2015 FGCU Women's Soccer Marketing Plan

FGCU Women’s Soccer

2015 Marketing Plan

FGCU-Women’s Soccer Marketing Plan Page 2 of 16 As of: 9/10/15 -- KT

2015 FGCU Women’s Soccer Marketing Plan

Marketing Plan Summary.………………...………………….……………………..…………….3 Attendance Research.………………...…………..…………………………………..…………….4

Program Review – 2014 Season (4)

Attendance Review – 2014 Season (4-5)

Attendance Review – 2011-2014 Seasons (5-6)

Attendance Observations (6) Product Analysis (SWOT)……………………………………………………….……………………7 2015 Season Outlook………………………………………………………………………………….8

Full Schedule (8)

Home Games (9)

Season Preview (9) Promotional Calendar……………………………………………….……………………………..10

New for 2015 (10)

Group Sales Initiatives (11)

Season-long promotions (11-12)

Individual Game promotions (12-14) Promotional Items/Graphics Portfolio………………...……………………………………15 Marketing Plan Recap (post-2015 season).....………….………………….……………16

Full attendance recap

Suggestions for upcoming seasons (16)


Goal #1: First weekend average

attendance of 680

Goal #2 Average group

attendance of 30 per game

Goal #3 Average student

attendance of 225 per game

- Have new, more interactive in-game promotions to engage the fans and bring them more into the game. - Redone Spirit Cup Challenge to engage Greek Life throughout the season, not just for the one Spirit Cup Challenge event. - Revamped WingsUp App student rewards. New prizes and prize store where students buy prizes that they choose. - Continue to strengthen partnership with Housing through Housing Challenge and events with RAs. - Improvements to Blue/Green events to increase cross-student-athlete attendance at events. - Athletics Liaison and Alpha Eagles campaigns through the Dirty Birds.

- Focus marketing on new community and youth group packages. - Joe George helping to sell packages to bring programs and communities out. - Recognize achievements of local teams and communities in goal to unite and connect local programs and communities with our program. - Ball kid opportunities and World Cup style walk-out allows for unique team interaction

- Promote home opener strong to students. - Coming off Eagle Revolution - Day after Fall Sports event with students and Dirty Birds. - Pre-game tailgate on Friday night game. - Camper Day on Sunday to draw in campers early to work to return to future games in fall. - Strong group sales push for Sunday.

FGCU Women’s Soccer Marketing Plan Summary

Objectives Strategic Initiatives Tactics

Overall Goal:

Average attendance Of 650 per game


2014 Season Program and Attendance Research/Recap Program Review: 2014 Season Head Coach Jim Blankenship and his team are coming off another strong, successful season in the Atlantic Sun. They won 17 games, breaking the FGCU program record. The 2014 season was the Eagles fifth consecutive A-Sun Regular Season Championship and third NCAA Tournament appearance. It was also the program’s third A-Sun Tournament title. FGCU finished the 2014 campaign 17-4 and a perfect 7-0 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Behind strong home crowds, the Eagles went 11-1 at home. Their lone home loss came to Auburn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That game drew a record crowd (2,014); breaking the previous record set earlier in the season when A-Sun rival Stetson came to town (1,108). FGCU had multiple signature wins at in-state rival Miami and at home against Arizona. The season opener against #23 UCF was cancelled. The Eagles have not dropped an A-Sun contest since falling to UNF on the road in 2012. With the strong home support, FGCU has not lost a home Atlantic Sun contest since Campbell in 2009. In final conference standings, FGCU had the top three in points, top two and three of the top five goal scorers, top two and four of top five in assists, top two in shots, second-best goals against, second-best save percentage and best goals-against average. Head Coach Jim Blankenship earned A-Sun Coach of the Year Award, for the third time in his career. Tabby Tindell was tabbed the 2014 Player of the Year and Emma Blackwell was named the Defensive Players of the Year.

Attendance Review- 2014 Season Game-By-Game (Student attendance in parentheses)

Date Opponent Day Time Attendance Aug. 22 UCF Friday 7pm CANCELLED Aug. 24 Arizona Sunday 1pm 461 (304) Sept. 7 Murray State Sunday 1pm 261 (106) Sept. 19 Wofford Friday 7pm 306 (171) Sept. 21 CSU Bakersfield Sunday 1pm 173 (105) ^ Oct. 10 Northern Kentucky Friday 7pm 373 (195) Oct. 12 Lipscomb Sunday 1pm 330 (171) Oct. 18 Jacksonville Saturday 7pm 487 (203) Oct. 22 Oct. 25

Palm-Beach Atlantic Stetson

Wednesday Saturday

7pm 7pm

673 (119) 1,108 (410) #


Nov. 7 Nov. 9 Nov. 15

A-Sun Semifinal A-Sun Champ. NCAA vs Auburn

Friday Sunday Saturday

7pm 1pm 5:30pm

685 (231) 506 (132) 2,014 (1,109)*

*-All time soccer complex record #-Regular season high ^-Season attendance low 2014 per game attendance average: 463.56 2014 per game student average: 198.22

2014 Attendance By Game Graph Includes postseason games.

2011-2014 Attendance Averages Year Reg.

