What I want to see...

[Dave in Green]

University of Akron, Home of the First Football Center SnapAlso at Buchtel, Heisman had his hand in the first of many permanent alterations he would make to the sport: the center snap. This came out of necessity because the previous rule, which involved the center rolling the ball backwards, was too troublesome for Buchtel’s unusually tall quarterback, Harry Clark. At 6’4”, it became clear that if the ball was thrown to him, the play could go on with less complication. This evolved into a common practice now known as the snap that begins every play in present National Football League (NFL) games.

[Dr Z]

So how much do you think it would take to put a UA athletic banner put on the Can't State Urban Institute building on that corner?

It would be too much taking into account how much billboard advertising returns.Here is a better idea. Take half the money they spend on billboards and flush it down the toilet. Take the other half and spend it on scholarships for students. No matter what, half of the money will be spent wisely in lieu of ALL the money being flushed down the toilet on billboards.

While I love the idea of the scholarship, I don't think a $450 scholarship will build the brand awareness that the football team desperately needs at this time. It pains me that we finally have a brand to market, and let an economically sound opportunity slip away. I know you like to see cash in the drawer at the end of the day from your marketing, but building a brand is not about that, you have to see the forest through the trees when measuring brand awareness.

[ksu sucks]

Ok so I just went home to Erie, PA yesterday for the summer and I saw a Can't state billboard on one of our busiest streets. i mean you have to be kidding me, It wasn't for football or anything sports related, but I got a quick glance and I saw the Can't logo with the sun?!? IDK if anyone knows what i'm talking about. So idk why they got the nerve to put that up, but it ruined my day. I mean I was pumped when I saw the ad for UA at the Q near the upper deck, but in my hometown 2hrs away I still have to see sh*t for Can't??? I want to know how much an ad would run, not saying I could afford it, but I would LOVE to put an UA one there, and then one for football on the billboard above it!!

I think you can chalk this one up to the fact that Fingerbutt wants the "historical" four corner universities to attract and attain more out of state student population. The funniest part is, I heard somewhere that 90 some percent of Can't's student population comes from a 100 mile radius. Calling Can't one of the "historical" campuses in Ohio is disgraceful. When out of state kids come to see the crappy seventies architecture, the completely homogeneous student body, they have to wonder how in the heck it's considered historical!Then, add to that the fact that Can't was established FORTY years after Akron was, and one has to wonder...what in the **** is Eric fingerbutt thinking? OU, Miami, yeah. I'm unbiased enough to realize that they have gorgeous campuses. But BG and Can't...nope.

[GP1]

So how much do you think it would take to put a UA athletic banner put on the Can't State Urban Institute building on that corner?

It would be too much taking into account how much billboard advertising returns.Here is a better idea. Take half the money they spend on billboards and flush it down the toilet. Take the other half and spend it on scholarships for students. No matter what, half of the money will be spent wisely in lieu of ALL the money being flushed down the toilet on billboards.

While I love the idea of the scholarship, I don't think a $450 scholarship will build the brand awareness that the football team desperately needs at this time. It pains me that we finally have a brand to market, and let an economically sound opportunity slip away. I know you like to see cash in the drawer at the end of the day from your marketing, but building a brand is not about that, you have to see the forest through the trees when measuring brand awareness.

