Attendance Issues
by AndyHogan14 on Aug 7, 2010 10:29 PM PDT
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PrintAs we all know, the Ducks experienced a pretty bad drop off from their 2008–09 season to their 2009–10 season in terms of attendance. Many people like to blame this problem on the poor play, however, after the recent success (including knocking off the San José in first round in the previous year), I don't give that argument much merit. Now, on the off chance that some of the higher ups within the Ducks organization read this blog, what suggestions would you give them to help bring the numbers back up? In the past, I have heard that the Ducks should offer give-aways, should invest in some more outdoor advertisements, et cetera. Now, give-aways might work, however, outdoor advertisement would be difficult because there are very few billboards in Orange County leaving the only possibility of that kind of advertising to (Southern) Los Angeles County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County. The Ducks clearly need to do something, I just don't know what. Hopefully just winning will be apart of that equation next year, but this organization needs to figure out how to bring fans in when there are off-years.
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I think, because the TV numbers jumped ridiculously, a lot of the fans outside of Orange County, who maybe have to drive a little farther to get to the game, are staying home and watching on TV. So maybe if they advertised some ticket deals in those same broadcasts, where people are already apparently watching in great numbers, they can draw that audience back to the game. Just my centavos.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Aug 7, 2010 11:01 PM PDT reply actions
The big difference I see from my hometown (Vancouver) and the Ducks is that despite selling out games and having high TV ratings, the Canucks never stop advertising. Every time I come to Orange County, I don’t see a lot of advertising (except for the 2007 playoffs, when I thought the marketing did a decent job).
More advertising would do wonders for the team.
Are you talking about outdoor advertisements?
The problem with that particular channel of advertising is that new billboards are banned in the county (the only ones that I see on a consistent basis is the one owned by the Angels (therefore, the Angels and their partners use that one) and a few in Santa Ana . . . the only reason they are still up, is because they were there before the ban on billboards in OC. In Vancouver, do they just use billboards as a way to plaster the town with Canucks info, or do they use other stuff (bus stops?). I remember a few years back, the Angels started a major advertising campaign where the plastered Los Angeles County with signs to grow their base. Perhaps the Ducks should do what the Canucks do and plaster the counties they can: LA/RIverside/San Bernardino.
ANGELS . . . DUCKS . . . GOLDEN BEARS
Get a winning team. Spend all the cap money. Stop having an internal budget. That’s all. Oh, if there’s a way to change people’s mind about hockey. Hockey > Football > Baseball > Soccer > Basketball. Thats the way it should be.
Hometown : Montreal
First language : French
This explains why this post is filled with spelling, syntax and grammar mistakes!
Why is JGCrevier’s answer always spend money you don’t have to make money that Southern California has never been able to produce for hockey? The Ducks are spending plenty of money growing the game, but we’re years away from saying that hockey families and non-hockey families will come out in support of the team if you just spend the money on the team.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Aug 8, 2010 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Interns in the marketing department or what?
There is nothing on radio or much on TV….radio ads drill annoying jingles into your head all the time…hire the old Guitar Center, SuperShops announcer on the radio, “SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY”. Although radio may not be as effective as it once was, but it is cheaper than TV and you can use game sound clips, and all the hockey noises associated…just getting their name out there repetitively….not much effort on their part….plus their team stuff IPHONE apps, and screensavers, wallpapers firefox personas, they are all pretty bad, or offered up by fans….pathetic, they need to hire marketing people that know hockey…maybe get time warner to carry KDOC so people outside OC can watch the non FSWest games…
Advertising is good on billboards, buses, benches, ect but this marketing technique is called “shotgunning.” Its like taking a shot gun and trying to shoot down a huge wall but only getting a few holes in it, which wastes money in an unsaturated market. In a market like Vancouver, where hockey is life, they can do this because its readily available in Canada and everyone grew up watching/playing the game… The way that the ducks are going about promoting Anaheim Ducks hockey is good… They are building Ducks Rinks all over southern California. If you have people that can grab onto the product, which is hockey in this case, they’ll go to the games. Ducks need to push the colleges in the WAC, PAC 10 (or 12), Big West towards hockey programs then the market will grow from there. Families will push their children towards scholarships and hockey will become a way of life.. Maybe the best suggestion is discounted tickets given away at the Rinks locations
by ShamuSalami on Aug 8, 2010 7:43 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Agree 100% I think the ducks are doing a very good job of trying to grow the sport but this is all going to come down to patience. Colleges in the area starting hockey programs is a major piece of the puzzle
There's always money in the banana stand
I agree that colleges are a big piece of the puzzle.
However, the biggest two colleges in the area are UCLA and U$C–both deep in “Kings” territory, the Ducks would need to go on the offensive and make sure any new NHL fans coming out of these two schools will be Ducks fans. I also believe that more “The Rinks” locations will help grow the fan base along with an expansion of the Ducks High School league.
