Any and all ideas to boost Argos growth in the GTA- all input welcomed

[1971GreyCup]

Club Seat Section: the Argos currently sell club seats which includes a lounge and wifi.

Other teams include a hot buffet and players alumni. Given that Alumni games are marketed, Alumni return frequently, exclusive player access at half time seems like a natural. A hot buffet makes sense even if ticket prices are increased.

[1971GreyCup]

Annually the Argos offer a travel with the team promotion. Since they already charter a plane and get 100 away ticket use +50 hotel rooms, why not do 9 promos per year. Fans that promote the teams expansion qualify. Marginal cost to the team, and a lifetime experience for the fan. Builds on the idea that the CFL is the most accessible league in sports.

[Jayahre]

Annually the Argos offer a travel with the team promotion. Since they already charter a plane and get 100 away ticket use +50 hotel rooms, why not do 9 promos per year. Fans that promote the teams expansion qualify. Marginal cost to the team, and a lifetime experience for the fan. Builds on the idea that the CFL is the most accessible league in sports.

But it would only work for the western road trips. Two of the road games this year are in Hamilton, therefore only one trip to Ottawa and one to Montreal this year and both by train.

Other ideas like adding a hot buffet to the club seats? really? do you think that would put bums in the seats?
We need some real ideas!!
I'm sure they have the MLSE marketing department working on ideas. It boils down to attracting the young millenials, the TFC type crowd

[Jon Gonzo]

Beat the bushes at the grassroots. Get a big, aggressive and enthusiastic sales team to scour the city and work on GROUP SALES. Sell the experience, the players, the team. Strive for continuity with a roster. Boys and Girls Club, Knights of Columbus, YM/YWCA, Make a Wish, Legions. Get someone on the fringes like in KW, Newmarket, Keswick, Oshawa....working class & corporate.

The deals of today will be the regular customers of tomorrow if the experience/ and the team is good enough!

[ArgoGabe22]

1. Get local breweries have a promotion like Budweiser did with NFL, NHL. Give away collector shirts or caps with the various logos over the years.

2. Have promoters on foot around Toronto talk to people. Give away stickers, key chains, pins and some sort of ticket promo like 25% off or buy one get one coupon.

3. Cheaper nose bleed zone for students.

4. Branch out and have events around the GTA, Peel, Durham, etc.

5. Bring back see you on field, even for at least one game a season. I'm sure the turf will be fine if they allow it once.

6. Organize flag football tournaments in elementary/high schools. Have players come and visit the kids.

[Scooter McCray]

But it would only work for the western road trips. Two of the road games this year are in Hamilton, therefore only one trip to Ottawa and one to Montreal this year and both by train.

Other ideas like adding a hot buffet to the club seats? really? do you think that would put bums in the seats?
We need some real ideas!!
I'm sure they have the MLSE marketing department working on ideas. It boils down to attracting the young millenials, the TFC type crowdMLSE marketing team? Where we're they last year? Do they need to market Leafs - no. Do they need to market Raptors? - no since Leaf STH are required to buy Raptors tickets. TFC ? Not sure what they do there but it works to full out the stadium. I think it's a great idea to promote travel with the team. Very innovative and exciting and inclusive. They need to get the corporations back to buy seats and become sponsors.

[Neely2005]

But it would only work for the western road trips. Two of the road games this year are in Hamilton, therefore only one trip to Ottawa and one to Montreal this year and both by train.

Other ideas like adding a hot buffet to the club seats? really? do you think that would put bums in the seats?
We need some real ideas!!
I'm sure they have the MLSE marketing department working on ideas. It boils down to attracting the young millenials, the TFC type crowd

All input welcomed, no need for the negativity.

[Neely2005]

Here's something that Montreal is doing:

See 3 Alouettes' guaranteed home wins with the 3-WIN PACKAGE, available for only $79!

Buy your package for the first 3 home games of the regular season… and if the team does not win its first 3 home games, you'll get tickets for the next home game. (Seats are limited and only available in 2 sections of the stadium).* *** **

[Downtownfan]

Beat the bushes at the grassroots. Get a big, aggressive and enthusiastic sales team to scour the city and work on GROUP SALES. Sell the experience, the players, the team. Strive for continuity with a roster. Boys and Girls Club, Knights of Columbus, YM/YWCA, Make a Wish, Legions. Get someone on the fringes like in KW, Newmarket, Keswick, Oshawa....working class & corporate.

The deals of today will be the regular customers of tomorrow if the experience/ and the team is good enough!

This. We need to "get to" ordinary people and groups. We are actually only about 5K away from having over 20K per game at the stadium, which would be pretty awesome. With committed sales people, I am sure we could get there, and hope we do.

[1971GreyCup]

A problem that the corporate teams face vs. the community teams will be a lack of resources to bring to bear. The community teams can mobilize local groups to promote in the community. Corporate teams need to hire up for the same initiatives. This can be very problematic in the new, austere league.

["Issues"Mcgee]

Simple. Get Drake to go to games and to tell everyone how awesome they are during a winning season.

[Fumblitis]

Invite your non or casual CFL family/friends to games, take advantage of free ticket giveaways and gather them together for road games at a local pub.

[Will]

The Argos got Dart Guy aboard. He says he's been an Argo fan for a long time.

[Neely2005]

New CFL ad campaign targets women and millennials:

http://3downnation.com/2017/05/04/new-cfl-ad-campaign-targets-women-millenials/

[1971GreyCup]

Bring back the Quarterback Club weekly event. It's working well in other CFL cities.

