CONSULTANTS

University of South Dakota
Athletics
COYOTE
CONSULTANTS
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MCOM 442
Integrated Marketing
Communications
Coyote Consultants
Eide, Eisma, Kokesh, Ridgway, and Schultze
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary . ............................4
Situation Analysis
Company Analysis . .........................7
Primary Research . ..........................10
Consumer Analysis . ........................12
Product Analysis . ...........................16
Competitive Analysis . .......................18
Problems and Opportunities . .....................20
. ..........................27
Objectives . ....................................31
Budget . .......................................35
Marketing Communications Strategy Overview . .....38
Advertising Strategy
Creative Strategy . ..........................42
Media Strategy . ............................43
Sales Promotions Strategies . .....................58
Public Relations Strategies . ......................61
Direct Marketing Strategies . ......................63
Campaign Evaluation . ...........................66
Appendices . ...................................69
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EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This campaign created for the University of South Dakota Athletics’ Department
is #CoyoteGameDay. We have selected this as our campaign because we want to get
students excited for game days and attend games. The goals for the campaign are to
raise awareness, increase attendance, and increase school spirit. The target audience
is freshman and sophomores undergraduate students at USD. We chose this as our
target audience, because by creating a tradition within these students of game day
participation, they will continue to attend athletic activities throughout the remainder of
their academic career. The total budget available is $10,000 of which we plan to spend
$8,300.
Our creative strategy aims to promote school spirit, increase awareness, and
increase attendance at University of South Dakota Athletic events. Our focus is on
nontraditional advertising efforts online through the use of social media, on the app
Snapchat, and posters, promotions, and other collateral to serve as daily reminders
about the season schedule and upcoming athletic activities.
We plan to include activities to get students involved with the Athletic Department
and the student athletes. These activities include pep rallies, online contests, and
games and contests in the Muenster University Center. This campaign will run during the
2015-2016 football and men’s and women’s basketball season (August through March).
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SITUATION
ANALYSIS

COMPANY ANALYSIS
The University of South Dakota was established in 1862, making it the oldest
public university in the state. The University of South Dakota is committed to giving
students the best education at the most affordable price. USD sponsors 15 total sports
at the Division I level. They are members of the Summit league in all sports except
football in which they are in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Company Culture
The mission of the University is, “The University of South Dakota offers
undergraduate, graduate and professional programs within the South Dakota System of
Higher Education. As the oldest university in the state, the University of South Dakota
a rural area, which sets it up as the center for most events within Vermillion and some
areas around it. Because USD has many different sports to offer, it gives students with
different backgrounds a chance to connect with one another on a similar level. Based
on the information students gave through our research, it is important to students that
athletic events be entertaining and engaging.
Company Strengths
1. The small size of the University
USD is a smaller university with a total enrollment just over 10,000 students. The
small university makes getting information to students about athletic events easier. Also,
the size of the university serves as a positive, because with nearly 50 percent of USD’s
classes having fewer than 20 students in them, it is easier to build relationships among
fellow classmates as well as faculty.
2. The 2015 schedule includes Dakota Days and South Dakota State University
in the 2015 season
The inclusion of Dakota Days and a game against South Dakota State is a
strength, because these games have the highest interest and attendance numbers.
Students throughout the university enjoy Dakota Days for its tailgating event and enjoy
the SDSU game for the rivalry and game time atmosphere. It has been shown in the
past that game attendance is highest for these two games. This will help increase over
all attendance throughout this year’s athletic events. While the SDSU game is only in
Vermillion every other year, this is an opportunity, because it builds anticipation for years
it is in Vermillion and keeps the rivalry alive.
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3. The Paw Points Program
The paw points program helps gain attendance at athletic events by providing
free prizes after attending an allotted number of games. Free items tend to be a huge
motivator to get people to attend events. Therefore by marketing paw points correctly to
the USD students, it can increase student attendance to athletic events.
Company Problems
1. Students attend the games but leave before the game ends
Even though students come to the game, it is hard to keep them at the game until
the end. Students tend to lose interest as the game goes on. An average football game
lasts about 3 hours, and students tend to get restless if there is nothing to do. Another
factor that tends to drive students to leave is if the team is losing. Granted there is
no way to control the outcome of a game, but the atmosphere of the game can be
controlled.
2. Decline in school spirit and tradition among USD students
The main driver for participation is the emotional connection individuals have to
the action or event. Recent years have shown a decline in university spirit and an overall
loss in student loyalty as a group. This has caused the tradition of traveling in large
groups to be supportive of the University a decline. The students of USD are moving
away from traditions, which is changing the way the University arranges activities. The
games with the highest attendance numbers are against rivals such as SDSU and Dakota
Days opponents. It is of importance for USD to maintain traditions, rather than create
new ones.