What else is there for marketing other than cash in the in drawer at the end of the day? Marketing results are ultimately measured in money. It is a business and they have to function on money...not wishes. Reminds me about an old saying about wishes, "Make a wish or $#!+ in your hat. See which one fills up first." Billboards have not and will not work. Can't State wishes that billboard on Rt8 would work. You are wishing that a billboard somewhere in Akron will work at raising brand awareness (see below for MAC brand awareness). Is the fact that UofA has a football team a secret? I doubt that.MAC schools individually have brand awareness and the league has a brand awareness. The exposure on ESPN, early season beat downs by BCS schools and disgraceful performances in bowls the past couple of years have given them increased brand awareness...although not a brand awareness they would like to have. Here is the MAC brand: a third tier D-1A conference (Dollar General). Sane people are not willing to pay to see third tier conferences play (we on this board are all actually a bunch of idiots for paying to go see it). Change that with a billboard.?.I have had Wake Forest season tickets the past two years. They play in the ACC (second tier conference) and they have a 32,000 seat stadium (around the size of UofA's and some ACC teams play in 80,000+ seat stadiums). They have been historical losers (remind anyone of a team we all love?). The past three seasons they have had winning records, an ACC championship, a couple of first team All-Americans getting drafted in the first round, three straight bowl appearances (the last two they won) with a BCS bowl appearance. Their games are NOT sold out when my wife and I go. They play Mississippi, Virginia, North Carolina, Vandy, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia, VA Tech, Miami, etc. Does everyone in NC know they have a football team and a good one? Of course. Will a billboard increase brand awareness? Barely.The point is this. I spent years in the forest believing there was some magical marketing "trick" that could get people to come to games. The new stadium is the "trick". MAC schools are playing "trick or treat" with their advertising and only marketing the "trick" end of it because there is rarely a treat when you get to a game. The people of NE Ohio are not stupid and they know a crappy product when they see it. Most have a good understanding of football with the exception of Browns fans. The problem the MAC has now is they are selling a crappy product and people know that; meaning the brand awareness is there. Never assume your customers are stupid. Fans have had too much TV exposure with the MAC to continue to fool people. MAC schools can't run adds saying, "Don't believe your own eyes. Listen to what I say. Our product is great."Since we should not spend all of our time complaining, I will offer solutions. The MAC and MAC schools don't need more brand exposure, they need less if they are planning on tricking people to come to games. ESPN games with empty stadiums are not helping the brand. Getting killed by BCS schools is not helping the brand. Getting killed in bowl games by CUSA teams is not helping the brand name. Some say adding more bad teams to an already bad conference will somehow make it a better brand (the logic behind this is almost insane...... 13 bad teams + 2 horrible teams = good football ). The MAC either needs to take the step of moving to I-AA to save itself, or the following:1. Ditch the ESPN week night games.2. Only one BCS pay day per year.3. Stop adding teams and actually reduce the number of teams to 10 with nine conference games per year.4. Ditch the MAC Championship played in front of 50,000 empty seats at Ford Field.

[Hilltopper]

So how much do you think it would take to put a UA athletic banner put on the Can't State Urban Institute building on that corner?

It would be too much taking into account how much billboard advertising returns.Here is a better idea. Take half the money they spend on billboards and flush it down the toilet. Take the other half and spend it on scholarships for students. No matter what, half of the money will be spent wisely in lieu of ALL the money being flushed down the toilet on billboards.

While I love the idea of the scholarship, I don't think a $450 scholarship will build the brand awareness that the football team desperately needs at this time. It pains me that we finally have a brand to market, and let an economically sound opportunity slip away. I know you like to see cash in the drawer at the end of the day from your marketing, but building a brand is not about that, you have to see the forest through the trees when measuring brand awareness.

