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PETER JAMES JACOB MARMOR DREW OLKOWSKI SHANNON SAMUELS CHRISTOPHER HAYES MATTHEW HOCHBERG

December 5, 2014

JOIN THE BOMBSQUAD

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TABL

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of

CONTACT INFO 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS 5-9

OBJECTIVES 10

TARGET MARKET 11-14

STRATEGY 15-16

THE BIG IDEA 17-28

EVALUATIONS 29-32

MEET THE TEAM 33-36

APPENDIX 37-39

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CON

TACT IN

FOOLKOWSKI james hochberg

marmor samuels hayes

716.848.0064aolkows1@ithaca.edu

315.552.7165pjames1@ithaca.edu

22 15 1

42 18 7

862.485.5007mwhochberg@gmail.com

413.320.7842jmmarmor@gmail.com

585.662.3413ssamuel2@ithaca.edu

585.794.0818chayes3@ithaca.edu

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EXEC

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YProposal SummaryCurrently, Ithaca College Basketball, both men’s and women’s, is faced with the low fan attendance at their basketball games. Due to the fact that there is a lack of “Bomber-Pride” towards the athletic teams on campus, low fan attendance has become a perpetuating cycle at the games.

Within this proposal, we have re-evaluated the current situation surrounding the basketball games on campus, then established a multitude of ideas which can be implemented to increase student attendance at the games.

By pairing these proposed tactics with the newly branded “Ithaca Athletics,” an atmosphere of school spirit and athletic pride can now be established among the student body of Ithaca College.

Thank You!On behalf of the entire team, I would like to personally thank Director Bassett, as well as the entire Ithaca Athletics department for giving us the opportunity to assist with the continued success of Ithaca Athletics.

From a group of sports fanatics currently studying here at IC, we were thrilled to conduct research and design tactics concerning the success of a cause that hits close to home. From die-hard Cortaca Jug fans, to playing on club or varsity sport teams, our team is constantly engaged with Ithaca Athletics, and we are passionate about Athletics future success.

As shown through the new visual identity of Athletics created this year, students and alumni are the driving force behind bringing a community together. This is exemplified by Jason DeLand ‘98 volunteering to act as a strategic advisor for the re-branding, andDirector Susan Bassett ‘79, returning to her alma mater to serve as the Director for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports. Ithaca College is a community that continues to support itself and help itself grow.

That being said, if there are any questions concerning the proposal, or if anyone would like to further discuss any of the tactics mentioned in the proposal, please feel free to contact me by phone at 716-848-0064, or by email at aolkows1@ithaca.edu

Thank you again for giving us this opportunity to work with you,

Drew Olkowski Creative Director

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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

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EY Survey ResultsWhat would help increase your interest in an Ithaca College Athletics Game?

The top three choices in this section were Free Giveaways (84 percent), Free Food (63 percent) and Halftime Performances (57 percent). From these statistics, it is clear that to increase interest in an Ithaca College Athletics game, giving away free items such as Ithaca College gear and providing free food – even food as simple as pizza – will help the attendance at games.

Would you be interested in being a part of a cheering section TheBOMBSQUAD? (Be loud, show school spirit, bring signs)

47.2 percent of responses stated that they would be interested in joining TheBOMBSQUAD, while 15.8 percent rejected the idea and 37 percent were unsure.

What would motivate you to be part of the cheering section?

74 percent of responses stated that “special game privileges” would motivate them to be part of TheBOMBSQUAD cheering section. We can allow TheBOMBSQUAD to submit requests of what special privileges they would like, and we can work with the administration to make them happen.

Do you know when the basketball games are?

Only 5 percent – 5 percent! – of responses stated they knew when the basketball games are being played. This is an extremely low number that must be fixed via social media, fliers and word of mouth. What is encouraging, however, is that 42 percent of responses stated that they if did know when the games were being played, they would be more inclined to go.

Current SituationThe current situation that Ithaca College Athletics is facing is low awareness and attendance rates of Ithaca College basketball games. We have come up with a multitude of innovative ways to solve the problem at hand, while targeting a variety of different audiences. The most successful ideas can then be implemented into other sporting events, resulting in high attendance and awareness rates for all Ithaca Athletics teams.