Student Total

Reg. Student Avg.

Reg. Total

Reg. Avg.

Overall Student Total

Overall Student Avg.

Overall Total

Overall Avg.

2011 574 82 1,692 241.71 1,170 130 3,355 373

2012 1,679 186.56 3,007 334.11 2,143 195 4,053 338

2013 1,226 153.25 2,368 296 1,841 184 3,551 296

2014 1,784 198.22 3,902 463.56 3,256 271 7,107 614

FGCU- Women’s Soccer Marketing Plan Page 6 of 16 As of: 9/10/15 -- KT

2011-2014 Attendance Changes Year Reg.Avg.

Student Change

Reg.Avg. Student %

Reg.Avg. Total Change

Reg. Avg %

Overall Avg.Stu Change

Overall Avg.Stu %

Overall Avg.Tot Change

Overall Avg.Tot %

11-12 104.56 127.51 92.4 38.23 65 50 35 9.38

12-13 33.31 17.85 38.11 11.41 11 5.64 42 12.43

13-14 44.97 29.34 167.56 56.61 87 47.28 318 107.43

Overall Attendance Observations

The women’s soccer attendance record was set with over 2,000 fans attending the NCAA tournament game against Auburn. That game and attendance is also a record for the soccer venue (men’s and women’s).

Earlier in the season, the regular season women’s soccer attendance record was set in the game against Stetson with over 1,000 fans.

Student attendance is stronger on night games than Sunday afternoon games.

Attendance peaked last year during conference play and postseason.

There was a mid-season lull in attendance towards the end of non-conference play.

Throughout the previous years, postseason attendance remains strong.


Product Analysis (SWOT) Strengths

Success of program...winning the Atlantic Sun Conference for five consecutive seasons.

Coming off successful season that included hosting first-ever NCAA tournament game at the FGCU Soccer Complex.

Coming off a record attendance season, averaging 636 fans per game last season, up 34% from the previous season.

Four evening games allows for prime connection with students and community.

University of Miami is a home game – highlighting a strong non-conference schedule.

Part of a scheduling stretch of a soccer weekend with four consecutive days of home soccer at FGCU Soccer Complex, men are home on Thursday 9/10 and Saturday 9/12 and the women are home Friday 9/11 (Miami) and Sunday 9/13 (FIU).

Weaknesses

Three Sunday afternoon games (one each month of season).

One schedule overlap with volleyball on Friday, October 9th. Soccer takes on USC Upstate at 7pm for Senior Night, while volleyball hosts Kennesaw State at 6pm.

Road year in A-Sun play…less home conference games than last year. Opportunities

Reignited and revamped Wings Up App Student Rewards program with new prizes and experiences.

Expanded and enhanced Spirit Cup Challenge with Greek Life to grow the relationship between Athletics/Dirty Birds and campus Greek Life.

New group sales push with experience opportunities for youth teams and fans.

Capitalizing on good weather games, especially 7pm games.

New leadership program within the Dirty Birds, utilizing Alpha Eagles, Athletics Liaisons and Eagle Leaders.

Threats

Facing tough crowd possibilities on Sundays in August and September with heat of the day.

Possibility of bad weather.

Limited campus busing, with none on Sundays.


2015 Season Outlook Full 2015 Schedule

August Thursday 13 UCF# 7pm Orlando Saturday 15 Florida# 4pm Gainesville Friday 21 University of Mississippi 7pm FGCU Sunday 23 University of Dayton 1pm FGCU Friday 28 Mississippi State% 2:30pm Tampa Sunday 30 Long Island University% 1pm Tampa September Friday 4 Cal-State Fullerton 8pm Fullerton, CA Sunday 6 San Diego State 10pm San Diego, CA Friday 11 University of Miami 7pm FGCU Sunday 13 Florida International University 1pm FGCU Friday 18 Miami University 7pm Oxford, OH Sunday 20 West Virginia University 1pm Morgantown, WV Saturday 26 University of North Florida* 7pm FGCU October Friday 2 Jacksonville University* 7pm Jacksonville Sunday 4 Wake Forest^ 3:30pm Macon, GA Friday 9 USC-Upstate* 7pm FGCU Sunday 11 Kennesaw State University* 1pm FGCU Friday 16 Lipscomb University* 8pm Nashville, TN Sunday 18 NJIT* 1pm Newark, NJ Saturday 24 Stetson University* 7pm Deland Saturday 31 A-Sun Tourney Play-In Game TBA TBA November Sunday 1 A-Sun Tourney Play-In Game TBA TBA Friday 6 A-Sun Tourney Semi-Final Game TBA TBA Sunday 8 A-Sun Tourney Championship Game TBA TBA

