Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Discussion of the Falcon football team.
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Ydfalcon
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Ydfalcon »

Dayons_Den wrote:I think the authentic/replica adidas jersey boils down to a supply and demand thing.

SBX is obviously in tune with the fact that people will spend $65 or so on the Sportex replica jersey. They carry them, often times home and away, multiple numbers and are fairly quick to get new designs in their store.

SBX also carries a decent variety of adidas BG gear- polos, jackets, t-shirts etc.

This says to me a couple of things. One, SBX probably has looked in to carrying adidas replica jerseys. And two, SBX has probably determined it wouldn't be worth it for them to make the purchase. I would venture to guess that either adidas requires a massive minimum on replica jerseys or the price point on the replicas is set so that it doesn't make sense for SBX to carry the adidas ones after carrying the Sportex ones they currently have. Or both (high minimum and high price point).

I've been pretty satisfied with the Sportex jersey- it is quality and a pretty accurate replica. Would I like an adidas one? Yes, but I probably wouldn't buy as many if the price was closer to $100, I have multiple Sportex jerseys- Omar white, Diyral orange, brown #18, Partridge white, and Tyler orange.

And those of you complaining about selection, the last time I was in SBX I was blown away with the added floor space since the expanded and the great selection of shirts, hats, and novelties.
Well, that's kinda the thing, it's SBX that has jerseys which actually look like our jerseys (I don't care who makes them, I just care that they look right), and it's SBX that has this great selection. Meanwhile, our official store, especially online, is woefully behind.

By the way, to your comments about price point, while I know that Tennessee's jerseys are less complicated than ours, they sell their replica Adidas ones for around $55-$60 in their official store, roughly the same price we pay for the Sportex ones from a third party store.

But like I said, I really don't care if it's an Adidas replica or a Sportex replica, I just want a jersey that has the right colors and elements in the right spots. (Which I have one, a Briggs away jersey, seeing as SBX sold out of home jerseys and said they wouldn't get any more in until August [this was in March], so I got what I could.) Right now, the bookstore doesn't have anything better than the jersey I mentioned and put a picture of earlier in this thread. And while it is the correct shade of orange, and the numbers are in the "BG font," but that's about it. No shoulder stripes, no brown cuffs, collar, or side stripes, and the interlocking BG where the word Falcons ought to be on the upper chest.
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Class of 61 »

Up until about 3 yrs. ago, or so, I often complained to OUR main bookstore in the Union re: a major LACK of alumni gear...had to go to SBX to get stuff.
I also suggested that the bookstore look into the sound chip items..i.e. OSU has a bottle/can opener that plays Across the Field or similar...
Thought we could do something similar to this...and a couple of kids who were in line behind me when I made the suggestion said they'd buy them up in a heartbeat... could also use them in the "singing" greeting cards etc.
The manager's response was that they couldn't afford to buy enough chips to make it worth their while. Sounded very much like the arguments I used to get re: the lack of CD's for BG's music organizations, especially the Marching band. It wasn't until I got the support of a friend on the alumni board who helped push this, that the 1st band CD was made available for sale. If we REALLY want to be a D-I school, we have to promote like it, IMO. :roll:
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Dayons_Den »

Remember though that the mission of the bookstore is no to be the official outiftter to falcon athletics. It is first and foremost a book store. It isn't a team shop like the Indians have at Belden Village Mall and what not. It is nice that they continue to improve the items they carry, but Falcon Athletic gear isn't their purpose. They are there to provide the bookstore aspect and additionally make a profit. Still, they continue to provide better quality and more variety year after year, remember when the bookstore was in the bottom of Saddlemire?

Falcon merchandise is an area that SBX has always had good selection has picked up on the "new era" (I tie this to when Urban started and got everyone excited to wear BG gear on campus) of falcon fans and continued to also grow. Remember that it is neither university bookstore's responsibility to provide a full menu of memorabilia or trinkets and in the same vein the market dictates what SBX carries. Both have continued to improve on quality, price, and selection, based on what we buy.
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by hammb »

Certainly the BGSU Bookstore's #1 mission is to make sure that they have the books available for every class on campus. Their #2 mission should be to turn a profit.

SBX has those exact same missions, but I think you could make an argument that they're reversed. Of course, I think you could also make an argument that if they don't also have the books for every class, it will impact their ability to make a profit.

I see the two entities as directly competing for student & alumni dollars. BGSU apparel and fan items are a large part of their business. If SBX can carry certain things and still maintain their profit margins, I find it very difficult to believe that the University run bookstores couldn't also do so. Like '61 said, if you want to be a D1 university you should be willing to market yourselves like one.