In order to better asses the current situation Ithaca Athletics faces, we have decided to conduct a survey among students at Ithaca College, analyze the current media coverage of athletics, create a S.W.O.T. analysis and finally we conducted a competitor analysis to finalize our objectives for this campaign.

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MED

IA AN

ALYSISThe media coverage of the Ithaca College Men’s and Women’s Varsity Basketball teams over the course of the last few years has generally been bland, but also positive. Because it is Division III athletics, there is not as much media focused on the teams as there is, for example, at Cornell and its Division I program. Ithaca College’s official athletic site, athletics.ithaca.edu, reports the news in an unbiased manner, focusing on the outcomes of the games and the statistics of the players. Athletics also recognize awards and accolade Bomber athletes receive.

Ithaca College’s student-run newspaper, The Ithacan, digs deeper and tends to profile players and focus on their backgrounds and upbringings on top of merely writing game previews and recaps. For example, The Ithacan published an article on November 18, just at the start of the season, highlighting sophomore Ahmad Boyd and his journey to Ithaca College and motivation to make an impact on the team after being cut just one year earlier. Aside from The Ithacan, however, much of the content within the Ithaca and Tompkins County area, such as The Ithaca Journal, produces a lot more news on Cornell Athletics. There is more at stake – in terms of website traffic and ultimately revenue – in writing on the teams and programs that will draw more clicks and eyeballs.

One strategy to attract more attention to the Ithaca College Men’s and Women’s Varsity Basketball teams would be to reach out to specific media outlets and pitch stories with the hope of attracting the attention of editors and writers. Specifically, The Ithaca Voice, which is an online-only publication launched in June 2014, is certainly worthwhile to contact. Due to its founding in June, the Voice has yet to cover the basketball season and may find the idea of pursuing stories on the Ithaca College basketball team to be interesting.

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S.W

.O.T.

AN

ALYS

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STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

The athletic facilities are new and accommodating to fans

Recent, strong rebranding of Ithaca College Athletics

The basketball team has a diverse amount of students, from first year students to seniors

Students have expressed interest in viewing sports games at Ithaca

Not a lot of parking near the facility for winter games--many students live off campus

Home games are not well publicized with students on campus

Not a large amount of school spirit behind Ithaca Athletics

Many people are unaware of where the basketball games are held

IC Athletics has very little social media presence

Largely residential campus, with mostly first or second year students

Intercom is a widely read platform on campus to spread information among students

Many students have free time during Basketball game time

There are over 200 different clubs and organizations on campus that may be able to team up with IC Athletics

Cornell Athletics has a greater amount of Athletic talent and larger facilities at a Division 1 level

Friday nights are known high binge drinking and party time periods for students

A large amount of clubs on campus decide to have large activities on Friday evenings.

Having low first year student attendance will lead to low attendance over their career at Ithaca

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COM

PETITORS

As far as Ithaca College’s winter sports go, basketball is probably the most relevant and popular. Unfortunately, there aren’t many other varsity sports teams to compare it to. With that said, we think our biggest competitor for fans on a Friday night is Cornell’s athletics. For a smaller, division 3 school, it is difficult to compete for relevance and popularity with a much larger division 1 school like Cornell.

For the less sports-oriented students, there’s generally a show to catch on campus in a plethora of departments whether it be music, theatre, or comedy performance. The musical theatre schedule runs all year long, and usually has nighttime performances during common basketball game times. Additionally, music school students are required to go to a certain number of music performances each semester here at IC. Because they are required for students majors, these performances will be difficult to compete with, when attracting music school students.

Lastly, for the 21+ demographic, we believe the bar scene might pull away potential IC basketball fans. Off-campus events like Moonshadow Tavern’s 6:30 beer pong tournament likely draws many fans off South Hill to Ithaca’s Commons. Friday nights are notable high binge-drinking and “party” time periods for Ithaca College students. Although there is a large portion of students who do not decide to attend parties, or go to local bars on the weekend, many students who live off campus choose to go to the bars opposed to coming back to campus for the athletics game.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

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OBJ

ECTI

VES Objective 1:

Increase awareness of Ithaca College Men’s and Women’s Basketball Games by 60%.