#- Denotes Pre-Season game %- Denotes USF Tournament (regular season) ^- Denotes game to be played at Mercer (neutral site game) *- Denotes Atlantic Sun Conference regular season game All Times Eastern


Home Games

Date Opponent Time Friday, August 21st University of Mississippi 7pm Sunday, August 23rd University of Dayton 1pm Friday, September 11th University of Miami 7pm Sunday, September 13th Florida International University 1pm Saturday, September 26th University of North Florida* 7pm Friday, October 9th USC-Upstate* 7pm Sunday, October, 11th Kennesaw State University* 1pm

*- Denotes Atlantic Sun Conference game

Season Preview

The Eagles open the 2015 season at home the first weekend welcoming Ole Miss and Dayton to FGCU. The first game of the season is the first home contest of the year and comes just two days after the kick-off event, Eagle Revolution. The biggest home game on the schedule this fall is when the University of Miami comes to town on September 11th. That weekend is a weekend that includes four consecutive days of FGCU soccer games at the complex, with the men playing on Thursday and Saturday and the women playing on Friday and Sunday. Home Atlantic Sun Conference play starts on September 26th when UNF comes to town. There are only three home conference games this year. Senior Day will be on the second-to-last game of the season, Friday, October 9th against USC-Upstate. The team looks to continue their run of five consecutive A-Sun Championships (regular season and conference tournament). Hosts for the 2015 A-Sun tournament are decided based on seed and will be held at campus sites for the tournament’s entirety.


2015 Promotional Calendar

New for 2015

Meet with the Team

Prior to the start of the season, Denise and Kevin will meet with the student-athletes to review the plan with them. This will be an opportunity for the marketing staff to build relationships with the student-athletes and explain different pieces of the marketing plan. The goal is to allow for better communication, especially during the season in case any of the student-athletes have questions or concerns dealing with marketing.

Team Leaders

With the assistance of the coaching staff, two or three leaders will be identified and connect with marketing. They will serve as the team liaisons to the marketing staff. It will assist marketing with bouncing ideas off of student-athletes, as well as serve as a point-of-contact for updates on events, such as tabling on campus.

Dirty Birds

As part of building and fostering relationships between the general student body and student-athletes, a strong push will be made encouraging student-athletes to join the Dirty Birds and attend other sporting events and sitting in the Dirty Bird section. This will work to create more relationships between student-athletes and students fans, making students more likely to come cheer on teams and student-athletes as they feel to have a more personal connection with them.

Student/Dirty Bird Magnets

For the first time, a different magnet was made for students. This magnet was placed in every residence hall room prior to fall move-in. It includes the home schedules for men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.

Golf Carting with The Team

Prior to every home game, student-athletes will golf cart around campus with the marketing street team to pass out flyers and promotional materials about upcoming games, as well as make connections with fellow students across campus.


Group Sales Initiatives

Youth Package

The youth package will include the youth teams forming a pregame tunnel as the team enters the soccer complex. The youth will walkout with the teams for line-ups and the National Anthem in World Cup style. The walkout will be first come, first serve for the first two teams each game, while the other parts of the package will be available for as many teams as would like to attend a game. There will be a PA announcement recognizing the team for their visit. At the conclusion of the game, there will be an opportunity to get a signed poster from the student-athletes. There will also be ball kid opportunities, as available. Recognition for youth teams’ accomplishments is also available, permitted it aligns with NCAA rules.

Community Package

The community package includes a 2015 FGCU soccer shirt, public address group recognition and featured in in-game promotion. This package is aimed at groups from residential communities and it not geared towards youth programs. Campus and community accomplishments recognition will be at games, as seen fit.

Season Long Promotions

FGCU Guess The Goal

At every game, fans will have the chance to guess when the first goal will occur. Whoever wins will win a prize pack. The information on the cards will be input to the email database to build contact lists for fans for soccer.

T-Shirts for Goals

For every Eagles goal, the marketing staff will be looking for the loudest fans in the stands and Dirty Birds to throw free t-shirts to.

