2016 All Things Lions Marketing & Promotions

[Alputt]

When are you guys going to realize that this is not going to change Vancouver Montreal and Toronto are getting to big for the cfl. Just look at across the street we want the best here in any sport and the CFL is not the best . I am convinced that the cfl would be better in the small markets like the Maritimes Sask Calgary Edmonton Winnipeg Ottawa Hamilton Kelowna etc. these major cities are too big they have been for a long time. Out with the CFL there has to be something better they could put in bc place that would bring out more people.

Have to disagree with Montreal being on your list. I was at a game there last year (Thanksgiving vs Toronto) and although they were having an off year the crowd and atmosphere were great. I was just in Montreal a couple weeks ago (Al's were on the road) but my sense is that their fan base and especially local media attention are strong and healthy...

[Alputt]

This is somewhat unrelated but Percival Molson Stade is open to the public on non-game days as the track is for McGill University students so I was wandering around on the field and took some pics when I was just there. Kinda cool. The turf is surprisingly spongy!

[Rocko604]

When are you guys going to realize that this is not going to change Vancouver Montreal and Toronto are getting to big for the cfl. Just look at across the street we want the best here in any sport and the CFL is not the best . I am convinced that the cfl would be better in the small markets like the Maritimes Sask Calgary Edmonton Winnipeg Ottawa Hamilton Kelowna etc. these major cities are too big they have been for a long time. Out with the CFL there has to be something better they could put in bc place that would bring out more people.

BC was averaging 28,000+ as recent as 2014. The Vancouver market didn't just wake up in 2015 and say to themselves "Ya know what? I"m too good for the CFL."

Don't know if you've noticed, but there is literally ZERO marketing of this team in the Lower Mainland with the exception of TSN1040.

Geroy Simon, arguably the most exciting professional athlete this city has seen after Pavel Bure, as well as once loved as much as Trevor Linden, is nowhere to be seen or heard. That's a major problem.

Upper management firmly believes that winning cures all. We're 9-4 and just had our lowest attendance in around 15 years.

Those 8000 people that aren't showing up need to be wooed back somehow. Ticket prices have long been a major contention. No 2 for 1, no incentives to bring people in, etc. Meanwhile the Whitecaps have done Groupon deals pretty much every season.

The popularity of the Seahawks may have well affected the crowds somewhat as one Seahawks game for is more expensive than Lions season tickets, and if that is indeed the case, I come back to incentives to bring people back, even on a single game basis.

So, what exactly is better that you would put in BC Place? NFL and MLB aren't coming. SFU will never become an FBS school. MLS is MLS.

[David]

....and if that is indeed the case, I come back to incentives to bring people back, even on a single game basis.

All good points. Leos have 3 home games remaining - all crucial ones: Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Saskatchewan. If this club was really on the ball, they would create a "Stretch Drive Pack" that stretches your hard earned dollars in the process. It's 3 games for the price of 2, anywhere in the stadium.

This deal (33% off) may help fill up the lower bowl a bit and get those fans in the habit of sitting in the same seats (encouraging them to become season ticket holders next year).

Or they can just open the gates at B.C. Place on game nights like they normally do....


DH

[TheLionKing]

There was an ad on the big screen last night for after game party at the Sharks Club. Solomon Elimimian was the guest. They misspelled Solomon and also misspelled Elimimian.

[DanoT]

There was an ad on the big screen last night for after game party at the Sharks Club. Solomon Elimimian was the guest. They misspelled Solomon and also misspelled Elimimian.

That is so bad that it is funny.

[almo89]

....and if that is indeed the case, I come back to incentives to bring people back, even on a single game basis.

All good points. Leos have 3 home games remaining - all crucial ones: Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Saskatchewan. If this club was really on the ball, they would create a "Stretch Drive Pack" that stretches your hard earned dollars in the process. It's 3 games for the price of 2, anywhere in the stadium.

This deal (33% off) may help fill up the lower bowl a bit and get those fans in the habit of sitting in the same seats (encouraging them to become season ticket holders next year).

Or they can just open the gates at B.C. Place on game nights like they normally do....


DH

3 games for price of 2 is actually a pretty good deal. At this point though, anything is better than "winning will produce more butts in the seats" strategy. The team is winning and it's one of the most entertaining Lions teams in recent years, but there are still so many empty seats. It's pretty disheartening to see. I grew up in the 1990s, when the Lions were such an after thought. I really hope we don't go back there.

