2017 All Things Lions Marketing & Promotions

[Huge Talent]

That playland bbq is a pretty cool offer.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I've offered input on here mainly because I love the team and the event, and want it to be a success. Feels like it's not where it needs to be when 16k (19 officially) come out to game. If we didn't like and appreciate what the lions and their administration do, we'd probably not bother to post.

Apathy is the enemy, not passion!

I have seasons to Canucks, whitecaps, and lions. Without a doubt I enjoy lions football the most live. Let's pack the joint!

[Hambone]

I bought a single game ticket on line for Riders at Lions on Aug.5 about a week ago through Ticketmaster. It was a "TicketFast" deal where I got to look at the stadium seating plan and pick my seat. I have had zero communication from the Lions. LIONS=MARKETING FAILURE.

Maybe I should've qualified that Dano. Most of these marketing type emailings I receive come after the game. Anything prior to the game doesn't come until the final 2 or 3 days before the game and usually is something specific to that game. This was the email I received the day before the Argo game. It's similar to the BC Lions Fan Playbook email I receive the day before a Lions game.

http://mailchi.mp/0a436466dd97/june-30?e=1cb2153741

[Huge Talent]

As a ST holder I constantly get updates from the team and offers for a variety of what I call perks such as the recent one inviting ST holders to a BBQ at Playland. I have no kids (that I'm aware of) or subsequently grandkids but IMO that sounds like a great effort to add value to season ticket value and it's not the only such offer the club makes in a calendar year that allows ST holders a chance to get more value from their ST package than a reserved seat for the games. Yet all I ever hear is griping about tickets costing too much and rarely kudos to efforts such as these or any recognition that the Lions do offer more value to the ST packages than just the ticket.

OK mini-rant over. I don't know who all here are ST holders, who are casual ticket buyers and who don't go to games at all. I have a question for those who only buy single game tickets. If you buy them through Ticketmaster do you wind up getting frequent emails from the Lions with offers for tickets and other notifications? It seems every time I buy a ticket elsewhere I wind up on the team's mailing list. Bombers from 2015 Grey Cup, Minnesota Vikings from taking in a game in 2008, Red Wings from buying one in April, Florida Panthers and TB Lightning last spring. I bought one for the Argo game on Friday. Yesterday morning I got a "thanks for attending" email from the Argos and an offer to buy tickets at discounted rates for the next 2 games. Do casual buyers experience the same from the Lions? If so that's a good thing and a big part of modern day marketing. If not it's a failure.

A few years ago i bought a pair from ticketmaster. I ended up getting a phone call from a Lions rep, advising me that she can assist whenever i need more tickets. Well, it led to me ultimately becoming a STH the following season.. So chalk one up in the win column there. Not sure if they still do this, but the old school picking up the phone still seems effective. To be honest, i thought it a little creepy at first - wondering how they obtained all my info? (from tm i guess). But it put the lions in the back of my mind, that they have reps on top of things, and that i can bypass ticketmaster altogether (and those dreaded fees).

[mountaincat]

this is going back a few years but i was shocked how easily their sales dept let me walk when i gave up my seasons due to price increases in my desired section. i got one phone call from a dud salesman who didn't seem to care or make any effort to maintain my interest. i was expecting at least a little something along the lines of "what can we do to keep you", chat me up about a different price category, 3 game packs, basically anything approaching a soft or hard sell of any kind but there was nothing much other than well ok, thanks, goodbye.

[SammyGreene]

this is going back a few years but i was shocked how easily their sales dept let me walk when i gave up my seasons due to price increases in my desired section. i got one phone call from a dud salesman who didn't seem to care or make any effort to maintain my interest. i was expecting at least a little something along the lines of "what can we do to keep you", chat me up about a different price category, 3 game packs, basically anything approaching a soft or hard sell of any kind but there was nothing much other than well ok, thanks, goodbye.

You have to wonder where was the level of urgency to retain the thousands of ST holders that walked away over the last 7 to 8 years. Certainly hope those accounts are in their data base as they should be a high priority for the new ownership group. Perhaps the turnover of sales staff over that time period play a part in it too.

Looking back, crowds started to dip in 2009. Not immensely but suddenly 4,000 to 5,000 less per game, even though the Lions still ranked near the top of the league. Case in point an early October home game against the Riders with plenty at stake attracts "just" under 32,000. A year or two earlier and it would have been 36,000 to 37,000 with the Lions biggest draw in town at that time of the season.

They likely thought the ST drop off had more to do with the pending moving to Empire, feeling many would come back to the renovated stadium. A lot didn't for various reasons, including a different and higher pricing structure. They really believed 40,000 plus crowds would be the norm at the new BC Place but instead opposite happened and the snowball has kept getting larger.
30,000 a week after BC Place re-opened with the Lions red hot and Calgary in town was telling.

[Qman]

this is going back a few years but i was shocked how easily their sales dept let me walk when i gave up my seasons due to price increases in my desired section. i got one phone call from a dud salesman who didn't seem to care or make any effort to maintain my interest. i was expecting at least a little something along the lines of "what can we do to keep you", chat me up about a different price category, 3 game packs, basically anything approaching a soft or hard sell of any kind but there was nothing much other than well ok, thanks, goodbye.

You have to wonder where was the level of urgency to retain the thousands of ST holders that walked away over the last 7 to 8 years. Certainly hope those accounts are in their data base as they should be a high priority for the new ownership group. Perhaps the turnover of sales staff over that time period play a part in it too.

