Comments on: Marketing the Thunder #2: Creating a buzz with guerrilla marketing http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/ Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:13:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Soccer marketing 101: Embrace the Soccersphere at ThroughBall.com http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-1354 Soccer marketing 101: Embrace the Soccersphere at ThroughBall.com Thu, 02 Nov 2006 20:38:10 +0000 http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/#comment-1354 [...] “So what?” you say. In short, this is a example of perfectly-executed guerrilla marketing. [...] [...] “So what?” you say. In short, this is a example of perfectly-executed guerrilla marketing. [...]

]]> By: Mark http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-1053 Mark Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:11:20 +0000 http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/#comment-1053 Camps make money, but do they make/increase a fan base? If you want to create a fan base, then you need to concentrate on that fan base (aforementioned 24-40 year olds). Their idea must be, get the kids in the camps, and then the parents will bring them to games and then they'll always come back every week for ever and ever Amen. I just have a feeling that the Thunder want to be "family entertainment" and not the beer-swilling, screaming, insano-fan. While the Thunder enjoy entities such as the Dark Clouds filling the stands, they don't seem to see The Dark Clouds as their target market. I think that is where the Thunder is currently going wrong. Camps make money, but do they make/increase a fan base? If you want to create a fan base, then you need to concentrate on that fan base (aforementioned 24-40 year olds). Their idea must be, get the kids in the camps, and then the parents will bring them to games and then they’ll always come back every week for ever and ever Amen.

I just have a feeling that the Thunder want to be “family entertainment” and not the beer-swilling, screaming, insano-fan. While the Thunder enjoy entities such as the Dark Clouds filling the stands, they don’t seem to see The Dark Clouds as their target market. I think that is where the Thunder is currently going wrong.

]]> By: Josh http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-1051 Josh Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:51:07 +0000 http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/#comment-1051 Bruce: The event on Friday sounds intriguing... bq: Good stuff all around. I think the most salient point you make is in the last paragraph. There is easy money to be made by holding camps. An owner could also make money at the gate, but it takes more effort and (gasp!) a little investment. Bruce: The event on Friday sounds intriguing…

bq: Good stuff all around. I think the most salient point you make is in the last paragraph. There is easy money to be made by holding camps. An owner could also make money at the gate, but it takes more effort and (gasp!) a little investment.

]]> By: bq http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-1047 bq Mon, 11 Sep 2006 20:38:35 +0000 http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/#comment-1047 I found it interesting that sportsforum.com said this at the bottom of that article: "Looking Ahead: After the success the Thunder had with the lawn signs this year, they will definitely be pursuing a similar promotional strategy next year but only on a larger scale." Ahhhh, did I miss something here. Did anyone see a similar follow up? That was three years ago. It is amazing that only 1000 of those signs were given up. I would guess that if the Thunder were lucky 1/2 of those signs actually went up in yards. Yet it seemed as if those signs were everywhere I went. It was a great campaign. As I will write in my second article on "Marketing the Thunder", the team needs to start using it's resources available to them. Being that they don't have much money to spend, those resources are going to have to be the passionate fans that love the team and or the game and to use the talents of those supporters to get the word out. I am not trained in marketing though I so wish I knew more. But I do know your ideas are great and I find it interesting that the team doesn't do a lot of personal appearances anymore like they used to. The players do spend a lot of time working at Thunder soccer camps and those camps have allowed the Thunder to make money. The Thunder do put a fair amount of money into advertising the soccer camps. You will see the camps advertised in a lot of places. So could it perhaps be that the team owner, Siad (sp) has decided that the team is there to help the camps make money instead of the camps there to make the Thunder better known? If that is his take on the Thunder, perhaps we can understand that lack of marketing. I found it interesting that sportsforum.com said this at the bottom of that article:

“Looking Ahead: After the success the Thunder had with the lawn signs this year, they will definitely be pursuing a similar promotional strategy next year but only on a larger scale.”

Ahhhh, did I miss something here. Did anyone see a similar follow up? That was three years ago. It is amazing that only 1000 of those signs were given up. I would guess that if the Thunder were lucky 1/2 of those signs actually went up in yards. Yet it seemed as if those signs were everywhere I went. It was a great campaign.

As I will write in my second article on “Marketing the Thunder”, the team needs to start using it’s resources available to them. Being that they don’t have much money to spend, those resources are going to have to be the passionate fans that love the team and or the game and to use the talents of those supporters to get the word out.

I am not trained in marketing though I so wish I knew more. But I do know your ideas are great and I find it interesting that the team doesn’t do a lot of personal appearances anymore like they used to. The players do spend a lot of time working at Thunder soccer camps and those camps have allowed the Thunder to make money. The Thunder do put a fair amount of money into advertising the soccer camps. You will see the camps advertised in a lot of places.

So could it perhaps be that the team owner, Siad (sp) has decided that the team is there to help the camps make money instead of the camps there to make the Thunder better known? If that is his take on the Thunder, perhaps we can understand that lack of marketing.

]]> By: bruce http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-1046 bruce Mon, 11 Sep 2006 18:38:24 +0000 http://www.throughball.com/2006/09/11/marketing-the-thunder-2-creating-a-buzz-with-guerrilla-marketing/#comment-1046 josh - just wanted to say thanks for writing your thoughts and feelings on your blog about our beloved thunder - it all needs to be said (over and over again if necessary) and i also want to remind you and any other thunder fans reading this that the blue sky soccer post season awards banquet is this friday night - sept 15 at the sweetwater in st paul - see www.blueskysoccer.com for details bruce josh – just wanted to say thanks for writing your thoughts and feelings on your blog about our beloved thunder – it all needs to be said (over and over again if necessary)

and

i also want to remind you and any other thunder fans reading this that the blue sky soccer post season awards banquet is this friday night – sept 15 at the sweetwater in st paul – see http://www.blueskysoccer.com for details

bruce

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