21 replies to this topic

[Diesel]

The nation is in the midst of an economic downturn.
The Hawks have always had a weak fanbase and now it's weaker...

IF you were a part of the Hawks marketing and branding team, what would you do to inspire people to stay in the city and take in a game.

Just for a reference,  Maybe about 8 years ago, my Marketing campaign was:

"The Hawks are giving teams the FINGER!!!"



However, it never took hold.  I guess Arthur wasn't reading??


So, here it is.. How do you market the Hawks?

[Diesel]

The Hawks are making sure that you have your s*** pushed in?

[Dolfan23]

Diesel, on 28 January 2012 - 09:30 PM, said:

So, here it is.. How do you market the Hawks?

I'd lower non-suite ticket prices quite a bit and I'd allow students to get tickets for pennies on the dollar and try and fill the arena with young people who will get the place rocking.

I'd also make some type of move, even if it's just signing a guy like Pryz, to prove to the fans that we care about winning.

[Diesel]

Do you think Ga Tech students would come to games?

I'm in agreement with you that a filled chair is better than an empty chair any day.  Maybe a promotion that says Five Dollar Tuesday's for College students.  I also agree that you have to build a following. However, the same excuses I hear is the transportation issue and the price.

[Dolfan23]

Diesel, on 28 January 2012 - 09:47 PM, said:

Do you think Ga Tech students would come to games?

I'm in agreement with you that a filled chair is better than an empty chair any day.  Maybe a promotion that says Five Dollar Tuesday's for College students.  I also agree that you have to build a following. However, the same excuses I hear is the transportation issue and the price.

You get students into the game for free or very cheap and I guarantee that they would come.  I would make these cheap ticket games for every game except for marquee games against the better teams.

[JayBirdHawk]

The Hawks reportedly lost15 million last year - getting the $5.00 ticket money is better than none at all.

[coachx]

You have to get fans hooked when they are kids............those are the ones who stay with you for life.

When I was at GSU, students could get 300 level tix for $5 one night a week. Now a days......with everyone having big HDTVs you need to make those deals include the 200 seats on occaison. Have seperate sections for them so that 4 hard drinking college boyz are not seated next to a family of four. There should be sections designated for families and others designated for students.

Clean up all the homeless people out of the CNN Center. Its not good looking for seat to feed you kids before a game but homeless people are sleeping on tables or begging for change as you eat.

Since Atlantans do not support their sports teams you must depend not only on the suberbs but also Athens, Macon, Augusta, and Chattanooga where there is currently little to no marketing at all.

Give away courtside seats to celebrities whenever possible and show them on TV so teenie boppers and the "Hollywood news crowd" think its "cool" to be at a Hawks game.

Diesel, on 28 January 2012 - 09:47 PM, said:

Maybe a promotion that says Five Dollar Tuesday's for College students.  I also agree that you have to build a following.

They did that for years. At least when I was at GSU from 01 - 03.
20,000 Tech Students (many are nerdy and do not care about sports at all)
30,000 GSU students (are more normal people)

Edited by coachx, 28 January 2012 - 09:57 PM.

[Diesel]

coachx, on 28 January 2012 - 09:54 PM, said:

You have to get fans hooked when they are kids............those are the ones who stay with you for life.

The only way you get Kids hooked is if Dad brings sons to the game.  That will happen if the game is affordable. When you were at GSu getting in for 5 dollars, were the games packed?  Prolly not.  I'm guessing that the 5 dollar games could get soon to be future fathers hooked if you have something else that makes them identify with the team.  I remember, the Hawks use to have concerts after games.  Maybe comedians.  Somehow, the marketing teams must transform the game into a night out.  I saw Will Smith at the Philly game with his wife and kids.  Something was done to him that made him a life long fan.  Maybe it was just watching Dr. J and the mighty Sixers.. I think good marketing and 1 championship run that goes to the NBA finals.

[jy23]

Marketing to the college kids is a great idea, get em in the seats and get the place a lil more lively as u said. It's to expensive to go unless you're going by yourself...when i go by myself I always park at the mlk train station n take the train there instead of paying for parking but I don't have that luxury anymore since I have a family now.....the last game I went to was the Toronto game n parking was 15 freaking dollars for the raptors, including 4 tickets, drinks, popcorn, nachos, and a mixed drink for my fiance I was out a little more than 200 dollars, now I'm not at a point in my life yet where that's a possibility on a regular basis. I'm still in college, trying work and barely making enough to take care of my household but when i wanna go out the hawks are the first thing on my list, just wish they would b a lil more realistic with the ticket prices...I swear I would be there more often and I know plenty of other people who would as well

[JayBirdHawk]

Last time I was at a game with my husband and 2 year old daughter it cost us $135.00 - Parking $15.00, $32 per ticket in section 119 (stubhub), $17.00/food and 1 Fricking Foam finger for $7.00.

[Randy]

Its a minor change, not the whole solution, but they have to get better food./snacks at Phillips Arena.  Got to Gwinett Arena sometime - they have a much better selection to chose from at better prices.  The food at Philips sucks.

[Hart]

Yea, there is absolutely ZERO marketing here in Warner Robins/Macon. I will be at the Hawks game when we play the 76ers on the 4th. The fact of the matter is, the ASG just DOES NOT care about the fanbase.

[SmooveZilla]

I remember on one occasion, I was at QT and a man came up and gave me two free ticket vouchers for the game seven against Milwaukee during the 2010 playoffs. You know you're doing something wrong if you can't sell out a game seven during the playoffs.

[hawksfanatic]

Most ideas I agree with. I could also point to times where the Warner group did a particular practice (Hawk-a-licious or Fanatical Fans) and the A$G immediately cancelled it to only replace it a few years later (as the 6th man squad or whatever it is called). College nights make ense, the students have low opportunity costs as well as being someone excited to fill a seat. Why charge the more esecially since when they get pay increases later on in life they are likely to remember the games were so much fun??

Bottom line is the A$G sucks. If you don't think so you have either 1) never been to a game or 2) never paid attention at a game. Anyone disagreeing with that previous statement is a moron (thank god the squawk isnt connected to A$G).

[EazyRoc]

The experience at the games isn't bad. Tickets to some games aren't expensive, like the Suns game next week. They just don't market enough. I work in East Cobb and they market on billboards there, but that's about it. They need to fire everyone in that department.