U-M AD CMO Hunter Lochmann Interview: No Big House Advertisements
I know this won't convince the diehard skeptics, but Michigan Athletics Department Chief Marketing Officer Hunter Lochmann had this to say regarding Michigan Stadium advertising in a recent radio interview transcribed at A2.com:
Lucy Ann: Will there ever be advertising inside Michigan stadium for a football game?
Lochmann: No. I’ve learned from Dave Brandon that you ask your fans what they want. They don’t want to see a lick of advertising in Michigan Stadium. I think my resume would be updated if I ever allowed it in there on my own. It’s not going to happen; I think there are enough opportunities emerging in this digital world and other inventory to satisfy partners.
Lucy Ann: But you have over 100,000 people in there, glued to it. You have the television coverage.
Lochmann: Sure. It’s a great opportunity.
Lucy Ann: There are elementary schools which have incorporated corporate advertising in their programs. Why not Michigan Stadium?
Lochmann: You know, it’s a great opportunity and anyone who doesn’t say it is, isn’t telling the truth, but the fans don’t want it. You listen to your fans and if that’s their No. 1 issue then we can come up with a thousand other things that they do want, that we can take advantage of.
Erskine: Just think of the money that someone would pay just to have their logo on the scoreboard.
Lochmann: There are other opportunities.
Lucy Ann: What are those other opportunities?
Lochmann: Digital. We have 100,000 people who come to these games. Guess what? We now have their e-mail addresses and we can market our own internal Facebook and Twitter and reach them differently through sponsors. Not spam them, but try to figure out what do they want to hear from?
So, no. There is no plan to introduce advertisements inside Michigan Stadium, including on the scoreboards.
Alright then. Two other areas of special interest to the fanbase. First mgoblue.com:
Lucy Ann: What about the MGoBlue.com website? Any transformation of that coming up?
Lochmann: Actually, that’s a great question. We are redesigning that as we speak. Hopefully a mid to late September re-launch or redesign. It’s going to be a lot more video focus. Video is where everything’s heading with the mobile phones, iPads, and anything else, so we’re working hard on that. It’s a popular site; that’s where our fans go, but we have some work to do. That’s part of the branding of Michigan Athletics. You look at every touch point and obviously MGoBlue.com is one of the most popular ones.
Hopefully that means that the video portion of the site will be less browser crippling. It also brings to mind the comment that was made during Big Ten Media Days that the conference was working to have BTN.com and the school websites more closely integrated.
Second, stadium announcers:
Lucy Ann: Any other changes that you have coming out regarding branding of the University of Michigan?
Lochmann: Event presentation and how people experience the brand at our events is a big part of building the brand, and we are in the midst of hiring some event presentation folks to really focus on making it a wow experience for our fans who go to basketball, hockey, football, soccer. It’s not just a PA announcement.
Lucy Ann: More entertainment?
Lochmann: Exactly. We really want to make all Michigan Athletics a destination for sports fans.
Time to sharpen those pitchforks everyone. Special K might be turning into Choclatey Delight Special K.
August 20th, 2011 at 8:49 AM ^
good
August 20th, 2011 at 9:00 AM ^
A destination for sports by adding more entertainment? These guys confuse me to no end.
August 20th, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^
It's just a way to appeal to more women & children, particularly the women. see Don Canham, he basically invented the wheel at Michigan when it comes to this.
EDIT: Raoul had already posted something on Don Canham below. But in general, for every Michigan fan who complains about our marketing, please learn about the history of the Michigan AD. Canham basically made marketing in college athletics the norm. He marketed the crap out of Michigan and with the on-field help of Bo, created a regional brand, then national, and today, Michigan has become a global brand. alright, that's my rant. It just bugs the hell out of me when Michigan fans complain about a few advertisements here or there when it was our school that essentially popularize college athletics marketing.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:20 AM ^
but it seems the first rule of "branding" or marketing should be to know who your customer is, and i don't think that women and children compose a major part of the "customer" of michigan football in 2011. they may be part of the "consumers" of michigan football, but i doubt the backlog of season ticket packages is filled with women and children.
canham might have done a good job brining people to the stadium with band days, slippery rock, some dog that ran around, but bringing people is not the same as sustaining people.
August 20th, 2011 at 9:09 AM ^
Until that last bit.
No ads in the Big House - excellent.
Fix mgoblue.com - yes please.