School spirit can be directly related to the student’s perceptions of the campus
and activities. One main thing discovered in our research was a high dissatisfaction
with the University’s athletic teams. Students felt that the athletes did not participate
enough with activities on campus. Overall, student perception of athletes is negative.
Survey results have depicted them as “rude” and those who think they are better than
the rest of the student population. Athletes represent the University at the games, and a
negative relationship with their own student body will affect the tone of events. Students
do not feel the need to support a team to which they hold no emotional connection. The
image that the student population has for the athletes needs to improve before students
will feel the need to attend games simply to support the team.
Communication about the games to the students is an extreme problem for the
department. Focus group and survey data showed that students are unaware of the
dates and times of sporting events, in particular basketball games. Currently, there are
several methods of promotion for athletics schedules, but most have proven ineffective.
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USD athletics’ communication system to students is too varied and does not have much
consistency.
4. Ineffective marketing of the Paw Points system
The Paw Points program has been in effect for almost one academic year, yet
students are not participating in it as well as they should. The program rewards students
with points based upon the number of athletic events and other university events the
student attends. This is tracked using students’ I.D. cards, which are swiped through an
electronic reader upon entry at the event. Each athletic event has a different amount of
points, and students may earn more points if they stay the entire game. The students
can then earn prizes as these points accumulate.
5. Negative thoughts the students have about student athletes.
Many USD students have negative opinions about student athletes and it is
important to show that the student athletes are not bad and are similar to everyday USD
students. Engaging student athletes to interact with USD students will allow them to get
to know the athletes and then they will feel a connection to the team and attend games
to cheer on their fellow classmates.
Company Opportunities
athletic events more fun and engaging for its students. It is doing so by attempting to
change the game day experience. The University of South Dakota has recently allowed
alcohol at tailgates, giving students a new and exciting way to experience football.
The University is also in the process of building a new basketball complex that gives
something different for current students to be excited about. Another opportunity the
University has is that because of small class sizes, students have the opportunity to work
along side athletes, making it easier for them to change the way they feel about athletes
and their attitudes. Lastly, the addition of the paw points program motivates students to
attend more games and provides the opportunity to receive a prize.
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PRIMARY RESEARCH
The purpose of primary research was to understand why USD students are
not attending football and basketball games. The consumer group is made up of
undergraduate USD students. To learn about our consumer group we conducted a
survey, focus group, and personal interviews. The survey was given to 526 students,
but two were thrown out due to incompletion, which leaves us with 524 surveys. The
sampling was convenience sampling due to the fact we distributed to students on the
USD campus and no attempt was made to randomly sample. The distribution of sex
was 62.8% female and 37.2% male with a majority of the student’s major being in the
College of Arts & Sciences. Therefore our selection of students accurately represented
the University of South Dakota in those categories. We gathered primarily junior
undergraduates who made up 28% of our data. Sophomore undergraduates were
The results were collected and we created our own datasheet in Microsoft Excel for
the answers that included qualitative data, we utilized a pre-made codebook for the
quantitative and qualitative data. A color coding system was used to code for the
qualitative data to make analyzing the data easier. A copy of the survey and codebook
can be found in Appendix A. The survey led us to discover that students did not attend
due to: a lack of team spirit, an unsuccessful team record, work, a lack of interest in
among the crowd.
To understand how to motivate students to attend games we held a focus group
consisting of ten undergraduate students. The focus group was held the Al Neuharth
Media Center on the USD campus. All the students sat in a circle and while one member
of our group was the leader who prompted questions for the participants to answer. The
remaining members of the group then took notes and observed the participants and in
addition one group member recorded the participants with a camera. The focus group is
purposive sampling because we selected participants to attend, and what topics would
be discussed. The topic/questions for our focus group can be found in Appendix B.
After discussing reasons why students did not attend football or basketball games, they
were asked what would motivate them to attend. We found the following as potential
motivators: improve the tailgate experience, change the student ticket distribution,
increase the school spirit among students with pep rallies and more Charlie Coyote, and
We wanted to know more how well the paw points system was working; therefore
we conducted 10 personal interviews with students who used the new system. We
selected ten students, of various grades and majors, who all had accumulated enough
paw points to be in the top ten for most paw points. We conducted these interviews via
email and we concluded the following results from their responses. The questions for
the personal interviews can be found in Appendix C. The most important information
we concluded from these personal interviews were as follows: develop a new marketing
strategy for paw points, redesign the prize pick-up method, and improve the prize
selection.
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SECONDARY RESEARCH
information on the issue of low student attendance at collegiate level games. To provide
us further information we selected a literature analysis, benchmarking, and a social
media audit. To begin our secondary research we created a literature review. Our entire
literature review can be found in Appendix D.
