This is for the whole season. For Basketball you can get a family pass of up to 6 ticket again for about 150 clams. This is CHEAP!!! Don't need to lower prices!!! The price of these tickets is cheaper than going to a movie. If you add in the cost of snacks at the movie you are WAY better off to go get season tickets. If you look at the web site to buy tickets you can see which seats you can get. I have told this to as many people as I can. Still the word doesn't get out. If you buy tickets you should know about this option.

Wildcat1,

I also agree with smjcpa...

Lowering ticket prices sadly won't help...look at the games when we have free tickets or 2 for 1. It doesn't improve attendance at all. Now if the discount tickets or free ones were more known when they happen that is a different story.

Part of the issue I think is we need alumni and students to be proud of WSU...that alone will help significantly...but how do we start doing that?

 

[weberwildcat1]

wsucatfan[/color]"]

smjcpa[/color]"]wsucat fan, please post the ideas that were discussed. I would love to hear them and help to implement or add some additional. I was meeting with clients during the meeting.

Here are the ideas I presented:

3.This was brought up during the meeting; bring their band to the game to play with the WSU band. I think this is a great idea, as we discussed it parents and siblings will come because their son, daughter is playing.

Bring back the full band, they are loud and are the embodiment of student spirit, 15 band members does not do the games justice, most are on scholarships to play their musical instrument, so they should make an effort to attend as many as possible. (again, adding a High School band with our band could accomplish the same thing)
I recently attended the Jordan Circus, every child under 12 got in for free. The circus made their money by the parent’s tickets and by accessories; glow sticks, “light sabers”, food (which is out, except the restaurant) and the biggest money maker… rides. They had pony rides, petting zoo (lamas, pot-belly pigs, pigmy goats, nothing exotic) every one of those kids wanted a ride or to feed the animals and that cost money and the parents thought, hey why not the children got in for free anyway (I know because my 2 kids both begged and pleaded until we gave in). Now I am not suggesting Feb 28th to have a pony ride set up outside the Dee Event Center, but a pre-season, or early season football game…

I agree the band situation is really pathetic...have any of you noticed how every road game we go to we think the opposing schools bands are so awesome...well they aren't they just have a full band.

I talked to Dr. Root about this, he is incharge of the band. He said footbal season is mandatory and basketball season is opposite. Being a basketball school shouldn't it be the opposite?

I even discussed with Root about the marching band doing basketball halftime show. That would be really cool. He said they would try and do it this season, so maybe next year.

WSU really doesn't want to lower ticket prices but one thing I think they should have always done and they should still do it is similar to the circus you mentioned - kids 12 and under free. Why not? We rarely get either of our stadiums half full. As well I think this would increase the number of Alumni to come to games knowing the kids get in free.

If we can increase attendance and combo that with Rahe's winning program we will never lose at home...and we barely do as it is!!

Rahe is 23-4 at home so far.

No matter what WSU Marketing does next year I think we need our main focus to be on WSU students. It should all start with the students, because at bball games, they have the most effect on the home crowd.

I am grateful for the Purple Pak but next year's students incharge of it needs to work twice as hard getting students to the games. 2 things we need the ppak to do next year better than this year is be in charge of handing out the schedule posters before the season starts for both sports, we need to cover every business in the area. Oh and the wood signs. We need those on campus for at least every Saturday games. Having them up for USU and Utah isn't good enough. We need to try harder with the students.

I hate to keep bringing up USU but they are such a good example of what we want to do. They have the stadium packed every game and half the stadium is students. When you have a student section like that - just going to watch the students is entertainment all by itself. As of late poor attendance at USU is 6-7,000. They've had I think 2-3 sellouts so far and they are 8-4. We are 8-5.

 

[weberwildcat1]

Another one of my ideas that I think is a must for next season is moving the band. The band is disconnected from the student section. Since the main part of the student section is in Section B and into Section A, we should have the band right above us like in football.

Sectio V is no good they are too far away from us. I think if we were right by each other they would play more songs and the student section would be more into it.

So basically move the band from where they are to the same spot but in section B.

 

[n.ogdencat]

The community is an important part of Weber State's success. However, without the students the school is nothing. Weber could have 9K community fans at the games, but without the students you have a large meal without any spice. Students need to be first. Its the same theory as the Jr. Cats (I was one as were my entire family; we are all graduates of Weber State) that you start them off young as Weber fans that they will attend Weber, well if you graduate disgruntled and angry students then they aren't going to support the institution as alumni. If they enjoyed their college education then they will always support Weber. The one thing that I can say about Weber was that I had more options than anywhere else. I really don't know if students can say that now about Weber. The key lies in the student body. A lot of the time members of the community come to the games to have a good time and see Weber win. Part of the fun is watching and participating with the student body.

 

[wsucatfan]

bobandwaldo[/color]"]Another one of my ideas that I think is a must for next season is moving the band. The band is disconnected from the student section. Since the main part of the student section is in Section B and into Section A, we should have the band right above us like in football.

Section V is no good they are too far away from us. I think if we were right by each other they would play more songs and the student section would be more into it.

So basically move the band from where they are to the same spot but in section B.

We did talk about moving the band but I think their location is pretty set. I might be easier to move the student section from B & C to U and V that would accomplish the same thing as moving the band over. One side effect of moving the students over is they would be closer and directly across from front of the opponents bench which would make them louder for the opposition.

 

[wsucatfan]

We also talked about the ticket prices, WSU can not afford to just give them away like the Ogden Raptors do. The raptors make all their money at the concession stands, hot dogs and beer... WSU has a newly signed contract with a vendor that has a set price so they do not make any more money from the food if more is purchased (athletics tried to get out of it but couldn't).

I gathered from the meeting 3 key aspects for marketing.
1. The youth, via Jr. Cats club, (including basketball teams), and contests for High School youth
2. Students, this summer when the football posters come out every dorm, building, cork board will have a poster on it. As well as a media blitz to the students, emails to everyone announcing events, text messages, the game day signs...
3. Families, the 30-40 year old that is married with kids. Events at halftime to make it a fun environment and get the families back. You look around the stands now and it is students on the east side, old couples on the west and a few scattered families in the upper sections. This fall the athletics is going to look at a demographic study to see exactly who is coming to the games.

 

[ajwildcat]

Not to be all negative, but I have been told "This summer has been highlighted as a critical marketing time frame." long enough. What in the world have they been doing for the last 2 years? It doesn't take that long to get acclimated to the job.

 

[weberwildcat1]

ajwildcat[/color]"]Not to be all negative, but I have been told "This summer has been highlighted as a critical marketing time frame." long enough. What in the world have they been doing for the last 2 years? It doesn't take that long to get acclimated to the job.

Maybe every year will be a critical summer! lol More like a critical winter! I thought we were a basketball school.

 

[wsucatfan]

bobandwaldo[/color]"]

ajwildcat[/color]"]Not to be all negative, but I have been told "This summer has been highlighted as a critical marketing time frame." long enough. What in the world have they been doing for the last 2 years? It doesn't take that long to get acclimated to the job.

Maybe every year will be a critical summer! lol More like a critical winter! I thought we were a basketball school.

True enough but this year we are going to do what we all can to help. All it takes is a few to make a difference, and yes we are a basketball school, but I would love to become a regular in the postseason in football too, so why can't we be both? We have the facilities, we have the coaches, I think we have the talent returning, and all we need is... a change in attitude. No more; it is what it is.