Owl2Doc said

Smitty for Post of the Day.

I absolutely agree with you that marketing isn't easy, especially when you're adding several new avenues of marketing (bus ads, iPad ads, etc) at one time and trying to figure out which one actually worked so you're not "wasting" your money on the others. I say "wasting" because even if you're not marketing for a particular event, you're still putting the brand out there for people to see.

And that's what I meant about the Publix vending machines. It wouldn't be for a specific event, but rather be generalized to say football like the vending machines in the Breezeway. People use those vending machines frequently and every time they do, they'll be reminded of FAU football. That would be the idea there. I don't know who owns them - I suppose you're referring to the idea that an independent vending company may contract with Pepsi and put the machines wherever is most convenient for them - but I do know that we were able to get FAU-specific vending machines to the Breezeway and to the Oxley, so somebody at Pepsi knows how to get specific machines to specific locations.

Outside of the Annual Report, the minutes to Athletics meetings aren't posted online for some reason so we don't know where their head is at. I will say this: if you told me that we're spending more of our marketing budget on entertainment for the gameday experience rather than pay to place ads in the newspaper, I'd actually be okay with that. I would. For instance, the fireworks were an awesome idea and I hope we continue that.

I'd also be on board with the idea of hiring someone with event planning experience… that is to say, someone who doesn't know the technical details of the marketing field per se but knows how to create and execute events that draw thousands of people. Maybe a car show, or a small carnival, or a concert, that you can only get into if you've purchased a ticket to the game. Or take that $5,000 you were going to spend on a newspaper ad and raffle off a couple 55" TVs; for the FAU student section, win an FAU-themed moped. Stuff like that.

Because that kind of hire may be the smartest thing for us to do right now if our marketing team has no creative ideas for single game promotions, exacerbated by the fact that the John Does and Jane Smiths in Boca Raton don't know anything about teams like ASU and ULM. We don't play their alma maters or ranked teams at home so to them the games are interchangeable and mean nothing. We probably have to give them something besides the game as a reason to come here.

And rally towels, a local reggae band or a year's worth of Pepsi (despite being convenient) are clearly not the answer.

Rick said

How about this?

FAU and Sunrise Sports & Entertainment Announce Innovative Marketing Partnership

Florida Atlantic University and Sunrise Sports & Entertainment (SSE) have announced a dynamic and innovative marketing partnership that features SSE securing events and concerts for GEO Group Stadium. As part of the agreement, the BB&T Center potentially will host an FAU non-conference basketball game or tournament during the 2013-14 season and the University will have an increased presence at Florida Panthers home games in Sunrise, Fla.

SSE’s highly-successful event programming team, which currently has the BB&T Center ranked No. 18 in the country by Pollstar – the only trade publication covering the worldwide concert industry – will focus on booking shows, developing a concert series and bringing other entertainment events to GEO Group Stadium. Opened in 2011 on the University’s Boca Raton campus, the 29,419-seat stadium is home to the Owls football team and is the only college football venue in the country with a view of the ocean.

FAU’s men’s basketball team, led by Coach Mike Jarvis, has played two games at BB&T Center. The Owls faced the University of Miami on Dec. 19, 2009, and Dec. 17, 2011, with both games part of the annual Orange Bowl Classic.

“We are thrilled to announce this exciting and unique new partnership with Florida Atlantic University,” said Michael R. Yormark, SSE president.  “FAU is a university on the rise with a growing athletic program and an incredible new football stadium that gives us the opportunity to attract quality programming to their venue. Our staff at SSE is excited about the opportunity to work with FAU, President Mary Jane Saunders, Athletic Director Patrick Chun, and their staffs to help fulfill their grand vision for this incredible university.”

FAU will receive exposure through BB&T Center signage and a variety of SSE’s internal media assets, including radio, television, upper-level billboards and LED ribbon boards during all BB&T Center concerts, shows and Panthers games. FAU students will be able to take advantage of discounted tickets available one hour prior to every Panthers regular-season game and select BB&T events.

In addition, the Panthers will host FAU Owls Nights. As part of the festivities, members of the FAU community will be able to take advantage of ticket, drink and food specials by presenting their Owl Card; the FAU mascot, “Owlsley,” and cheer/dance team will greet fans and perform during intermissions; and FAU messaging will dominate game-day platforms such as the center ice scoreboard and in-game announcements on television and radio.

SSE is also offering semester-long internship programs for FAU students in the music business administration and sports management curriculum, while SSE executives will serve as guest speakers for FAU classes and events.

“This is an innovative partnership,” said Chun, who oversees an athletic department featuring 19 varsity sports and nearly 450 student-athletes at FAU. “Michael Yormark and the Sunrise Sports & Entertainment team are well-respected not only in this market but throughout the entire sports industry. We are excited about the partnership and look forward to working together.”

SSE, the premier company of its kind in South Florida, also has the option to sell naming rights to FAU Arena. Nicknamed “The Burrow,” FAU Arena is home to the Owls men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams.

GeorgiaOwl said

Sounds real good to me, get our name out to the sports community as much as possible!