Next we completed benchmarking. Our full benchmarking information can be
found in Appendix E. The main information found from benchmarking is that schools
around the country are using halftime entertainment as a way to keep students at
athletic events for the entirety of the event. Also this portion showed that the way
schools market to students versus people in the community differs greatly. It shows that
things such as food prices and admission prices matter more to students than those
within in the community. It also shows that students want to be engaged in halftime
activities and by doing so it heightens the game day experience.
Finally, we conducted a social media audit after hearing concerns from students
about social media accounts. The social media audit is purposive sampling. To gather
information we looked at the social media accounts that USD athletics has on Twitter,
Facebook, and Instagram. We located the social media accounts through search terms
such as, “USD Athletics” and “University of South Dakota Athletics”. The most important
Twitter accounts (@SDCoyotes and @CoyoteCrazies), the Facebook accounts need to be
updated, the lack of engagement on the pages displays a lack of school spirit and lack
of interest on Facebook, and we discovered there was no Instagram account for USD
athletics.
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CONSUMER ANALYSIS
The University of South Dakota Athletics has many different consumer markets
to which it will be able to target. Of the 7,541 students at USD, 62.8% are female
and 37.2% male. We found that the primary group of consumers is freshman and
sophomore undergraduate students at USD; to which there are 1,683 freshman and
1,179 sophomores. Our secondary group of consumers will be the junior class consisting
of 1,188 students. The lowest group of consumers is senior undergraduate students and
graduate students; 1,684 seniors and 1,992 graduate students.
Our surveys indicated the average number of football games attended during the
2014-2015 season was 1.45 games compared to 2.05 games last season. The number of
games students attended 2013-2014 men’s basketball games was 1.25, and .45 games
for women’s basketball. At the time of this survey, the 2014-15 basketball season had
not occurred yet, so but the projected games students would attend would be 1.8 for
men’s, and .905 for women’s basketball games.
Identifying Consumer Motivations
Table 1 shows results of your
survey. These is why people choose to
come to a USD football or basketball
game. The top two reasons are
atmosphere and tailgating, both
social aspects to a sporting event.
The top three reasons people do not
attend are because 1. they have other
commitments with friends, or they
have to work or have school work.
This shows people are choosing social
options to spend their time when they
are not working or have to work on
school.
Table 1 -
Favorite Part of the Game
Reason
Percentage
Atmosphere 25%
Tailgating 25%
Friends/ Socializing 18%
Don’t Attend 17%
Supporting Team 8%
Like the game/ watch the 7%
game
From our research, we also found people that people like when they get incentives
for attending games, they like entertainment during games other than the game itself,
and like free food. We found students do not like attending due to their friends not
attending, having other commitments, lack of overall school spirit, or some students
come too drunk to games, or they do not particularly like students of the teams. There
are a wide variety of reasons why students choose to come or not to come to games,
but this is what our research revealed.
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Identifying Consumer Needs, Wants, Problems, Interests
sporting events with ease. Research indicated the preferred method of learning
of sporting events is word-of-mouth, followed by the USD website, and Facebook.
Consumers of USD athletics want to be able to tailgate near alumni at games and
want to be able to interact with Charlie the Coyote at those tailgate areas. In addition,
consumers want more giveaways and free items at games. According to focus group
and survey data those items included: apparel, stickers, electronic devices, and money
to their win-loss record. We found that consumers have a problem with how tickets
for football games have been distributed. Focus group data showed that consumers
wished to be able to swipe their I.D. cards to enter games, rather than pickup tickets
in the MUC. An additional option consumers expressed interest in was an electronic
ticket delivery system, such as an app. Also, consumers have a problem with the
alcohol infused crowds at the games. Overly intoxicated people caused a problem for
consumers, and many would like better regulations for letting intoxicated fans enter the
sporting events.
Identifying Consumers Values and Lifestyles
At USD, there are 7,541 underclassmen with 62.8% female students and 37.2%
male. Sixty-one percent of USD students are enrolled full time and 39% are full time.
Students are also 89% white. Sixty-six percent of students are from South Dakota, 20%
are from Iowa, Nebraska, or Minnesota and 10% from the other states, and 2.4% are
international students.
Going to games for students means incorporating USD into their lives other than
in the classroom. Students time is broken down between going to class, homework and
studying, working, internships, clubs, hobbies and lastly social activities. Our research
suggests students consider a USD football or basketball game to be a social activity.
the time. They do not cost anything, which is of value to generally “poor” students,
compared to other social events that may cost money, or any money for travel because
Vermillion does not offer a vast array of activities to do. School spirit helps draw
students to games, such as during D-days and playing against our rivals SDSU. School
spirit and having pride in your school helps draw students to games, and our data
suggests school spirit is considered to be low.
