Where is the marketing plan for Thursday's game?

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ruppertflywheel

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and actually for the season? The Thursday night opener could be a hidden gem and parallel the Syracuse game of last year. I have seen absolutely NOTHING in the way of promotions except for the " Two Pack Ticket " sell. Was that even advertised through any media outlet other than gophersports.com.? This is a total goat f--k and shows that the U still doesn't really GET IT!
 


I thoroughly enjoy every ruppert rant.

p.s. ruppert, I am not from Wisconsin, therefore do not have experience with goat focks.
 

People that actually know marketing don't work at the university. They work at places like General Mills, Target, etc.. Those who can do, those who can't teach or stay at a university.
 

Three weeks left...I hope they will come up with something.
 


Why wouldn't mystic lake, cantebury, or running aces have promotions like Gopher Football Vegas style. Free $10 play with a ticket, etc. The State Fair could d a joint venture too. I don't get it either.
 

All that matter is winning.

I read that here on GopherHole.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
and actually for the season? The Thursday night opener could be a hidden gem and parallel the Syracuse game of last year. I have seen absolutely NOTHING in the way of promotions except for the " Two Pack Ticket " sell. Was that even advertised through any media outlet other than gophersports.com.? This is a total goat f--k and shows that the U still doesn't really GET IT!
Click to expand...

Slight thread bend, but in a similar vein has anyone had issues buying away game tics on the Gopher Sports website? When I click on away game tics, it lists the games but doesn't provide links to make purchases.
 

Something should have been set up with the State Fair. That's a no-brainer opportunity. Literally dozens of possibilities to promote Gopher Football and the fair.
 




AhliBobwa said:
Slight thread bend, but in a similar vein has anyone had issues buying away game tics on the Gopher Sports website? When I click on away game tics, it lists the games but doesn't provide links to make purchases.
Click to expand...

Might not be available to university as to which tickets are theirs to sell?
 

The inmates are running the asylum. TCF should be SRO for the Thursday night game. My wife before she sold her advertising business in Duluth ( Admax ) did the marketing for UMD. She took them out of a hole and had them making a profit after 3 months. She just laughs at the U of M marketing of all
sports. I'm so pissed right now that I'm temped to have her come out of retirement and call Woody.
Like I said, a complete goat f--k!
 

This is NOT much of a vote of confidence for our new Norwood is it ruppert? Or, is this just too insignificant a thing for our new Norwood to be bothered with? Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

; 0 )
 



The U is screwed either way. If they have no marketing plan, people will complain. If they do have a marketing plan, it will be snafu and people will complain. Such is life in the fast lane.
 

CP Gopher said:
Something should have been set up with the State Fair. That's a no-brainer opportunity. Literally dozens of possibilities to promote Gopher Football and the fair.
Click to expand...

There is nothing to "set up" with the State Fair. The State Fair can always tell everyone to piss off and they will get what they want. They will never need to negotiate because they can always tell everyone to piss off and they will get what they want. The State could get involved (please, God no) and the State Fair can always tell everyone to piss off and they will get what they want.

They could close the U building at the Fair in a minute and spin it a thousand ways that would even have us agreeing with them.

They are a multimillion dollar PRIVATE corporation that has the luxury of total anonymity and all-powerful political sway. How do you beat that?

How do you think this has gotten to where it is? The U has no "negotiating room". Zero. I will never likely ever go to the Fair again, simply because of the logistics. I'll get to add to it my new-found vengeance as well. Don't think they'll miss my $200.

Don't blame the U here--blame the Fair. They are as powerful and as insidious as the Mob. The Fair Board believes they are gods, and gods giveth and gods taketh away. They don't exist to give you a good time, they exist to extract as much money from you as they can. If you think otherwise, you are delusional. Yes, the side effect is that a lot of good people make some good money on the side--but how much of that $8 pork chop goes to the very people who are screwing the U?

Think, don't react.
 

I continue to love the fair, and yet everything in the previous post is true. The shadowy state fair board and its associated 501c3 have a couple of good 'mob tactics' stories every year. Lately it's been about kicking people out of their long time leases to up the dollars. Nothing legally wrong with it and arguably just good capitalism, but it tends to leave a few hard feelings for the people who are at the business end of the boot each year (Pizza Palace, Porky's Delight etc.) -- I doubt the fair would ever really battle the 'U' in public but I suppose I also agree they'd figure a way to win the PR game.