[David]

Another Monday....and another Monday in which the media is focussed on why this club is struggling at the gate - not the feats of the players and the club's sparkling 9-4 record.

Pratt rant at 7:20am was about why no one is coming to games (he blames the league's marketing dep't and Commissioner for not doing more in the 3 biggest cities. However, he failed to mention that Montreal sold out yesterday with its new francophone head coach). Ed Willes's column this morning contained the same troubling attendance story. Sigh.

The problem with the club not doing anything to address this (hoping instead that on-field fortunes will magically turn things around at the gate) is that no one wants to be associated with something perceived as unpopular, uncool, or not part of the city's collective consciousness. It's not unlike a restaurant. It can have great food and world class chefs, but if it has trouble attracting diners, you'll likely have trouble convincing friends to go. Worse, the corollary to reviewers' constantly commenting on lack of ambiance is a restaurant that's not likely to survive. But if they did Groupon and online deals, coupons and advertising to get people in the door, it would instantly change the narrative and perception - even if they're discounting their meal prices.


DH

[footballtom]

When are you guys going to realize that this is not going to change Vancouver Montreal and Toronto are getting to big for the cfl. Just look at across the street we want the best here in any sport and the CFL is not the best . I am convinced that the cfl would be better in the small markets like the Maritimes Sask Calgary Edmonton Winnipeg Ottawa Hamilton Kelowna etc. these major cities are too big they have been for a long time. Out with the CFL there has to be something better they could put in bc place that would bring out more people.

BC was averaging 28,000+ as recent as 2014. The Vancouver market didn't just wake up in 2015 and say to themselves "Ya know what? I"m too good for the CFL."

Don't know if you've noticed, but there is literally ZERO marketing of this team in the Lower Mainland with the exception of TSN1040.

Geroy Simon, arguably the most exciting professional athlete this city has seen after Pavel Bure, as well as once loved as much as Trevor Linden, is nowhere to be seen or heard. That's a major problem.

Upper management firmly believes that winning cures all. We're 9-4 and just had our lowest attendance in around 15 years.

Those 8000 people that aren't showing up need to be wooed back somehow. Ticket prices have long been a major contention. No 2 for 1, no incentives to bring people in, etc. Meanwhile the Whitecaps have done Groupon deals pretty much every season.

The popularity of the Seahawks may have well affected the crowds somewhat as one Seahawks game for is more expensive than Lions season tickets, and if that is indeed the case, I come back to incentives to bring people back, even on a single game basis.

So, what exactly is better that you would put in BC Place? NFL and MLB aren't coming. SFU will never become an FBS school. MLS is MLS.

Marketing will not work there are a lot pf people know the Lions exist do know when they are playing and know how good Jonathon Jennings is . Marketing is not the problem it is that these cities are too big now , it would be like putting a cfl team in LA or NEW YORK . yes Vancouver is not that big but it has the same thinking. if it is not a big event were a lot of people are going to they will not show up. When Ackles was here he made the Lions an event in the 1980s it was a event . When Doug Flutie was here Pezem made it a event. But i think even if they tried to make it a event it would not become a event the CFL has lost its mastic . the average person that watches it is 40-60 years old . I really think that if the CFL folded the NFL would consider coming to Canada , yes it would not happen for a very long time but it would happen and how turned on would football fans think of that. in fact i bet you if you did a servy and asked if you had to chose between the NFL or CFL 80 percent would say NFL.

[Hambone]

Another Monday....and another Monday in which the media is focussed on why this club is struggling at the gate - not the feats of the players and the club's sparkling 9-4 record.

Pratt rant at 7:20am was about why no one is coming to games (he blames the league's marketing dep't and Commissioner for not doing more in the 3 biggest cities. However, he failed to mention that Montreal sold out yesterday with its new francophone head coach). Ed Willes's column this morning contained the same troubling attendance story. Sigh.

The problem with the club not doing anything to address this (hoping instead that on-field fortunes will magically turn things around at the gate) is that no one wants to be associated with something perceived as unpopular, uncool, or not part of the city's collective consciousness. It's not unlike a restaurant. It can have great food and world class chefs, but if it has trouble attracting diners, you'll likely have trouble convincing friends to go. Worse, the corollary to reviewers' constantly commenting on lack of ambiance is a restaurant that's not likely to survive. But if they did Groupon and online deals, coupons and advertising to get people in the door, it would instantly change the narrative and perception - even if they're discounting their meal prices.