Make in-game experiences more like semi-pro hockey games - huh??? How about the games speak for themselves as entertainment? Thats why I buy my tickets amirite???
August 20th, 2011 at 9:32 AM ^
WHO WANTS A FREE PIZZA!!!!!
August 20th, 2011 at 10:12 AM ^
If there is one good thing Brandon could do it would be bring Dominos to the Big House instead of Hungry Howies...
August 20th, 2011 at 10:37 AM ^
I actually heard a rumor we are switching to papa johns. If so, that would be awesome.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
Howie's is out.
August 20th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^
I could use some pizza and an ice cold beer after my class this morning. Review classes have been destroying my Saturdays for a month.
August 20th, 2011 at 9:17 AM ^
I would rather personally go on a fundraising campaign year in and year out from alumni than have to hear anymore of the "branding" garbage. I'm not naive, I realize that things like new scoreboards and top notch D coordinators take money, but damn. You want your brand to be strong? Keep the Big House the biggest stadium in the country, let the band play The Victors and tell everyone else to shut the hell up.
Also, please get off my lawn.
August 20th, 2011 at 9:15 AM ^
August 20th, 2011 at 9:19 AM ^
August 20th, 2011 at 9:21 AM ^
I really hope I'm wrong, but I still think the Big House will eventually look like the Big Minor League Baseball Park within five years. I have a hard time believing much of anything that comes out of the AD's PR machine.
To me, it sounds more like "as soon as we can use any segment of the fanbase to justify it, we are going to start advertising."
August 20th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
Michigan is no more exempt from the laws of economics than any other program. The reason we added luxury boxes and the reason Dave Brandon "needs" seven home games a year is money. It's also why they have advertising all over Yost and Crisler. The question about "advertising in the Big House" will keep coming up and ads will creep in eventually, like it or not. I just hope they keep it very minimal (like a couple small logos on the bottom of the scorebard or a couple of video shoutouts to sponsors at halftime). I don't want to see any more dancing curly fries.
August 20th, 2011 at 2:58 PM ^
Holy crap you guys are paranoid. There hasn't been any advertising in the Big House since its construction, and DB has said that won't change. There's no reason to think that it's going to be different in the forseeable future.
August 20th, 2011 at 9:30 AM ^
The team we have, the school we have.....that IS the advertising. Glad to hear there will be none of it in the stadium.
August 20th, 2011 at 9:54 AM ^
From the interview: "we are in the midst of hiring some event presentation folks to really focus on making it a wow experience for our fans who go to basketball, hockey, football, soccer."
This is awful. Hockey already is a "wow experience." Anything done--anything at all--to change the fan's experience at a hockey game would make it worse. I guess it's the way of the world, but I don't see how anybody could go to a hockey game at Yost and say, "we really need to hire more 'event presentation folks.'
It is clear that this means less band during the stoppages, and more fake enthusiasm from fake people screaming (or playing bad music) into microphones. "ALL RIGHT!!! WHO WANTS A T-SHIRT?!?!!"
Although I don't go to those sports, I expect people who go to basketball and soccer are perfectly happy with the gameday experience, and don't need 'event presentation folks' to improve it. This all sounds like the answer a committee came up with when they were asked "how do we get 7-year-olds with ADD to want to go to the games?"
August 20th, 2011 at 12:55 PM ^
This comment is a perfect argument for bringing back the posbang. AD folks read this board, we know that much. They need to feel our ire when they start talking stupid like this.
Also, I've heard through the grapevine that something "special" is in store for the ND halftime show (please God no, off my lawn)... Anyone else hear anything about that? I don't want to elaborate further, just curious if anyone else has heard anything.
August 20th, 2011 at 10:01 AM ^
What they need to do is fix FanDay, so kids can actually go home with some autographs.
August 20th, 2011 at 10:06 AM ^
That entertainment bit=skin crawling. Sounds to me like roving sideline "Fox Girl" type deals interviewing fans during breaks and doing promo games and crap...
Make it stop. And I swear to god, if Yost gets Special K and RAWK, I'm done. Shut it down.
August 20th, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
woot. If they put advertisments up then they are just being greedy.
August 20th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
For those complaining about the "more entertainment" bit at the end, what Lochmann says is reminiscent of Don Canham's description of how he got Michigan Stadium filled in the first place. From a Michigan Daily interview:
The Michigan Daily: Like you mentioned, the crowds at Michigan football games were pretty small before Bo took over. What specific things did you do to increase those numbers?