What else is there for marketing other than cash in the in drawer at the end of the day? Marketing results are ultimately measured in money. It is a business and they have to function on money...not wishes. Reminds me about an old saying about wishes, "Make a wish or $#!+ in your hat. See which one fills up first." Billboards have not and will not work. Can't State wishes that billboard on Rt8 would work. You are wishing that a billboard somewhere in Akron will work at raising brand awareness (see below for MAC brand awareness). Is the fact that UofA has a football team a secret? I doubt that.MAC schools individually have brand awareness and the league has a brand awareness. The exposure on ESPN, early season beat downs by BCS schools and disgraceful performances in bowls the past couple of years have given them increased brand awareness...although not a brand awareness they would like to have. Here is the MAC brand: a third tier D-1A conference (Dollar General). Sane people are not willing to pay to see third tier conferences play (we on this board are all actually a bunch of idiots for paying to go see it). Change that with a billboard.?.I have had Wake Forest season tickets the past two years. They play in the ACC (second tier conference) and they have a 32,000 seat stadium (around the size of UofA's and some ACC teams play in 80,000+ seat stadiums). They have been historical losers (remind anyone of a team we all love?). The past three seasons they have had winning records, an ACC championship, a couple of first team All-Americans getting drafted in the first round, three straight bowl appearances (the last two they won) with a BCS bowl appearance. Their games are NOT sold out when my wife and I go. They play Mississippi, Virginia, North Carolina, Vandy, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia, VA Tech, Miami, etc. Does everyone in NC know they have a football team and a good one? Of course. Will a billboard increase brand awareness? Barely.The point is this. I spent years in the forest believing there was some magical marketing "trick" that could get people to come to games. The new stadium is the "trick". MAC schools are playing "trick or treat" with their advertising and only marketing the "trick" end of it because there is rarely a treat when you get to a game. The people of NE Ohio are not stupid and they know a crappy product when they see it. Most have a good understanding of football with the exception of Browns fans. The problem the MAC has now is they are selling a crappy product and people know that; meaning the brand awareness is there. Never assume your customers are stupid. Fans have had too much TV exposure with the MAC to continue to fool people. MAC schools can't run adds saying, "Don't believe your own eyes. Listen to what I say. Our product is great."Since we should not spend all of our time complaining, I will offer solutions. The MAC and MAC schools don't need more brand exposure, they need less if they are planning on tricking people to come to games. ESPN games with empty stadiums are not helping the brand. Getting killed by BCS schools is not helping the brand. Getting killed in bowl games by CUSA teams is not helping the brand name. Some say adding more bad teams to an already bad conference will somehow make it a better brand (the logic behind this is almost insane...... 13 bad teams + 2 horrible teams = good football ). The MAC either needs to take the step of moving to I-AA to save itself, or the following:1. Ditch the ESPN week night games.2. Only one BCS pay day per year.3. Stop adding teams and actually reduce the number of teams to 10 with nine conference games per year.4. Ditch the MAC Championship played in front of 50,000 empty seats at Ford Field.

Who pissed on your Wheaties this morning?

[skip-zip]

So how much do you think it would take to put a UA athletic banner put on the Can't State Urban Institute building on that corner?

It would be too much taking into account how much billboard advertising returns.Here is a better idea. Take half the money they spend on billboards and flush it down the toilet. Take the other half and spend it on scholarships for students. No matter what, half of the money will be spent wisely in lieu of ALL the money being flushed down the toilet on billboards.

While I love the idea of the scholarship, I don't think a $450 scholarship will build the brand awareness that the football team desperately needs at this time. It pains me that we finally have a brand to market, and let an economically sound opportunity slip away. I know you like to see cash in the drawer at the end of the day from your marketing, but building a brand is not about that, you have to see the forest through the trees when measuring brand awareness.