Reasoning: By increasing game awareness within the target markets, fans are more likely to attend games knowing that they are going on. As illustrated within our primary research, a large portion of the target market, which was surveyed did not know when games were held. Therefore it is our first objective to increase awareness of when games are happening.

Objective 2:Increase attendance of Ithaca College Men’s and Women’s Basketball Games by 30%.

Reasoning: Games are better with fans. The energy is higher, each score is bigger, and the players enjoy the support from classmates. In order to create a successful environment around Bomber Basketball, it is crucial that we increase attendance and grow the Ithaca fan base. With loyal fans come loyal fans’ friends.

Objective 3:Create first-time conviction of game attendance within the target market.

Reasoning: In order to increase continual game attendance, fans need to have first-time conviction when going to an Ithaca Basketball game. By increasing first-time conviction, a loyal fan-base can be created and grow, through the implementation of fan appreciation programs. However, it is necessary to get fans in the doors before growing and increasing the fan-base.

Objective 4:Build “bomber pride” through increase of brand awareness and recognition.

Reasoning: Ithaca Athletics recently went through re-branding, creating a strong and cohesive brand for Ithaca Athletics. Now, while the branding is still new, increasing brand awareness and recognition is critical, as it will allow the target market to have identifiable images and icons when looking at advertisements and promotional material for different athletics events.

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TARGET MARKET

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YThis public relations campaign will reach the following target audiences:-Community members of Ithaca – specifically families of primary school children-Students of Ithaca College aged 18 – 22 who participate in athletic events ranging from intramural sports to varsity teams-Students of Ithaca College who may not have been interested in going to athletic events in the past-Students of Ithaca College who are looking to get involved in school spirit more-First-year students of Ithaca College-Faculty and staff of Ithaca College

Our primary target audience are the students of Ithaca College who wouldn’t normally come to any games. There are many students who do not attend games because they are just not interested in them or they just don’t know where or when the games are. Usually, there are only athletes and parents who attend the games. We are looking to target a wide variety of students to come support the teams. Additionally many other student athletes already choose to come to the basketball games to support their fellow athletes.

We also want to bring in different media outlets to sponsor and cover the games. Ithaca already has frequent radio and television coverage through the student stations, but getting local businesses to sponsor the games would be a huge benefit. Some popular local businesses we could reach out to would be The Alehouse, Mahogany Grill, or The Boatyard Grill. ESPN Ithaca covers mostly Cornell and high school events, but we could always reach out to them as well. Also, we would use the media to reach all target audiences to announce the location and times of the games. There is also a need to spread the word to the general Ithaca population about the games. Besides the parents of the players, there is basically no support from the Ithaca community for the basketball games. Getting the community excited for these games is a major goal for our campaign. Finally, a secondary target group we are going after are the faculty and staff of Ithaca College. There is already a good showing of sport management and media professors as well as other coaches from other athletic teams. Getting all faculty and staff more involved in the games could really bring a positive outcome to the atmosphere of the event.

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PROFILES

Lindsey BurkettLindsey Burkett is a 36-year-old mother of 2 living right outside of the Ithaca Commons. When she’s not working as a math teacher at Ithaca High School she can be found spending time with her 5 year old son and 8 year old daughter. During the winter when her kids are stuck inside, she struggles to keep them entertained after school. She’d love to bring her kids to the IC Basketball games where her kids could exert their energy in the bouncy house or get their face painted in blue and gold to cheer for the bombers.

Jason WellsJason Wells is a freshman at IC majoring in Sport Media. He’s a quiet student that has a close-knit group of friends that he met in his residence hall. Every Friday night they want to get out and meet new people but don’t feel like walking down the south hill in search of a party. Jason and his friends would love to go to an IC basketball game and become part of TheBOMBSQUAD.

