To be honest

Discussion in 'Sporting Kansas City' started by RobbHeineman, Feb 2, 2008.

  1. StuBentley

    StuBentley New Member

    Sep 12, 2000
    Olathe, KS
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, I think that most of us have done a lot to bring more people out to games with us. In fact I have a co-worker who attended his first Wizards games last year and may be buying season tickets this year. He is a big sports fan, a Chiefs season ticket holder and not predisposed to hating soccer...a perfect fit. He had just never been out before because he had never been invited and no one he knew went. Once he came to a game or two and stood in the Cauldron he was sold.

    I usually send invites out to about 20 - 30 people per game, each game through the season. I figure if I can pick up 2 or 3 people out of that, I consider it a win. Not great percentages, but it's more people in the stands. What I've found are big selling points: the tailgate (including beer) and decent ticket prices - low cost of entry...if they don't like it, they aren't out much. I tout things like "a full night of entertainment - food, parking and game - for only $n". I'm anxious to see how our change of venue impacts the uptake, if at all.

    Oh and I'll chime in agreeing to the "be kid friendly without marketing to kids" stance. Soccer has enough of a t-ball image in this country without our pro teams adding to it.
     
  2. morry

    morry Member

    Jun 17, 2006
    Denver- Captial Hill
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I just think we should go with what works- I know a lot of people who would give soccer a chance if they had someone to go with. Someone who knew people and could make them feel good about going.

    Last season when I was in Kansas City I bought more tickets and brought more people than I would have ever guessed was imaginable and nearly all of them returned for another match through out the season. Now that I am removed and back in Philly I don't know if many of them will keep going but they certainly know we exist and know what the whole thing is about.

    I didn't read that this whole thread was about removing the Wizards responsibility from poor attendance I thought it was just a forum for ideas on what has worked and what might work in the future.

    I won't preach to the masses about what they can do but it seems to me that just keeping our voices loud all through the year will keep the grass roots going.
     
  3. staubio

    staubio New Member

    Nov 9, 2004
    Kansas City, MO
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Many of the people I took to games lamented how many kids there were there and how kid-centric it felt. These people are the very demographic that should be the growth of MLS: young, cultured and gainfully employed types that wouldn't necessarily be sports fans if not for having the "World's Game" option.

    Dora the Explorer is actually actively alienating this crowd.
     
  4. Kot Matroskin

    Kot Matroskin Member+

    Aug 10, 2007
    SF Bay Area
    Maybe Nickelodeon could be the Wizards' shirt sponsor. :rolleyes:

    I agree with Andy, too. Cartoon characters, if featured too prominently, will turn off far more adult fans than attract children.

    Unfortunately, soccer in the the US has a reputation as a sport for kids (girls especially), and it languishes for that reason, among others. It needs an image that's just a bit more badass, without falling into caricature.

    If we want eye-popping shows, how about some of those soccer freestylers? Heck, just having them roaming around the stadium showing off is going to attract more people to soccer than frickin Scooby Do.

    One more thing, why can't the Wizards get on local TV? You're never going to get people to take your sport seriously unless you're on TV. I know I must be exposing my ignorance here, but what is preventing us getting on one of the local channels? At least the away games. The exposure is worth much more than any revenue. Then you've got something to give your marketing focus besides just getting people to come to games.
     
  5. szazzy

    szazzy Member

    Apr 18, 2004
    Kansas City, MO
    Echoing the disappointment that we would need to advertise cartoon characters for the opening day match against DC United.

    Maybe in the future local TV will be very important, but I honestly believe seeing the Wizards on TV at Arrowhead turned as many people away as it brought out. The sea of orange, football lines, etc. etc.

    I had to have the coverage as a true fan, and the Metrosports deal to show every game was a godsend last season, but Arrowhead was a really bad advertisement for over 12 years IMO.
     
  6. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    As of last season, every MLS game was available on TV in the home and away team's markets. I'm not sure what you're talking about. I don't know that over the air is that relevant. I was able to watch every single Wizards MLS game home/away on my TV in Durham, NC last season. Now, It would be nice if the USOC qualifier in Salt Lake had been on TV, too - but we're only two years removed from virtually no televized presence for the Wizards.
     