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MARKET ANALYSIS
College athletics is important to the culture of higher education, and the
population of athletics as a whole has not shifted. Collegiate sports draw in millions in
revenue to colleges and networks. The entire market is college athletics, which can be in
other states around South Dakota. The market is narrow in terms of seeking attendance
be special to the college. If we look at an overall market of college athletics, USD is a
small percentage of that market. Collegiate sports is very demanding and competitive
among consumers, and other events such as March Madness work around them to add
to the consumer’s demands. The market covers students from other areas who may be
interested in attending events as well. While the events as a whole are as important to
the consumers as ever, it is the participation with the events directly that has begun to
see problems. Coyote Consultants will focus on creating a campaign that will draw in
more attendance to the University of South Dakota.
Market Segmentation
Coyote Consultants will focus its marketing activities on reaching the student
population at USD. We are using the demographics of young students ages 18 to 25.
These students must be sports fans who are willing to attend events but regularly
choose not to. Coyote Consultants will cater to the students desire to be socially
connected to their peers and the university. We can also focus lesser markets as
community members of Vermillion who go to games to seek outlets from boredom.
Faculty and staff also participate to support the students and the university. These
groups are the most likely to be convinced to participate in the events themselves.
Market Potential
In recent years there has been a large decrease in student attendance at football
for their athletic events have begun seeing a decline in attendance. According to Jon
Solomon on CBSSports.com, “72 percent of the top 25 attendance leaders experienced
increases or remained the same…but only 48 percent of the remaining schools
maintained or increased their crowd average, and many schools in smaller conferences
continued to decline” (Solomon, para. 5). The primary reasoning for this is higher social
media and television usage which makes watching games easier. Looking at television
contracts for college sports in 2013, ACC (ESPN/Raycom) held $3.6 billion and Pac-10
(ESPN/Fox) was at $3 billion. The NCAA Intercollegiate Athletics Report for 2013 showed
that the largest revenue reported for Division II athletics was $13,769,700 (Fulks, 17).
This is a large drop from the highest reported in 2012, which stood at $34,311,500
(Fulks, 17). Our market needs to compete with these other networks.
Individuals will seek out and receive information that controls their reasons to
attend games. Our research shows that students prefer to hear about games over
social media and word-of-mouth than other communication media. A problem for
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this demographic is that they are paying less attention to other advertising. The
communication areas for which to reach the student demographic are decreasing, but
they are also learning to ignore messages that do reach them. Social media has not
had the strong response that the client had originally hoped for. Our group must go
over the main social media attempts by the athletic department and change the media
positioning.
The target market needs to focus its efforts on the media messages students
actually interpret. To get this market to attend more willingly we have to use the
psychographic of emotional fan motivation. We must work the campaign to include
students in activities that encourage their emotional connection to the game. Our
group will work to create strategies which allow the target market to have face-toface
interaction with USD athletics. These activities will make these individuals feel
more inclined to attend games. The more interaction that these people receive with the
department, the more likely they will feel connected to events.
A major problem for the college athletic market is that students now have many
other options for social interaction. Students would rather be involved with others online
or at bars and parties than at games. Other colleges may have better stadiums or higher
student loyalty to the teams than USD. It is also a problem that USD does not have a
several sites, but none of them hold decent information or interact with the students.
USD seems to be trying to gather attendance through any method, and several versions
of it, that they can. This causes a lack of interaction in all the sites, and the students
themselves do not have one particular site to go to. Instead the students break up and
same information.
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PRODUCT ANALYSIS
The University of South Dakota offers students the chance to watch Division I
level sporting games such as football and men’s and women’s basketball. While USD has
much to offer to students while attending the game, not all the students see the sporting
events as a past-time event. It is important to look at what the University does for the
sporting events and how the students feel about the efforts and results of the games.
The University of South Dakota holds an outdoor tailgate for every home football game
and there is a student tailgate section and an alumni section. In the past the student
section and the alumni section were together, but due to construction on campus they
have been split. We discovered in our focus group, that the students did not like to be
separated from the alumni section. It is important to students to be connected with the
other half of the USD community.
According sporting events offers a chance for students to socialize with one
another and support their fellow students by cheering them on at games. The
atmosphere of the Dakota Dome during game days relates to the social experience for
students. If the students are not pleased with the atmosphere (due to rough crowd
or lack of school spirit) it severely affects their mood at the game and often leads the
students to leave the game. It is important to keep the atmosphere of the Dakota Dome
full of energy and school spirit to keep students at the game and happy.
The University offers a student section in the Dakota Dome and tickets are
required to gain entrance. Tickets can be picked up in the Muenster University Center
on select days at select times and are available until sold out. But what do the students
think about the ticket pick-up? The results from our survey concluded that students did
not like the process of getting a ticket. Most students do not have time to wait in a line
to pick-up a ticket or did not want to wait in a line. Then in our focus group students
suggested a swipe method at the entrance to solve this problem. They also suggested
“over-selling” the game due to students who get a ticket but then decide not to attend
the game; therefore wasting a ticket another student could use to gain entrance. If
the students are not willing to get their tickets it is crucial for USD to change the ticket
method to increase student attendance at games.