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PRO

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Brendan WalshBrendan Walsh is a junior at IC who’s a die-hard sports fan. When he’s not busy with his multiple marketing clubs he’s usually with his buddies watching college sports at any local bar. Although Brendan loves Ithaca, he wishes the student’s section at IC athletics games were more rowdy and fun. He would love to gear up in IC Bomb Squad gear and cheer on his school’s teams.

Kyle WoodyKyle Woody is an instructor at Ithaca College in the Department of Sport Management and Media. Prior to coming to Ithaca and joining the Bombers, Kyle worked at STACK Media, traveling around the country and interviewing high-profile athletes. Kyle lives and breathes sport, and while he spends his days devoted to teaching students about the industry, he has wanted a chance to be able to cheer for his Bombers. With the ideas we have in place to enhance the atmosphere and experience at Ithaca College Men’s and Women Varsity Basketball games, Kyle is about to undergo an incredible, memorable season attending games and rooting for his Bombers.

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STRATEGIES

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STRA

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IES

1.Create a spirit and energy centered environment.

2.Incentivize student & community attendance.

3.Expand the game experience outside of the game.

4.Facilitate promotional & media coverage.

5.Reinforce athletics brand identity beyond the court.

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THEBOMBSQUAD

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TheB

OM

BSQ

UAD

To target the Ithaca College student body, we think IC Athletics should implement TheBOMBSQUAD. TheBOMBSQUAD would be a cheering section for IC students, similar to other colleges’ cheering sections (Ex. RIT’s Tiger Den).

We feel TheBOMBSQUAD is a fun way to unite students and make them want to attend the Ithaca basketball games. TheBOMBSQUAD would be open to all IC students, as long as they are ready to cheer!

Members would be given rewards based on their game attendance. At their first game in TheBOMBSQUAD, they would receive a free #BOMBSQUAD cheering towel. After attending three games, they would receive an official BOMBSQUAD t-shirt.

According to our student survey, half of the respondents said they would like to be part of TheBOMBSQUAD. The top three motivators for joining TheBOMBSQUAD were: special game privileges, a free t-shirt, and reserved seating in the front. In order to carryout TheBOMBSQUAD effectively, we suggest having two “BOMBSQUAD Masters”, those who can effectively pump up TheBOMBSQUAD, lead cheers, make signs, and make students want to be a part of TheBOMBSQUAD.

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FREE GIVEAW

AYSGiveaway Item ideas:1. T-Shirts

2. Sweatpants

3. Water bottles

4. Key chains

5. Pompoms

6. Cheering towels

7. Hats

8. Tank-tops

9. Noise makers

10. IC Tattoos

11. IC Athletics Bumper stickers

12. String backpacks

13. Light up novelties

14. Mini flashlight

15. Mini IC basketballs

Everyone loves free things, especially broke college students. One tactic to get students to come to the Ithaca College Basketball games is to have free prizes. According to our survey, free prizes were the number one incentive to get students to attend a game. All prizes should have the IC Athletics logo to help increase awareness outside of the games.

There are also a multitude of different ways to give away free items, including the following:

i. T-Shirt Cannon – (Or someone throwing prizes)

ii. First 40 students to arrive at the basketball game receive a free prize

iii. Hand out small flyers to students on campus and in-dorms. If they bring the flyer, they automatically receive a free prize.(*Must stay until end of game)

iv. BEST FAN Award – The fan showing the most Bomber pride will win a free prize.

v. Prizes for half-time contest winners

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SOCI

AL

MED

IA Social Media is a great way to target a

mass amount of people, free of charge. Ithaca College Athletics has 2,461 followers on Facebook and 4,326 followers on Twitter, while Ithaca College has over 20,000 followers on Facebook and 15.5K followers on Twitter. We suggest that IC Athletics pair up with the Ithaca College social media team, so they can post about the big Friday night basketball games.

Ithaca College Athletics does not have an Instagram page. However, Ithaca College does. Ithaca College allows students to “takeover” the IC Instagram page for a day. We believe that having an IC Basketball player takeover the IC Instagram page for a day could be a great way to increase awareness and even attendance of the games. Here, players can post pictures about their past games, current stats, what a typical practice is like, or even what game day is like. These pictures and facts would be seen by their 5,000 followers.

