Marketing to the common Dallas sports fan

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:17 pm

boulevard was pathetic this weekend. i still managed to get about 25 people there.

Special_Delivery_Smu_Fans · Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:25 pm

Dutch wrote:boulevard was pathetic this weekend. i still managed to get about 25 people there.

Really Dutch? I actually thought it was better than I expected considering the students being gone and the weather. I always walk to the stadium all the way down the middle of the Blvd and it seemed pretty lively all things considered. I will agree that when the team walk happened it was the worst I have ever seen. I felt bad for the players, especially the seniors on their final walk, but no one was there yet.

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:27 pm

Special_Delivery_Smu_Fans wrote:
Dutch wrote:boulevard was pathetic this weekend. i still managed to get about 25 people there.

Really Dutch? I actually thought it was better than I expected considering the students being gone and the weather. I always walk to the stadium all the way down the middle of the Blvd and it seemed pretty lively all things considered. I will agree that when the team walk happened it was the worst I have ever seen. I felt bad for the players, especially the seniors on their final walk, but no one was there yet.

there were 2 vacant to my north, and 3 vacant to the south. we were on an island.

Special_Delivery_Smu_Fans · Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:27 pm

Dutch wrote:there were 2 vacant to my north, and 3 vacant to the south. we were on an island.

Well maybe they were all at Lakewood's 1st & 10 eating "Skinny Burgers".

Dooby · Post by **Dooby** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:53 pm

As I have mentioned before, I grew up in Fort Worth and I know how tcu works. First of all, contrary to what is perceived on this board, there is a movie theater and at least one bar in Fort Worth. The competition for time and money is not unique to SMU. Fort worth people have HS football games too; they have kids' soccer tournaments; they have social events; they have season tickets to the Cowboys, Rangers, Stars, etc.

Tcu has had attendance problems in the past and those problems extended through the beginning of the Patterson era. The justification for renovating their stadium is recent. Tcu used to give tickets away, too.

My brother didn't go to tcu, but he goes to several games a year and his three kids go to almost every football game. Why? Because they live five minutes away and their friends go. And they win. And it is fun.

I have mentioned this before and it gets dismissed each time I bring it up, but I am certain that the vast majority of tcu's fan base lives within 5 miles of campus. This doesn't take a massive marketing blitz. Giving tickets away in South Dallas is largely a waste of time and money. Focus north of downtown and inside 635 and over time you can fill Ford. Anything you get from Plano (where I live), Allen, Frisco, etc. is gravy.

I agree with those That say we can do more to make the campus more inviting. We still act like smu football is a big secret. We are the best marketers SMU will ever have. We need to do more to bring our friends, neighbors, colleagues and their families to the games. Some of us do plenty in that regard, but some (including myself) need to do more.

The other thing we haven't had is that "signature" win. Beating Nevada on Christmas isn't enough. Maybe beating So.Miss. and getting ranked and riding that streak for a few more weeks would have done it. Obviously that didn't happen this year. Unlike some on here, I haven't already written off 2012.

ReedFrawg · Post by **ReedFrawg** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 12:05 am

SMU1523 wrote:BRStang, I couldn't agree more with point "2."

+1. I go to the tcu-smu game every year when its at smu. We would love to tailgate but would have no clue were to do so. Its friggin tough as hell to just find a parking spot (especially if you are not an smu grad) and there is nowhere to sit and have a few beers. The Blvd is really cool but I agree 100% that the non-smu dallasites would prefer to have a place to plop down a few folding chairs and open a cooler.

ReedFrawg · Post by **ReedFrawg** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 12:18 am

Dooby wrote:As I have mentioned before, I grew up in Fort Worth and I know how tcu works. First of all, contrary to what is perceived on this board, there is a movie theater and at least one bar in Fort Worth. The competition for time and money is not unique to SMU. Fort worth people have HS football games too; they have kids' soccer tournaments; they have social events; they have season tickets to the Cowboys, Rangers, Stars, etc.

Tcu has had attendance problems in the past and those problems extended through the beginning of the Patterson era. The justification for renovating their stadium is recent. Tcu used to give tickets away, too.

My brother didn't go to tcu, but he goes to several games a year and his three kids go to almost every football game. Why? Because they live five minutes away and their friends go. And they win. And it is fun.

I have mentioned this before and it gets dismissed each time I bring it up, but I am certain that the vast majority of tcu's fan base lives within 5 miles of campus. This doesn't take a massive marketing blitz. Giving tickets away in South Dallas is largely a waste of time and money. Focus north of downtown and inside 635 and over time you can fill Ford. Anything you get from Plano (where I live), Allen, Frisco, etc. is gravy.

I agree with those That say we can do more to make the campus more inviting. We still act like smu football is a big secret. We are the best marketers SMU will ever have. We need to do more to bring our friends, neighbors, colleagues and their families to the games. Some of us do plenty in that regard, but some (including myself) need to do more.

The other thing we haven't had is that "signature" win. Beating Nevada on Christmas isn't enough. Maybe beating So.Miss. and getting ranked and riding that streak for a few more weeks would have done it. Obviously that didn't happen this year. Unlike some on here, I haven't already written off 2012.

You are spot on about having a signature win....much less a big win over a name opponent. Has SMU beaten a BCS conference team over the past 5-10 years? TCU wasn't beating LSU every week but we did start to routinely beat bcs conference opponents and that has continued over the last few seasons.

Edit...i forgot about wash state a couple years ago.

smusic 00 · Post by **smusic 00** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:20 am

I have never heard complaints about parking except from folks on this board. My blvd group has about 20 regulars who have no SMU connection except their friendship with me. I have no idea where they park because they have never asked me for help or made any issue of it. I do know that my Dad started coming to games this year, and he drives down hillcrest about 20 minutes before kickoff, gets waved in to a campus lot, shells out 20 bucks, and meets me on the blvd. He actually loves the fact that he can park so close to our spot just before kickoff. This has been the same for all 6 home games, including homecoming. Just thought I'd share.

Go Mustangs! Beat the bowl game!

BRStang · Post by **BRStang** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 10:37 am

whitwiki · Post by **whitwiki** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:07 pm

I will have a [deleted] meat sandwich

Kynd Tulsa Phan · Post by **Kynd Tulsa Phan** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 3:09 pm

I think SMU should become uber selective with who they allow into games...

1: Guest Lists
2: Velvet Ropes
3: Bottle Service costing 400 a table
4: Serve nothing but upscale food.
5: No Poors policy
6: Afflicition style Merch only

smupony94 · Post by **smupony94** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 3:12 pm

Thought you were an Ed Hardy guy KTP

NickSMU17 · Post by **NickSMU17** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 3:21 pm

Kynd Tulsa Phan wrote:I think SMU should become uber selective with who they allow into games...

1: Guest Lists
2: Velvet Ropes
3: Bottle Service costing 400 a table
4: Serve nothing but upscale food.
5: No Poors policy
6: Afflicition style Merch only

Maybe you are right...people [deleted] about the stadium club but its sold out with waiting list...might as well make the whole place uber luxury....at least the revenue will go up...

Kynd Tulsa Phan · Post by **Kynd Tulsa Phan** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 3:27 pm

They should expand the stadium club to encompass the entire stadium.

To offset the lack of crowd noise they should just tape the crowd @ Death Valley or any SEC venue and blare it over the loudspeakers when the team does something awesome.

smupony94 · Post by **smupony94** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 3:30 pm

I nominate KTP for marketing director of the Mustang Club