USF Attendance, Marketing...this already posted?

[HaulingBull Sucks]

A UCF calling a Bulls fan an idiot should carry a lifetime ban from TheBullsPen.com

[HaulingBull Sucks]

I guess it never occurred to me that the season ticket tally would be anything

but paying customers. I assumed that the gratis tix were not really counted in

the total for 'season tickets'.

They shouldn't be....but then job security is job 1.

[TampaTower]

I think early games hurt student turnout.  Alot students have jobs they work during the day.  Then you have students that casualy go to the games, which 12pm is to early for them to wake up.  I guess the only good thing about early games is that they are usally on TV.  I personally prefer night games because there is more time to tailgate.

[Bullpride08]

Hey Tom... excuses are like ********. Enjoy your new gig...

Sheriff I have to agree on this one... In my next life when I am in charge of putting butts in seats, I will be walking around the campus daily talking to students and passing out FREE stuff..  When students arrive at the games they will be getting free coupons for Pizza, Wings, burgers to area restaurants... I would also be outside every BUC game before and after the game selling tickets to specific games... Next year perhaps a 3 game package which includes WVU, LVille, and UNC...

1) What companies will you line up to donate FREE STUFF?

2) What companies will you have lined up to donate FREE PIZZAS, FREE WINGS, FREE BURGERS, etc...

3) Only an idiot would put WVU & UL games in a 3 game package....if you want to see the BEST games on the schedule (WVU & UL), you make them buy a SEASON TICKET or very expensive single game tix. 

2-3 game packs are usually sold at a discount to help attract attendance to unpopular games (say like Elon & Cinci.)

Might want to pick a new profession in your next life.

I've got to agree with KL here.  I love the guys that say they would spend all their time handing stuff out, and meeting and greeting.  Hey, ever heard of an office and paperwork.  Those darn things you actually have to sign contracts with these companies to give away their free-stuff and here's the bigger secret- other organizations are hitting them up too, so not only do you get to market to the fans but you must also be a salesman and try to get corporations to give you their 'free stuff'.

Everyone is a marketing guru until they're actually faced with the facts that this isn't just some brewhau ultimate beer kegger party that people are marketing and you see who passes out the most fliers.  It's a logistical and operational job that has more responsibilities then most can count.   You're marketing to people, companies, students...sometimes i get this impression that people think Veit just sits in his office with giant stacks of promotional 'stuff' that endless companies hand him in droves, and decides not to do it.  

That promotional stuff, in and of itself, is tough enough to get it, like try explaining to say Red Baron why their local rep should use all his marketing and promotional stuff for hoops games that generate maybe a whole 1000 people or football games that do maybe 30k.  When he's got venues like the Lightning demonstrating on certain weeks they pack the house 3 times with 16-18k+ a pop!  Hmmm, when a regional rep has limited sources and he must demonstrate hardy year over year sales figures which do you think he'll determine is a better use of his marketing and promotional items.  P.S. if you think this is a trick question then you need not apply for the marketing position.

[Bullpride08]

I guess it never occurred to me that the season ticket tally would be anything

but paying customers. I assumed that the gratis tix were not really counted in

the total for 'season tickets'.

When they get something in return for those tickets, i.e. big contributions, marketing dollars, large donations then it effectively is paying customers.  Take if for what it's worth a rather semantical argument, those dollars that are received are capital and not operating statement related, but they still drive the athletic department.

I know a group that gets quite a few, but they're also very large annual capital contributors that endow a scholarship.  Hardly a freebie.

[Knight_Light]

Hey Tom... excuses are like ********. Enjoy your new gig...

Sheriff I have to agree on this one... In my next life when I am in charge of putting butts in seats, I will be walking around the campus daily talking to students and passing out FREE stuff..  When students arrive at the games they will be getting free coupons for Pizza, Wings, burgers to area restaurants... I would also be outside every BUC game before and after the game selling tickets to specific games... Next year perhaps a 3 game package which includes WVU, LVille, and UNC...

1) What companies will you line up to donate FREE STUFF?