Don Canham: The first thing I did was contacted every high school coach in the state of Michigan. I said, “This fall, play on Friday nights, then on Saturday come to Ann Arbor.” We had five and six thousand high school football players come a week. The biggest thing we did, of course, was invite (high school) bands. We filled the whole football stadium with bands. I had the San Diego Chicken come out and the Clydesdale horses. We advertised to the women of the house — we said come have a picnic. Before that time, frankly, very few kids came to Michigan football games.
. . .
We changed what a football game meant to people. We made it a spectacle, a carnival, a ball. Now they come at seven in the morning, go to the game, then go back to their tailgates. We realized early that you can’t always be No. 1, and can’t advertise that — so we made Saturday an event.
I certainly don't want to see advertising at the football games, and I don't think either the football or hockey games need any more "entertainment" to attract fans. Without a doubt, Michigan football is already a "destination for sports fans" and doesn't need an infusion of "more entertainment." But Michigan has done a lousy job of marketing other sports—not just the Olympic sports but men's and women's basketball as well. Making a concerted effort to boost attendance at the basketball games and at the contests of the other sports is long overdue.
August 20th, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
Let's not compare Canham's marketing attempts with the "t-shrit and amplified rock music" things that we are talking about now. First--drop the Clydesdales and the San Diego Chicken things. They were never at Michigan Stadium for Michigan games; they were there at the Slippery Rock games (Clydesdales at the Slippery Rock-Shippensburg game and the Chicken at the Slippery Rock-Wayne State game). That's completely different--those games neeeded a minor league atmosphere, because they were minor league events.
Band Day was an event, but more like the homecoming halftime you are familiar with today. The bands would sit silent in the South Endzone during the first half, file on to the field at halftime and play a few John Philip Souza tunes while standing still, and file back into the South Endzone seats and sit silent during the second half. It was never a distraction from the game, because they did not play any music other than their halftime piece.
Marketing I'm all for. I want these events to sell out. Unfortunately, the people suggesting things to "improve" the atmosphere have a long history of getting it very, very wrong. You see it everywhere. I don't care if dinky donut, barry bagel or coughy coffee wins the race on the jumbotron. I don't care which section makes the most noise or which kid tramples which other kid to get that t-shirt that they will never wear. I don't think any of these things will get more fans in the seats, but people are being paid to come up with ideas, so they are going to come up with ideas.
August 20th, 2011 at 11:29 AM ^
Let's make this clear. These marketing attempts aren't aimed at you, or me, or really anyone that reads Mgoblog on a regular basis. We'll love our squad regardless. The marketing is aimed at creating a larger fanbase which in turn creates more revenue which ultimately, provides the AD with more $$$ to finance our operations (I know that you know this).
I'm not a fan of in-stadium advertisements either but like it or not, Michigan is a brand and with the lack of attention our AD has given marketing prior to DB and our recent lack of on-field success, our brand appeal isn't as strong as it was before. A team like Oregon may not be the traditional program like Michigan is but as a result of the marketing of their program in the last decade, more attention has been given to them. As a result, more people support them. Of those new fans are the younger generation and you've seen how their recruiting has gotten much better over the last few years.
Anyway, I'm done.
August 20th, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^
Absolutely. Let's look at Michigan's minor sports. The one that sells out most consistently is Softball. Despite the terrible weather, almost all of the seats are full every weekend, and they still do pretty well during the week, too. They must have great marketing, right? Just ask people like Brandon and his "marketing team": that's how you get people to go--by turning the team into a product and selling the heck out of it.
Or maybe people just go to softball because they are among the best teams in the nation every year. Perhaps that's how Brandon will need to market Michigan--by trying to turn every team into one of the best in the nation at what they do. I don't think anything else will work, because there is no history at all of anything else ever working anywhere. Unfortunately, I don't think that's where we are going with this. Nobody would give a rat's ass about Oregon if they weren't winning. Winning is its own marketing, and again there is no history of anything else putting butts in the seats.
Anyway, I'm done, too.
August 20th, 2011 at 12:52 PM ^
I think the cowboys and jerry jones would like a word with you
August 20th, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^
I completely agree that winning is the best form of marketing.
August 20th, 2011 at 2:16 PM ^
The brand only needs changing if people stop coming to football games, and right now it's as strong as ever.
August 20th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^
Last time I checked the Big House is pretty full every Saturday and has been for quite some time now.
