2017 All Things Lions Marketing & Promotions

[DanoT]

Couldn't agree more, Belize City Lion! The "Who Is....?" campaign sucks. It's like a painful time-travel back to the late '90s when the club was toiling in anonymity and were desperate for fans, crying "uncle" with useless desperation ploys like the "Come Back To Football" campaign.

I know we've been saying for years that the Lions need to market their players. And they should have. But I believe NOW is the time to pivot. The club needs to show casual fans that going to Lions' games is FUN! It's all about fan engagement. How are they going to get the fence-sitters off their couches and back to BC Place? **Hint,** "Who Is....?" ads ain't gonna cut it. That's for s*%t sure!

They need to do TV ads featuring (younger) fans streaming out of BC Place after a win, saying to the interviewer how much FUN they had, how GREAT the game was etc., just like those movie ads years ago. Or like the A&W ads today. Man (or woman) in the street. Fun is infectious. The perception among those who don't go to games is that the Lions play in a half-empty morgue. Spice it up a bit. Get the word out there. It's fun!

Here is my idea for their print ads. It's all about showing a fun atmosphere. The 2017 team slogan should be, "All Rise!" This implies to the reader that the BC Lions are so exciting, they'll bring you out of your seat. Stand as one. This is very rudimentary, I'll admit. Literally took me 5 minutes to create, but you get the idea....



DH

Nice one DH, except you are embarrassing the Lions' ad agency. OTOH maybe the Lions didn't use one because the ad doesn't seem like anyone would actually pay money for something that bad.

[Hambone]

I know we've been saying for years that the Lions need to market their players. And they should have. But I believe NOW is the time to pivot. The club needs to show casual fans that going to Lions' games is FUN! It's all about fan engagement. How are they going to get the fence-sitters off their couches and back to BC Place? **Hint,** "Who Is....?" ads ain't gonna cut it. That's for s*%t sure!

Sounds like you're describing last year's (or was it 2015's?) TV ad run which I thought was quite well done. Seems to me that would be recycling a recent campaign as opposed to pivoting to something fresh.


For a few laughs I dug up some old Lions ads.

Some of these I don't even remember seeing.

[David]

Yea, that TV ad is kind of what I am getting at Hambone. But you need personal conviction to tell the story and "sell" people on the experience, rather than just following people from the bar to the game with canned music in the background (FWIW, I think this 'ad' is hands-down way better than "Who Is...?" in selling the 'experience,' although I am not sure why there are so many shots of empty seats).

As an alternative to sound bytes from exuberant fans filing out of the stadium, have an indoor setting where season ticket holders tell the interviewer (off camera) what it means to be a season ticket holder, say, how long they've been coming to games and why etc. Perhaps include the season ticket holder who travels great distances to come to Lions games tell their story as to why it's an important part of their life. Really cheap to produce these too!

It is this type of message that conveys to the viewer that there are really dedicated Lions fans. They don't all hold scarves....or constantly look at their cell phones from the lower bowl of Rogers Arena.


DH

PS. "Watch and Learn" ad here is effing brilliant. Wish they could replay this today with all the airline/flight attendant controversies. Who cares about the old uniform in the shot?

[BC 1988]

Has anyone noticed that the TM "BUY ON MAP" option has been disabled for Lions games? It appears briefly as an option on the top left then disappears when you click on it.

Maybe it's more of a system error, though. I tried the map on a variety of venues and can't get it to work on any of them right now. (2 Windows 7 PC with Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer 11).

I'll try it on my Windows 10 PC and notebook at home later.

[BC 1988]

^^^
I just tried TM on my Windows 10 PC and the only browser where "BUY ON MAP" works is Chrome (with no extensions enabled). Opera and Firefox (even with Ad Blocker disabled) still don't work. I remember other years when you used to get the "enable/install flash" message to use the map, but this is different. No message, just non-functional.

