Argonauts Marketing in Toronto and the GTA

[BayArgonaut]

One of the things all of us were excited about when MLSE bought the Argos was their branding power and marketing potential. to date, i cannot recall seeing any bit of visual merchandising or advertising for the Argos. has anyone seen any around? has anyone heard word of any plans to initiate a (series) of promotions?

ill admit im severely disappointed in how little mlse has done for the visibility of the Argos thus far. im still hopeful, but im a 31 year old who has friends as young as 22 who have no idea Toronto has a professional football team. its disastrous.

[paulwoods13]

Attachment 941

Just throwing this out there for historical reference.

[BayArgonaut]

Attachment 941

Just throwing this out there for historical reference.

'fraid i cant see the attachment

[paulwoods13]

'fraid i cant see the attachment

I can't figure out how to post a picture that is not online. Sorry about that.

[Neely2005]

I can't figure out how to post a picture that is not online. Sorry about that.

You have to upload it to a file sharing site and then use the Link.

[AngeloV]

Argos responding to a tweet regarding jerseys:

@RealSports will have them when we launch our new jerseys in May.

— Toronto Argonauts (@TorontoArgos) April 11, 2019

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't realize this was posted in another thread. Mods, feel free to remove if so desired.

[BayArgonaut]

Argos responding to a tweet regarding jerseys:




EDIT: Sorry, I didn't realize this was posted in another thread. Mods, feel free to remove if so desired.

in any case, the Argos are doing a jersey launch and noone is talking it up. not one bit of promo or advertisement. its pathetic to be honest

[OV Argo]

in any case, the Argos are doing a jersey launch and noone is talking it up. not one bit of promo or advertisement. its pathetic to be honest

Some of us had a sneaking suspicion this supposed high powered sports machine that became Argo owners might not exactly know what they're doing in terms of Canadian football, the Argos and marketing of those 2 things.

But hey, it's still early ;o) - give them some time and the Argos will be a brand to reckon with again in GTA wannabeland; an NFL wannabe and some Volvo driving soccer snobs are just perfect to steer the good ship out of troubled waters.


I mentioned this idea before in another thread here on this subject. Could MLSE not be able to leverage an Argo booth set-up somewhere in or around the Leaf & Raptor home play-off games - just a small set-up with some photos and pamphlets of Argos history, some pocket scheds. to hand-out, and maybe a couple of Argo greats (eg. Pinball, Don Moen, Damon Allen. etc. whoever would volunteer) on hand to chat or pose for photos with sports fans. Can't see this idea costing much - too difficult or whacky to try ?

MUCH MORE EFFORT needed.

[paulwoods13]

in any case, the Argos are doing a jersey launch and noone is talking it up. not one bit of promo or advertisement. its pathetic to be honest

Or maybe the jerseys for all teams will be unveiled at the same time, in a launch coordinated by the league, not individual teams. New Era's contract is with the league. When every team got new jerseys in 2016, there was a single announcement featuring the entire league:

https://www.cfl.ca/2016/05/12/new-se...on-has-landed/

The same thing happened in 2005 when stars from each team (including John Avery of the Argos) came together in the new duds. I fully expect the same thing to happen this time. (And yes, I'm aware that Montreal did an unveil earlier this off-season but that was a complete makeover, including logo. And the Alouettes appeared to be in dire need of extra help getting fan attention.)

[BayArgonaut]

Or maybe the jerseys for all teams will be unveiled at the same time, in a launch coordinated by the league, not individual teams. New Era's contract is with the league. When every team got new jerseys in 2016, there was a single announcement featuring the entire league:

https://www.cfl.ca/2016/05/12/new-se...on-has-landed/

The same thing happened in 2005 when stars from each team (including John Avery of the Argos) came together in the new duds. I fully expect the same thing to happen this time. (And yes, I'm aware that Montreal did an unveil earlier this off-season but that was a complete makeover, including logo. And the Alouettes appeared to be in dire need of extra help getting fan attention.)

its more than likely what you say, but it doesnt have to be exclusive. the launch of any item can be spearheaded by the league but that doesnt mean the team cant ramp up a hype machine. there is plenty to work with to get word out about something i would say is pretty big. Montreal being the first, may mean they're launching from east to west. or no particular way, who knows.
this should be a talking point though, not just an "oh, here you are. surprise!".
unless of course, only montreal gets the overhaul...

[paulwoods13]

its more than likely what you say, but it doesnt have to be exclusive. the launch of any item can be spearheaded by the league but that doesnt mean the team cant ramp up a hype machine. there is plenty to work with to get word out about something i would say is pretty big. Montreal being the first, may mean they're launching from east to west. or no particular way, who knows.
this should be a talking point though, not just an "oh, here you are. surprise!".
unless of course, only montreal gets the overhaul...

So now that you're sounding a bit more rational (and hopefully by now you have also read Mike Hogan's detailed and diplomatic response), would it be too much to ask that you acknowledge that this is not "pathetic to be honest"? The way a few fans are so quick to condemn is astonishing and disheartening at times. In some cases (not yours, to be clear), virtually every post is negative and most amount to repetitious whining. It's a wonder anyone from the org ever bothers to read this forum, much less to offer dignified responses as Hoagie has done more than once.