The number of tickets acquired by the students’ increases when team’s record is
better. In addition when the Coyotes play against competitors that are better known this
increases student attendance. There is no surprise that game day tickets are distributed
the quickest for Dakota Days or when the opponent is South Dakota State University.
The sense of a long school rivalry motivates students to attend the games to support
their school; Dakota Days has been around for 100 years and it is a long standing
tradition at USD. Following traditions is very important to colleges as well as their
students that leads to why these events tend to have higher attendance.
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Tradition is an important part about being a USD Coyote. Students take pride
in their fellow Coyotes and it is important to focus on that. Students enjoy seeing the
mascot, Charlie Coyote around because it reminds them of tradition and being a Coyote.
Right now there is a lack of interaction with the students and Charlie, but by having
Charlie interact more with students it will instill a reminder in them that they are all
Coyotes and we need to support one another.
The University of South Dakota encourages students to attend the football and
men’s and women’s basketball games, but the encouragement is nothing without a
true meaning behind it. Students need to be reminded of their Coyote bond and their
traditions. Then by including the wants of the students the USD athletics department
students that the University does care about their wants and students will be motivated
to attend games.
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COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
A competitive analysis is important because it is as crucial to evaluate the
competition, as it is to evaluate one’s own product. Our product is a time consuming
option for entertainment and social purposes. It is important to understand what
is competing for students’ time in which they would be more likely to do that than
attending a USD football or basketball game.
Table 2-
I am NOT LIKELY to attend a USD
football or basketball game because I
am more likely to...
Reason
Other commitments with
friends
Average
Response
2.89
School work/studying to do 2.93
Have work commitments 3.54
Watch sports on TV 4.43
Exercise 4.49
Play recreational sports 4.74
Go to the bar 4.79
Attend another college or
4.81
Professional game
As noted in Table 2, the student’s primary competitors for time are commitments
to friends, schoolwork, and work commitments. These three have the lowest mean
very popular options as to what students would rather be doing than attending a USD
football or basketball game.
Our product requires a college student’s time. We are indirectly competing against
all the other time requirements in a USD student’s life. College students have heavy
agendas balancing school, studying, homework, jobs, internships, sports, and clubs
these distinctions, students are not seeing athletic events with the same amount of
importance. These events lack the ability to hold interest and promote excitement in
their lives, so they have stopped attending, and others have followed because of the
low attendance.
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Students ranked pregame events high for likelihood of attending a game. This reemphasizes
the importance of social aspects associated with sporting events. But during
the basketball season, pregame events are limited because they do not hold tailgates or
other University pre-game events. Many students get to the tailgate but leave instead
of going into the game, or choose to leave before the game is over. Our competitors are
places people are choosing to go instead of into the game. This can be going to bars,
house parties, friend’s houses, or going home.
Also, our direct competitions are any place, other than the Dakota Dome, where
one can watch a USD football or basketball game. Some bars in Vermillion show the
games, any cable television, or any place where you can stream the game from your
computer is a competitor.
Because students get into games for free, we have an advantage over our
competition. Most entertainment and/or social functions result in money loss. Purchasing
food and drink at bars and restaurants or traveling to another college/professional
sporting event cost students money. Because college students are generally low income,
anything that is free or cheap is seen positively.
South Dakota State University is a also a competitor of USD. They are a larger
school that has found success, so it is important for us to analyze their strategy. Looking
at their success may help us reach success. One tactic SDSU uses is ticket giveaways
for away games via social media. This can draw a crowd at away games. They also
advertise ticket and food bundle packages for select games online, such as $40 for
four tickets, four hotdogs, four popcorns and four sodas. During double headers, they
advertised discounted concession items in-between the two games. Another promotion
would be awarded for dressing with the most spirit and being the roar of the crowd.
One tactic SDSU used to keep people till the end of the game was having an auction for
special jerseys. Also, on their social media pages, they release videos of student athletes
encouraging students to attend games and informing them of game day promotions and
themes. SDSU has also been more successful at attracting a crowd for sporting events.
Holding competitions, having discounted food, and releasing videos of student athletes
promoting attendance worked for SDSU.
While competition takes away potential consumers from attending University
athletic events, it is crucial to remind the consumer about our product. Through our
increasing attendance to football and men and women’s basketball.
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PROBLEMS
AND
OPPORTUNITIES
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PROBLEMS
Communication about the games to the students is a problem for the department.