As for Thursday's game, though, I have to hope the 'U' is all over it from their presence at the fair. You should be able to win tickets or buy them for cheap as game day approaches - they should set up transportation (at the fair's discretion of course) from the fair to TCF etc. Have Goldy and some cheerleaders walk around with flyers... I pay full price for all my seats and discounted 'fill 'er up' tickets don't bother me - I'd rather have the stadium full than maintain 'price integrity' of my seats, most of the total cost of which is donation money anyway... Agree we should be able to duplicate Syracuse even with the somewhat abbreviated tailgate time. Like others I think that situation could have been handled better communication-wise but four hours is workable for everyone but the St. Paul lot people who really got a raw deal. If you got displaced from 'St. Paul', come see us in SKI U MAH and we'll pour you something...

Hope to see a lot of Vegas themed tailgates... ours will be!
 

If the Fair is really as insidious as made out here (which I don't doubt is entirely possible and true), then what a bummer for the U and our state residents. Working cooperatively with another organization not out to make a profit but to provide entertainment and bring people of the state of MN together seems like a win for everyone involved. So much co-promotion, they already do it with Maroon & Gold Day and allowing the UMN Marching Band to perform and then come back in for free. Why not continue to extend the goodwill and maybe they'll make some extra bucks from a few more people. Or, if nothing else, just stay out of the U's way. Let the U buy tickets, reserve parking spaces, do heavy promotion within and surrounding their booth, and promote the 2 as a great Thursday event. No need to trample on their ability to bring you customers. Bummer.
 

highwayman said:
There is nothing to "set up" with the State Fair. The State Fair can always tell everyone to piss off and they will get what they want. They will never need to negotiate because they can always tell everyone to piss off and they will get what they want. The State could get involved (please, God no) and the State Fair can always tell everyone to piss off and they will get what they want.

They could close the U building at the Fair in a minute and spin it a thousand ways that would even have us agreeing with them.

They are a multimillion dollar PRIVATE corporation that has the luxury of total anonymity and all-powerful political sway. How do you beat that?

How do you think this has gotten to where it is? The U has no "negotiating room". Zero. I will never likely ever go to the Fair again, simply because of the logistics. I'll get to add to it my new-found vengeance as well. Don't think they'll miss my $200.

Don't blame the U here--blame the Fair. They are as powerful and as insidious as the Mob. The Fair Board believes they are gods, and gods giveth and gods taketh away. They don't exist to give you a good time, they exist to extract as much money from you as they can. If you think otherwise, you are delusional. Yes, the side effect is that a lot of good people make some good money on the side--but how much of that $8 pork chop goes to the very people who are screwing the U?

Think, don't react.
Click to expand...

Is that you Sid?....................just kidding.

I haven't dealt with the State Fair group myself but have heard stories. The U may very well have their own issues with the State Fair group but they have to be very careful with what the say privately and publicly.
 

Canterbury Park looked at Mystic Lake Casino as the enemy for decades and in the end finally realized teaming up with them was the right thing to do. Why do we look at the Fair as this huge obstacle when in fact we should be using it as a plus instead of a minus.

How many people park in the STate Fair lot? Can we not come up with sufficient surface lots to cover these people so they can continue to tailgate?

In the end this is a UofM blunder and has nothing to do with the State Fair. Their dates are the same every year. It was the U's choice to schedule a Thursday game and didn't do its homework. Or maybe they did and just don't care about their season ticket base.

The U seems more concerned with taking game day options away from their season ticket holders vs. making game day better.
 

GoGophers2005 said:
Canterbury Park looked at Mystic Lake Casino as the enemy for decades and in the end finally realized teaming up with them was the right thing to do. Why do we look at the Fair as this huge obstacle when in fact we should be using it as a plus instead of a minus.

How many people park in the STate Fair lot? Can we not come up with sufficient surface lots to cover these people so they can continue to tailgate?

In the end this is a UofM blunder and has nothing to do with the State Fair. Their dates are the same every year. It was the U's choice to schedule a Thursday game and didn't do its homework. Or maybe they did and just don't care about their season ticket base.

The U seems more concerned with taking game day options away from their season ticket holders vs. making game day better.
Click to expand...

That's a whole other discussion. Canterbury came to the conclusion that that's all they could get and agreed to drop their efforts to obtain slot machine rights. This may or may not prove to wise decision in the long term. They were essentially 'bought off' by the Indian gaming cartel.

Sorry for going off topic.
 

highwayman said:
There is nothing to "set up" with the State Fair. The State Fair can always tell everyone to piss off and they will get what they want. They will never need to negotiate because they can always tell everyone to piss off and they will get what they want. The State could get involved (please, God no) and the State Fair can always tell everyone to piss off and they will get what they want.