Looking back, crowds started to dip in 2009. Not immensely but suddenly 4,000 to 5,000 less per game, even though the Lions still ranked near the top of the league. Case in point an early October home game against the Riders with plenty at stake attracts "just" under 32,000. A year or two earlier and it would have been 36,000 to 37,000 with the Lions biggest draw in town at that time of the season.

crowds started to dip with drop of blackouts in 08/09ish. I sat around lots of people from the langley and surrey for years .. all dropped ST gradually when blackouts dropped. Crowds at Tempire were smaller than they are today (they announced high number for marketing purposes). Tempire was tough to get to and pushed people to TV.

Turnover in sales staff and staffing levels are big issue. Braley pays *poop* and runs things barebones. Ackles would stand up to braley and invest in the area (bunch of the top sales people went over Canucks after Bob died). The the big advantage Canucks have in trying to buy the Lions, they can use that huge sales staff without any additional cost.

[Honour Dewalt]

I haven't had season tickets for a few years. But when I did, every year near the end of the season I'd get emails telling me to secure my tickets for next year to make sure I get them at that year's price. So basically, every year we are increasingly the price, and you need to stay on just to not pay the next year price? I emailed to clarify and got the sales person telling me yes, the prices go up, but you will get them at the price of last year if you renew. I emailed telling my frustration with that, basically begging for a bone. Anything that would make me feel appreciated. But I got nothing.
I even complained about how the roof was so unused on days when it should have been open. Nothing.
So I did not renew, and I go to games when I can.
But I agree strongly with a previous post regarding the roof being considered open by default. Even if it might be cold or cloudy or even a slight drizzle. The stadium can handle it, fans all around the country can too. So why not just leave it open? If it's pouring rain all day, of course close it, that's the purpose. But they've had it closed on purrfect days just because there may be a chance of a shower in the evening at some point.
I've been extremely unimpressed with Skulsky for a long time for just seeming to watch things erode.

[TheLionKing]

But they've had it closed on purrfect days just because there may be a chance of a shower in the evening at some point.
I've been extremely unimpressed with Skulsky for a long time for just seeming to watch things erode.

Buono would prefer to have the roof closed even if it was 90 degrees outside.

[BC 1988]

My friend and I decided to get a pair of ST in the 2010-11 Tempire years, because it was an opportunity to get out of the stuffy old dome (and with the knowledge we'd be moving back into the new improved BC Place.) Then his graveyard shift work schedule changed and it became impractical for him to keep them going. Since then, I go to games mostly on my own (unless it's a pre-7pm start).

I still get most of the Lions Insider emails and some of them have "Hello (my name)" instead of "Hello BC Lions Fan". One thing that I never get now is emails about Operation Orange--I don't find out where they are until after the fact now. My friend and I are going to see BC at OTT in August with a combo of Aeroplan miles (use them before they get devalued) and a 2 night hotel voucher I have. I bought the game tickets the day they went on sale and there weren't a lot of pairs other than on the outer fringes--they sure have a healthy ST base in OTT.

As far as I can tell, the Lions were able to track my TM purchases made through the (now ended) Coast Capital Savings members promotion because I used my old ST member # to login.

I just checked it now--the login credentials through bclions.com/tickets still work today. The funny thing is that when I choose
"BUY PACKAGES/TICKETS
Buy full and/or mini-season plans or single-game tickets"
I get this message:
"Unfortunately there are no items for sale at this time. Please check back later as items may become available to purchase. Click "home" to return to the homepage."

[Ballistic Bob]

Media Guide 2017 is 20.00 this year. A 10.00 in tease from previous years. BB

[CardiacKid]

Media Guide 2017 is 20.00 this year. A 10.00 in tease from previous years. BB

I am guessing you saw it available in the Lions online store? Any idea if it would be available at the stadium? I would rather not pay shipping plus the code for the 15% (used to be 20%!) discount available to ST holders is no longer available, functioning or isn't recognized.

I have contacted the team about the code but no reply; anyone gotten word on this or encountered it as well?

Thanks,
CK

[Ballistic Bob]

Media Guide 2017 is 20.00 this year. A 10.00 in tease from previous years. BB

I am guessing you saw it available in the Lions online store? Any idea if it would be available at the stadium? I would rather not pay shipping plus the code for the 15% (used to be 20%!) discount available to ST holders is no longer available, functioning or isn't recognized.

I have contacted the team about the code but no reply; anyone gotten word on this or encountered it as well?

Thanks,
CK

Same price at the office plus tax. Very vexing as Corey H used send me one each year for 10.00 including postage. BB

[SammyGreene]

I am guessing you saw it available in the Lions online store? Any idea if it would be available at the stadium? I would rather not pay shipping plus the code for the 15% (used to be 20%!) discount available to ST holders is no longer available, functioning or isn't recognized.

I have contacted the team about the code but no reply; anyone gotten word on this or encountered it as well?

Thanks,
CK

I too wondered CK why I didn't see ST code for their online story which was always included as part of an email letter at the start of the season. When I noticed the discount had been reduced to 15% from 20% at the opener I just shook my head.
Bad enough window clings weren't included for the first time in at least a decade or so (loved the retro ones during the Ackles era) with the ST package.

[Ballistic Bob]

I was talking with a sales rep from the office.about the high cost of a media guide Mellisa. BB

[SammyGreene]

Bombers announce all proceeds from their online 50/50 ticket sales this week will go to relief for families impacted by BC forest fires.

I know the Lions have their deal with BC Junior Football but how can they not counter by doing the same with the game day in stadium 50/50 draw? Could lead to a big purse and maybe even help game ticket sales to boot.
After all, you are the "BC" Lions.