PonyFans.com marketing contest

[PonyPride]

MARKETING CONTEST

PonyFans have talked for years about how to improve one of the issues that has faced many teams, including SMU football: attendance, and specifically, getting fans not only to the campus, but to get them inside GERALD J. FORD STADIUM for the start of games.

So here’s your chance to make a difference!

PonyFans.com has partnered with Texadelphia restaurants for a contest to come up with the best marketing idea for getting fans into their seats. It’s very simple: post your ideas (serious ideas only) for ways to get fans to show up — and get inside the stadium by kickoff — and if your idea is chosen, you will receive dinner for 10 (not including alcohol) at Texadelphia.

Disclaimer: this contest is not intended to infringe upon the marketing efforts of the athletic department, including the marketing staff that is being hired this summer. Ideas that require the university to contribute space, time, facilities, personnel, etc. will have to be cleared with SMU before they can be implemented. This is the concept stage — throw your best ideas at us (serious ideas only), and if yours is selected, enjoy dinner for 10 compliments of Texadelphia!

[Hilltopper]

Have people start a team, with friends, family, co-workers, etc. Set up someplace inside GJFord where a team checks in by the national anthem (everybody has to check in in person, with ID. No proxy sign-ins.) After the game starts, the team with the most people to check in gets points, or food discounts or something. Maybe pair up with the school to get a free SMU t-shirt or hat, too.

[JasonB]

Season ticket holders who have their tickets scanned 20 minutes prior to kickoff get bonus priority points. Season ticket holders who use all of their tickets in a season get bonus priority points. If you enter the stadium 20 minutes before game time, you will be able to enter a drawing to win a free tailgate spot for the next home game and a few free tickets to that game. Start a new tradition called the Pony Trot, similar to what Baylor does - students that come early are allowed onto the field to run out of the tunnel with the team. For the Fraternity and Sorority that have the best attendance for that new tradition for the season, their senior class gets a free mustang club membership and season tickets for next season.

[Roach]

Season ticket holders who have their tickets scanned 20 minutes prior to kickoff get bonus priority points. Season ticket holders who use all of their tickets in a season get bonus priority points. If you enter the stadium 20 minutes before game time, you will be able to enter a drawing to win a free tailgate spot for the next home game and a few free tickets to that game. Start a new tradition called the Pony Trot, similar to what Baylor does - students that come early are allowed onto the field to run out of the tunnel with the team. For the Fraternity and Sorority that have the best attendance for that new tradition for the season, their senior class gets a free mustang club membership and season tickets for next season.

LOT of good ideas there!

I went to every game when I was in school, but if I'd had the chance to go out on the field, I would have showed up hours early, if necessary.

[Mustangsabu]

Love those ideas. I believe that they need to use the points to reward fans who actually support in person. These address that.

[Pony81]

Whoa, Roach has some great ideas! Implement them all now!

One more idea:

SMU should approach AT&T about partnering with us for Wifi and adverts on the blvd and the game.

Give AT&T visibility with our fans and our engineering / business students whom they recruit.

Let Ford be the training ground for the technology that AT&T wants to roll out at Cowboy Stadium.

Better in game technology will give students and the young alums at more rewarding game experience plus make Ford a cool place to see new technology.

Make Ford hip and cool and watch people come just to experience the new technology.

[FriscoChuck]

Outside of having a pre concert in Ford with big A listers the only real way is to have a shut down time for the Boulevard. Why go to the game if the Boulevard is more fun?

[GiddyUp]

Barring a rules change, have a "brewfest" of local breweries inside ford in the end zone. Open 2 hours before kickoff. Giveaway prizes, local sponsors.

OR setup a kid zone inside Ford in the end zone so the parents are obligated to bring their kids inside Ford prior to kickoff.

have local sports celebrities signing autographs - big time Texas Rangers, Cowboys, Ex-SMU players.

Setup a TicketStock inside Ford prior to kickoff with Ticketchicks and promotions.

I like the idea of students being able to run the field like Baylor does

[giacfsp]

How about those who check in early (before kickoff) get some kind of voucher for free drinks (cold water during early games, hot chocolate or something in the last month or so) throughout the entire game? Or two drinks per game, or something?

I guess that would involve cooperation with the concession people, but if you got some kind of a badge that allowed you to walk up and grab a cold bottle of water without paying $4 or standing in a long line, I'd do that.

[blackoutpony]

Well, I remember (sort of) something along the lines of a chick at the A&M game a few years ago telling me that people who leave before the end of the game are called 1 percenter or 10 percenter or something like. Basically it's a badge of shame the aggies bestow upon you. We could come up with something like maybe? Shame them into not leaving. Get the student section to start chanting at them when they try to leave. hahaha

Also, get the Greeks involved in some way. Make it the fraternity or sorority that has the most people check in at the beginning of the 4th quarter or something gets points and give away one of those new 80 inch TV's for the frat and sorority with the largest percentage participation at the end of the season. Or better yet, have the prize be a legal wet party in their house for a night. If knowing that officer hightower won't be stumbling down your halls at 11:30pm won't get them off the blvd and into the game, then nothing (except 10 win seasons) will. I know they did something like that (TV) for bball like 5 years ago.