They could close the U building at the Fair in a minute and spin it a thousand ways that would even have us agreeing with them.

They are a multimillion dollar PRIVATE corporation that has the luxury of total anonymity and all-powerful political sway. How do you beat that?

How do you think this has gotten to where it is? The U has no "negotiating room". Zero. I will never likely ever go to the Fair again, simply because of the logistics. I'll get to add to it my new-found vengeance as well. Don't think they'll miss my $200.

Don't blame the U here--blame the Fair. They are as powerful and as insidious as the Mob. The Fair Board believes they are gods, and gods giveth and gods taketh away. They don't exist to give you a good time, they exist to extract as much money from you as they can. If you think otherwise, you are delusional. Yes, the side effect is that a lot of good people make some good money on the side--but how much of that $8 pork chop goes to the very people who are screwing the U?

Think, don't react.
Click to expand...

I agree with CP Gopher and think you might have misinterpreted his comment. There are two issues here. The first, which you seem to be discussing, is the loss of tailgating time and space. The second is whether the U could've used the largest state annual event a few short miles away to introduce Gopher football to new fans. It doesn't have be a hindrance, it could've been a valuable opportunity.

Get those people at the fair to spend the day eating corn dogs then go a few miles west for a football game. Set up bus rides so they don't have to worry about parking a second time. There's no reason TCF Bank Stadium should not be full for this game. Promote it at the fair itself at the U of M athletic booth. Have Goldy and the band marching through the midway with people selling tickets. Advertise in fair marketing/communications (and on the Gopher Sports web site) about how easy, fun and rare it would be to come to town from Brainerd, Moorhead or Willmar and get to attend two great events at once and how the U is going to help facilitate that. Or encourage a family of four from Woodbury that fighting the fair traffic might be worth it if you also know you're going to take in a Gopher game later that night without additional headache.

Would it take planning? Yes. Is there a way to get buses in there just to pick up fans and take them to and from games? I don't know -- they could find out. This could be a golden opportunity. Instead, they've turned it into a steaming pile of PR crap.
 

Hates Monikers said:
I agree with CP Gopher and think you might have misinterpreted his comment. There are two issues here. The first, which you seem to be discussing, is the loss of tailgating time and space. The second is whether the U could've used the largest state annual event a few short miles away to introduce Gopher football to new fans. It doesn't have be a hindrance, it could've been a valuable opportunity.

Get those people at the fair to spend the day eating corn dogs then go a few miles west for a football game. Set up bus rides so they don't have to worry about parking a second time. There's no reason TCF Bank Stadium should not be full for this game. Promote it at the fair itself at the U of M athletic booth. Have Goldy and the band marching through the midway with people selling tickets. Advertise in fair marketing/communications (and on the Gopher Sports web site) about how easy, fun and rare it would be to come to town from Brainerd, Moorhead or Willmar and get to attend two great events at once and how the U is going to help facilitate that. Or encourage a family of four from Woodbury that fighting the fair traffic might be worth it if you also know you're going to take in a Gopher game later that night without additional headache.

Would it take planning? Yes. Is there a way to get buses in there just to pick up fans and take them to and from games? I don't know -- they could find out. This could be a golden opportunity. Instead, they've turned it into a steaming pile of PR crap.
Click to expand...

I like your idea...but. Maybe I'm too old now, but do you really think someone who has spent even 4-6 hours walking around in the Fair could even have the energy to go to a game? I think it's a stretch.

On the second part, if you can't even get parking and bus transport through the area for the STH, how do you do it for people that we are "stealing from the Fair early"? What possible $$$ gain is there for the Fair? If they can't make more $$$, they aren't in the least interested. As I said before--this is all about money for the private owners of the Fair. They aren't going to spend a dime unless they think it will turn into 10.

I'm sounding a bit jaded here and the Fair is a fun event, but I am not as obsessed with it as others are. I am just as glad to be done with it at the day as I am when I get there in the AM. I really think there was a royal screw-job done to the U, and that the AD is falling on its sword. I believe they were probably lied to and screwed over at every turn, right up to the end.

The U can't win a pissing contest with the Fair Board.
 

highwayman said:
I like your idea...but. Maybe I'm too old now, but do you really think someone who has spent even 4-6 hours walking around in the Fair could even have the energy to go to a game? I think it's a stretch.