Anyway, looking at the home opener, the Lions appear to have some sections reserved for their own non-TM sales use, but unlike other seasons, they are leaving a good selection of lower and higher row options available.

[mountaincat]

i agree that the "who are they?? totally unproven randoms!!" treatment of our star players in those ads is an utterly disastrous and insulting, self-sabotaging concept. shudder and cringeworthy to say the least. it's like kicking the team when they're already down in the market. as far as marketing woes go last few years, it brings to mind that good old chestnut "what fresh hell is this??"

[Ballistic Bob]

I love the ALL RISE idea. I'd stand the whole game if they would allow it like Seahawk games

[Hambone]

The Ticketmaster map thing seems to be working just fine now.

[Hambone]

i agree that the "who are they?? totally unproven randoms!!" treatment of our star players in those ads is an utterly disastrous and insulting, self-sabotaging concept. shudder and cringeworthy to say the least. it's like kicking the team when they're already down in the market. as far as marketing woes go last few years, it brings to mind that good old chestnut "what fresh hell is this??"

I don't see the problem. Are they trying to capture the attention of those who know exactly who these star players are, preaching to the choir so to speak, or are they trying to pique the interest of those who don't? I would submit that it's the latter group who is the target.

[CardiacKid]

I don't find these ads to be contentious but everyone is entitled to their opinion. What I do very much like about them is how simple they are and how the visual focus is entirely on the players. I think they do convey a sense these guys are tough and intense.
The tag line did give me pause but then I thought about the person totally unfamiliar with the CFL, maybe even football in general. They need to start coming to the games.
That being said, I would love to see a return of the humourous ad campaigns as well.

[BC 1988]

I've heard the radio version of the "who is.." ads on 1040. I wish I could see the full text (or find the recording). They air the JJ version mostly, then the Sol-E, and less often the EA version. I was sure I heard with the Sol-E ad was "is he an Achilles tendon waiting to explode?" --kind of black humor that isn't very funny.

[David]

So I take it the tailgate questionnaire that the Lions sent out to season ticket holders got deep-sixed? Never heard another word about it.

No "send off" to Kamloops rally for season ticket holders or "pep rally" in advance of the home opener? This used to be a de-facto fan appreciation day. It used to be held at BC Place with a proper stage, speeches, intros, fashion show, and player autographs, and would easily draw 3-4K fans.

Last year it was held at a park in Surrey. Guess they're going for the scaled-back version again.


DH

[mountaincat]

I've heard the radio version of the "who is.." ads on 1040. I wish I could see the full text (or find the recording). They air the JJ version mostly, then the Sol-E, and less often the EA version. I was sure I heard with the Sol-E ad was "is he an Achilles tendon waiting to explode?" --kind of black humor that isn't very funny.

i haven't heard this myself yet but if that is true it's just bizarre and not funny at all... who are the hacks responsible for this barf?

[almo89]

I've heard the radio version of the "who is.." ads on 1040. I wish I could see the full text (or find the recording). They air the JJ version mostly, then the Sol-E, and less often the EA version. I was sure I heard with the Sol-E ad was "is he an Achilles tendon waiting to explode?" --kind of black humor that isn't very funny.

I haven't heard of the Sol E one, but I actually laughed out loud reading that as it was so bad.

[Belize City Lion]

PS. "Watch and Learn" ad here is effing brilliant. Wish they could replay this today with all the airline/flight attendant controversies. Who cares about the old uniform in the shot?

Yeah, the ads from the "Watch & Learn" campaign were pretty good. Only change I would have made is to bring the play by play audio in earlier so it was under the action of the people. It would make that one ad a lot less "air rage-y".

The fan experience ad is very good as well. That's really the biggest difference between watching on TV vs. going to the game. Everything else you promote about the game (players, action, entertainment) can be enjoyed on TV. I don't need to go to BC Place to find out "who is Jonathan Jennings". I can learn that from TV. The one experience you can't get at home is being in the stadium and sharing the experience live in person.