Instagram

Facebook & Twitter

#BombsquadIn order to create a cohesive basketball athletics message, we will utilize the ‘#bombsquad’ to aggregate all tweets concerning the Ithaca basketball game, and fans time and actions in the “bombsquad.”

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F.Y.R.E. The First Year Residential Experience is finally fully implemented on campus. All first year students currently live together within the Upper Quads, Lower Quads, and East and West Tower, in a fully integrated living situation.

For athletics, it is crucial to, not only increase first year student attendance, but also first year conviction. By targeting students during their first year here at Ithaca, Athletics can create a four year fan-base within the first year class.

In order to integrate into the F.Y.R.E. programming, Athletics could now “team-up” with the Office of Residential Life, and more importantly, the F.Y.R.E. RA’s to facilitate floor and community programs that revolve around the Ithaca College Basketball games. By giving RA’s funding, advertisements and a made agenda for the floor program, there is little to no effort on the RA’s part, yet this could be a well attended floor program by students in these first year areas.

If successful, the program could expand into upper years areas.

EXAMPLE FLOOR PROGRAMTitle:”Bomb-Squad Pancake Pre-Game.”

Budget: $30.00

Expected Attendance: 30-35

Supplies Needed: Pancake mix, chocolate chips, plates, forks, napkins, face-paint, poster-board, markers, temporary tattoos, “rally-gear*”, Nerf-Basketball Hoop, 2 Nerf Basketballs, Advertisements

Explanation: Join your RA for a “Pancake Pre-game!” Come to the lounge of your building an hour before the game and enjoy some pancakes and activities leading up to the basketball game. Participate in PIG, knockout, and many more fun Nerf basketball games, while we make signs, do temporary tattoos and face paint to get ready for the game. The floor program is sponsored by TheBombsquad. First five residents in Ithaca apparel will receive some free “rally-gear” from TheBombsquad. Five more residents will walk away with some free gear after participating in the pre-game activities.

***SEE APPENDIX FOR PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL AND SEE PAGE 19 FOR RALLY-GEAR EXAMPLES.***

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I.C.C

. The Integrated Core CurriculumThe Integrated Core Curriculum, or the ICC, at Ithaca College is a set of thought-provoking academic experiences that will connect students to their peers across campus, and connect their thoughts and ideas across disciplines to help them shape their understanding of the world.

The 6 ICC themes are as follows:Inquiry, Imagination and InnovationPower and JusticeQuest for a Sustainable FutureIdentities World of Systems Mind, Body, Spirit

Students in the ICC are tasked to experience integrative learning, connecting their chosen theme to real-life situations and problems. Students currently enrolled in their ICC Seminar have the opportunity to explore their theme inside, as well as outside of the classroom.

How does this apply to Athletics?Basketball is a sport that can connect to all 6 themes, creating a real-world, integrated learning environment outside of the classroom. Students may attend one of the many basketball games as part of their seminar class, and connect the different aspects of the game to their theme.

First year students, also living in first year housing, previously stated, may take part in ICC-themed floor programs connecting games to their theme as well. Athletics has the opportunity to re-enforce the ICC while also connecting it with the overall educational experience of college.

Sample ICC Activities:Inquiry, Imaginations and Innovations:Watch some of the most innovative plays in history, and discuss ways Ithaca may be able to apply the ideas of Triple I to Ithaca Basketball.

Identities:How does each player establish his or her own identity on the court? Students can explore how players create their own identity while playing on the team.

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FIRST-YEAR FRID

AYEstablishing TraditionOften when asked why they do something, the answer is “it’s a tradition.” For example, why is there so much excitement surrounding Cortaca? For many students, the answer is simply “it is a tradition.” Creating a tradition within the First-Year class will establish, not only a memorable moment to associate with Athletics, but also the possibility of a four-year fan conviction.