DH

Attendance questions aren't just a BC thing. Ironically the 2 teams with the biggest attendance declines are the teams with the 2 best records. Only Ottawa shows improvement on 2015. Below are the increases/decreases bases on 2016 season-to-date and 2015 averages (with the exception of Toronto as noted).

OTT: +1359
SSK: +3 (in their last home game they announced 30029 paid when speculation by Rider fans in attendance indicated something like 20000 was more accurate)
HAM: -183
WPG: -597
TOR: -808 (used 2014 to compare as it was the last year they played all games in the same facility)
EDM: -833
MTL: -1098
BCL: -1178 (This number should improve with traditional rivals Winnipeg, Edmonton and Saskatchewan finally making their first appearances but they will need nearly 24000 average to beat 2015)
CGY: -2602 (last year Calgary's final 2 home games were against top draws Edmonton and Saskatchewan. Their 2 remaining games this year will be Montreal and Toronto. No doubt this number will not improve.)

[SammyGreene]

Another Monday....and another Monday in which the media is focussed on why this club is struggling at the gate - not the feats of the players and the club's sparkling 9-4 record.

Pratt rant at 7:20am was about why no one is coming to games (he blames the league's marketing dep't and Commissioner for not doing more in the 3 biggest cities. However, he failed to mention that Montreal sold out yesterday with its new francophone head coach). Ed Willes's column this morning contained the same troubling attendance story. Sigh.

The problem with the club not doing anything to address this (hoping instead that on-field fortunes will magically turn things around at the gate) is that no one wants to be associated with something perceived as unpopular, uncool, or not part of the city's collective consciousness. It's not unlike a restaurant. It can have great food and world class chefs, but if it has trouble attracting diners, you'll likely have trouble convincing friends to go. Worse, the corollary to reviewers' constantly commenting on lack of ambiance is a restaurant that's not likely to survive. But if they did Groupon and online deals, coupons and advertising to get people in the door, it would instantly change the narrative and perception - even if they're discounting their meal prices.


DH

It's basically become a dark cloud hanging over the franchise regardless of how good the on field performance is. Really sad and frustrating too.

Farhan Lalji fired a direct shot at the Lions upper management during Saturday's post-game show when he mentioned the "latest execuse" he got for the small crowd was playing back-to-back Eastern opponents after Labour Day. LU was going to chime in but decided against it, saying the business side of the operations still isn't talking to him after an article he wrote at the end of last season about the poor attendance.

Becoming very clear the off field operations and marketing of the club is the No. 1 off-season priority IF the owner actually recognizes it.

I would just like to know who will be leading the business side of the team in 2017. Dennis Skulsky resigned back on April 1 as club president then returned on a interim basis when David Braley was hospitalized for an extensive period. I take it he is back to full health now. So what's next? Selling the team I hope.

[almo89]

The problem with the club not doing anything to address this (hoping instead that on-field fortunes will magically turn things around at the gate) is that no one wants to be associated with something perceived as unpopular, uncool, or not part of the city's collective consciousness.

The one big problem I have with the "winning will fix everything" attitude is that it sounds very lazy. So what happens when the team is struggling? Which they will. Teams don't win forever, you have to build a brand and awareness to be able to weather through some bad seasons. The Lions should have been building the fan base back up years ago and with the purrfect storm, like the exciting team we have now, the place would be packed. Instead we have seen years of laziness and no new initiatives. The current fans that go to the games now are mostly die hards. WIth the erroding attendance that has been happening for years now, the team hasn't shown me at all how they are going to tackle it. It's always the same excuses, oh it's summer time or be told the tickets are moving only to find out 18k went to the game.

[CardiacKid]

It's basically become a dark cloud hanging over the franchise regardless of how good the on field performance is. Really sad and frustrating too.

Farhan Lalji fired a direct shot at the Lions upper management during Saturday's post-game show when he mentioned the "latest execuse" he got for the small crowd was playing back-to-back Eastern opponents after Labour Day. LU was going to chime in but decided against it, saying the business side of the operations still isn't talking to him after an article he wrote at the end of last season about the poor attendance.

