More on Fandom: Big Heads in College Basketball

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March 13th, 2013

George Dohrmann of Sports Illustrated talks about the history of big heads in his article How big heads became a part of college basketball culture. We wrote about fandom in this blog earlier and this is why it was even more interesting to learn more about big heads.

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The story of big heads started in 2002, when San Diego State alumnus Conor Mongan presented the very first Michael Jackson big head at the college basketball game. His initial idea was to distract free-throw shooters and, indeed, his idea worked and the opponent missed both free throws that game.

Years later, big heads became popular all across the US and joined foam fingers, rally towels and thunder sticks as part of the collegiate fandom artifacts. From one big head the idea grew to the multi-million dollar industry. At Marquette university big heads are sponsored by the company which name is featured on the back of each item and are called Big Noggin program in general. What also changed is that now big heads lost its original meaning and mostly used to gain TV attention.

NBA Uses the Power of Data to keep the Fans

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March 12th, 2013

Steve Kyler of USA today talks about the increasing value of data analytics in his article “NBA reprograms how it makes money off fans.”  Kyler describes NBA team’s Orlando Magic “surprise and delight” philosophy to attract and keep fans. Orlando Magic has been in top 10 for ticket renewals over the last ten years not only due to the on-court success, but also due to the off-court “aggressiveness.”

More NBA team use advanced statistics called Moneyball to collect data about their fans. This power of data is used in retention modeling, collecting feedback and improving ticket sales techniques. Fans have voice and NBA teams listen to them closely. Based on the feedback from fans, Orlando Magic introduced Cold Stone as a food vendor during their games and substituted printed tickets with an opportunity to swipe credit card for entrance to the games.

@PhilaUnion Career Fair & Game for $25 on 3/16/13

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February 28th, 2013

The soccer team and organization Philadelphia Union is hosting a career fair on Saturday, March 16, 2013, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in the Stadium Club of PPL Park.

Anyone interested in a career in sports industry is welcome to attend. Participating employers include the Union, 76ers, Flyers, Comcast-Spectacor, among other local organizations. 

Right after the career fair, there will be a Philadelphia Union game vs. New England Revolution at 5 pm. Tickets for both career fair and the game are $25.

To buy the ticket for this exclusive event, please complete registration via link here: http://faninfo.philadelphiaunion.com/nl/jsp/m.jsp?c=e5a77d4b3485e07b58

 

When:

Saturday, March 16, 2013

11:30am-1:30pm Job Fair

 

Where:

PPL Park

PPL Park Stadium Club

One Stadium Dr.

Chester, PA 19013

 

To register for this event, please CLICK HERE and use the promo code JOBFAIR13

By purchasing a ticket for the Union vs. Revolution game using the promo code above, you will be automatically registered for the job fair.

For 15 or more tickets or questions about the fair, contact Philadelphia Union Fan Services at 877-21-UNION (877-218-6466) or email fanservices@philadelphiaunion.com

Secure your spot today, the first 200 fans to sign up will gain access to the Job Fair.

 

 

Also, the Philadelphia NBA team 76ers will be having a similar career fair on Monday, March 18, 2013, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm for $17 or $32. 76ers will face the Portland Trail Blazers at 7:00 pm. More information below:

http://nbateamjobs.teamworkonline.com/teamwork/r.cfm?i=52352

Special promotion @saintjosephs for @PhilaUnion game on 3/16/13

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February 25th, 2013

Special promotion Saint Joseph’s University students for Philadelphia Union game on Saturday, March 16, 2013: $20 a ticket if 50 students purchase! Transportation provided.

In order to purchase tickets for the Philadelphia Union soccer game on March 16th please fill out the form below and mail it along with payment (cash, check or credit) to the address below by Monday, March 11th, 2013:

Tickets form

Shaun Gallagher

Philadelphia Union

2501 Seaport Drive

Switch House, Suite 500

Chester, PA 19013

 

Tickets will be available for pickup at the will call prior to the game.

 

For any additional questions please contact Shaun Gallagher, Merchandise & College Brand Manager Intern, Philadelphia Union, Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC, phone 610-4976403, fax 610-497-3309, sgallagher@philadelphiaunion.com.

Hawks storm past George Washington Colonials 2/23/13

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February 25th, 2013

The Hawks returned to Hagan Arena on Saturday February 23rd to face off against George Washington University in conference play. The Hawks seemed to have left all negative baggage at the Palestra the following week, coming out strong in the early segments of the game. The Hawks started the game on a 12-0 run and never looked back with Carl Jones Leading the way, scoring 8 points in the first 5 minutes. The Hawks were playing above the rim with highlight dunks and solid rebounding going into the halftime with a 40-29 lead.

 

 

The Hawks continued to roll after leaving the locker room at half time led by Langston Galloway who ended the game with a season high 26 points. The George Washington colonials seemed to be gasping for air throughout the game trailing for the games entirety losing 71-59. It was a solid rebound win for the Hawks who are looking to prepare for Wednesdays conference match-up vs. Saint Louis.