Focus group and survey data show students are unaware of the dates and times of
sporting events, in particular basketball games. Currently, there are several methods
of promotion for athletics schedules, but most have proven ineffective. USD athletics’
communication system to students is too varied and does not have much consistency.
lettering and do not include any images or videos to draw attention. Other than e-mail
Ineffective Marketing of the New Paw Points Program
The paw points program has been in effect for the duration of the 2014-15
academic year, yet there is a very low number of student participating. The program
rewards students with points based upon the number of athletic events or other student
events the student attends. This is tracked using students’ I.D. cards/numbers, which
are swiped through an electronic reader upon entry at the event. Each athletic event
has a different amount of points, and students may earn more points if they stay the
entire game. The students can then earn prizes as these points accumulate. The current
are:
• Students are not grasping the existence of the paw points. They generally know
what the program is but they do not go out of their way to participate.
• Students do not feel the prizes for the paw points are worth the effort of
participating.
• No one picks up their rewards because they do not care about the prizes, or
sometimes are unaware that they have earned anything.
• The school only has certain areas for students to pick up their items and at
certain times. This may cause trouble because students do not want to travel to
the Dome to pick up something they don’t see as having much value.
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Decline in School Spirit and Tradition among USD Students
The main driver for participation is the emotional connection individuals have to
the action or event. Recent years have shown a decline in university spirit and an overall
loss in student loyalty as a group. This has caused a decline in the tradition of traveling
in large groups to be supportive of the University. The students of USD are moving away
from traditions, which is changing the way the University arranges activities. The games
with the highest attendance numbers are Dakota Days and games against rivals such as
SDSU.
School spirit can be directly related to the student’s perceptions of the campus
and activities. One main thing discovered in our research was a high dissatisfaction
with the University’s athletic teams. Students felt that the athletes did not participate
enough with activities on campus. Overall, students perception of athletes is negative.
Survey results have depicted them as “rude” and those who think they are better than
the rest of the student population. Athletes represent the University at the games, and a
negative relationship with their own student body will affect the tone of events. Students
do not feel the need to support a team to which they hold no emotional connection. The
image that the student population has for the athletes needs to improve before students
will feel the need to attend games simply to support the team.
The Ticket Distribution Process is Viewed as an Inconvenience to
Students
Ticket distribution is unorganized and students dislike the process. Ticket
distribution is held at one location for a few hours each day on Tuesday through
Thursday the week of a game; however, with only an average of 1500 tickets available,
distribution is often completed by Wednesday. One issue with this method of distribution
is that students have minimal interaction with sales staff at the one current distribution
location. During the focus group, participants noted that often they just do not wish
to travel to the tables to pick up a ticket. Although the ticket table is placed within
the Muenster University Center (MUC) that alone does not automatically mean that all
The time-frame for ticket distribution is also a problem. The department only
keeps the table open for about three hours in the center of the day. It is important to
point out that most students are in class at this time and generally do not want to travel
to the MUC during the time between classes to pick up a ticket. The results from the
focus group and survey showed that students do not like to wait or spend effort to get
the ticket. Holding distribution for such a short period ensures lines and a waiting time,
which deters the students. This time is also usually during lunch when students would
rather get in line for their food than for a ticket.
22

The Lack of an Engaging Social Media Presence for the USD
Athletics Department
It is important to focus on the social media problems of the Athletic Department.
the information they wanted. Our social media audit showed us each sport has a Twitter
account and the content on each page is generally the same. But we discovered from
our social media audit that USD does have a focused Twitter page set up for students,
but the students are simply unaware of it. This leads us to wonder how students are not
aware of the page with all the content that they all claim to want.
In addition there is a lack of follows amongst some the pages on Twitter accounts
and Facebook pages. As well as there being too many pages, interaction with the
students on all the pages is low. There is no real system to actively communicate among
the pages and their followers. This gives a negative image to the site because it makes
it appear as if there is no interest in students. The University must focus its social media
Students Leave Before the Game Ends
There has been a trend among students who do attend the games, to leave before
the game is over therefore it is hard to keep the students at the game until the end.
Students tend to lose interest during the course of the game. According to focus group
and survey data, there is a lack of entertainment during breaks in the game. An average
football game lasts about 3 hours, and students tend to get restless if there is no other
form of entertainment (other than the game itself) during the game. Another factor
that tends to drive students to leave is if the team is losing. Granted there is no way to
control the outcome of a game, but the atmosphere of the game can be controlled.
23

OPPORTUNITIES
New Marketing Techniques for the Paw Point Program
From our research we found most students were unaware that paw points
existed and their are rewards for attending games. Students from our focus group
stated they would attend three games to receive a prize. No student at our focus
group was aware of the paw points program, which shows that there is a lack of
promotion for the program. This presents us with an opportunity to make students
aware of the paw points program. The program could be a successful tool to increase
student attendance if students were aware of the program and the incentives they
could potentially receive. In addition to new marketing efforts, the paw points
program needs a few improvements. Students want to receive apparel, electronics,
or money as we found from our focus group. While the prizes for the paw points
program range from free breadsticks, a color-changing mug, to a trip to an out-ofstate
game. The prizes for the paw points system need to be improved so students
will be more interested in attending games.