What else is there for marketing other than cash in the in drawer at the end of the day? Marketing results are ultimately measured in money. It is a business and they have to function on money...not wishes. Reminds me about an old saying about wishes, "Make a wish or $#!+ in your hat. See which one fills up first." Billboards have not and will not work. Can't State wishes that billboard on Rt8 would work. You are wishing that a billboard somewhere in Akron will work at raising brand awareness (see below for MAC brand awareness). Is the fact that UofA has a football team a secret? I doubt that.MAC schools individually have brand awareness and the league has a brand awareness. The exposure on ESPN, early season beat downs by BCS schools and disgraceful performances in bowls the past couple of years have given them increased brand awareness...although not a brand awareness they would like to have. Here is the MAC brand: a third tier D-1A conference (Dollar General). Sane people are not willing to pay to see third tier conferences play (we on this board are all actually a bunch of idiots for paying to go see it). Change that with a billboard.?.I have had Wake Forest season tickets the past two years. They play in the ACC (second tier conference) and they have a 32,000 seat stadium (around the size of UofA's and some ACC teams play in 80,000+ seat stadiums). They have been historical losers (remind anyone of a team we all love?). The past three seasons they have had winning records, an ACC championship, a couple of first team All-Americans getting drafted in the first round, three straight bowl appearances (the last two they won) with a BCS bowl appearance. Their games are NOT sold out when my wife and I go. They play Mississippi, Virginia, North Carolina, Vandy, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia, VA Tech, Miami, etc. Does everyone in NC know they have a football team and a good one? Of course. Will a billboard increase brand awareness? Barely.The point is this. I spent years in the forest believing there was some magical marketing "trick" that could get people to come to games. The new stadium is the "trick". MAC schools are playing "trick or treat" with their advertising and only marketing the "trick" end of it because there is rarely a treat when you get to a game. The people of NE Ohio are not stupid and they know a crappy product when they see it. Most have a good understanding of football with the exception of Browns fans. The problem the MAC has now is they are selling a crappy product and people know that; meaning the brand awareness is there. Never assume your customers are stupid. Fans have had too much TV exposure with the MAC to continue to fool people. MAC schools can't run adds saying, "Don't believe your own eyes. Listen to what I say. Our product is great."Since we should not spend all of our time complaining, I will offer solutions. The MAC and MAC schools don't need more brand exposure, they need less if they are planning on tricking people to come to games. ESPN games with empty stadiums are not helping the brand. Getting killed by BCS schools is not helping the brand. Getting killed in bowl games by CUSA teams is not helping the brand name. Some say adding more bad teams to an already bad conference will somehow make it a better brand (the logic behind this is almost insane...... 13 bad teams + 2 horrible teams = good football ). The MAC either needs to take the step of moving to I-AA to save itself, or the following:1. Ditch the ESPN week night games.2. Only one BCS pay day per year.3. Stop adding teams and actually reduce the number of teams to 10 with nine conference games per year.4. Ditch the MAC Championship played in front of 50,000 empty seats at Ford Field.

Wait...there is a very true point within this.Forget this notion that throwing up a billboard with our schedule on it will suddenly get people excited about going to Akron football games. As someone who has worked in sales for the past couple of decades, I can tell you that we DO have brand awareness, and people know we have a football team. The problem is...we simply don't compete at a level that interests enough of them. That's the challenge. It's not the fact that we're not making them aware of our game schedule.

[xu9697]

Wait...there is a very true point within this.Forget this notion that throwing up a billboard with our schedule on it will suddenly get people excited about going to Akron football games. As someone who has worked in sales for the past couple of decades, I can tell you that we DO have brand awareness, and people know we have a football team. The problem is...we simply don't compete at a level that interests enough of them. That's the challenge. It's not the fact that we're not making them aware of our game schedule.What you have to sell is that the game is AFFORDABLE family fun. Plus, while they KNOW about it, they might not have all the information or it might not be the first thing in their mind. I can't tell you how many people I have spoken with that take great interest in my discussing the Family Plan for Akron football. Even if they don't choose that route, I have a few Cleveland area folks whose interest is truly piqued on an affordable family trip down to a brand new stadiium.About that new stadium..you absolutely MUST sell that. This is the best time to try and gain fans with the new facility. Package family fun, new facility, convenient parking, etc. Hopefully offer some hotel & restaurant packages (Sheraton Cuyahoga Falls is an awesome place to stay). Your marketing strategy might be different in Cleveland than Akron. Perhaps fans are sick of paying all that $$$ to see the Browns suck on a Sunday (considering they are really pushing season tix, there is definite evidence there). Perhaps you want to sell Cleveland on all the Cleveland area kids that will be playing or are on the team.Just b/c people are AWARE of the brand doesn't mean that every opportunity to GROW the brand should not be done. There are ads on the radio, so that is a good start. Now, time for more visual ads.OBVIOUSLY, if the team goes 4-8 this year you kill a HUGE amount of momentum. Which is why everyone knows how important this season is. I'm telling you, I saw this same slow progression at the University of Cincinnati when I lived down there...and look where they are now. The Zips can find their niche if all of this is done right AND the team wins.