[Topshelf]

They have to make an impact signing to put this team on the map, and only one player can do that..... Johnny Manziel.
It was discussed in a previous thread, but it really is the only way for them to immediately generate interest. It worked with the Rocket, it worked initially for Ricky Williams, sign Manziel and sell out the home opener.
As an added bonus, Toronto would once again become the big market villains of the cfl.

[paulwoods13]

This is getting redundant, but here we go again. It worked with the Rocket -- for Week 1 of that season, and the Eastern Final. Otherwise attendance was up only slightly from the previous season (although the Argos drew huge crowds on their road trips). By 1992, there was no impact from Rocket whatsoever.

It did not work with Ricky Williams. Attendance went down from 2005 (if we can believe any of the figures that were reported by the ownership of that era). And after one year, Ricky was gone and nothing had been done to help the franchise in any sustainable way.

If a signing like Manziel is the only thing that can generate interest, we're doomed. I happen to believe the franchise's fortunes can be improved slowly and steadily and without short-term stunts that inevitably rebound in the other direction afterward.

[jerrym]

A signing like Manziel is more likely to invite ridicule than interest.

[Topshelf]

The grassroots approach would be to look at the Ottawa model, I think the first step has to be deciding who your target audience is.
This year the Argos have a much better home schedule. It's year two of BMO, and new ownership has had a full year to try to come up with a marketing plan.
Long term they need marketable stars and continuity of roster.
But short term you need something to put the team on the map again. I started following the team in the Dunnigan/Ismail years, through the flutie era, but now would have trouble naming any players other than Ray. The team needs visibility, continuity, and a fun game day atmosphere. But they could use a splash to kick start the process.

[Harpastum]

I agree with everything you say Topshelf.
And since none of this is rocket science - I'd like to think ownership is in full agreement as well.
Funny - I was thinking just today - I've been a season seats holder off & on since the early 90's.
And it's scary how I too - used to be able to name a good number of players - but not so anymore...
Is that the fault of management - or do I blame it on early Alzheimer's?

[jerrym]

Now that the CFL has begun a diversity program to attract fans from non-traditional demographic groups (i.e. those other than white males over 50 like me) the Argos should piggyback on this, as, other than possibly Vancouver, no other CFL city has such diverse demographics. This could include: clinics on rules and watching the game (possibly in several languages for large ethnic groups); promoting girl flag football leagues with Argo personnel helping out; helping start a girls/women tackle football league (there are one's in western Canada and the Maritimes); putting on half-time shows and commercials that appeal to 15-30 year olds; more social media advertising since this is the world of youth; giving athletic/academic scholarships in the Argos names to Toronto high schools in which Argo personnel attend the schools to award them; attending events of non-traditional demographic groups regularly on an ongoing basis.
The latter can be important as shown by the Canadian Conservative party. Around the world minorities show low levels of support for Conservative parties. However, the Canadian Conservatives, rather than ignoring them started attending every event they could in the early 2000s and listening to them. Until Trudeau recaptured much of their vote because of his appeal to them and until the Conservatives ran the "barbaric practices" campaign that not only alienated Moslems but virtually all minorities, who thought we could be their next target, the Conservatives were very steadily picking up more and more minority support that reflected in growth in their popular support, especially in urban areas with large minority populations. In many of these cultures, including the Filipino culture of my wife, doing something for someone else creates an obligation to return the favour that must be accepted. This becomes central to building a relationship to a much greater extent than in typical Canadian culture.
They should also look at how other sports/organizations have broadened their demographic appeal and imitate their success where possible.
It's a long-term project, but given Toronto's demographics, ignoring non-traditional demographic groups leaves the Argos with an aging demographic. And you know what happens after you stop aging!

[jerrym]

The Tiger Cats have made some changes, primarily aimed to appeal to a younger demographic, some of which might be worth considering by the Argos. Of course, stadium design and differences in demographics may mean some are not worth pursuing.



Several years ago, as they were analyzing proposed plans for their new home, the Tiger-Cats were acutely aware that what fans want and expect in live entertainment was evolving rapidly.
“There was an insight during the design process, ” says Matt Afinec, the Ticat executive v-p of business. “By design, there are all these great spaces at Tim Hortons Field.”
Those spaces are in obvious play with the “360-degree out-of-seat social viewing” projects the football team announced this week.
The “360” refers to fans being able to move from one side of the stadium to the other through both end zone areas, and to stop on either end zone patio to view the field. The “out-of-seat” part is just as it sounds. A certain portion of fans – generally, those under the age of 40 – no longer want to watch the game only from assigned seats. They want to feel less restricted, connect with friends and other fans in common areas and see the game from different angles.
“For the three years we’ve been in Tim Hortons Field, we’ve watched movement patterns, ” Afinec says. “We see how many people are standing, especially younger fans. After three years of observing and, more importantly, listening to our fans, we’ve come up with an added experience for our fans, and value-added for our partners (sponsors).”
The alterations include a massive 110-foot-long full service bar behind the south end zone, accessible to all ticket holders.
The touchdown steam whistle previously located in the east stands will now sit on a 12-foot pedestal in the south end patio. “We found people love taking selfies with it, ” Afinec said. ...


About 80 per cent of the north end zone patio, previously restricted to assigned-ticket holders, will now be open to all ticket holders and there will be about 200 standing room tickets available at $29 per game.
There’s a craft gardens in the southeast corner.
And the first-level concourse under the east stands will house a community relaxation and TV-viewing lounge.
And the Findlay Family Zone in the northwest corner of the stadium will now have a 2,000-square-foot Ticats-themed playground.




http://3downnation.com/2017/05/19/ticats-hope-game-experience-just-got-360-degrees-better/