First-Year FridayIn order to draw more first year students into the basketball games, Ithaca College Athletics can begin the tradition of the “First Year Friday” basketball game. The game will be centered around the first Friday basketball game in December, with activities centered around first-year students. The conceptbehind having the game on the first Friday game of December is that, the weather begins to get colder, and fewer students desire to go out to a party, which is one main competitor of basketball games. Therefore, by drawing students in during the colder months, they can find entertainment instead of traveling in the cold weather.

Event Information (Brief Outline) The event will have specific activities that will be specifically oriented for first-year students. These would include:1. An introduction or beginning dedication to all first-year student basketball players.2. Every time a first-year player makes a basket, cheerleaders throw bomber gear into TheBombsquad cheer zone.3. A free rally towel will be given to each first-year student upon arrival (shown through ID scan).4. There will be a half-time contest, where select first-year students will be chosen to compete in basketball challenges with prizes awarded to the winners.5. After the game, there will be a “first-year” dance event on the court, following the game. The dance will have a D.J. and free food, giving students the opportunity to enjoy a night out after the game.

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STU

DEN

T O

RGS Club Involvement

There are over 200 student organizations on campus. With everything from Ithacapella, Premium Blend, IC Circus, Spit That, Voice Stream, and Tap Club to IC Unbound, IC Stand Up, HiFashion and many more, we suggest bringing student organizations in on the basketball scene.

Giving student organizations the chance to perform at half time as well as before and after the game could be a great way to increase student attendance rates at basketball games. Not only will this bring in students from different organizations, but also their supporters.

Over 60% of our survey respondents said the main reason they don’t go to the games is because none of their friends are going. Going as a student organization would allow for students to go with a large group of friends, and give them the opportunity to show off their skills. We believe bringing in student organizations is a great way to increase awareness, attendance and excitement at the Ithaca basketball games, resulting in more regular game day attendees.

Also, 72% of our survey respondents said they would rather attend an on campus event such as a theater performance, music concert or stand-up comedy, rather than a basketball game. Bringing these student organizations to the basketball games would be a great way to increase awareness, attendance and excitement at the Ithaca basketball games, resulting in more regular game day attendees.

ExamplesIthacapella is a very well-known student organization on campus, with concert attendance rates of over 500 students. If 1/10th of the students were to go to a basketball game to see them perform, that’s 50 more attendees at an Ithaca College Basketball game. We would suggest reaching out to Ithacapella for a half-time performance to draw their fan-base to the game.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind could put on a dog show during half-time. This could be similar to the puppy-bowl during the Super Bowl, while also bringing attention to the guiding eyes for the blind.

IC Unbound could perform some pump-up dance routines. These routines could get fans in the Bombsquad excited for the next half of the game, and bring attendance of the different dance clubs around campus that would come to support their fellow dancers.

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LFTIME SH

OW

SHalftime Show IdeasTarget and invite professors and Ithaca College employees to be able to play on the court at halftime at one of the IC Varsity Basketball games. This will increase attendance among the faculty who are interested in basketball.

Allow the opportunity for cheerleaders to play on the court at halftime or have a shooting contest. Publicize this in advance with the intention that friends of cheerleaders will come see them play.

Pick fans from the crowd to play on the court at halftime or have a shooting contest, such as a three-point contest or the “Knockout” game. Winner will receive a special prize, such as a free IC t-shirt, gift card to the bookstore, etc.

Host “Social Media Night” in which fans who tweet/instagram the best tweets or photos from the first half of the game have the opportunity to be recognized on center court at halftime with the chance to win a prize.

Host “Children Night” in which we publicize this to families within the Ithaca community. Allow children to play on the court at halftime, providing them with IC t-shirts to make it a memorable experience and to ensure the community feels closer to the school.

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INTE

RCO

M We plan to use Ithaca College’s

campus-wide communication system, Intercom, as means to communicate with our target audiences. The major benefit of Intercom, in this case in particular, is that it has specific areas for specific parts of the Ithaca College community. There are sections for faculty, students, and a combination of both.