From my perspective SBX has always been my goto place for BGSU items. They have a far better selection than the BGSU On Main store, and they're far more convenient than the on campus bookstore.
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Flipper »

SBX=private enterprise run by a profit motivated individual. University bookstore=entity that will be there pretty much no matter what happens on the bottom line. That should tell you all you need to know about which entity is more sensitive to the needs and wants of the consumer.... :-)
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Father Brown »

Dayons_Den wrote:I think the authentic/replica adidas jersey boils down to a supply and demand thing.

SBX is obviously in tune with the fact that people will spend $65 or so on the Sportex replica jersey. They carry them, often times home and away, multiple numbers and are fairly quick to get new designs in their store.

SBX also carries a decent variety of adidas BG gear- polos, jackets, t-shirts etc.

This says to me a couple of things. One, SBX probably has looked in to carrying adidas replica jerseys. And two, SBX has probably determined it wouldn't be worth it for them to make the purchase. I would venture to guess that either adidas requires a massive minimum on replica jerseys or the price point on the replicas is set so that it doesn't make sense for SBX to carry the adidas ones after carrying the Sportex ones they currently have. Or both (high minimum and high price point).

I've been pretty satisfied with the Sportex jersey- it is quality and a pretty accurate replica. Would I like an adidas one? Yes, but I probably wouldn't buy as many if the price was closer to $100, I have multiple Sportex jerseys- Omar white, Diyral orange, brown #18, Partridge white, and Tyler orange.

And those of you complaining about selection, the last time I was in SBX I was blown away with the added floor space since the expanded and the great selection of shirts, hats, and novelties.
SBX has improved. If your timing is right, you can find select items that are well done. In particular, they had a nice selection of UA polo shirts and hockey SS and LS shirts with very cool graphics. But its still not great overall. For the private merchants, they either get it or they dont. Its their business and if they want to miss out on providing the best selection, oh well. But I have no such mercy for University sponsored outlets. They have an obligation to offer the best product line as our vanguard apparel provider. The offering should be coordinated with our AD based on vendor selection just like time is taken to develop the uniforms for the teams. I am not saying vendors other than Addidas cant be included, but the fact that we dont even have a dedicated selection with premium floor space allocated for our Sideline Gear is totally totally crazy. Dedicate 40% of our merchandise sq footage to the Sideline Gear with special shelves/racks, etc and include a logical suite of addidas based clothing like: (1) Polos (2) Two to Three nice graphical SS and LS shirts (3) Visor (4) B-Ball cap (5) Pull Over with two color options. I will guarantee it will sell well and be the best avg purchase ticket sizen (for example, a % of alum and fans will also buy a combination of these items together for a complete look). At least do this for Fall Semester when the freshman and new parents are also cruising around campus getting ready to show off the Brown n Orange.
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Ydfalcon »

I was doing some poking around the internet today, and came across this:

http://bgstores.bgsu.edu/STORE1/SiteText.aspx?id=1989

I found it interesting that there were a number of items on this site (which is a little better put together as well) that are not on the "official store" site which you can get to from the athletic page. Including a slightly better (more accurate) football jersey replica.
2009-08-09_15-26_BGSU Bookstore Merchandise.jpg
2009-08-09_15-26_BGSU Bookstore Merchandise.jpg (17.61 KiB) Viewed 475 times
Which still has a few elements off, but is better than the solid orange one. What struck me as unusual is that this site is kinda hidden amongst the BGSU offices pages, with a link to it from the bookstore office page. This seems to be a lot better of a site than the "official store" in terms of what is available, yet it's very difficult to get to.
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by professorjackson »

"SBX=private enterprise run by a profit motivated individual. University bookstore=entity that will be there pretty much no matter what happens on the bottom line. That should tell you all you need to know about which entity is more sensitive to the needs and wants of the consumer.... "

Yet it's my understanding the BG Bookstore makes a very significant profit.
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Falcon Fanatic »

Since expanding into the old Mark's location, SBX has vastly improved the amount of Falcon merchandise and apparell items they carry! I cannot believe all the cool BG stuff you can get in there now!!! They sell a "Support Falcon Hockey" window cling, magnet and now a shirt. Awesome stuff!!! I could $pend $ome $eriou$ ca$h in there..... :twisted:
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by BGFan »

Falcon Fanatic wrote:Since expanding into the old Mark's location, SBX has vastly improved the amount of Falcon merchandise and apparell items they carry! I cannot believe all the cool BG stuff you can get in there now!!! They sell a "Support Falcon Hockey" window cling, magnet and now a shirt. Awesome stuff!!! I could $pend $ome $eriou$ ca$h in there..... :twisted:
I believe that you already have....
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Falconfreak90 »

