For a little while now, I've been kicking some ideas around in my head regarding starting a kind of supporters group that is completely focussed on marketing the Crew. Crew FO obviously has their own marketing strategy, media relations, budget priorities and so on, so this would be something that doesn't seek to get in the way of what they do, but we would be a little more street-level, grassroots, and web-savvy. This new group wouldn't get in the way of the important things that CSU, HSH, and LTA do on game day and in terms of setting up travel and so on, but would work to enhance what they do and even help promote those groups to potential new members. But the main goal would be to get more people aware of the culture, get people in the stadium, and put pressure on local media to devote more time to the Crew. And to do so cheaply, yet effectively, hence, guerilla marketing. Just over the last few days, a few people have mentioned that they might like to get involved (Crew Chuck35 and smithnwesson to name the two most recent). Consider this a thread for brainstorming. Think big and think small. Think small like images for t-shirts, flags, flyers, pins, stickers, etc. that could be sold or distributed to saturate a particular part of the city on a particular day. Think big like starting a weekly Crew webcast or turning the area around Hudson and Summit into a Crew version of Wrigleyville. Anything is good. Come up with stuff. Put it on here. Talk about it.
I don't know what I can do from Canton, but I'll be glad to help out. I'm currently a web design student, so maybe I could help out there in some way. It's obvious that taking advantage of Ohio State being the next door neighbor is key. Didn't they have a thing this year where students could get a ticket and food for about $15? Definitely need more of that, but that might be a bit out of something-like-this' league. Something similar, but maybe Nordeke centered, may be worth trying.
I think Seattle has something underground for their first season where they were tying scarves all over the town, and putting stickers on random things. That could be something that we could emulate around here.
All the casual fans I bring to games say the same thing: they'd come on their own and more often if it was cheaper. So I'm on board with the college discount packages. I didn't go to OSU but friends of mine that did said you could get those at some student ticket office on High St ( I think it was across from Bento a Go Go). A great idea would be to invite a sports writer for the college paper (The Lantern) to a guarnateed well-attended game, buy him drinks at Ruby Tuesdays, sit him in the Nordecke for free, and have him write an article about the Crew experience. Michael Duchesne has an article about the crew on their website now. Let's contact him. The same idea could apply to college radio. If we could get a slot on the local NPR, that would be amazing. Imagine the hearing the chants in the background as a really intelligent voice describes what it's like to be in the Nordecke. Idea #2: Make flyers that look like band flyers and spread them everywhere on campus for every game. Basically I think the best strategy would be to convince Crew FO to have super cheap tickets for OSU students. In exchange, we'd market the hell out them for free.
By the way, my cousin works at Fast Signs and does freelance work and was considering offering his services to the Crew. If you need someone to create flyers or signs let me know.
Good idea. You're doing something with the Crew name. Think this could spread to the suburbs, too? I'm envisioning the Jack Nicklaus statue that stands at the entrance to Muirfield wearing a Crew scarf...
FYI, OSU sells $10 tickets in the supporters section with a $5 "CREWpon" good for non-alcohol concessions (details at explorecolumbus.com). Before trying to get the Lantern on board or whatever, OSU would need to procure a larger allotment of tickets from the Crew, because the student union ticket office has sold out of their discount tickets a few days before nearly every match this season (and late last season). So, the word seems to have gotten out about these... Unfortunately they do not sell tickets for CCL or playoff matches. Like we discussed in another thread, when we qualify for next year's CCL, it would be wise to also make student discount tickets available to help out with the atmosphere.
In terms of thinking small. As a big fan of Frankie, and Bob Marley, I've always thought a banner/shirt with Frankie's face in the image of the Bob Marley Uprising album cover, with the title "Legend", another Marley steal. Could have other Crew players/images in the background. If not a shirt/banner, would be a nice image for posters/guerilla marketing drops as well. For those unfamiliar with the album cover: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uprising_(album) What do you think? Also, I'd just like to go on record for the 100th time and say, dump the extremely stale, unimaginative, and sophomoric YSA chant.
Rock bands have have been using something referred to as Street Crews for awhile now. They are fans that have been active on the bands website, FB page, etc. When the band comes into the city of those fans they contact the fans and hook them up with a bunch of flyers, stickers, etc. to plaster the city with. in exchange the fans get into the show free, hang with the band, band schwag, etc. Point being this model already exists and you might want to look into it for ideas. As far as posting videos, radio shows, etc. you might want to work with Crewfighter and his website. It's quality and the guy has been working on this for a couple of years now. As for creating a Wrigleyville you got one. It's called Ruby Tuesday. They support HSH and actually invite Crew fans into the bar. I know that Claddaugh's does the same thing but like Wrigleyville Ruby's is in close proximity to the stadium. Gorilla Marketing isn't a bad idea but don't ignore what is already there.