ANGELS . . . DUCKS . . . GOLDEN BEARS
I know this is going to sound a bit ridiculous to some, but what about trying to establish a hockey program at UCI?
(I actually think the Anteaters logo and colors would make a pretty cool jersey.)
UCI has DII ACHA hockey already, just like UCLA and USC. The closest DI ACHA program out west is Arizona. And then the closest NCAA program out West is probably Denver and then Alaska. It would be tough for any public school, especially a smaller public school, out West to accommodate the travel schedule (or convince others to accommodate that travel schedule just to join the WCHA) necessary to do more than what they’re doing now. Only a handful of schools are really equipped to do it in California.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Aug 9, 2010 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions
It's the economy
Let me tell you a story.
I can’t go to Friday nite games, so I put them up for sell for what I pay for themas a season seat holder which is less then what you would pay at the duckies ticket window. Well I was doing that and the tickets were selling just fine and then bam the crash in the market came and suddenly the ticket selling dried up. I don’t know that the duckies can do much to get the seats filled again until this recession is over. People are just leary about spending for luxury items right now (and duckies are a luxury item)
Let's go Ducks.
I agree with Deb. I have scaled down the amount of games I go to by about half. I used to go to about 30 games a year now I’ll do 10 – 15 maybe this upcoming season. The economic uncertainty in my case is killing my desire to go to Anaheim and spend the money.
by Newport Rebel on Aug 11, 2010 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Had to choose Other. Change the stinking game times back to 7:30 PM. It’s like the Ducks don’t even know they’re in the urban sprawl and traffic nightmare of Southern California. How do they expect fans to actually make it to a game on time when the games start as early at 7:00 PM – the end of rush hour in SoCal. And with the Pond being so close to the Orange Crush, traffic isn’t getting better anytime soon. It’s like they expect that the only fans they have live and work in Anaheim, Orange, Santa Ana, or Tustin.
When people buy tickets they typically buy them for a night of entertainment – with plans to go out to dinner and watch a complete game. It’s nearly impossible to do that on a weeknight game after getting off of work, commuting home, changing into your Ducks gear, grabbing a bite to eat, park, and get to your seat as the game starts. It’s ridiculous to see how many people do actually show up at around 7:30-7:40 when you go to games. The first period is nearly over by then.
We’re the only team in the West that has these early games. People only want to spend their money (it’s expensive to go to a game) if they get to see/use the whole product.
Well, actually, the Canucks are the other West Coast team to start at 7:00pm. But their arena is located downtown and is nearly directly connected to the SkyTrain (Vancouver’s subway).
But I agree, 7:30pm would make more sense for Anaheim.
I wonder . . .
I had forgotten that games used to start at 7:30 . . . I kind of wonder if the start time has anything to do with the city of Anaheim because the Angels start at 7:05 as well while all the LA teams (Dodgers, Lakers, Kings, etc) start at either 7:15 or 7:30.
ANGELS . . . DUCKS . . . GOLDEN BEARS
Well this year unless the Angels get hot and the Rangers tank there wont be to much crossover traffic.
by Newport Rebel on Aug 11, 2010 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions
I wanted to also note that Vancouver doesn’t have the sprawl like SoCal does. It totally is a different living situation there with all the sky rise condos they have. They built up in Vancouver rather than built out. So it’s a whole lot easier to get to games.
Actually, Vancouver is pretty sprawled out now. Not as much as SoCal, but the sprawl is certainly branching out to places like Abbotsford nowadays. Most people in the area actually don’t live in the City of Vancouver itself. (Vancouver accounts for only 25% of the area’s population.)
Even so, you’re right — it’s a lot more dense in the downtown corridor and the city than SoCal.
One of the reasons for building up instead of building out is that agricultural land in the area is protected. Most of the land that can be developed has indeed been developed. Obviously they can’t build on the mountains, so buildings are getting taller.
I was up there for the games and I think one major thing we are overlooking is the traffic. Vancouver’s heavy traffic rates at about medium traffic in So Cal levels. Downtown was not that bad during the games but then again I am sure the the city was on top of everything while the games were going on and that that was not a normal day in Vancouver. I’m sure there far more police and services to help with that than a normal day.
by Newport Rebel on Aug 11, 2010 4:01 PM PDT up reply actions
From what I heard, it was DEFINITELY not at normal levels during the Olympics. My family and friends said most people ditched their cars for the two weeks.
by BuckyHermit on Aug 11, 2010 10:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I think a lot of people also forget how much competition there is in the OC and So Cal in general. Some of these places like Vancouver have hockey being the #1 sport, but they also don’t have any other major sport teams that I can think of. They don’t have to compete with the Kings, the Lakers, and the Clippers. Yes, not all those teams can play on the same night, but that’s not to say that the Lakers or the Clippers aren’t playing along with the Ducks. Throw in the college teams like UCLA and USC with their football and basketball programs, as well as baseball at the collegiate level (which has many more local colleges than USC or UCLA that have great programs) and MLB with the Dodgers and Angels come the end of the hockey season.