[ksu sucks]

...This is what happens when you give old people the internet

[Captain Kangaroo]

...This is what happens when you give old people the internet

Al Gore created it for everyone, and don't you forget it young man!

[g-mann17]

...This is what happens when you give old people the internet

You think this billboard battle was a snoozer. What about the turf tiff?

[Captain Kangaroo]

...This is what happens when you give old people the internet

You think this billboard battle was a snoozer. What about the turf tiff?

I agree. We need a "fresh" thread initiated...something like "Let's Leave the MAC and Go to the Big East." :zzz:

[xu9697]

If one thinks one thing is boring, then why does one continue to return? Hmmmm

[g-mann17]

If one thinks one thing is boring, then why does one continue to return? Hmmmm

Because it's more fun than working.

[ZachTheZip]

What I want to see... I want to see:1. A tailgating environment at least comparable to what we had at the Rubber Bowl. I realize that it will be more segmented instead of being all on one large field, but tailgating is essential to the college football experience.2. Close off Spicer to create a party/tailgate area.3. If anyone remembers the Patriot Bowl game against Army, there was a large grass area that was transformed into a festival ground. Coleman Commons could serve that purpose for us, with the inflatable Zippy and all the kiddie games being there.4. I want to see more dining options in the area around the stadium and downtown. Skyway opening up right behind the stadium on Exchange is a good start, but it's only one place. I have a feeling that once people figure out how much foot traffic the stadium will bring, they will want to build there.5. A winning season. It's been four years.6. A comprehensive parking plan, published in the Beacon Journal a day before the opening game to avoid too much traffic confusion.7. Memorial Hall being torn down and a shiny new academic building put in its place, incorperating the actual marble slabs that make up the memorial into the design.8. Something that relates our Heisman connection. The Rubber Bowl had the Heisman lodge. Infocision needs a Heisman suite or an Heisman terrace (perhaps the top of the endzone facility?)

[Captain Kangaroo]

6. A comprehensive parking plan, published in the Beacon Journal a day before the opening game to avoid too much traffic confusion

A whole day, huh?

[ZachTheZip]

6. A comprehensive parking plan, published in the Beacon Journal a day before the opening game to avoid too much traffic confusion

A whole day, huh?

Any earlier and this city's overly geriatric population would forget about it. Any later and there isn't enough time to let the message sink in.

[tbozeglav]

3. If anyone remembers the Patriot Bowl game against Army, there was a large grass area that was transformed into a festival ground. Coleman Commons could serve that purpose for us, with the inflatable Zippy and all the kiddie games being there.

Agreed. I hope those in charge know this and plan on putting together some kind of pre-game festivities in this area. It'd help to draw people from the shiny new stadium to our academic campus and show them what UA is all about.

8. Something that relates our Heisman connection. The Rubber Bowl had the Heisman lodge. Infocision needs a Heisman suite or an Heisman terrace (perhaps the top of the endzone facility?)

I like this idea too. Isnt there going to be a presidential suite in the press tower? if so, and it hasnt already been named, this would be a good room to name.

[Captain Kangaroo]

6. A comprehensive parking plan, published in the Beacon Journal a day before the opening game to avoid too much traffic confusion

A whole day, huh?

Any earlier and this city's overly geriatric population would forget about it. Any later and there isn't enough time to let the message sink in.

There better be a 4- or 8-page pullout dedicated to the new stadium, parking, everything. We get one chance to make a 1st impression.

[UADavid]

...This is what happens when you give old people the internet

Al Gore created it for everyone, and don't you forget it young man!