[Mike Hogan]

Why would we talk up a jersey release when we have at least one other event before that? It's still weeks away. Why would we do that when the Raps and Leafs are both opening playoff series, taking up 99% of the sports pages? You'll find out about these things in due time. We're open to criticism or suggestions, but calling it pathetic is extreme, no?

I read somewhere that patience is a virtue.

If your definition of marketing is putting an ad in the paper or an ad on the radio, that's not the best bang for the buck anymore. The targeting of specific groups, school kids and young athletes, is something that needed to happen in this market and is long overdue. The connection to the Toronto Flag Football League is targeting young athletes who already have an interest in the sport, now we have to get them interested in our brand, team and league. The same goes for the pre-season game, it's an effort to get kids exposed to the Argos at an impressionable age...the same as many of us were. It's the same with our effort to get free footballs into the hands of kids. The more they play, the more inclined they'll be to become fans of the sport.

I think the people on the social media side have done a great job of keeping fans informed and entertained over the off season. I feel our Argonauts.ca content has kept fans informed of what's being done on the Xs and Os side, more so than in other off seasons.

The goal is to get people to become long-time fans. Without getting into specifics, our research shows if we can get people to a game, there's a good chance they'll come back. If we can get them to come out 3-4 times the odds are really good that they'll keep coming back on a regular basis.

The goal is to make going to an Argo game the best sporting event in the city for fans (I think it is now, but the goal is to make it even better). Be patient, I think you'll like what we have in store for this year.

This is the first full off-season for us to do a plan for a season. I've seen what's gone on behind the scenes and it's impressive. If you think MLSE is in this for the short term, you're wrong. The goal is to make this team a success on and off the field year after year after year.

What our ticketing department did last year with a 4-14 team and essentially three months lead-up to the season was astonishing. After Labour Day there was no walkup crowd, based mostly on the team's record, but overall the paid attendance still went up. There are some incredibly hard-working people with some great ideas busting their rear ends to make this team a success at the gate. Let them work their magic.

I love your passion and your desire to see more splash, but this is not a short-term turnaround in the market, and everyone I work with is aware of that. I hope you continue to work with us, not against us, to make that happen.

Cheers.

[BayArgonaut]

Why would we talk up a jersey release when we have at least one other event before that? It's still weeks away. Why would we do that when the Raps and Leafs are both opening playoff series, taking up 99% of the sports pages? You'll find out about these things in due time. We're open to criticism or suggestions, but calling it pathetic is extreme, no?

I read somewhere that patience is a virtue.

If your definition of marketing is putting an ad in the paper or an ad on the radio, that's not the best bang for the buck anymore. The targeting of specific groups, school kids and young athletes, is something that needed to happen in this market and is long overdue. The connection to the Toronto Flag Football League is targeting young athletes who already have an interest in the sport, now we have to get them interested in our brand, team and league. The same goes for the pre-season game, it's an effort to get kids exposed to the Argos at an impressionable age...the same as many of us were. It's the same with our effort to get free footballs into the hands of kids. The more they play, the more inclined they'll be to become fans of the sport.

I think the people on the social media side have done a great job of keeping fans informed and entertained over the off season. I feel our Argonauts.ca content has kept fans informed of what's being done on the Xs and Os side, more so than in other off seasons.

The goal is to get people to become long-time fans. Without getting into specifics, our research shows if we can get people to a game, there's a good chance they'll come back. If we can get them to come out 3-4 times the odds are really good that they'll keep coming back on a regular basis.

The goal is to make going to an Argo game the best sporting event in the city for fans (I think it is now, but the goal is to make it even better). Be patient, I think you'll like what we have in store for this year.

This is the first full off-season for us to do plan for a season. I've seen what's gone on behind the scenes and it's impressive. If you think MLSE is in this for the short term, you're wrong. The goal is to make this team a success on and off the field year after year after year.

What our ticketing department did last year with a 4-14 team and essentially three months lead-up to the season was astonishing. After Labour Day there was no walkup crowd, based mostly on the team's record, but overall the paid attendance still went up. There are some incredibly hard-working people with some great ideas busting their rear ends to make this team a success at the gate. Let them work their magic.

I love your passion and your desire to see more splash, but this is not a short-term turnaround in the market, and everyone I work with is aware of that. I hope you continue to work with us, not against us, to make that happen.