There are a ton of sports trying to get fans going to them. It’s not as easy as some other places where there might not be as much. In Montreal, they only have the Habs. Yes the Habs have been there for a while (give or take), but they aren’t competing for the attention of fans as much if at all. I think a lot of places forget that when they look at teams like the Ducks. There are so many teams at various levels within such a small area that the competition is fierce.
I agree with your competition assessment, but I’d like to add that in California, and much of the U.S., hockey is a niche sport. A casual fan going to a baseball, basketball, or football game is fairly normal. It’s What Americans do. As such, it’s just not a sport that the casual fan seeks out. If someone is thinking about going to a random sporting event, the first decision they’ll make is which sport to see, then probably choose a team. There’s also a chance someone chooses to see a trendy team, see the Lakers. Still, hockey is probably at the end of that list.
Very true. Not just anyone is going to pick up hockey for the most part. People need to be drawn to it. Another thing I’m thinking is that it’s too bad the Ducks are the only team that play in the Ponda Center. With the Staples Center, you get fans for the Kings, Lakers, and Clippers all going there. It makes advertising to fans of basketball easier I would imagine if you can advertise on the Jumbotron and around the arena. I’m not sure if they do that, but if I were them I would. With the Ducks being the sole team in the Ponda, that challenges them. You’re not seeing as many casual sport fans as you could at the Staples Center with the fans going to basketball games.
I was thinking if the Ducks could ever get an NBA team (maybe the Clippers, though their owner seems dead set on the Staples Center and LA), then they could work with the team. If they could get a team like the Clippers who struggles with attendance to the Ponda Center, then the teams could try and work out some sort of deal where if you buy a ticket to one team (or a ticket package of some sort such as a mini-plan), you could get a ticket(s) to the other team. Yes it’d hurt for a little while with revenue because those seats aren’t being paid for, but it might get more fans to come to the game and get addicted to the great game of hockey. And really, how much would they be losing? If the seats aren’t selling out, what’s the problem with giving out some of them to try and attract and audience? You still have those people coming and and paying for parking and food and hopefully merchandise. Then you try to get them to start buying tickets to YOUR team.
It could work. It would obviously take some time and commitment by both teams and owners occupying the building, but in the long run I think it would help.
I love the Ponda Center. I grew up as a hockey fan in that building. But, the Staples Center is so much nicer. The seats up high are definitely more cramped, but the inside of the arena is just nice. It’s like a new car. I don’t see the Ducks luring an NBA franchise anytime soon.
I have been to both
From a completely unbiased view, Ponda Center is nicer than Staples Center. I am completely biased of course, so I agree, but this is coming from many of my friends that are die-hard Laker fans that don’t really care too much about hockey that I took with me to both Ponda and Staples to watch the Ducks . . . now, I (and they) have never been to the Pond for basketball so I don’t know how the comparison is with that sport, but Anaheim is definitely a better place for hockey. Also, the architecture of the Pond is just better. Period. The last thing be need we need is more ultra-modern venues (Staples, KC’s new arena, Cowboys Stadium, etc).
As for basketball, Samueli has gone on the record saying that he is interested in buying an NBA franchise and moving them to Anaheim (he almost succeeded with Portland, and the former-Seattle Sonics). There could very easily be 3 (2.5, because the Clippers don’t really count) basketball teams in this area . . . similar to New York’s 3 hockey teams.
ANGELS . . . DUCKS . . . GOLDEN BEARS
It’s also important to note that the LA area will be getting an NFL team in the very near future. The stadium is the real deal and will be built. And it’s only a matter of time before the NFL will come. The stadium builders have pretty much guaranteed that we will have a team in three years.
The stadium won’t even be too far from the Pond – just up the 57 at the 60 – right outside of Orange County once you travel through the Brea Canyon.
http://www.losangelesfootballstadium.com/
So competition is even going to be more fierce. And we know that people down in LA and the OC love their football.
Is it gonna be called the LA Gold? (entourage reference)
There's nothing to see here. And nothing gazes back at me.
Hell I remember going to LA Rams games as a kid. Those were the days.
by Newport Rebel on Aug 12, 2010 6:56 PM PDT up reply actions
I grew up with
the Angels and Rams at Anaheim Stadium and would love them to come “home.” :)
http://www.facebook.com/losangelesrams
ANGELS . . . DUCKS . . . GOLDEN BEARS
by AndyHogan14 on Aug 12, 2010 10:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I think LA needs an NHL team first. They haven’t had one for decades now.
bada-bing
by BuckyHermit on Aug 11, 2010 10:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Good One . .
Haha.
ANGELS . . . DUCKS . . . GOLDEN BEARS
by AndyHogan14 on Aug 11, 2010 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions
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