On the second part, if you can't even get parking and bus transport through the area for the STH, how do you do it for people that we are "stealing from the Fair early"? What possible $$$ gain is there for the Fair? If they can't make more $$$, they aren't in the least interested. As I said before--this is all about money for the private owners of the Fair. They aren't going to spend a dime unless they think it will turn into 10.

I'm sounding a bit jaded here and the Fair is a fun event, but I am not as obsessed with it as others are. I am just as glad to be done with it at the day as I am when I get there in the AM. I really think there was a royal screw-job done to the U, and that the AD is falling on its sword. I believe they were probably lied to and screwed over at every turn, right up to the end.

The U can't win a pissing contest with the Fair Board.
Click to expand...

You sound like a perfect fit for the U of M Marketing Department.
 

All I know is (and I think this was in the Strib) that when the U started negotiating for a home game on the first weekend of the season in 2008ish, the Fair's immediate response was, (paraphrasing) "well since we own a quarter mile stretch of the transit way, if you schedule a game on our biggest weekend, we'll close that stretch of the transitway and redevelop it for our needs."

Why the Fair behaved so short-sighted and was not chomping at the bit to engage in cross-promotional opportunities is not for me to speculate. I think that both entities could have a lot to gain, though in this instance I suppose the U has more to lose.
 

Hates Monikers said:
You sound like a perfect fit for the U of M Marketing Department.
Click to expand...

Well, unlike all those new VCU and North Carolina faces that Teague brought in Highwayman at least knew that there would be no negotiating with the State Fair Board. Something them and their new Marketing Department faces finally did learn. Way to late maybe, but you gotta hope at least.
 

Well, then don't negotiate with the fair. Contract with a business across the street to have buses take off from there. You can't take the normal route from the fair to the U? Take 94. Oh, there's rush hour traffic? Have the buses leave earlier. This isn't rocket science. Try to work with the fair and if you can't, find another way. It takes time, patience and money. And maybe you only end up with a couple hundred extra fans. But you know what? We'd take them. We need every butt we can get into a seat.

I just think the Marketing Department and Highwayman have the same attitude: "It sounds hard, so let's go to happy hour instead." Yeah, that's more fun, but that's why we are where we are.
 

Honest question maybe someone can answer.
Does the U not have ANY muscle to flex over some of these outside entities?
Add the City of Minneapolis, the State Fair, and the neighborhood groups around the U to the list of groups somehow more powerful than the only land grant institution in the state.
Is the U seriously this helpless?
 

Ole, the Board of Regents and Joel Maturi are to blame for all of this fiasco.
 

Iceland12 said:
Well, unlike all those new VCU and North Carolina faces that Teague brought in Highwayman at least knew that there would be no negotiating with the State Fair Board. Something them and their new Marketing Department faces finally did learn. Way to late maybe, but you gotta hope at least.
Click to expand...

Hates Monikers said:
Well, then don't negotiate with the fair. Contract with a business across the street to have buses take off from there. You can't take the normal route from the fair to the U? Take 94. Oh, there's rush hour traffic? Have the buses leave earlier. This isn't rocket science. Try to work with the fair and if you can't, find another way. It takes time, patience and money. And maybe you only end up with a couple hundred extra fans. But you know what? We'd take them. We need every butt we can get into a seat.

I just think the Marketing Department and Highwayman have the same attitude: "It sounds hard, so let's go to happy hour instead." Yeah, that's more fun, but that's why we are where we are.
Click to expand...

Hey, I'm agreeing with you. My whole point is, DON'T BLAME THE U AND AD FOR THIS. The Fair has shown ZERO help on these issues and will not. I don't think that the U and AD really knew this until it was too late. I'll bet the City of Mpls. will also be no help either. You have to take a broader view of what goes on in Minnesota. The Cities of Mpls. and St. Paul (and the Fair and Falcon Heights) are in lock-step with the Legislature and Gov. Is the U in that club? Hell no. Our illustrious political body and the U have an at best antagonistic relationship. So there you are. I want the U to come up with a plan, despite the deck not only being stacked, but with all the players in on the game. Let's give them a full year to come up with a comprehensive plan. Hopefully, they can find an alternative lot that they can rent for a day and provide bussing-it may have to be in Blaine or Burnsville to sneak it in...

Sorry, but the truth hurts.
 

How could they not see this coming? Seriously how? Does gameday logistics planning start in Aug?
Again, why does the U have NO muscle to flex with these other bodies? If there's a will there's a way.
Is there a will from the U admin? I don't know, and I'm so fing pissed about this whole thing I'm starting sounds sound like wren with my circle babble.
(big breath)
 

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