[TWALV33]

My idea is relatively simple but could subconsciously pressure people to get to the stadium for kickoff.

I would propose to set up large digital countdown displays, maybe 10' x 5' or larger. You could stagger these down the boulevard and have them counting down silently to kickoff. Silently that is until its strikes a specific time, say 10min before kickoff and then its sets off a bell of sorts. Then maybe with 10 sec left have a siren go off until kickoff.

Note: Whatever tones or predetermined times the alert sounds go off isn't real important. But it would really help get people's attention that its time to start wrapping it up and get a move on.

IF this becomes a hit, maybe start placing these clocks around town, but on a larger time scale and maybe next to a sign advertising a specific game and have the clock counting down until that game's kickoff.

AND of course give it some SMU/Pony/Mustang related nickname. "Stampede Clock" "Mustang Countdown" "Pony Timer" something along those lines.....

[blackoutpony]

My idea is relatively simple but could subconsciously pressure people to get to the stadium for kickoff.

I would propose to set up large digital countdown displays, maybe 10' x 5' or larger. You could stagger these down the boulevard and have them counting down silently to kickoff. Silently that is until its strikes a specific time, say 10min before kickoff and then its sets off a bell of sorts. Then maybe with 10 sec left have a siren go off until kickoff.

Note: Whatever tones or predetermined times the alert sounds go off isn't real important. But it would really help get people's attention that its time to start wrapping it up and get a move on.

IF this becomes a hit, maybe start placing these clocks around town, but on a larger time scale and maybe next to a sign advertising a specific game and have the clock counting down until that game's kickoff.

AND of course give it some SMU/Pony/Mustang related nickname. "Stampede Clock" "Mustang Countdown" "Pony Timer" something along those lines.....

I actually really like this. Also serves as a cutoff reminder for beer

[RyanSMU98]

My idea is relatively simple but could subconsciously pressure people to get to the stadium for kickoff.

I would propose to set up large digital countdown displays, maybe 10' x 5' or larger. You could stagger these down the boulevard and have them counting down silently to kickoff. Silently that is until its strikes a specific time, say 10min before kickoff and then its sets off a bell of sorts. Then maybe with 10 sec left have a siren go off until kickoff.

Note: Whatever tones or predetermined times the alert sounds go off isn't real important. But it would really help get people's attention that its time to start wrapping it up and get a move on.

IF this becomes a hit, maybe start placing these clocks around town, but on a larger time scale and maybe next to a sign advertising a specific game and have the clock counting down until that game's kickoff.

AND of course give it some SMU/Pony/Mustang related nickname. "Stampede Clock" "Mustang Countdown" "Pony Timer" something along those lines.....

I actually really like this. Also serves as a cutoff reminder for beer

I like this idea as well. Add to it a one-round bout between BOP and Malonish before the start of the fourth quarter (text in who wins the bout and if you're right you get some kind of prize) and we might not only get folks in the stadium but get them to stay as well.

[Horseshoe]

My idea is relatively simple but could subconsciously pressure people to get to the stadium for kickoff.

I would propose to set up large digital countdown displays, maybe 10' x 5' or larger. You could stagger these down the boulevard and have them counting down silently to kickoff. Silently that is until its strikes a specific time, say 10min before kickoff and then its sets off a bell of sorts. Then maybe with 10 sec left have a siren go off until kickoff.

Note: Whatever tones or predetermined times the alert sounds go off isn't real important. But it would really help get people's attention that its time to start wrapping it up and get a move on.

IF this becomes a hit, maybe start placing these clocks around town, but on a larger time scale and maybe next to a sign advertising a specific game and have the clock counting down until that game's kickoff.

AND of course give it some SMU/Pony/Mustang related nickname. "Stampede Clock" "Mustang Countdown" "Pony Timer" something along those lines.....

You and JasonB have some damn good ideas.

[soccermom]

I have a couple of things to say about marketing our games....at the end of the games, call out seat numbers (a couple from SMU student section, a couple from season tkt holders, and a couple of random ones) to win prizes (gift cards, SMU t-shirts, little footballs, etc.). The winners must be present and be able to show their tkt stub to get prizes. Mix the prizes up so they're not the same every time. I would imagine local businesses might donate some gift cards and who wouldn't want something SMU?

Second, if SMU is going to do a __out for every opening game, then get organized about it. First, decide what color it will be. Have tons of that color t-shirts made and give one to EVERY incoming freshman (can be given when they pick up the key to their room) and send 1-2 to everyone who buys season tkts. Have these t-shirts available to the rest of the student body (can be given to them at the gate). Have them in the bookstore so that the rest of the supporters can buy that shirt for that year. The only thing about this is they probably wouldn't be able to make them size specific (the freebies) but if you got a free one and couldn't wear it, you would give it to someone who could and maybe go buy your size at the bookstore.