World Cup Youth Entrance

At each home game this season, we will work to have one to two youth teams to walk-out with FGCU and the away team World Cup style. They will walk on the field with the players during lineups and remain with the team(s) through the playing of the Star Spangled Banner. This is available as part of youth group sales packages.


Vuvuzelas for Dirty Birds/Student Section

Prior to every game starting, vuvuzelas will be handed out to students and Dirty Birds in the Dirty Bird/student section.

National Anthem Singers

To help enhance the game day atmosphere, we will look to have a live National Anthem singer at as many home games as possible. All home games have been scheduled with a live National Anthem singer.

Wings Up App – Student Rewards Program

The Wings Up App is improved and updated for the 2015-16 academic year. Points will be awarded for every home event. Students will cash in their points for prizes that they choose. Prizes include material items and experiences with teams, student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Full sports schedules and social media feeds are also available on the app.

All women’s soccer games will be a base of 15 points per game. The home opener, senior night and all “A” games will be worth double points (30 points). All events and points and special promotions are listed on the Wings Up App, available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play.

Promotions for Select FGCU Women’s Soccer Games this Season

Friday, August 21st vs Ole Miss

Home Opener – Wings Up Double Points: As part of the home opener events, this event is worth double points on the Wings Up App.

Blue Out: All fans will be encouraged to wear BLUE to blue out Ole Miss. This will also be the first game of the season for Dirty Birds to wear their new shirts.

Dirty Bird Tailgate: Prior to this game, there will be a FREE tailgate for Dirty Birds.

Magnet Schedule Night: All fans that attend will receive a 2015 fall sports magnet schedule. (Not a student promotion, as they all received a Dirty Bird magnet in res hall.)


Sunday, August 23rd vs Dayton

Camper Day: Campers may redeem their voucher for a FREE ticket to watch the Dayton game.

Team Poster Signing: With camper day, the team will stick around after the game to sign their 2015 team poster.

Friday, September 11th vs Miami

Red, White and Blue Out: All fans will be encourage to wear RED, WHITE and BLUE as we celebrate Military Appreciation Day.

Spirit Cup Challenge: Greek Life will receive points towards the Spirit Cup Challenge at this event.

Military Appreciation Night: In remembrance of September 11th and in continuing with the celebration of Patriot Day, we will recognize military members and first responders, as well as have a color guard to present the colors at the beginning of the game.

Social Media Night: There will be prizes, contests and give-a-ways on Dirty Bird social media throughout the duration of the game.

Wings Up Double Points: For the Miami game, all students that check-in will receive double points in student rewards on the Wings Up App.

Saturday, September 26th vs UNF

Faculty/Staff Night: Each player will invite a faculty or staff member that has had an impact on their time at FGCU. They will be recognized at halftime.

Harry Chapin Food Bank Night: In conjunction with Faculty/Staff night, there will be a food bank drive for the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

Friday, October 9th vs USC Upstate

Senior Night: We will recognize the class of 2015 for their accomplishments in the classroom and on the field.

Green/Blue Night: This event will serve as the women’s soccer green/blue event, when all student-athletes will attend.


Housing Challenge: West Lake, North Lake and SoVi will compete in an attendance challenge at the event. Also, members of all three housing locations will compete in a promotion at halftime.

Blue Out: All fans will be encouraged to wear BLUE to blue out USC Upstate.

Youth Night: All youth will receive free admission to the game.

Team Poster Signing: In conjunction with youth night, the team will sign their 2015 team poster at the conclusion of the game.

Wings Up App Double Points: As part of Senior Night, all students that check-in for student reward on the Wings Up App will receive double points.

Sunday, October 11th vs Kennesaw State

Pink Out: All fans will be encouraged to wear PINK as we raise awareness and seek a cure to breast cancer. Pink shirts will also be on sale for fans to purchase. Also, a breast cancer survivor will speak to fans at halftime.

Alumni Day: Alumni of the program will be invited out to the game and recognized with a presentation on-field at halftime.


Promotional Items/Graphics Portfolio The first item attached is the 2015 fall sports promotions and poster calendar for reference. Also attached individually are promotional pieces used throughout the season. They include the coaster, magnets, team poster, individual game day posters and more. This portfolio will be updated throughout the season and remain attached separately.


2015 Women’s Soccer Marketing Recap (This marketing plan will be assessed and a recap provided after the completion of the 2015 season. A final copy of this marketing plan, including the recap, will be sent to all necessary coaches and staff when completed.)

Documents

2015 FGCU Women's Soccer Marketing Plan