Becoming very clear the off field operations and marketing of the club is the No. 1 off-season priority IF the owner actually recognizes it.

I would just like to know who will be leading the business side of the team in 2017. Dennis Skulsky resigned back on April 1 as club president then returned on a interim basis when David Braley was hospitalized for an extensive period. I take it he is back to full health now. So what's next? Selling the team I hope.

Along with Lowell Ullrich, you can add the voice of the Lions Den podcast as being black-balled by the business side of the team. That just stinks....

In fact there is a fetid stench of a rotting organizational culture emanating from the Lions operational side of the ball. Jobs going unfilled after months, people leaving the organization to go work for junior hockey teams in St. John, NB (who the hell goes to work in NB?!?!? its like joining the Night Watch in Game of Thrones), spouses of highly placed team officials demanding cheap-ass perks from Lions staff, a team owner whose only visit with the team is when they came to Hamilton, a team owner whose only reply to a journalist's query as to when the team is being sold (which was the stated goal of said owner roughly a year ago) is his boy's "like to watch football", a team president who is publicly contradicted within 24 hours by his boss during prominent news conferences, a team president who says there will be a CFL video game but then says there will not be a CFL video game when in fact, there is a CFL video game in development (check out https://www.facebook.com/CanuckPlay/), I can go on....

I am becoming more and more worried (and more and more convinced) that Braley is simply forcing the team down the rabbit hole of insignificance until the league intercedes and sweetens the pot with a *poop* of $ to force his hand and give up the team. Orridge is on the record as stating the league is worried about the Lions attendance; that was last year! What we wouldn't give to reach those dizzying heights of last years attendance (please note the sarcasm).

Braley did this with the Argos....treated the team like a red-headed stepchild but when it became apparent there was actually a serious movement afoot to buy the team, he priced the Argos beyond all reasonable expectations. So on it went, his ridiculous evaluation and slowly starving the Argos of even the most basic of financial supports until he got a buyer.

So here we are....an exciting team on the field that is doing their best to get fans in the seats. They are holding up their end of the bargain. So what do we see and hear from business operations?!?!? A shrug of the shoulders and a deafening "meh........."

[Hambone]

a team owner whose only visit with the team is when they came to Hamilton, a team owner whose only reply to a journalist's query as to when the team is being sold (which was the stated goal of said owner roughly a year ago) is his boy's "like to watch football"

I think that is extremely unfair. Braley usually makes at least half, if not most, Lions home games. When he took ill he was out in Vancouver looking forward to attending and speaking at one of his club's signature events the Orange Helmet Awards. He was hospitalized in Vancouver for several weeks before he was even allowed to return home to Hamilton. I can't remember for sure if he wasn't still in Vancouver when the Lions were in Kamloops for training camp. There hasn't been much discussion about his health recently but when it comes to things like that or his family he's a very private individual. I suspect the only reason we haven't seen him at games locally is because he hasn't fully recovered from his illness.

[DanoT]

a team owner whose only visit with the team is when they came to Hamilton, a team owner whose only reply to a journalist's query as to when the team is being sold (which was the stated goal of said owner roughly a year ago) is his boy's "like to watch football"

I think that is extremely unfair. Braley usually makes at least half, if not most, Lions home games. When he took ill he was out in Vancouver looking forward to attending and speaking at one of his club's signature events the Orange Helmet Awards. He was hospitalized in Vancouver for several weeks before he was even allowed to return home to Hamilton. I can't remember for sure if he wasn't still in Vancouver when the Lions were in Kamloops for training camp. There hasn't been much discussion about his health recently but when it comes to things like that or his family he's a very private individual. I suspect the only reason we haven't seen him at games locally is because he hasn't fully recovered from his illness.

^^^Well said, Hambone.

As far as Braley's ownership of the Argos, if he hadn't stepped up and taken over the running of the Argos then the league would have. And how would the league (owners of the other teams) have run the Argos? My guess is that the league would have had a mandate to cut expenses to the bone as Braley did, only they would not have waited 5+ years to find the right buyer like Braley did.

As far as how the Lions are currently being run, imo it is time for Braley to sell the team to someone with the energy and local commitment to drum up interest and enthusiasm for the team. At the very least a replacement for Sulsky should happen for 2017.