Tailgating Cancelled

[AngeloV]

Over what time period?

Does it really matter? Even that number is over the full 2 years, That's a steep cost.

[Neely2005]

Does it really matter? Even that number is over the full 2 years, That's a steep cost.

Of course it matters, big difference between per game and for 2 seasons + playoff game + Grey Cup.

The Tailgate is basically marketing and it's definitely cheaper and more effective than producing and airing television commercials.

[ArgoZ]

$350 000 over 2 years? Plausible/possible. Game day staff, paramedics, cheerleaders, etc are all on extended hours, no extra mobilization costs. Police are $60/hr each. Portables are $80-100 each a week, not sure on a single day cost. Not much revenue at $4 beers. Biggest costs were no doubt the licensing and renting of property, which is harder to estimate, but I doubt even 100 cars at $30 covers it. I thought the number would have to be much higher to scrap it, $175 000 a year doesn’t sound too bad. Yeah, not my money though...

[Argo57]

Of course it matters, big difference between per game and for 2 seasons + playoff game + Grey Cup.

The Tailgate is basically marketing and it's definitely cheaper and more effective than producing and airing television commercials.

If these $$ are true it is a pretty big expense when you are only drawing 15,000 per game.

[BATKINSON001]

Over what time period?

over the course of all of last season.

[Neely2005]

If these $$ are true it is a pretty big expense when you are only drawing 15,000 per game.

I guarantee you it's a lot cheaper then producing and airing television commercials.

[Argo57]

I guarantee you it's a lot cheaper then producing and airing television commercials.

So what?
I understand some fans enjoyed the tailgating experience but spending a reported $350,000+ per year (or even over 2 years) on a venture that relatively few took advantage of isn’t smart business especially considering attendance has dropped in the two years tailgating was available.

[paulwoods13]

Of course it matters, big difference between per game and for 2 seasons + playoff game + Grey Cup.

The Tailgate is basically marketing and it's definitely cheaper and more effective than producing and airing television commercials.

Cheaper, maybe. More effective, I don't know how you can conclude that. The tailgates did not materially increase attendance, it would appear. Whatever marketing they represented was to a small, select audience of attendees -- most of whom would go to games regardless.

[Argo57]

Cheaper, maybe. More effective, I don't know how you can conclude that. The tailgates did not materially increase attendance, it would appear. Whatever marketing they represented was to a small, select audience of attendees -- most of whom would go to games regardless.

Maybe the money the Argonauts have just spent (in lost ticket revenue) from their revised seat pricing will be more effective in enticing new fans down to the stadium?
Can’t hurt.

[AngeloV]

Of course it matters, big difference between per game and for 2 seasons + playoff game + Grey Cup.

The Tailgate is basically marketing and it's definitely cheaper and more effective than producing and airing television commercials.

To lose that amount of money, even over 2 full years is unacceptable for something that really did nothing to improve attendance which actually went down in year 2. That is not very good "basic marketing". Just because you liked it, doesn't mean it was successful, or even worth it.

I guarantee you it's a lot cheaper then producing and airing television commercials.

Really? Considering the team is owned by the 2 biggest media companies in the country, I would venture to say TV and radio commercials can be had for considerably less.

[Neely2005]

To lose that amount of money, even over 2 full years is unacceptable for something that really did nothing to improve attendance which actually went down in year 2. That is not very good "basic marketing". Just because you liked it, doesn't mean it was successful, or even worth it.



Really? Considering the team is owned by the 2 biggest media companies in the country, I would venture to say TV and radio commercials can be had for considerably less.

And you would be wrong. Rogers/Bell etc. aren't allowed to sell advertising time to themselves at a lower price.

[Neely2005]

Cheaper, maybe. More effective, I don't know how you can conclude that. The tailgates did not materially increase attendance, it would appear. Whatever marketing they represented was to a small, select audience of attendees -- most of whom would go to games regardless.

TV advertising delivers the lowest bang for buck of any advertising medium.

[paulwoods13]

TV advertising delivers the lowest bang for buck of any advertising medium.

Maybe so. But that doesn't make the tailgates a more effective marketing tool.

[AngeloV]

And you would be wrong. Rogers/Bell etc. aren't allowed to sell advertising time to themselves at a lower price.

Who's talking advertising in the sense of commercials? All you have to do is look at the days leading up to the Eastern Final. James Wilder was on CP24, interviewed during a Leaf game, as well as the Canadian version of the View on CTV (not sure of the name). They did a media blitz with him, and that resulted in the biggest Argo crowd at BMO, on the coldest day to hold an Argos game since the move. That's just CTV. If Rogers can get on board, and they both can continue to do that type of thing, that is better advertising than anything the tailgate can bring in, and guess what, it doesn't cost them anything.

