U-M Spokesperson: Coke promotion was a "miscommunication" (update)
They just didn't execute.
Michigan spokesperson tells @McMurphyESPN that Coke promo tweeted by @ByAZuniga was a miscommunication pic.twitter.com/SOUJdUXvCW
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) September 23, 2014
UPDATES
All purchases made so far through this promotion, though, will be honored -- per Michigan RE: Coca Cola-gate.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) September 23, 2014
In other news, my followers on Twitter (several post here) have held me to this: if he's hired, I will buy the same cheap ass pleated khakis that Harbaugh buys from Walmart (yeah, yeah) and wear them for every single game he coaches at Michigan, if he is hired. Even if it's 80-plus degrees.
September 22nd, 2014 at 10:52 PM ^
I'll bet Brandon tries to rationalize this as a reaction purely to the product on the field (which is partially true). How does he feel about raising ticket prices now? And all of you who have steadfastly defended him?
Yes, I'm looking at you WD (and lots of others) even though you now say you've changed your mind.
September 22nd, 2014 at 10:59 PM ^
You know how I feel.
I'm sad. I'm depressed. I'm pissed. And fed up with this shit. Fire everyone.
September 22nd, 2014 at 10:52 PM ^
I wish I had the time. Have at it, people.
September 22nd, 2014 at 10:56 PM ^
10 cans gets you a club level seat.
Just don't know whether to laugh or cry.....
September 22nd, 2014 at 10:58 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 23rd, 2014 at 3:46 AM ^
What better way to get rid of Brandon than to bribe some low-level staffer to pull this stunt?
September 22nd, 2014 at 11:06 PM ^
I'd buy that for a dollar!
September 22nd, 2014 at 11:24 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 11:27 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 11:29 PM ^
We had to destroy the Big House to save it.
September 22nd, 2014 at 11:31 PM ^
September 23rd, 2014 at 8:45 AM ^
I promise you, if Brandon goes to EMU, he ain't gonna make that program a barrel of money.
Michigan can sell itself if you don't fuck with it too much.
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:20 AM ^
There are plenty of capable ADs to right this ship.
September 22nd, 2014 at 11:31 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 23rd, 2014 at 12:10 AM ^
In Brandon's relatively short time as AD, he has managed to piss off the students, the alumni (both young and old), and non alumni who used to be able to afford taking their kids to games. I am very concerned about the long term future of the Michigan fan base.
September 23rd, 2014 at 12:16 AM ^
but I don't buy this for a second.
Dave Brandon has got the easiest job in America. . . smhmooze your big doners, roll in your scrooge McDuck pile of gold, and every once in a while approve some building projects or hire a sports coach. Just protect your cash cow( football) and serve your customers faithfully.
But unfortunately he's an egomaniac that wants to re-create what isn't broken, and put his mark on everything like a dog pissing on mailboxes.
Dave Brandon tripled the marketing staff of the athletic dept. . .. and every stupid scheme since then has been a desperate attempt for his flunkies to justify their salaries.
Michigan deserves first class facilities, and the $ to pay top coaches that demand excellence. Dave Brandon knows how to raise money, but so do many others . . . he was just the first one willing to spend it on coaches to buy some success.
Profits wont drop under his successor anymore than they dropped for his predecessor, assuming he hasn't single handedly alienated every last remaining Michigan fan; He's already losing a generation with the Hoke hire, constant minor league baseball schemes, and the general disdainful treatment of students.
The new president isn't stupid, he may not be a big sports fan, but having an athletic dept that at least "keeps up with the Jones" shouldn't be much of a problem.
September 23rd, 2014 at 12:29 AM ^
The money is basically baked into being part of the Big Ten/NCAA. The TV contracts are ridiculous we get a share of that. In the post-BTN era it is almost impossible to actually lose money as the athletic department unless you, say, actively piss off everyone who might purchase your product.
September 23rd, 2014 at 8:46 AM ^
+1 Insightful.
How much extra did he really make selling water bottles?
September 23rd, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^
The figure I heard for last year was $22 million per team from the tv money and this year is projected to be $27 million and $45 million in a few years.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/245400…
September 23rd, 2014 at 1:28 AM ^
You are right to note that much depends on the intentions of (former faculty senate leader) Schlissel. Will he use Brandon's ouster as an opportunity to downsize the football program more generally?
