2015 All Things Lions Marketing & Promotions

[SammyGreene]

But the problem is, Skulsky stubbornly clings to the belief that tickets are fairly priced. They're not (but at least glad to see that a casual fan can get into the building a little more cheaply next year).

Worse, he thinks the best Marketing is winning (his exact words). While winning will help, the Lions' brand is about as sexy right now as a Salvation Army thrift store and they've got their work cut out to attract the kinds people going to Canucks and Whitecaps games. While football is always identified strongly with the blue collar fan, a stroll through the concourse any given halftime (especially this past week) clearly demonstrates to me that the urban dweller demographic has largely dried up.


DH

The alarm bells should have been going off then in 2011 when the Lions returned to a renovated BC Place and were hotter than Kate Upton. Yet only 30,000 showed up for a 1st place showdown against Calgary after 50,000 came a week earlier for the first ever game against Edmonton. The Western Final a few weeks later barely surpassed 40,000. The apathy had already started back in 2009 and was growing yet Skulsky was confidently saying the Lions could average 40,000 a game as defending Grey Cup champs in 2012 despite the higher ticket prices.

[almo89]

Skulsky gets a lot of flack around here, but I wonder if it's actually coming from Braley. If Braley is the one that wants these current ticket prices, there's not much Skulsky can do when it's coming from your boss.

[aklawitter]

Skulsky gets a lot of flack around here, but I wonder if it's actually coming from Braley. If Braley is the one that wants these current ticket prices, there's not much Skulsky can do when it's coming from your boss.

Braley has always said that he is a hands-off owner. We have to take him at his word for that.

[sj-roc]

Only 19,826 fans on hand for the crucial game against Winnipeg. And this on the heels of an impressive performance by the Lions a week before in front of a season-high crowd.

"A week before" is perhaps one of the biggest factors here. Have a look through the Lions' attendance history @BCP and you'll find that it's not unusual for the second game of two homers in a row to have a dropoff in attendance, especially when the first game's opponent is a bigger draw. The pacing of the schedule makes a difference, as there's a fatigue factor in play for more casual fans ("meh, I went to the game last week, wanna do something different this weekend"). Unfortunately it's mathematically impossible to have a schedule whereby everybody alternates home and road games, so all teams at some point in the season have to play two in a row at home (also two in a row one the road) and this was our turn last weekend.

[sj-roc]

Only 19,826 fans on hand for the crucial game against Winnipeg. And this on the heels of an impressive performance by the Lions a week before in front of a season-high crowd.

Can't sugar coat that one Ravi. An awful crowd. Sure the Canucks were playing next door but to not even break 20,000 at this time of the year and coming off their best game of the season is troubling. Can't imagine what Bob Ackles would have been thinking if he walked into the stadium last night.

What I noticed last night is the pocket of empty seats on the perimeter of the high-end $80 coach's sideline sections (between the 20s). These used to be basically full on both sides of the field.
I should know as I sit in section 212 (25 yard line) which used to be lower priced Gold seats until the move back to BC Place in 2011 and the price category was eliminated entirely (another one of Skulsky's greedy and dumb moves). Probably should have re-located closer to midfield this season but stayed because we really get along well with the guys behind us. But in my row, only five of the 18 seats are occupied with season ticket holders. Last night 10 seats in the row were empty.

As discussed earlier in this thread, the league needs to take a long and hard look how to improve the experience of attending games. Football just seems to be made for TV and it's catered to more in the CFL than ever before. Way too much down time in the stadium. Don't know what the hell was going on last night but twice there were TV timeouts then followed immediately by video challenges. The one challenge by the Lions on the 3rd down gamble, combined with the TV timeout, seemed to take 7 or 8 minutes until play resumed. There was also a TV timeout inside the final 3 minutes last night. I don't recall that happening before.
And show the damn challenge replays to the fans in the stands so we get to see it at the same time as the people sitting at home watching it for free.

Ackles would have fired Chuck McMann immediately after the game, but that's for another thread.

Someone on facebook complained about the Canucks and Lions playing at the same time, stating the Lions are in a tough enough market to be going up against the Canucks, let alone this season when we're bad. I looked into it a bit more, and in past years, BC seems to be the only CFL team that will go head to head with the city's NHL team at the same time at home. No other team does that. Why are we so special?

Thing is, Saturday nights are what the fans want; if that's the case, it's evitable we'll run up against some HNIC Canucks clashes when we have those games beyond the start of the NHL season. Might be worth looking at the number of Saturday games we have during the overlap with NHL, and comparing that with numbers around the rest of the league. Where do we rank on that score?

[sj-roc]

But the problem is, Skulsky stubbornly clings to the belief that tickets are fairly priced. They're not (but at least glad to see that a casual fan can get into the building a little more cheaply next year).