Cheers.

im trusting you on this 'cause you're the guy.

but being in the market, ive grown up with people not even knowing we have a professional football team, so something is off base when people will watch the nfl completely unaware there is a CFL. print or radio or tv isnt my idea of marketing, but really when image is everything around branding and the image isnt even visible it makes you wonder whats being done. i get alot of CFL ads because an algorithm has already determined that im interested in Canadian professional and collegiate football, not the case for many others.

you can always try to allocate a slot for any talking point around the league or a team, but the talking points need to be there. imagine if there was a teaser for anything Argos related while the 2.5 million heads are watching the Leafs v Boston. would it be a resounding success? who knows, but im sure theres a way to test the waters.

even with the amazing game day experience -something i'll never complain about- if people dont know an event is happening, how are they going to participate?
i've kept my renewal of season seats for a while but now am the only one in my group of friends to do so.



one thing i do want to ask you, if you happen to know: whats being done to get new canadians to be fans?
ive been ranting ad nauseam that second language media(maybe even broadcast?) needs to be done in either mandarin, punjabi, arabic, tagalog or cantonese(being the languages with largest increases) so that new canadians can participate in something canadian without giving up a part of their identity.

[Argo57]

Years (if not decades) of brand neglect won’t be turned around overnight, incremental improvements over an extended period of time will ultimately prove to be sustainable.

[CFLfan]

Years (if not decades) of brand neglect won’t be turned around overnight, incremental improvements over an extended period of time will ultimately prove to be sustainable.

It's always easy to blame "lack of marketing" etc but the last owner was part of MLSE and they did a great job of marketing.
How can anyone say that the brand was neglected? When they moved to BMO there was tons of publicity/marketing, the TV ads with the players running through the Princes Gates, the billboards, ads on the TTC all over the place. The publicity with the Shipyards, the concerts the $4 Beers etc
The Rap performers, the Doug Fluties boble head night.
Last year it was the $20 tickets, the $5 in-stadium draft beer, the Ex-tickets with admission.
This year a lot of talk about the pre-season game at Varsity for school kids.
Why do we always have to blame the owners for lack of marketing?
MLSE has to market, it's their team, why wouldn't they try to sell their own product?

[Argo57]

It's always easy to blame "lack of marketing" etc but the last owner was part of MLSE and they did a great job of marketing.
How can anyone say that the brand was neglected? When they moved to BMO there was tons of publicity/marketing, the TV ads with the players running through the Princes Gates, the billboards, ads on the TTC all over the place. The publicity with the Shipyards, the concerts the $4 Beers etc
The Rap performers, the Doug Fluties boble head night.
Last year it was the $20 tickets, the $5 in-stadium draft beer, the Ex-tickets with admission.
This year a lot of talk about the pre-season game at Varsity for school kids.
Why do we always have to blame the owners for lack of marketing?
MLSE has to market, it's their team, why wouldn't they try to sell their own product?

As I said years if not decades of brand neglect won’t be turned around overnight as we are seeing right now.
The move to BMO occurred in 2016, Argos for various reasons have been shrinking in the Toronto sports scene since the mid 1980’s.

[BayArgonaut]

As I said years if not decades of brand neglect won’t be turned around overnight as we are seeing right now.
The move to BMO occurred in 2016, Argos for various reasons have been shrinking in the Toronto sports scene since the mid 1980’s.

many will turn the blackouts for having lost an entire generation. im afraid i wasnt alive for that so i dont have a reference for it.
is that true though? im sure blackouts do not help one bit, but can anyone conclusively prove that was The major hit?(against the cfl as a whole)

[paulwoods13]

many will turn the blackouts for having lost an entire generation. im afraid i wasnt alive for that so i dont have a reference for it.
is that true though? im sure blackouts do not help one bit, but can anyone conclusively prove that was The major hit?(against the cfl as a whole)

I don't know anyone who says the blackout was the major reason for the CFL's decline in popularity from its peak in the period between 1976 and 1982 or so. It was just one of many, many reasons.

[CFLfan]

As I said years if not decades of brand neglect won’t be turned around overnight as we are seeing right now.
The move to BMO occurred in 2016, Argos for various reasons have been shrinking in the Toronto sports scene since the mid 1980’s.

Agree but why the big drop SINCE moving to BMO? Moving back to the CNE in a smaller stadium was supposed to be the Argos saviour. The average crowd was around 24k to 26k at the dome for final 5 or 6 years there (I don't count that final year), what happened to the 10k fans?
My theory is that the Argos have a majority of "older baby boomer" followers and many didn't want to sit outside or just didn't want to change.

[paulwoods13]

Agree but why the big drop SINCE moving to BMO? Moving back to the CNE in a smaller stadium was supposed to be the Argos saviour. The average crowd was around 24k to 26k at the dome for final 5 or 6 years there (I don't count that final year), what happened to the 10k fans?
My theory is that the Argos have a majority of "older baby boomer" followers and many didn't want to sit outside or just didn't want to change.

Two points about SkyDome attendance:

1. The average reported attendance for the final five years at SkyDome (not counting 2015) was 21,477, according to CFLdb.

2014 19,687
2013 21,926
2012 23,689
2011 20,017
2010 22,069
2009 26,374
2008 29,189
2007 26,423
2006 29,677
2005 30,195

2. Those are all reported attendance figures, and don't reflect either paid attendance or reality, IMO.

Having said that, there is no doubt that some fans from the SkyDome era (and not just Baby Boomers) don't like sitting outside. Too bad for them; that ship has sailed and we now play in a facility that IMO is infinitely better for football than SkyDome ever was.