2) What companies will you have lined up to donate FREE PIZZAS, FREE WINGS, FREE BURGERS, etc...

3) Only an idiot would put WVU & UL games in a 3 game package....if you want to see the BEST games on the schedule (WVU & UL), you make them buy a SEASON TICKET or very expensive single game tix. 

2-3 game packs are usually sold at a discount to help attract attendance to unpopular games (say like Elon & Cinci.)

Might want to pick a new profession in your next life.

I've got to agree with KL here.  I love the guys that say they would spend all their time handing stuff out, and meeting and greeting.  Hey, ever heard of an office and paperwork.  Those darn things you actually have to sign contracts with these companies to give away their free-stuff and here's the bigger secret- other organizations are hitting them up too, so not only do you get to market to the fans but you must also be a salesman and try to get corporations to give you their 'free stuff'.

Everyone is a marketing guru until they're actually faced with the facts that this isn't just some brewhau ultimate beer kegger party that people are marketing and you see who passes out the most fliers.  It's a logistical and operational job that has more responsibilities then most can count.   You're marketing to people, companies, students...sometimes i get this impression that people think Veit just sits in his office with giant stacks of promotional 'stuff' that endless companies hand him in droves, and decides not to do it.  

That promotional stuff, in and of itself, is tough enough to get it, like try explaining to say Red Baron why their local rep should use all his marketing and promotional stuff for hoops games that generate maybe a whole 1000 people or football games that do maybe 30k.  When he's got venues like the Lightning demonstrating on certain weeks they pack the house 3 times with 16-18k+ a pop!  Hmmm, when a regional rep has limited sources and he must demonstrate hardy year over year sales figures which do you think he'll determine is a better use of his marketing and promotional items.  P.S. if you think this is a trick question then you need not apply for the marketing position.

Good summary SB.

If Sports Marketing was "so easy" as some fans think it is...then every team, in every city, at every school, would be playing infront of sold-out crowds for every single sporting event.

As you mentioned, its not easy to get "free stuff" donated from corporations, which, as you noted, comes out of their promotions/marketing budgets.

When a school is located in a Metro Area of over 3.5 Million folks..there are TONS of "marketing/promotional" opportunities...then say focusing in on just 700-1000 students who show up at a Hoop Game.

I do think though some of USF marketing will improve in the near future with "new blood" in the department.

[T-Man]

[highlight] I do think though some of USF marketing will improve in the near future with "new blood" in the department.[/highlight]

That is exactly what I am saying!   I still think that good people to target are those BUC fans who are on some waiting lists... I also think that people who go to BUC game must like football so why not advertise to those folks?  After all they can watch college football for much less $$.   The idea behind throwing many ideas out there is that some may stick...  True I do not know exactly what Viet does... But to see or here about any progress would be very welcomed.. The article in question does not seem to indicate that he reached and made progress with many groups...  I guess as long as USF is happy with slow growth in the fans at football games I should not question marketing tactics and just be happy....  In summary I guess it is okay to judge and question coaches like Mac based on no growth on the courts but it is not okay to question about in the marketing department?   I am sure that all that question Mac know much more about college hoops than the average fan knows about marketing!   Long live the darkside as long as they stay after Mac and no one in marketing!

[bulls96go]

So those claims of 7-9k students at games were wrong...

I really thought we'd made a lot of progress with the students. The last few days shows we have some work to do.

5k students is progress

these are your future season tix holders!

keep it growing

[eebullman]

So those claims of 7-9k students at games were wrong...

I really thought we'd made a lot of progress with the students. The last few days shows we have some work to do.

5k students is progress

these are your future season tix holders!

keep it growing

Got to agree here.

Also I'm not sure how many people know this but the Athletic department sells "Young Alumni" Season Tickets for the student section (I personally have 2).  Alumni are allow to purchase these for 4 seasons after graduating.  These tickets add to the season ticket numbers, but make the student section appear fuller.

I'm not sure how long this program has been going on, this being my first season as Alumni.  Anyone else have these tickets or know how long this program has been in place?