Worse, he thinks the best Marketing is winning (his exact words). While winning will help, the Lions' brand is about as sexy right now as a Salvation Army thrift store and they've got their work cut out to attract the kinds people going to Canucks and Whitecaps games. While football is always identified strongly with the blue collar fan, a stroll through the concourse any given halftime (especially this past week) clearly demonstrates to me that the urban dweller demographic has largely dried up.


DH

The alarm bells should have been going off then in 2011 when the Lions returned to a renovated BC Place and were hotter than Kate Upton. Yet only 30,000 showed up for a 1st place showdown against Calgary after 50,000 came a week earlier for the first ever game against Edmonton. The Western Final a few weeks later barely surpassed 40,000. The apathy had already started back in 2009 and was growing yet Skulsky was confidently saying the Lions could average 40,000 a game as defending Grey Cup champs in 2012 despite the higher ticket prices.

While it's fair to say the club overestimated the lure of the renovated BCP, I don't think the 50k opening night of 2011/09/30 was ever going to be a fair metric to judge future crowds. It wasn't even the norm in the original glory days (1983 to 1986 or so) if you go back and look at the numbers carefully. And again there was fan fatigue factor that I mentioned in a post above with only (!) 30k a week later after the 50k game. I think I even stated at the time four years ago that the 50k crowd was not really a "football" crowd, but more of a "let's check out the new renovations" crowd and that was it.

[TheLionKing]

Just had a call from my Accounts Manager regarding renewing my season tickets and getting a free jersey. Told her that I'm very frustrated at the seemingly inept coaching and Wally Buono and will wait to see what changes are forthcoming before deciding whether to renew for another year.

[TheLionKing]

Anybody else getting pissed off with the Lions emails concerning renewing your season tickets and getting a free jersey ? Got one this afternoon advising that there are only 6 hours left, then another one this evening advising that there is only 2 hour left to get your free jersey.

[B.C.FAN]

Anybody else getting pissed off with the Lions emails concerning renewing your season tickets and getting a free jersey ? Got one this afternoon advising that there are only 6 hours left, then another one this evening advising that there is only 2 hour left to get your free jersey.

I didn't get any, likely because I've already renewed and received my free jerseys, but I did see a number of social media posts from the Lions today reminding people of the deadline. I didn't mind seeing the last-minute push for early renewals. I credit the team for striking now when the market is the hottest it's been all year.

[DanoT]

Anybody else getting pissed off with the Lions emails concerning renewing your season tickets and getting a free jersey ? Got one this afternoon advising that there are only 6 hours left, then another one this evening advising that there is only 2 hour left to get your free jersey.

I didn't get any, likely because I've already renewed and received my free jerseys, but I did see a number of social media posts from the Lions today reminding people of the deadline. I didn't mind seeing the last-minute push for early renewals. I credit the team for striking now when the market is the hottest it's been all year.

Good on the Lions for some aggressive and very timely internet/email marketing.

[Hambone]

Ackles would have fired Chuck McMann immediately after the game, but that's for another thread.

Not a chance of Ackles doing that sort of thing. Back when he was GM, 30+ years ago, do you think he'd have pulled rank on Don Matthews or Vic Rapp to can one of their hirings mid-season? That's just not the way Ackles, a man of integrity, operated. As it was he was very adamant that player personnel decisions were coaching decisions. I'm quite sure he extended that philosophy to the staff of the HC.

[Qman]

Anybody else getting pissed off with the Lions emails concerning renewing your season tickets and getting a free jersey ? Got one this afternoon advising that there are only 6 hours left, then another one this evening advising that there is only 2 hour left to get your free jersey.

your complaining about too much lions marketing on a thread that is largely about Lions doing too little marketing ... good grief

[aklawitter]

there is a difference between marketing and pestering

see: enterprise car rental ads

[jcalhoun]

Hey all,

Not that a home playoff game is in the cards for the Lions this year, but I note on Twitter that the Eskimos have a "flash sale" for $20 lower bowl playoff tickets. Which is ah....$5 less than the $25 the Lions are boasting about tickets "starting from" on their splash page for a meaningless game against the Stamps this week. That is, if you ponied up for season tickets. Ticket master tells me they start at $35. $44 with the service charges and fees.

Those setting ticket prices for the Lions should take note.

Cheers,

James

[Qman]

Hey all,

Not that a home playoff game is in the cards for the Lions this year, but I note on Twitter that the Eskimos have a "flash sale" for $20 lower bowl playoff tickets. Which is ah....$5 less than the $25 the Lions are boasting about tickets "starting from" on their splash page for a meaningless game against the Stamps this week. That is, if you ponied up for season tickets. Ticket master tells me they start at $35. $44 with the service charges and fees.

Those setting ticket prices for the Lions should take note.

Cheers,

James

For a couple hours .. come'on man. regular price is $56 and they are almost sold out already in lower bowl (basically goaline seats).
There social media people are just are trying to keep interest up since they have no game for 20 days and no one knows what the weather will be yet.