[Shatto]

So we have an unsubstantiated comment from an anonymous third party that the tailgate cost $350,000. Until the powers that be, provide a detailed accounting breakdown of the costs, we will have absolutely no idea of the real costs of the tailgating.

It appears that tailgating was cancelled on the basis that Manning considered it "forced" and "cost too much". Sorry but an explanation based on a more objective and informed analysis should have been communicated before removing a promotion unique to this team and that hundreds of fans enjoyed.

[ArgoRavi]

Who's talking advertising in the sense of commercials? All you have to do is look at the days leading up to the Eastern Final. James Wilder was on CP24, interviewed during a Leaf game, as well as the Canadian version of the View on CTV (not sure of the name). They did a media blitz with him, and that resulted in the biggest Argo crowd at BMO, on the coldest day to hold an Argos game since the move. That's just CTV. If Rogers can get on board, and they both can continue to do that type of thing, that is better advertising than anything the tailgate can bring in, and guess what, it doesn't cost them anything.

That would be The Social, AV, and I agree that the media blitz prior to the East Final was very effective.

[R.J]

And you would be wrong. Rogers/Bell etc. aren't allowed to sell advertising time to themselves at a lower price.

They don't pay for slots when they own the content. The CRTC allows media companies to sell most slots for a profit, however there's usually 1-2 minutes per half hour for "local availability"/in house content. Originally, it was set up for the Canadian Media companies to promote in house Canadian programming, but in September 2015 IIRC it was changed to include anything they own or have the rights to. So as an example, say your watching a TSN and see a promo for a Leaf game, Bell doesn't pay themselves to air it, neither does Rogers pay when they air ads for the Blue Jays. It may cost Bell and Rogers money to make the ads, but nowhere near $350k, and it costs them nothing to air these promos. Do you honestly think Bell paid themselves when the "This is Argos Football" promo aired on CTV ?

Media blitzes work to a degree, and it seems as though the tailgating didn't. Look at it this way, if tailgating was doing so well and popular, why did they combine the tailgating and Shipyard in 2017 after having it separate in 2016 ?
And why is the Shipyard being kept around, but not the tailgate ?

Also, you state that tv advertising delivers the lowest bang for buck, and while digital advertising revenue has surpassed tv ad revenue, 75% of consumers state that tv advertising are the most effective at reaching them.
https://spinsucks.com/marketing/tv-a...tal-marketing/

You may want to look up some of the things that you're trying to pass off as "facts".

[R.J]

Who's talking advertising in the sense of commercials? All you have to do is look at the days leading up to the Eastern Final. James Wilder was on CP24, interviewed during a Leaf game, as well as the Canadian version of the View on CTV (not sure of the name). They did a media blitz with him, and that resulted in the biggest Argo crowd at BMO, on the coldest day to hold an Argos game since the move. That's just CTV. If Rogers can get on board, and they both can continue to do that type of thing, that is better advertising than anything the tailgate can bring in, and guess what, it doesn't cost them anything.

I think you're talking about "The Social". And I agree, all the promoting they did was way better at bringing fans in than the tailgate ever did. If the tailgate was so successful, as some make it out to be, it wouldn't have been cancelled in it's current form.

[Rich]

Media blitzes work to a degree, and it seems as though the tailgating didn't.

I'll say it again. It is ludicrous to suggest the tailgates were a failure on the basis of two years of experience. It's not as if the people of Toronto took a look and decided they weren't interested in Argonaut tailgates. The truth is that the average Joe was never even aware of the Argonaut tailgates, let alone what a great experience they can be. In a crowded sports marketplace with the Argos at the bottom of the media ladder it would have taken a lot longer than two years for a critical mass of Torontonians to even discover that Argonaut tailgates even exist in the first place.

Tailgating is a tradition that grows over time, and it's pretty damn hard to establish a tradition in just two years, especially when relatively few people knows it even exists.

[Ron]

One thing being overlooked. If the tailgates made money ... MLSE would never cancel it. The process obviously cost them more than it was worth and they had the stats to show whether it was worth the effort for them.

To me I'm happy we have ownership that stops any bleeding as fast as possible ... even if some fans are butthurt about it. Too many times in the past we watched ownerships throw good money after bad ideas.

As to those worried about tailgating. Seems to me I remember plenty of organic tailgating when the Argos played at Skydome.