  7. YilmazOrhan

    YilmazOrhan Well Brian, I hit it first time...

    Jun 18, 2006
    Suburbia, Kansas
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Do you mean local local broadcast TV? Because all of our games were available on MetroSports if they weren't on ESPN, FSC, or HDNet.

    Do any MLS teams have local over-the-air broadcasts, as opposed to a local cable sports channel?

    Having said that, it would nice to get a couple of games on a local channel. 38 could certainly use the programming....
     
  8. Kot Matroskin

    Kot Matroskin Member+

    Aug 10, 2007
    SF Bay Area
    You've got a point there, but from now on it shouldn't be an issue, right? I mean, CAB will be packed to the rafters with the Cauldron prominently displayed behind the goal/corner. Then we'll have our own right-sized stadium. Surely this issue is in the past tense, and now is when we should be building momentum.
     
  9. toritoritorrence

    toritoritorrence New Member

    Sep 26, 2007
    the LX
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    the problem is that metro sports isn't included in most (i think) cable services other than time warner.

    all around the area i live (lenexa, and at my dad's in overland park) we have everest, so unless you want to pay the ungodly amount of money direct kick costs, than most of us are shit outta luck when it comes to seeing the wiz on tv.

    and how many games did we have on fsc/espn last year? i think i saw real freaking salt lake on mls primetime more than i saw the wizards.
     
  10. Buzz Killington

    Buzz Killington Member+

    Oct 6, 2002
    Lee's Summit
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The majority of the metro area can get TW or Comcast I'm fairly sure, whether all the people that have it available to them choose them is another thing all together. Both get MetroSports.

    And besides, there's always a watch party somewhere that will be showing the game so no people aren't shit outta luck when it comes to seeing the Wizards on TV. Maybe the watch parties need to be more actively pushed.
     
  11. RSwenson

    RSwenson Member

    Feb 1, 2000
    I think that saying that you have a "kid zone" or whatever, and saying that there will be special events for kids and even a special section for families with kids can be done as long as it strikes a balance...

    One way is to present this as a "win-win" particularly if there is the additional message conveyed that basically says to young adults and hard core supporters that "look, the kids aren't going to be in your way or in your section"... soon enough these kids are going to be begging to be "where the action is"...

    I think that the message that there are special things for kids (and families) to do can be done in a way that does not pander to them and does not alienate more "hard core" supporters...
     
  12. kcscsupporter

    kcscsupporter Member+

    Apr 17, 2002
    D17
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    i think everest is the only one that doesn't get metrosports. time warner and comcast do, other than everest, what other cable company is there in the metro?

    EDIT: kuhn beat me to it.
     
  13. KCFutbol

    KCFutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 14, 2001
    Overland Park, KS
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I know you're a student but Direct Kick is one of the true bargains in sports programming. You get around 100 matches for $69.
     
  14. Kot Matroskin

    Kot Matroskin Member+

    Aug 10, 2007
    SF Bay Area
    Yes, that's exactly what I mean. Anything that is limited to a certain cable company/package, or even worse something that you have to specifically sign up for, is not going to help make new fans.

    I grew up in SoCal and each of the local over-the-air channels had a deal with one of the local teams. Channel 5 had the Angels, channel 11 had the Dodgers, channel 9 had the Lakers, etc. It's just what I have grown to expect. Heck, in the Wooden era, channel 5 used to have tape-delayed replays of UCLA basketball games.

    I never would have grown up as interested in those sports as I did without having it on TV all the time.
     
  15. Soccer7947

    Soccer7947 Member

    Aug 15, 2005
    Kansas
    I have comcast and we get Metro...
     
  16. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Bingo, the press release the team sent out today would be more appropriate for a shopping mall opening or a day care center. Or as just one of many releases regarding opening day. Instead the centerpiece lead by the team for opening day is a focus on Dora the Explorer and Scooby Doo.