By placing information for games in different sections of Ithaca College’s Intercom system, we can tailor the information for each section. This way our message will be better heard because we will provide individualized and relate-able information specifically for each part of Ithaca College’s community.

Intercom notifications are sent out through weekly emails across campus, allowing for a variety of different opportunities to get the message out about basketball games, in methods other than social media. This helps fight the one draw-back of social media messaging, in which the target audience must first follow the social media account in order to receive updates from the user.

For StudentsIn order to best reach students, among the many other announcements on Intercom, we will focus on three key points:

1. The free giveaways and benefits students will gain from going.2. Promote any special event that will be occurring at the game that will incorporate a specific student population (First-Year Friday, Senior Night etc.) 3. Noting the time, date and place of the games in the title of the Intercom article, to ensure students can get the information at a quick glance.

For Faculty Faculty, differing from students, read stories from within Intercom for alternative reasons opposed to students. Although we would wish to target all of campus within our Intercom posting, we would recommend that only posts about the basketball game specifically in the faculty section when the game has some sort of specific attraction for faculty. These specified postings can draw faculty attention to specific games due to the limited messages increasing importance with the infrequency. This being said, we would recommend that Athletics posts about every game in the community events section of Intercom.

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COM

MU

NITY O

UTREAC

HIn order to effectively gain the attention of the Ithaca Community, we have implemented numerous tactics that will reach a wide variety of community members.

Although Ithaca is a college town, we see great potential in bringing families to Ithaca College basketball games. Bouncy houses, clowns, face painters are all tactics that will attract parents and their kids to our family fun event.

Obviously these tactics are aimed towards younger kids, so to get the attention of older kids we plan to team up with local basketball teams (Modified, Freshmen, JV, Varsity) and feature them as a “team of the night” every Friday night. The team will receive VIP seating during the game and each athlete will be introduced at halftime.

During games that are not on Friday night, we will introduce a local talent as the halftime show. Ithaca is known for its talented and artistic community, so we want to take advantage of the plethora of potential halftime acts whether it be a small band, dance team, singer, or even a magic show!

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AFT

ER P

ARTI

ES On the Court

Athletes know that the game doesn’t end on the court with them. Countless hours go into practice and workouts to make the team perform at its best...so why should the excitement of the game end for the fans at the last buzzer?

On the court, following select home games, Ithaca Athletics has the opportunity to have the Ithaca pride and party spirit continue on the court. The newly renovated Hill Center Gymnasium is the perfect facility to hold an after-party celebrating the winnings of the game.

Those who attended the game will be able to get in free of charge, while all others can still come for the after-party fun at the minimal charge of a $3.00 admission. This would incentivize attendance at the game for students.

If we can’t beat ‘em, Join ‘em!One of the largest reasons students do not attend basketball games on the weekend is that many of the students want to go with their friends to the bar. Instead of trying to compete with local bars, Ithaca Athletics has the opportunity to hold some after parties, following athletics games, at local bars , such as Moonshadow Tavern, or Silky Jones. At the basketball game, athletics can give away temporary tattoos of the Athletics logo to all those who attend. If a customer wears the temporary tattoo at the after party, he or she can receive drinks at a discounted rate, as determined with the bar. This would be a way to not only engage older, off-campus students, but also young locals who enjoy both watching basketball, as well as going to the bars on the weekend.

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EVALUATION

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To track the attendance rates at Ithaca College basketball games we suggest:- Have all students swipe their ID at the door

This will allow for gaining valuable information such as:- Name- Class Year- Email Address

Additional Measurement Tactics Include:- Have TheBOMBSQUAD sign-up sheet with email list- Faculty swipe ID at door- Monitor social media engagement - Using specific game hashtags, such as “#ICvsCOR” or “#GoBombersBeatAlfred”- Send out surveys after the games to all the students and faculty who attended - See what they liked and what they would like to see change. To calculate community member attendance:- Have separate sign-up sheet for community members to write down name and email list- This will allow us to keep track of who/how many community members are attending games and give us the opportunity to stay in touch with via email and update them on when games are and new promotionsM

EASU

REM

ENTS

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TIMETA

BLETo kick off the season we’d like to promote the 2 teams by introducing the bomb squad cheering section. During the first three home games we will give out t-shirts, hats, water bottles, and other IC gear to hype up the fans. Who doesn’t love free stuff! During the first few months of the season both teams don’t host too many home games so awareness is our biggest objective.

