I was on I-93 North this morning, listening to some Creedence Clearwater Revival and trying to shake off the celebratory cobwebs from the night before. Then, in a fleeting moment, I saw my first UMass football billboard.
The image lasted a second, and then the image flipped and changed to something else. I only had time to recognize the “UMass” block letters and the two-word phrase: “It’s On!”
It very well might be “On,” but is it too late to get people on board?
For the past few months, I have heard the complaints from our readers. I have received the e-mails, the texts and the tweets asking when and where UMass is finally going to start hyping its football team. During that time I felt the best course of action was to wait patiently, see how the chips fell, and work under the presumption that the biggest athletic maneuver in school history would eventually be advertised.
I figured I would sit back and wait for the marketing “blitz.” I figured the blitz was aimed at Boston and the huge UMass alumni base that resides near it. I figured if I waited long enough, the Minutemen would send two linebackers and a corner, raise hell and set a maroon fire under the feet of its dormant fan base more than a month before kickoff.
It has become abundantly clear that UMass and I have very different definitions of the word blitz.
I can only assume that the marketing trickle is due to a cost-and-reward algorithm. UMass has put significant (by UMass standards) money into this campaign and wants the timing to be just right so that it squeezes every last bit of value out of its expenditure. I can appreciate that thought process, but I am frustrated that the school is trapped in the triangle of traditional advertising: radio, television and newspapers.
UMass has at its disposal an athletics website, an institutional website, Twitter pages, Facebook pages and a gamut of other online resources that are cost-effective ways to spread the word about the program. I understand that the school has used these to market the team in some capacity, but it has to use a different strategy if it wants to truly reach its potential fans.
Ads in newspapers, on TV and the radio are fantastic traditional methods to reach an audience. However, in this new iWorld, people have to be reached another way. For example, UMass and Gillette Stadium should have some sort of daily marketing on Twitter. Gillette has more than 18,000 followers on Twitter, yet the UMass football team (a little more than 1,000 followers) is mentioned rarely. Of course, the Patriots are the No. 1 priority, but it seems that UMass should be able to fit in the cycle.
There are numerous other methods, many of which have been mentioned in the comment section of this blog.
The fact of the matter is that UMass promised a marketing blitz, but a blitz is something that finds you unexpectedly – it’s not something you seek out. Now we’re a month before the season, and I just saw my first billboard while heading away from Foxboro and toward the city.
I’m beginning to fear that the projected 15,000 per game attendance is going to come to fruition.
The fact that alumni are not getting pounded with info about this (Facebook etc) is inexcusable. I too keep running across people, sports fiends, who aren’t aware of what is going on. Get the freakin word out already!!!
I warned you in April that Umass was ill prepared and was already giving reasons why they couldn’t do well selling this. there are many low(no )costs ways of selling this new venture…but none were tried! What a shame that they did not ask their core constituents(Umass Worcester,Lowell,Dartmouth,Boston,faculty,staff). They will have about 25,000 students moving in labor day weekend, and none will be given a season ticket application,or game schedule with info on the games in Foxboro. even though most will have family or friends who live in the Greater Boston area. In this group alone there are 40,000 potential customers,who have a close association to the school. I knew we were in trouble in April when I was given a defeatist attitude, and no one who knows the Boston marketplace. The upgrade was announced in April of 2011, yet no promoting was done,outside of Umassathletics.com until now!! Same old Umass-here’s hoping Charley Molnar starts to demand certain things from the school in terms of marketing and promotion. Umass was hoping Kraft would sell it for them, while I’ve been told Kraft was going to wait and see if UMASS WAS SERIOUS ABOUT FOOTBALL AND BEING SUCCESSFUL, BEFORE HE COMMITTED. Up until now he has his answer!! There is a reason why Umass is a sleeping giant… the school does not know how to promote the positive aspects of a great school. # Operation 15K?!! Someone help!!
Preaching to the choir here. This “blitz” is anemic and I’m starting to think that 15K projected attendance will be an optimistic figure. I talk to folks every day who say “I had no idea this was happening!”, and can’t even say I blame them for not knowing. I think back to Charley Molnar’s introductory press conference where he said “buy into UMass football now because the price is going to skyrocket”. Where’s the administration to back him up?