Couldn't we do one of these for just about everyone on the roster (with different themes for each player of course)? We know enough about our guys, and they all have distinct characteristics or nicknames (maybe we can get those with more privilege to interview those who don't, like Burns) that could be turned into a poster to hang around town. There also seems to be a good amount of people with computer graphics, Photoshop, etc. ability just on this board who would be able to develop these. I know I would help out.
I know HHMike had been looking to do a weekly webcast starting next season that could be shot at either claddagh or another location, not sure whether there is interest to pick up the ball on this as he won't be able to put it together from overseas.
I think this sounds like a great idea. We really need to reach out and grow the fanbase. band-style flyers are a great idea. I wish that the Crew could do something where they had a local band play on the plaza every pregame... that would be cool too, because maybe they could get some of their fans out to games... Also, I don't know how much the Crew gets covered in Melt magazine, it's been a while since I have picke one up, but I know that the owner/designer of Melt comes out to games and is a fan, DJ Kevy Kev. I will see if he covers them in there...
I don't know what happened to them, but several years ago the Crew FO had an organization of regular fans that would promote the team within their own social circles. I think they also got various gifts/discounts on the number of tickets they sold. The group was modeled after the Kansas City Chiefs Red Coaters. If this group is still around (I doubt it is as I haven't heard anything about them in ages), maybe we could join forces with them and operate "seperately but together", or just join them.
Take the Crew Soccer Tour to a couple of OSU soccer games. Make sure you have enough of those Explore Columbus packages to sell. Staff it with interns, as already done, and you have yourself some easy marketing to OSU students.
I think that the idea of marketing the Crew and supporters culture is a fantastic idea. One thing that has crossed my mind several times is that we have to make the Crew fashionable. The lack of diversity amongst Crew gear is disappointing. I think supporter-driven gear would be much more interesting. By marketing shirts that Columbusites and/or Crew supporters would wear casually would help increase the visibility of the club. Here are some shirts from the St. Pauli online shop that I found pretty cool. I think if we did a Columbus version of something like this, we'd see them all over the city... http://www.fcstpauli-shop.de/product_info.php/info/p22_T-Shirt-Sankt-Pauli.html http://www.fcstpauli-shop.de/product_info.php/info/p25_T-Shirt-Never-mind.html We as supporters need to create an identity for this club, not only in Columbus, but around the country as well. I think we already have a start with things like "Massive" "Anti-Chicago" "Anti-Toronto" "No One Likes Us, We Don't Care" and having bright yellow as our colour. If we use those and build off of those, then I think we could be successful. We need to be innovative so that following the Crew and displaying it in everyday life is considered cool.
Someone mentioned sticking stickers all over town thats a great idea and cheap idea. Like the Obey stickers Shepard Fairy(I completly misspelled that I'm sure) with Andre the Giant on them. Just put Crew logos on everything from dumpsters to mailboxes to signs on walls on buses anywhere you can stick them than people would be thinking about the Crew everywhere because its in their faces. Just an idea!
I think we could, but the whole Frankie (similar hair), surfer, Marley thing always jumped out at me. Plus I think Frankie is a Marley fan, IIRC. Padula would be Pirate related. Guille likes Led Zeppelin a lot: House of the Holy w/ Guille? Might get some religious folk understandably upset. Maybe something else.
I always thought it would be sweet if there were nicer apts around Ruby's or say Ruby's was in a better neighborhood and have Crew fans living in all the places around it. It would be sweet to see a whole block of apts with Crew flags flying and parties going on at each place pre and post game. Now that would be Crewville or Hunt City.
I know a place that does black print on yellow vinyl... just called them and the prices are pretty good. 2000 stickers for about $215 - that is for 3" rounds. about the same for 4.25x 2.75 rectangles. Maybe we can get the supporters groups and FO to kick in money for the stickers and the street team can put them up. I think that instead of having a separate group, you just call it the Nordecke Street Team. It can be the marketing arm of the Nordecke, combined with the FO, to get the word out about the team and the Nordecke, to boost attendance both in and out of the section. Word of mouth, streetwise marketing. The team cannot afford to turn it's back on essentially low-cost marketing opportunities where all they would have to give a street team is some supplies and let us have at it. But they would have to let us have a say in it too as far as design on the stickers and t-shirts and stuff as well. Obviously, no Crew logos on the shirts and stuff for sale, but on the stickers and flyers and stuff hung up to promote the team the logo should be fine. The team should make some of those inexpensive scarves and the Street team can tie them up around campus with tickets to next weeks game attached to them at random locations, so when a person finds it, they will get the scarf and two tickets to the Nordecke. The street team can hang the scarves around campus at like 4 in the morning or something, on a Thursday before game day, so they can make plans. Short North too. Just some ideas. But a scarf is a key thing, along with tickets, cause we need bodies, butts in seats. OR, even better than tickets - a voucher so the person has to call the FO (or a supporters group) to get their Nordecke tickets, and thereby has to give their name and address and stuff. But those phones have to be staffed and answered...