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Sports Promotions -
Case Histories
Project: Operation Sell-Out, Rice University Football vs. Air Force Academy, September 6, 1997
Objectives: Rice University, the smallest division I school with only 2,600 students, was averaging 16,500 fans per game, and hadn't had a sell-out since the early 1960's.
1. Fill 60,000 of the 70,000 seat Rice stadium for the first football game of the season.
2. Create excitement/sales momentum for season tickets
3. Use block-seating only, 25 seats per block and Charity Children sponsors in any quantity
Obstacles:
1. Rice has only 10,000 Houston-area alumni (only 30,000 nationwide)
2. 30 years of low attendance
3. The University of Houston is having a "sell-out' earlier, the same day
4. No contact allowed with Rice Athletics top supporters
5. Due to demise of Southwest Conference, now in a league (WAC) that the market unfamiliar with
Strategy:
1. Create a fun and historical event, with emphasis on the "event" than "game"
2. Offer affordable block pricing for corporations and organizations
3. Identify and create a contact list of groups with some relationship with Rice
4. Contact the competitor's alumni base (Academy) throughout the state and other groups with some relationship with Air Force (bases, recruiters, etc.)
5. Include two charity angles: Overall beneficiary and charity kids to be sponsored (Former First Lady Barbara Bush Honorary Charity Chairperson for the Event)
6. Use television to support program and public relations for
final sales
Results:
1. Average group sale was 44 tickets
2. 53,145 in attendance, 89% of goal
3. 32% increase in season ticket sales
4. 85% increase in season home game attendance
5. Largest non-Texas/A&M attendance since 1971 (LSU)
6. 4th largest 1997 attendance increase in U.S., behind
Notre Dame
7. Marketing vehicle results:
| Advertising & Public Relations |
1% |
| Direct Mail only | 2% |
| Telemarketing (with faxing) only | 17% |
| Referral Program | 2% |
| Direct Mail with Telemarketing follow up | 47% |
| Direct Sales & Word-of-Mouth | 27% |
| Other | 4% |
Project: Southern Methodist University Basketball vs. Missouri University, December 12, 1998
1. Create the largest crowd for a mid-season 1998 non-conference televised basketball game
2. Fill arena to capacity
3. Use block seating only--10 seats per block and Charity Children in any quantity
Obstacles:
1. Years of poor attendance
2. Small student base (and weak support)
3. Small Dallas-area alumni base (and weak support)
4. Weak corporate support
Strategy:
1. Contact the competitor's (Mizzou) N.E. Texas alumni base
2. Offer affordable block ticket pricing for individuals and corporations
3. Identify databases and create contact list of groups with relationship with SMU
4. Use direct mail and follow-up telemarketing (with faxes) as the primary source of marketing
Results:
The game had the largest attendance of the year with almost 7,000 fans. Several thousand sponsored charity children that attended were presented with SMU jerseys, which also made for great live-television.