"The internet are a series of tubes"

[scottditzen]

uakronkid' date='May 11 2009, 03:51 PM' post='83324'What I want to see... I want to see:2. Close off Spicer to create a party/tailgate area.Definitely agree. And along those lines something has to be done about improving pedestrian crossing on Exchange Street. As it stands, there simply isn't going to be enough space on the sidewalk around the corners of Exchange and Union. Expect fatalities from people jaywalking from BW-3's, unless traffic on Exchange is all gridlock at that point. 8. Something that relates our Heisman connection. The Rubber Bowl had the Heisman lodge. Infocision needs a Heisman suite or an Heisman terrace (perhaps the top of the endzone facility?)Hey, that's my idea. I own it, and should be credited from now on. Good day sir.

[xu9697]

Coleman Commons could be much like the area at Syracuse or, for those that have been to ND, the Quad area. At those places, it is student groups that organize cookouts= burgers, dogs, brats and soda & water. No beer there of course. This would be the PERFECT spot for this type of activity, along with the area set-up for kids with inflatables.Now, not 100% sure where this could go, but a small replication of the now dead Hiney-Gate at OSU would be awesome. A beer garden spot with a band, and a theater TV to follow some of the other college football action.One of the great things about going to a college football game is hitting all these type of spots= hitting the local bar, the student group food area, the 'beer garden' area. And, of course, the tailgaiting. College football Saturday should be a day full of these type of activities and festivities. I hope Akron gets it right.

[johnnyzip84]

Coleman Commons could be much like the area at Syracuse or, for those that have been to ND, the Quad area. At those places, it is student groups that organize cookouts= burgers, dogs, brats and soda & water. No beer there of course. This would be the PERFECT spot for this type of activity, along with the area set-up for kids with inflatables.

Your Muskateer aim is "spot on" with the Syracuse comparison. If UA and the surrounding region can initially create even 85-90% of the game day atmosphere at Syracuse, then I'd be ticked orange.....I mean pink.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Coleman Commons could be much like the area at Syracuse or, for those that have been to ND, the Quad area. At those places, it is student groups that organize cookouts= burgers, dogs, brats and soda & water.

We could even steal the name. We could erect a big bronze statue of Coleman Crawford. "Coleman Commons"...I LIKE it! That, or "Bryan Hipsher Hollow." Either is acceptable.

[skip-zip]

Coleman Commons could be much like the area at Syracuse or, for those that have been to ND, the Quad area. At those places, it is student groups that organize cookouts= burgers, dogs, brats and soda & water. No beer there of course. This would be the PERFECT spot for this type of activity, along with the area set-up for kids with inflatables.Now, not 100% sure where this could go, but a small replication of the now dead Hiney-Gate at OSU would be awesome. A beer garden spot with a band, and a theater TV to follow some of the other college football action.One of the great things about going to a college football game is hitting all these type of spots= hitting the local bar, the student group food area, the 'beer garden' area. And, of course, the tailgaiting. College football Saturday should be a day full of these type of activities and festivities. I hope Akron gets it right.

If you read my earlier post, I like to talk a lot about my history with the program, and how difficult it is for a school like Akron to build some additional attendance (I won't repeat the factors working against...many of us know what they are). Just look at the other MAC schools, we all battle serious challenges...even if we're winning games (i.e. Central and Western). But...a complete game-day atmosphere, coupled with the new stadium, does indeed give us a one-time opportunity to bring in some new attendees. And the campus location gives us some advantages that the Rubber Bowl did not, such as restaurants and bars nearby. Even if these folks don't become die-hard Zips fans like the rest of us, they might enjoy the experience enough to join us again from time to time. xu...I have a couple of questions...1) Where in the world is Coleman Commons? I've haven't been a student now in well over 2 decades, so please educate me.2) Did you just say that those Hiney Gate parites at OSWho are no longer?Two other comments...1) Don't expect Spicer to get closed on game day. I see too many problems with doing that, considering all of the road closures around the campus in the last couple of decades, and the limited options....including Spicer being a direct route to several parking areas. 2) Yes...the intersection at Brown and Exchange will be CRAZY on game days.

[g-mann17]

1) Where in the world is Coleman Commons? I've haven't been a student now in well over 2 decades, so please educate me.

Coleman Commons