BGFan wrote:
Falcon Fanatic wrote:Since expanding into the old Mark's location, SBX has vastly improved the amount of Falcon merchandise and apparell items they carry! I cannot believe all the cool BG stuff you can get in there now!!! They sell a "Support Falcon Hockey" window cling, magnet and now a shirt. Awesome stuff!!! I could $pend $ome $eriou$ ca$h in there..... :twisted:
I believe that you already have....
:lol: :lol:

Yeah, leave the credit cards in the car when walking into SBX...although I think they are a bit too pricey on a lot of stuff.
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Falcon Fanatic »

Falconfreak90 wrote:
BGFan wrote:
Falcon Fanatic wrote:Since expanding into the old Mark's location, SBX has vastly improved the amount of Falcon merchandise and apparell items they carry! I cannot believe all the cool BG stuff you can get in there now!!! They sell a "Support Falcon Hockey" window cling, magnet and now a shirt. Awesome stuff!!! I could $pend $ome $eriou$ ca$h in there..... :twisted:
I believe that you already have....
:lol: :lol:

Yeah, leave the credit cards in the car when walking into SBX...although I think they are a bit too pricey on a lot of stuff.
And the cost of the newer stuff when up....the University upped the cost of their licensing recently!! :?
"Regarding BGSU, I would think their biggest strength is that they never give up, They never slow down and they battle hard even after the other team scores. We have to be on our game and never, ever take the foot off the gas for a second."
~~USCHO Poster
"BG was relentless. It's like they know that a good first pass on the breakout from a defenseman will almost always result in an odd-man rush against them - but they go in anyway and dare you to make that pass. All three of their goals were just grit and effort. That's a team any fan can be proud to support...they give all they've got."
~~USCHO Poster, AFTER Tech beat us
#NeverGiveUp
#NeverSurrender
#Relentless
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by Falconfreak90 »

Falcon Fanatic wrote:
Falconfreak90 wrote:
BGFan wrote:
Falcon Fanatic wrote:Since expanding into the old Mark's location, SBX has vastly improved the amount of Falcon merchandise and apparell items they carry! I cannot believe all the cool BG stuff you can get in there now!!! They sell a "Support Falcon Hockey" window cling, magnet and now a shirt. Awesome stuff!!! I could $pend $ome $eriou$ ca$h in there..... :twisted:
I believe that you already have....
:lol: :lol:

Yeah, leave the credit cards in the car when walking into SBX...although I think they are a bit too pricey on a lot of stuff.
And the cost of the newer stuff when up....the University upped the cost of their licensing recently!! :?
Not good to hear with the Freaklings and I coming up Sat for the Football event...we were gonna hit the bookstore. Guess we'll stick to window decals for the time being...maybe a new BG football shirt.
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by VDub26Falcon »

Ydfalcon wrote:I was doing some poking around the internet today, and came across this:

http://bgstores.bgsu.edu/STORE1/SiteText.aspx?id=1989

I found it interesting that there were a number of items on this site (which is a little better put together as well) that are not on the "official store" site which you can get to from the athletic page. Including a slightly better (more accurate) football jersey replica.
2009-08-09_15-26_BGSU Bookstore Merchandise.jpg
Which still has a few elements off, but is better than the solid orange one. What struck me as unusual is that this site is kinda hidden amongst the BGSU offices pages, with a link to it from the bookstore office page. This seems to be a lot better of a site than the "official store" in terms of what is available, yet it's very difficult to get to.
A FEW elements off??? Those numbers look ridiculous! I'm glad I got my Orange one last year with correct fonts, sizes and all that good stuff! GO FALCONS!!! 20 DAYS!
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Re: Ideas for Falcon Marketing Upgrades

Post by TexCat »

Class of 61 wrote:Up until about 3 yrs. ago, or so, I often complained to OUR main bookstore in the Union re: a major LACK of alumni gear...had to go to SBX to get stuff.
I also suggested that the bookstore look into the sound chip items..i.e. OSU has a bottle/can opener that plays Across the Field or similar...
Thought we could do something similar to this...and a couple of kids who were in line behind me when I made the suggestion said they'd buy them up in a heartbeat... could also use them in the "singing" greeting cards etc.
:roll:
I can barely believe my eyes. Class of 61 wants to duplicate a marketing effort of The Ohio State University! Holy smokes! Wait until your family finds out! Oops.....they already did.

Texcat

P.S. Their bottle opener plays "Hang On Sloopy".
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