Sports Marketing Club meeting on 02/21/13 – Evan Weiner

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February 21st, 2013

 

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Evan Weiner is an American journalist who covers the business and politics of sports. He is the author of “The Business and Politics of Sports,” and he is a columnist for the New York Sun, “The Business of Sport.” He also is a contributor to msnbc.com and numerous newspapers and magazines around the United States.

“On a Sunday when you watch football are you watching a game or is it entertainment?”

Students gave their different opinions and Weiner told them a colleague of his, Sonny Werblin, convinced owners of the NFL that football was like a 3 hour commercial. The time slot a game is played is simply for marketing and advertising purposes. He said a league that utilizes this idea better than anyone is the NBA. They take advantage of a “star system” from the days of Larry bird, to Michael Jordan, to the current Lebron James and Kobe Bryant era. What they do, Weiner said, “They take these stars everyone is familiar with and use them to market their league for commercials, highlights, and simply being the faces of the league.”

Student Contest: Name the Sports Marketing Conference by 3/1/13

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February 21st, 2013

The St. Joseph’s University  Sports Marketing Club will be hosting  its first annual Sports Marketing Conference on May 23, 2013. Top executives from local sports teams and radio stations will be coming together to discuss the topics of Fan Engagement and the Live-Event Experience. A student contest to name the event has been created. This is your once-in-a- lifetime chance to play a key role in the production of this conference. To submit your ideas, log onto Facebook and join the event Student Contest @SJUSportsMkting.

The event name should be a short, one or two words, or an acronym. It should highlight the topic of the event in some way. Please provide your suggestions on the Facebook page wall by March 1, 2013. The winner of the contest will be announced via Facebook on March 2, 2013 and at halftime of the SJU men’s basketball game against Fordham. Contest

Hawks fall at the Palestra 02/16/13

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February 16th, 2013

After last week’s strong performance against Richmond the Hawks continued conference play visiting the La Salle Explorers at the Palestra. The Explorer’s seemed to have an early edge taking a 29-24 halftime lead over the Hawks. Going into halftime it was clear the Hawks needed another spark from the locker room to win this game.haawks

Unfortunately for all SJU fans that littered the Palestra, there would be no second half spark. The Hawks continued to get out rebounded as a team despite Ronald Roberts’s efforts, ending the day with 13 points and 10 rebounds, his 12th double-double of the season. The Hawks as a team shot well over 50%, but got outrebounded at a 2.5:1 ration leaving room for second chance points they couldn’t afford ultimately losing 76-64. The Hawks are back at Hagan Arena February 23rd facing off against the George Washington University Colonial’s.

Spring Concert Rallies Hawks at Half? 02/13/13

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February 13th, 2013

On Wednesday night February 13th, Saint Joseph’s Mens basketball team hosted the Richmond Spiders. After a dismal, slow start to the game the Hawks found themselves down 36-27 at halftime. Play looked sloppy, unorganized, and the offense seemed to lack any spark. Saint Joseph’s opened the second half with a full court press and went on a 15-0 run, giving them a 42-36 lead from key efforts by Galloway and Roberts.

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Where did this spark come from one may ask? I believe a viable answer is that majority of the team must be big fans of the performer Macklemore, because he was announced at halftime as this years spring concert for the University. The student section erupted after hearing the good news and so did the play by SJU. After this announcement was made Saint Joes seemed to click, the tempo picked up, and the Hawks played with a swagger that was unmatched. Maybe coaching and practice can take your team so far, but sometimes something as silly as music can turn around a teams success.

Crowdsourcing the Super Bowl ad, why not?

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February 6th, 2013

Alec Lynch of The Next Web gave a summary of the 12 big brands & celebrities that crowdsourced in 2012. Crowdsourcing is a relatively new marketing phenomenon where companies invite people to submit their ideas from logos to commercials. This practice archives two goals at once: fan engagement and cheaper advertising product.  Costs of crowdsoursing are relatively low compared to making an ad with a major creative agency. Therefore, small and medium size firms use this strategy the most. But not only, read on.

Several Super Bowl ads were crowdsourced in the past including Doritos 2012 Super Bowl Ad (“Man’s Best Friend”). 2012 was the second year in a row that the winner of Doritos’ Crash the Super Bowl contest involved a canine, with Jonathan Friedman (and his Great Dane dog) pocketing a $1M in prize money and having their ad played during the Super Bowl broadcast.

Sara Kowal of Business Insider writes that sports are now a two, even three screen experience including social, mobile and TV. Kowal reviews some of the best strategies to engage fans in her article 3 Ways Brands Can Turn This Year’s Super Bowl Ads into a Three-Screen Experience. With many ways to engage fans, crowdsourcing is one of the strategies which stands out and proved to be successful over the last several years.