August 20th, 2011 at 10:15 AM ^
After all we are talking about a guy who was able to turn around a company that sells cardboard as pizza.
August 20th, 2011 at 10:15 AM ^
...at those new lights for the night game. Do they they have T-shirt cannons attached to them?
Yes, the last part does sound scary, and does mean something new, but then again the huge brick structures they attached to the football stadium that gave us more bathrooms are new too, and many people more crotchety than I am didn't like it...because it was different than before.
I'm sure something new is going to happen with the scoreboards. I mean they are pretty awesome really really big computer screens and during the halftime a lot of stuff could be put on them. Now it could enhance the experience we get from the band, or maybe it does take us into a weird techno dance club direction. I'm clinging to the fact that somewhere in the near past there was a statement about "mic-ing up the band", so maybe you need to hire some new people who can operate that equipment such that it doesn't turn into wierd double echo band music?
Brandon has pushed the envelope, but he hasn't executed on anything that I would feel ashamed/disappointed about.
In fact, I would even welcome a completely awesome video of a Wolverine being born from the frozen ice of Lake Michigan who destroys a ship coming out of Green Bay, and then suddely teleports into an F-18 to nuke the entire state of Ohio. Now that would be some awesome new presentation of our mascot presence right there!
August 20th, 2011 at 12:47 PM ^
I think that would give hockey bear a run for its money (but realistically, wolverine video would kick much more ass)
August 20th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
Get the Engin guys to perfect the Pizza Cannon.
BOOM! Innovated!
August 20th, 2011 at 10:49 AM ^
Awesome idea, but oh, the mess, the delicious mess.....
August 20th, 2011 at 10:57 AM ^
One word. Calzones. Solved.
August 20th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
tremendous concept! i would bite people to get one of those pizzas! (not really.....)
August 20th, 2011 at 11:36 AM ^
A complete (as much as possible- maize out at a Football game would be awesome.
It might not be economically possible, but one can dream.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:54 AM ^
The Wisconsin game (comeback game) had ~90,000 maize (more goldenrod than highlighter/day-glo yellow) t-shirts doled out by SBC(?)...so there's a sample of advertising within the confines of Michigan Stadium.
As were the various AT&T and Pontiac logos encircling the plastic bevvy cups.
A variety of Chevy giveaway t-shirts, as well as those from MBNA, simply for signing up for a credit card, 2-3-4 times per game.
Look for more of the same...though not the MBNA shirts...haven't seen their kiosk for a couple years...did the AD ask for too much money to use any combination of maize and blue and the helmet or the block M? Or was it a federal dealio for some of the TARP bailout cashola?
August 20th, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^
A complete (as much as possible- maize out at a Football game would be awesome.
It might not be economically possible, but one can dream.
August 20th, 2011 at 11:39 AM ^
Lack of end parentheses and double post. Sorry.
August 20th, 2011 at 11:39 AM ^
Lack of end parentheses and double post. Sorry.
August 20th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
The good ole double double post. I feel like I'm ordering at In n Out.
August 20th, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^
Granted mgoblue could be improved, but these wed site relaunches never go smoothly. So why cant they do this launch during the summer months, when trips to the mother ship are less important?
August 20th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
" this won't convince the diehard skeptics, " hyperlink to this thread? Predicting the future?
August 20th, 2011 at 2:12 PM ^
...have a link for that sentence. I updated it to include a link to Tater's comment (which illustrated my point).
August 20th, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^
Doesn't a Michigan Football Game at the Big House kinda already qualify as a "destination" ???
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:05 AM ^
Lucy Ann: Will there ever be advertising inside Michigan stadium for a football game?
Lochmann: No. I’ve learned from Dave Brandon that you ask your fans what they want.
This is where the seaminess of the marketers becomes more and more apparent...
Were we asked about the mascot? Who wanted THAT?
Lucy Ann: More entertainment?
Lochmann: Exactly. We really want to make all Michigan Athletics a destination for sports fans.
Who says the experience needs "more entertainment?"
Lochmann: There are other opportunities.
Lucy Ann: What are those other opportunities?
Lochmann: Digital. We have 100,000 people who come to these games. Guess what? We now have their e-mail addresses and we can market our own internal Facebook and Twitter and reach them differently through sponsors. Not spam them, but try to figure out what do they want to hear from?
Where is the checkbox to ask that my name/email NOT be included in related marketer opportunities, or those "carefully selected for your perusal by Michigan Athletics."