I’ve never been crazy about UNLV Marketing. The ideas are usually pretty poor and uninteresting, certainly nothing original and exciting.
That said, I really don’t think there was much they could do that would have made a difference the past few years. Because of the way UNLV chose to implode everything on a national stage, things have been damage control instead of building and selling. I do think they tried, but it was a futile effort because if that.
It’s time for UNLV marketing to earn their keep with football. They really need to go all in.
The numbers are pure speculation, accept them just for illustrative purposes.
Group one, let’s say there are about 5K die hard, go to at least 75% of the games UNLV football fans.
Group 2, let’s say there are 10-20K casual fans that go when it’s a big game or if the Rebels are good or if it was the right thing to do for that night. They may not watch games on the tube or in person, but they follow up and keep a loose interest to see if the Rebels can generate any steam. They’re waiting to go... they want to be sold.
Group three - a rather large group in Vegas. They aren’t UNLV fans per se, but they love sports. They have their favorite teams. They’re transplants with allegiances elsewhere. But they love sports. They’re the ones in the bars every weekend watching their teams or having a barbecue with friends. They may have been to a UNLV football game, maybe not. If they did go; they weren’t impressed. It was just something to do. Nothing lost, nothing gained.
Group four, they couldn’t care much less about UNLV or sports in general. The largest group. They don’t count because you won’t nab them.
With the new stadium, it’s an opportunity but one that won’t be there forever. UNLV has to pounce early and hard. UNLV isn’t the draw, the Raiders are. But those Raider tickets are pricey and will be more scarce. Not everyone will get the opportunity.
But lots of people want to see the new stadium, even if they aren’t interested in the Rebels. It’s shiny and new, state of the art. People are going to want to see what it’s all about. And guess what? UNLV tickets are affordable and there will be availability. I figure you are going to grab all of group one, a really large chunk of group two, but you certainly are going to grab some from that third group.
You need to set the hook and that’s where marketing comes in. Winning cures all but UNLV cannot depend on that ... we aren’t at that point. It’s just not going to be what keeps people coming back. Though a new stadium is a clean slate for UNLV (in my opinion), it kinda/sorta can give a VGK vibe in a strange sort of way. They’re “new”, they’re reinvented with the new location. I really feel it has that kind of potential. But they aren’t going to put together a VGK year one.
UNLV cannot wait. They need their ducks in a row and they need to unleash it early. Game day experience. They have to hit on all cylinders. Hell, have the Knights offer some insight, they do it right. Whatever it takes. From tailgating through the game, DO NOT Mickey Mouse it! Go for broke. Grab the fans. Engage them with a game day experience. Make it a place to be. Take advantage of the shiny and new. You only get one shot at it.
Marketing needs to work it heavily and they some how, some way have to appeal to the students and give them an appealing game day. I don’t have the answers, I’m not a marketer. But they need to get them present and involved. Make traditions and build upon them.
UNLV football, SBS has been a lost cause, it’s always been a poor product and poor game day experience. It’s a long drive to the dust bowl and it’s just ... well, kind of boring to be honest. We can do the chicken and egg thing with winning and support/support and winning - but the idea is that this is new, it’s state of the art, it’s a new era. Even if Arroyo flops and UNLV football is the same as it ever was, you still have this pretty exterior and you can grab people, grab NEW people, people that are impressed or at least satisfied with the game day experience ... ones that aren’t yet jaded with 40 years of piss poor football.
The new stadium brings a lot. It buys some time with a potentially large segment of new people, one that wasn’t available a year ago... and buying time for a program that’s essentially on life support can be huge.
Now, I gotta be honest, I don’t have faith in a lot of things UNLV, I’ve been around and the faces and names change but it remains the same. But we rarely have a brand new opportunity. We have it now. I hope they do all that they can.
That said, I really don’t think there was much they could do that would have made a difference the past few years. Because of the way UNLV chose to implode everything on a national stage, things have been damage control instead of building and selling. I do think they tried, but it was a futile effort because if that.
It’s time for UNLV marketing to earn their keep with football. They really need to go all in.
The numbers are pure speculation, accept them just for illustrative purposes.
Group one, let’s say there are about 5K die hard, go to at least 75% of the games UNLV football fans.
Group 2, let’s say there are 10-20K casual fans that go when it’s a big game or if the Rebels are good or if it was the right thing to do for that night. They may not watch games on the tube or in person, but they follow up and keep a loose interest to see if the Rebels can generate any steam. They’re waiting to go... they want to be sold.
Group three - a rather large group in Vegas. They aren’t UNLV fans per se, but they love sports. They have their favorite teams. They’re transplants with allegiances elsewhere. But they love sports. They’re the ones in the bars every weekend watching their teams or having a barbecue with friends. They may have been to a UNLV football game, maybe not. If they did go; they weren’t impressed. It was just something to do. Nothing lost, nothing gained.
Group four, they couldn’t care much less about UNLV or sports in general. The largest group. They don’t count because you won’t nab them.
With the new stadium, it’s an opportunity but one that won’t be there forever. UNLV has to pounce early and hard. UNLV isn’t the draw, the Raiders are. But those Raider tickets are pricey and will be more scarce. Not everyone will get the opportunity.
But lots of people want to see the new stadium, even if they aren’t interested in the Rebels. It’s shiny and new, state of the art. People are going to want to see what it’s all about. And guess what? UNLV tickets are affordable and there will be availability. I figure you are going to grab all of group one, a really large chunk of group two, but you certainly are going to grab some from that third group.
You need to set the hook and that’s where marketing comes in. Winning cures all but UNLV cannot depend on that ... we aren’t at that point. It’s just not going to be what keeps people coming back. Though a new stadium is a clean slate for UNLV (in my opinion), it kinda/sorta can give a VGK vibe in a strange sort of way. They’re “new”, they’re reinvented with the new location. I really feel it has that kind of potential. But they aren’t going to put together a VGK year one.
UNLV cannot wait. They need their ducks in a row and they need to unleash it early. Game day experience. They have to hit on all cylinders. Hell, have the Knights offer some insight, they do it right. Whatever it takes. From tailgating through the game, DO NOT Mickey Mouse it! Go for broke. Grab the fans. Engage them with a game day experience. Make it a place to be. Take advantage of the shiny and new. You only get one shot at it.
Marketing needs to work it heavily and they some how, some way have to appeal to the students and give them an appealing game day. I don’t have the answers, I’m not a marketer. But they need to get them present and involved. Make traditions and build upon them.
UNLV football, SBS has been a lost cause, it’s always been a poor product and poor game day experience. It’s a long drive to the dust bowl and it’s just ... well, kind of boring to be honest. We can do the chicken and egg thing with winning and support/support and winning - but the idea is that this is new, it’s state of the art, it’s a new era. Even if Arroyo flops and UNLV football is the same as it ever was, you still have this pretty exterior and you can grab people, grab NEW people, people that are impressed or at least satisfied with the game day experience ... ones that aren’t yet jaded with 40 years of piss poor football.
The new stadium brings a lot. It buys some time with a potentially large segment of new people, one that wasn’t available a year ago... and buying time for a program that’s essentially on life support can be huge.
Now, I gotta be honest, I don’t have faith in a lot of things UNLV, I’ve been around and the faces and names change but it remains the same. But we rarely have a brand new opportunity. We have it now. I hope they do all that they can.