Once winter break starts we are going to focus on increasing attendance of Ithaca community members. During that month there are 4 home games, so we decided to host two family nights and two high school nights. This will allow parents to bring their kids to the games for family night and will also target other parents who have a son or daughter on any of the Ithaca High School basketball teams.

As winter break ends and the students flood back to campus is when the real fun begins. Nearing the end of the sea-son is when bomb squad fans can attend Moonies night along with our own after parties. We chose to implement these tactics at the end because there are more Friday/Saturday games, students tend to have less workloads during this time, and to celebrate the seasons of both men and women’s IC Varsity basketball.

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70%2.3%

2.9%

6.7%

7.9%5.9% 0.9% 1.7%

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E TEAMMatthew Hochberg is a Junior at Ithaca College, studying Sport

Media. He illustrates his passion for the sport industry through his published work in various online and print publications as well as his work with professional teams, such as the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. Born and raised in New Jersey, Matthew’s other passions include spending time with friends and family, watching Yankees Baseball and writing about himself in the third person.

Half-Court is a full service Public Relations boutique based in Ithaca, New York. At Half-Court, we specialize in sports public relations, with concentrated divisions in Football, Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Baseball and our newest division of Polo. Why Half- Court? Because that is the most important spot on the basketball court. Half-Court is where the game begins, half-court is a line you must cross decisively, and half-court is where the most challenging, and most memorable, game-winning shots are taken from. Here at Half-Court, we are all team players, who strive to help “undrafted free agents” become super stars in the sporting world. Please take the time to read the brief bios of our team members below .

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Peter James is a Junior majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications and minoring in Legal Studies. He plans to one-day work for an advertising agency, and is extremely excited to gain real world experience while studying in Los Angeles this Spring. Peter is a member of Student Consulting for Non-Profits as well as American Marketing Association. His favorite sport to watch is Syracuse Basketball.

Shannon Samuels is a Junior at Ithaca College, majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Integrated Marketing Communications. She is the Event and Marketing director for Guiding Eyes for the Blind at Ithaca College, and spends her extra time training guide dogs with the necessary skills needed to succeed as a working guide. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, and enjoys planning events. Her favorite sport to watch is Syracuse Basketball.

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Jacob Marmor hails from Northampton, MA, a quaint little town nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires. He’s a nice, fun-loving, handsome, and slightly biased individual. When he’s not in class you can find Jacob roaming the forests of South Hill, working at one of his jobs, writing about himself in the third person, or quite simply sitting in front of his television succumbing to his severe addiction to watching sports. Once graduated, he plans to go work on the corporate side of the music business. With a little luck, he will one day return to school to receive a PhD and eventually become a professor. He doesn’t know what sport he like to watch the most as he loves them all, although he has a borderline insane attachment to UMass Basketball.

Drew Olkowski is a sophomore, Integrated Marketing Communications major. Coming from Buffalo, New York, Drew is aware of what it means to be a “die-hard,” life-long fan of a sports team, with his favorite team being the Buffalo Bills. On campus, Drew is involved in Residents Hall Association, as the President, as well as Students Consulting for non-profit organizations as a consultant. This year, Drew is also a resident assistant in Hilliard Hall, and enjoys outings with his floor. On his free time, Drew enjoys watching Duke Basketball.

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Chris Hayes is a junior Sport Media Major at Ithaca College. He has been on the men’s tennis team for the last 3 years and has also participated in the radio station as well. Chris loves Ithaca and supporting the Bombers as much as anything else and he recalls his favorite moment in Bomber athletics is when the Ithaca men’s basketball team defeated the University of Rochester to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in his freshman year. Chris calls Rochester, NY home away from Ithaca with his parents and much loved golden retriever.

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Giveaway Examples