I have been operating under the assumption that, for now, the enemy of your enemy is your friend.
September 23rd, 2014 at 3:48 AM ^
implode spectacularly w/ their funding washed up.
September 22nd, 2014 at 11:44 PM ^
Just going to throw this out there because I was at the Utah game (first home game since 2011 Ohio) but did anyone else notice the t-shirt cannons in the Big House during commercial breaks? Has that become a thing now? Struck me as way more bush league than this stunt. Almost "WHO WANTS A FREE PIZZZZAAAAA!!" levels.
September 23rd, 2014 at 12:53 AM ^
Gimmick University, courtesy of DB.
AWFUL!
September 23rd, 2014 at 1:01 AM ^
Please, this man must be stopped before he starts renting out the Big House for Paint Ball tournaments.....Of course the paint would be Maize and Blue.
People keep saying what worked for Dominos won't work here. Let's go back to when Dave left Dominos.....their actual ad campaign was "We're sorry" They ran commercials bagging their own product. This is true. I am sure you remember it. It was a huge gamble that actually paid off. Yes, David Brandon made money for Dominos, but in the process the product was cheapened and became unimportant to the marketing. There was no passion for the pizza. Therefore the pizza suffered. Oh, it worked for awhile - once people take a liking to something they stick around, but steadily and surely they recognized the pizza was getting worse and worse and they left. Does that sound familiar?
Not worried about the new President not being a sports guy. He sees the budget, he knows what brings money in. He'll hire the right person. The climate over there in the Athletic Department has been toxic for awhile - and it has nothing to do with wins and losses. It's almost cult-like, it's almost like Scientology or something. But instead of E-Meters, it's M-Meters.........of course.
September 23rd, 2014 at 2:21 AM ^
Miscommunication, or "we got caught with our pants down"?
September 23rd, 2014 at 8:52 AM ^
There was a post about boycotting the game that was taken down.
Instead of that, if we want a visable protest, the students should hold up a giant banner of two coke bottles during the game.
Make it happen.
September 23rd, 2014 at 9:36 AM ^
Isn't this how it always goes with this Athletic Department? Something stupid happens (e.g., Giant Noodle, Coke tickets, seat cushions, etc.), it goes viral/gets media coverage, and they're right there to say "it was all a miscommunication."
This was yet another instance in which they tried to do something "innovative" or "synergy-driven," got caught with their pants down, and passed the buck to someone else to try to save face. Predictable. And tacky.
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:30 AM ^
Does anyone see a potential problem with a vendor, Coke here, buying blocks of tickets? I am not expert on vendor relationships but if there is any "encouragement" that vendors buy tickets, this could be a problem.
Perhaps the university needs to get out in front of this and publish university vendor lists and ticket purchases.
Someone will try to make it a story directly or by inference.
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:05 AM ^
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:28 AM ^
They will open the checkbook for Hoke's replacement. They have to. There is too much money at stake to make another chance hire.
You bring in a coach with a name and it automatically stops any recruiting bleed that might normally happen with a change in coaching. (See Urban)
Certainly if Brandon is still around, he will have huge pressure to bring in a name guy. It would be his legacy to the program. If he fails on the next one, he will go down in history as the one of the worst ADs in the history of the program.
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:26 AM ^
This really puts UM in a bad light, but one has to admit there is some funny stuff going around. (got to be able to laugh at ourselves).
One suggested a Coke commercial where Gardner gets sacked while trying to throw his jersey to a little kid (reference to Pittsburgh's Mean Joe Green commercial).
There is also a internet scam letter based on Nigerian email scams.
September 23rd, 2014 at 10:55 AM ^
Oh, it was just a miscommunication, phew, otherwise that would be incredibly embarrassing. No reason not to take David "Skywriting" Brandon at his word. It's no big deal folks, it's not like he wanted to light fireworks off in the Big House, fly an unmanned helicopter into the Big House with the game ball, or name the Head Coaching position after whoever was the highest bidder, those things might cheapen the brand.
September 23rd, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^
August 11th, 2015 at 9:28 PM ^