More Engagement on Social Media
Data collected from our focus group and social media audit found that there
are many social media sites for USD athletics. We also discovered a Twitter page
that had all of the athletic information on one feed, but not many students are
aware of this page. The University lists all of its social media accounts on their
webpage (www.usd.edu), but it does not list the Twitter account with all the athletic
content that students want. Therefore, the University needs to update their listing
of their social media pages but unfortunately this out of the hands for the Athletic
Department’s control.
In addition interaction on Facebook is nonexistent, so it is important to begin
engaging conversations with the followers of the page. Interaction between a brand
and its consumer is essential today, thus the Athletic Department needs to begin
interacting with their consumers so they will continue to consume the product.
Also, with the increase popularity of Snapchat this gives us an opportunity to
utilize a social medium that engages students. After we conducted our social media
audit, the Athletic Department joined Snapchat. Since they joined Snapchat, this
opens the door to many opportunities to engage with students who use the app.
By increasing the social media interaction with the students it will show that the
University does care about their students, and students will be motivated to attend
games.
24

More Interaction with the Students from the School Mascot,
Charlie the Coyote
A mascot symbolizes a school, and the mascot for USD is Charlie Coyote. Students
from our focus group said they enjoy being able to interact with Charlie Coyote and
would like to see more of Charlie and would like to interact with him outside the Dome.
This gives us a chance to increase the amount of exposure Charlie gets throughout
campus and online. If Charlie could walk through the MUC on game days to promote
games in the evening or later in the week, this could increase student attendance.
Students also want to see more of him on game days. The students from our focus
group requested to see him at the tailgate and in the stands with the students. This
presents us an opportunity to take his presence to the next level, online as well. It is
important to focus online because his Facebook presence is low, with a mere 1, 371 likes
on the page. The Charlie Coyote Twitter page appears as if the posts are automatic and
online should have a personal feel and more engaging with the students. Since Charlie
Coyote is a symbol of school spirit, it could help raise student’s school spirit as well.
Improvements to the Tailgate Could Increase Student Attendance
Our research suggests students generally feel positive towards the student tailgate
prior to USD football games. This provides us an opportunity to direct students into the
game. They have already made it to the USD tailgate alongside the Dome; therefore
getting them into the Dome should not be hard. That being said, it is important to create
a game day experience in which students can have fun outside of their regular everyday
schedule. Students from our focus group enjoyed the old tailgate because they were
able to be together with the students and Alumni. However, the students did not like the
tailgate this year because it moved the students away from the Alumni and other fans
due to the construction. Improving the tailgate gives us an opportunity to create a more
organized and engaging tailgate which will give students a different experience on the
game day and will draw them to attend the game.
25

Create New Traditions for Students at USD to Increase School Spirit
Our data suggests students do not attend the sporting events due to a lack of
school spirit. This presents an opportunity to increase school spirit so students will
be more likely to attend games to support their school. Ways to increase school spirit
include:
in the MUC and have a pep band to play music.
• Wear red Fridays – by requesting students to wear the school colors it promotes
students to show their school spirit in their clothing and can promote a unity
in the school. This suggestion has been done at USD previously, but it needs
better promotion since there is a lack of participation from students.
• Charlie Coyote – as stated prior, Charlie Coyote symbolizes our University and
promotes school spirit.
• Student Athletes – by having regular students get to know the student athletes,
it may increase school spirit because they know the team members and will want
to come support them on game days.
• Traditions – Dakota Days and SDSU rivalry are the biggest traditions at USD, but
new traditions can still be developed to increase school spirit. New traditions could
be more frequent pep rallies, or wear red competitions.
By increasing the school spirit the number of students who attend games will increase,
therefore it is a great opportunity for the Athletic Department to focus on.
26

TARGET
MARKET
PROFILES
27

PERSONA #1
Name: Jane
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Background: Jane is a freshman at USD and is from Sioux Falls,
SD. She lives in the dormitories on campus, and works a parttime
job. She is not a loyal sports fan; however, she has attended
a couple USD football games and basketball games. Outside of
working and studying, she spends much of her time hanging out
with her friends. She stays in Vermillion most weekends, except
on breaks and holidays. She plans to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree
from USD, and then move back to Sioux Falls once completed.
She enjoys attending USD, and is proud to be a Coyote.
Motivations
The main motivation for Jane to attend sporting events is her desire to socialize
with her friends. She seeks entertainment and enjoys watching the halftime shows, and
other game entertainment during breaks in the games. She also enjoys cheering on her
fellow classmates at the games and feels a better connection with her fellow Coyote fans
when she attends the games because all of her friends attend with her. In addition, Jane
enjoys the food at the tailgate and at the sporting events.
