Now is the Time for the Argos to Recruit New and Old Fans
In the Toronto Star, Doug Smith emphasizes that the Argos' Grey Cup victory gives them an excellent opportunity to contact every season ticket holder from previous seasons who have not renewed and try to bring them back, with promotions, such as two free tickets etc., if necessary. He also argues this is the time to strike in terms of signing up new sponsors.
https://www.thestar.com/sports/doug_...the-field.html
I agree that the Argos should do this, but they should go well beyond this and try to diversify their fan base. For example, signing up Drake as an ambassador, as the Raptors have done, after he sent a series of Instagrams during the Grey Cup game, would help attract young fans outside the typical Argo fan base. Russell Peters, who had ads running for his new show, The Indian Detective, that included comments on Canadian football during the game, might be another potential connection in linking to new fans. I am sure there are quite a few others. Part of the success in the large increase in the 1991 season came from creating an atmosphere where people saw it as cool to attend Argo games and identify with the celebrities who were there. Both Drake and Peters are from Toronto, so they not only have a natural connection to the city but a large fan base.
The Argos should also build on the League's Diversity in Strength campaign, especially in a market like Toronto with such a diverse population, as well as trying to get more coverage of its anti-bullying and other community programs, featuring the players involved, such as Jamal Campbell, who was inspired to pursue football by the Argos community programs and, in turn, has won the Toronto Urban Hero award for his community work.
Bob Ackles was able to rebuild the BC Lions fan base when he returned to the team in 2002, so this is possible, if done well. The first thing he did was put up pictures and bios of past Lions standouts in the practice facility to give a sense of history and pride to new players. Unfortunately, his death in 2008 was followed by the slow steady decline in Lion attendance when Braley, as in Toronto, did not spend much or well or promoting the team.
There is a small window to do this when the Argos name, thanks to its Grey Cup win, is hot. I am sure many of you have other suggestions on what can be done to recruit new fans as well.