    It's not exactly the type of ammunition that adults need to convince other adults to come out to a game. It's one thing to play in a minor league baseball park. It's something else altogether to operate with the same promotions that minor league baseball teams use. I guess Zootopia, the Blues Brothers, and Bugs Bunny and Friends will be showing up later this season.

    Group sales to youth teams rock. But marketing to those kids is a losing proposition.

    Part of what killed the WUSA was it's marketing focus on 12 year old girls.
    1) 12 year-old girls may talk dad (or mom) into going to a game or two - whereas if the focus had been on dad, he would've bought season tickets and taken the kids whether they wanted to go or not.
    2) kids want to do what older kids or adults are doing. They do not want to be associated with younger kids. Once those 12 year-old girls became 14, they didn't want the "guilt by association". Look at toy commercials. The kids playing with the toys tend to range about four years older than the actual target audience for the toy being advertised.

    -> Target to kids and you lose the teen and young adult markets by turning them off.

    -> Target to kids and you get families for the odd game out, but you won't sell them season tickets.
     
  17. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    You're not in Southern California any more. If you have cable or satellite, you should be able to get MLS DirectKick. That's how I watch all the games in Durham, NC.
     
  18. StuBentley

    StuBentley New Member

    Sep 12, 2000
    Olathe, KS
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I have Comcast Internet and hijack/split that signal to get MetroSports. ;)

    I also think that getting out of the vast emptiness of Arrowhead will help the looks of a game on TV. I've watched USL games where the crowd looks great and I don't even think about the fact that they're in a small stadium - I just know that it looks and sounds good (think Portland with a capacity of just under 20k).
     
  19. morry

    morry Member

    Jun 17, 2006
    Denver- Captial Hill
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Correct me if I am wrong- I am working on a poor memory as it is-

    Was the first ever Wizards game broadcast on local CBS KCTV 5?

    Wasn't there some early years where a number of matches were played in TV50 in KC? And I seem to remember that maybe there was another season where they were on Channel 38?

    Although I love the idea of the games being on Over-the-Air television, it isn't really that practical or important. The Royals have one game a week locally on air and that is Sunday afternoon on an off channel most of the time.
     
  20. szazzy

    szazzy Member

    Apr 18, 2004
    Kansas City, MO
    I'm not sure how CAB is going to look on TV. It could be interesting. I like the Cauldron's location this year, but it won't be in the shot as much as last season, and I'm not sure what the baseball features are going to look like. I'm assuming if the ball is at midfield, we will see the away sideline, which is all bleachers.
     
  21. Kot Matroskin

    Kot Matroskin Member+

    Aug 10, 2007
    SF Bay Area
    Thanks for the advice, but this isn't about me. I thought I'd made myself clear. I'm talking about growing the sport, and getting people interested in the Wizards as one of their local teams. Having the games widely available for free would be very effective in that endeavor.
     
  22. Buzz Killington

    Buzz Killington Member+

    Oct 6, 2002
    Lee's Summit
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    All MLS teams would love that, but it's easier said then done.
     
  23. szazzy

    szazzy Member

    Apr 18, 2004
    Kansas City, MO
    I have to say that I'm more likely to watch a Sunday OTA Royals game than any other and I have cable. Saturday night start times aren't much of a TV slot (which might make it cheaper however), but perfect for trying to get people to come to the games.
     
  24. kopiteinkc

    kopiteinkc Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 1, 2000
    Shawnee
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    No, but his point is well made. The coverage of "every" game being on isn't true for the casual fan. Sitting flipping channels you are very unlikely to come across either a Wizards game or even an MLS game.

    It's about exposure. Yeah, we know where to find the games, direct kick, watch parties, Metrosports if you get it (I don't). But the casual fan needs to have the games more accessible than they currently are.

    I have had tons of people ask me why Wizards games are NOT on TV.
     
  25. Buzz Killington

    Buzz Killington Member+

    Oct 6, 2002
    Lee's Summit
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not disagreeing with him. I'm just saying that it's easier said then done. I completely agree that I'd like all the games to be on free tv for people to see, but I don't see that happening.
     

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