I personally don't see the appeal of going to spring games, but the reality is big time programs draw big time crowds. Because we strive to be a big time program, it can't hurt to draw bigger crowds to this game. Here are some ideas to improve our attendance:
(1) Have the spring game after the Masters and March Madness. Let's face it, after those two sporting events end, there's nothing going on and people may be more inclined to travel to see a meaningless scrimmage. The highest spring game attendances in the SEC this year were the schools who had their game this past weekend.
(2) Tie in an event, like a concert, to take place after the game or at halftime.
(3) To the extent they aren't doing this already, open up all fair grounds and Gamecock Park parking to everyone for free. Announce this repeatedly in advance.
(4) Market the game better. UGA selects and announces teams in advance of the game. I think that's a great idea because it gives the game a sense of competition that it otherwise lacks. Take it a step further: direct market to fans to pick their team based on where their favorite players are (i.e., #TeamDeebo or #TeamBentley). Offer meaningful prizes to someone who tweets the winning team's hashtag before the game.
Marvel employed this marketing tactic with Civil War with great success. Below is from a Forbes article on the marking:
"But more than brand partnerships, Marvel understands that its strength is in its loyal fanbase. Marvel (and by extension, Disney) does fan engagement better than any other studio, and Civil War's campaign hinged upon getting fans involved perhaps more than any other film in the studio's history today. The original tagline for the comic books, "Whose Side Are You On?" was used to great effect throughout the marketing campaign, with Marvel rolling out a massive digital and social media campaign to get fans as invested in the outcome as possible.
One of the most interesting pieces of this interactive campaign was the Twitter roll-out. Not only did the campaign on Twitter directly engage fans to choose which side they were on with the hashtag #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan, it went one step further and had the Civil War cast respond to fans with personalized video messages depending on their choice. It was a brilliant move on the publicity front. The best thing Marvel's PR and marketing has going for it is the cast members themselves - they're all great on the publicity tours, comfortable with one another and in front of the camera, and have endeared themselves to fans as much as the characters they play. Blurring the line further between them and the characters they play by directly engaging fans who weigh in on the film adds another layer of world-building to the marketing and makes fans feel even further invested in the outcome."
(1) Have the spring game after the Masters and March Madness. Let's face it, after those two sporting events end, there's nothing going on and people may be more inclined to travel to see a meaningless scrimmage. The highest spring game attendances in the SEC this year were the schools who had their game this past weekend.
(2) Tie in an event, like a concert, to take place after the game or at halftime.
(3) To the extent they aren't doing this already, open up all fair grounds and Gamecock Park parking to everyone for free. Announce this repeatedly in advance.
(4) Market the game better. UGA selects and announces teams in advance of the game. I think that's a great idea because it gives the game a sense of competition that it otherwise lacks. Take it a step further: direct market to fans to pick their team based on where their favorite players are (i.e., #TeamDeebo or #TeamBentley). Offer meaningful prizes to someone who tweets the winning team's hashtag before the game.
Marvel employed this marketing tactic with Civil War with great success. Below is from a Forbes article on the marking:
"But more than brand partnerships, Marvel understands that its strength is in its loyal fanbase. Marvel (and by extension, Disney) does fan engagement better than any other studio, and Civil War's campaign hinged upon getting fans involved perhaps more than any other film in the studio's history today. The original tagline for the comic books, "Whose Side Are You On?" was used to great effect throughout the marketing campaign, with Marvel rolling out a massive digital and social media campaign to get fans as invested in the outcome as possible.
One of the most interesting pieces of this interactive campaign was the Twitter roll-out. Not only did the campaign on Twitter directly engage fans to choose which side they were on with the hashtag #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan, it went one step further and had the Civil War cast respond to fans with personalized video messages depending on their choice. It was a brilliant move on the publicity front. The best thing Marvel's PR and marketing has going for it is the cast members themselves - they're all great on the publicity tours, comfortable with one another and in front of the camera, and have endeared themselves to fans as much as the characters they play. Blurring the line further between them and the characters they play by directly engaging fans who weigh in on the film adds another layer of world-building to the marketing and makes fans feel even further invested in the outcome."
