BG Football billboards.................

Falconboy · Post by **Falconboy** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:26 pm

Where are they? Gosh if this Athletic Dept. can't get its act together it will be a very dull year attendance wise. We need to be seeing well designed billboard advertising the BGvsWisky game sometime soon. We at one time had some billboards during the Urban years and then after he left, nothing. It needs to plain and obvious that we have a frickin' Div.1 football team in town and is playing a major B10 team to start the season this fall.

I'm appalled at the lack of exposure there is here BG for our sports. The only thing we see is some window signs here and there at various businesses which is fine, but having a large road billboards gets the message out loud and clear to more people. I'd like to see some boards for ladies basketball this late fall , they deserve it for sure.

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:28 pm

Um, aren't you in Arizona?

Falconboy · Post by **Falconboy** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:29 pm

BGDrew wrote:Um, aren't you in Arizona?

Uh....no dude, I've been back for a while now. Since April 2nd to be exact.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:30 pm

[BEGIN sarcasm]

Yes. April is a great time to invest money in billboards for events that will happen this fall. What can they be thinking?

[END sarcasm]

Don't get hung up on individual pieces of a marketing plan. Billboards are great for the ego, but not exactly an efficient marketing vehicle. More money is spent, nationwide, on Internet advertising, radio, yellow pages and magazines than on billboards. And there's a good reason for that.

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:35 pm

falconboy wrote:
BGDrew wrote:Um, aren't you in Arizona?
Uh....no dude, I've been back for a while now. Since April 2nd to be exact.

I stand corrected.

I think at this point you put up billboards advertising the CBS game more than anything. Throw up a picture of Partridge catching that TD last year against Wisky, the date, and ticket office.

Falconboy · Post by **Falconboy** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:36 pm

1987alum wrote:[BEGIN sarcasm]

Yes. April is a great time to invest money in billboards for events that will happen this fall. What can they be thinking?

[END sarcasm]

Don't get hung up on individual pieces of a marketing plan. Billboards are great for the ego, but not exactly an efficient marketing vehicle. More money is spent, nationwide, on Internet advertising, radio, yellow pages and magazines than on billboards. And there's a good reason for that.

I see what you mean, but we don't seem to be doing a very good job in those other areas you mentioned either. Maybe it is a bit early for billboards for football yet, but sometime in late July and early August would be good I think. I don't see how billboards wouldn't be a effective marketing tool, their big and very easy to see, along the road where people drive everyday and they would see them constantly everytime they drive on a certain road. Some along I-75 and Rte 25 would the best places I think.

Yeah, radio and magzine ads are great too, just haven't seen squat on that end lately.

factman · Post by **factman** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:39 pm

We have had some the last few years, including last year!

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:44 pm

Yes, we have Factman. And I agree with 87--don't think they do much. I just don't see someone deciding to be a season ticket holder, or to drive to Cleveland for a game, based on a board.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:45 pm

I don't see how billboards wouldn't be a effective marketing tool, their big and very easy to see, along the road where people drive everyday and they would see them constantly everytime they drive on a certain road.

Right. So what action can the "target" take once it's received the message? Are they going to grab their cell phone and call for tickets? Not likely. Beside that, there's a 24/7 reminder on I-75 already - The Doyt.

I'd bet my shiny nickel that you'll see BG football billboards before the season starts. Billboard buys are easy enough to make in most markets with just a few weeks' lead time.

OTOH, I hope the marketing department is spending more time on direct mail pieces and events like the one Schadenfreude posted about while back. Those are much more likely to return ticket purchases.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:50 pm

I immediately respond to anything I see on a billboard...

...Except that damned Clown College...

Rollo83 · Post by **Rollo83** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:07 pm

They need to work some marketing programs with area high schools to invite their football teams and fans to BG home games. Maybe give them a break on ticket prices, pre-game clinic, block seating in the endzone, special scoreboard reginition, half-time on-field promotion, etc.

I would also make special appeals to area towns highlighting Findlay Day at the Doyt, or Lima Day...or Putnam County Day. Try to entice people from the outlying areas out for a day of college football. Offer them some perks like I mentioned for the high school kids.

You need to great some affinity marketing opportunities to bring significant numbers of new fans out.

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:08 pm

Another thing to bear in mind is that Ohio has the most bilboard advertising in the country. There comes a certain point where people are desensitized to them, and I think that point was passed a looooong time ago in Ohio. Eventually, they just become part of the landscape and aren't given too much credence.

Now, if you're specifically looking for a certain bilboard, as in Falconboy's case, they become an issue. Other than that, they aren't going to impress anybody, no matter how shiny they are.

redskins4ever · Post by **redskins4ever** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:21 pm

I won't say where I got the information... but lets just say the new Marketing People haven't gotten to their new budget yet... why? Because they F'd up last fall and blew through the majority of it reworking the posters and advertising last fall... my guess is that the strings have been tightened a wee bit for this spring.

always a falcon · Post by **always a falcon** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:37 pm

Rollo83 wrote:They need to work some marketing programs with area high schools to invite their football teams and fans to BG home games. Maybe give them a break on ticket prices, pre-game clinic, block seating in the endzone, special scoreboard reginition, half-time on-field promotion, etc.
Oh noooooooooo.... No can do. Check NCAA regulation #1,2,and3!

I would also make special appeals to area towns highlighting Findlay Day at the Doyt, or Lima Day...or Putnam County Day. Great idea!

Try to entice people from the outlying areas out for a day of college football. Offer them some perks like I mentioned for the high school kids.

You need to great some affinity marketing opportunities to bring significant numbers of new fans out.

jmycrckcrn99 · Post by **jmycrckcrn99** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 1:30 am

You people seem to forget BGSU football has been here forever - since 1919. It is not new. Plus we have had 5 winning seasons, national television exposure, Urban Meyer, and oh yeah OMAR JACOBS. What will a billboard in April tell you that you don't already know? That's right nothing. I just went to the website and tickets are not even on sale yet, but the schedule is up and renewals are going - sent mine in.

Then I went to Akron's site and they have 2005 prices, Ohio the same, UTsame!!! Then I got bored. But it looks like BG is a little ahead of the rest. Let them do their job and for once let's just support the team. THEY WILL NEED IT THIS YEAR!!!!