Barriers
Jane feels it is important to support her school’s sports teams, but doesn’t always
have the time or willingness to attend. She often works nights and weekends which,
in some cases, prevents her from attending. Widespread game scheduling information
would enable Jane to plan her schedule so that she is able to attend more games. There
are times when Jane would like to attend games, but her friends do not wish to attend
with her, or they invite her to do other activities. A larger emphasis on entertainment
and engaging the fans at the games would motivate Jane and her friends to be
interested in attending more frequently.
28

PERSONA #2
Name: Hailey
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Background: Hailey is from a small town in rural South Dakota
and chose to attend USD because she enjoys the small town
atmosphere. She is a sophomore at USD and while she did not
has a tight knit group of friends, with whom she spends much
of her time. She does not work during the school year, so she
has a fair amount of free time outside of her studies. She is not
a sports fan, but does think it is important to show her school
spirit. She has attended several sporting events while at USD
but her social schedule does not always coincide with game
schedules. She suggests going to games with her friends, but
in Vermillion on most weekends, with the exception of holidays
and breaks. She likes to have fun, and regularly looks for things
she and her friends to do in Vermillion.
Motivations
Hailey seeks entertainment and fun in the activities she partakes. She feels that
showing school spirit and cheering on the Coyote teams is important, but will not attend
without her friends. Activities during time outs and halftime are of interest to Hailey and
an aspect of the game that she enjoys. For Hailey, attending the games is not about
the sports being played, it is a social event. She enjoys spending her free time with her
friends, and likes the atmosphere at the games.
Barriers
Hailey has a fair amount of free time outside of her studies, but does not always
have interest in going to sporting events. She is not a sports fan, so entertainment at
the games is important. She does not have a large group of friends with which to go to
games. She likes to have fun with her friends, but does not always know when sporting
details. An improvement in the frequency and types of activities before, and during the
games would entice Hailey and her friends to attend more sporting events.
29

PERSONA #3
Name: Jon
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Background: Jon is from Omaha, Nebraska and chose to
attend USD because it is close to home and cost effective. He
is a freshman and an avid sports fan. He prefers professional
sports to college sports, but enjoys watching most all sports. His
favorite sport is football and his team is the St. Louis Rams. He
has watched almost every Rams game on television since he was
a young boy. Jon works a part time job while attending school,
weekends to spend time with his family. He has many friends
at USD, and makes sure to spend as much time with them as
possible. Jon has attended a few USD football games, but does
not attend regularly. Jon is often unaware of athletic schedule
does wish to attend.
Motivations
Jon loves the competition in sports and that is what motivates him to watch
on television or attend games. He loves football and enjoys spending time with his
to attend events with him. He likes the atmosphere at the games, as well as at the
tailgate. Jon feels it is important to feel a connection with sports teams for which he is
emotional connection, he will be inclined to attend more USD sporting events.
Barriers
Jon is a big fan of professional sports, and not as interested in collegiate sports. He is
always sure to watch the St. Louis Rams on television each week, and the game times
could possibly interfere. His work schedule and his desire to travel home to Omaha on
weekends can prevent him from attending. Appealing to Jon’s desire for competition
by more promotion of games like Dakota Days and opponents like SDSU will entice
information and is often unaware of when USD sporting events occur. Since Jon has
friends who are players at USD, this provides him the opportunity to build that emotional
connection he seeks. Providing him with easily accessible game scheduling information
will make him more aware of when events occur at USD.
30

OBJECTIVES
31

Objective #1
Increase the University of South Dakota’s student attendance to football and
men’s and women’s basketball games by 25% during the 2015-2016 academic
year.
The main goal for the USD Athletic Department is to increase the overall student
attendance to football and men’s and women’s basketball. To achieve this overall goal
our other objectives, which include new marketing efforts, new activities, and a new
ticket distribution process, are important in increasing student attendance. This goal also
includes the high attendance for the Dakota Days and SDSU rival games. Therefore it is
important for the Athletic Department to get students to attend other games and more
frequently.
Objective #2
Increase interaction among the followers by 25% by May 2016
To reach our main goal it is important to improve the social media presence of USD
Athletics. After conducting the social media audit it is clear the pages lack interaction so
it is important for the new social media pages to interact with the followers. As stated
prior, it is important for a brand to engage with their consumer. The consumer bases
most decisions on his/her emotions, therefore if the University responds to a student’s
tweet he/she will be more likely to attend a game. To achieve this goal, new engaging
content needs to be presented. An example of the engaging content is: “It’s #GameDay
tomorrow ‘yotes! What’s your favorite part of #CoyoteGameDay?” The use of a hashtag
will be important to keep students engaged with the content and users can search the
hashtag and see what other users are saying. In addition to new engaging content, we
would like to see interaction daily from the accounts, with at least three replies a day.
The replies could be as simple as replying to a photo from game day and commenting,
“Looks like you had a fun #CoyoteGameDay!” In order to measure this objective the
social media accounts will be tracked to see if the interaction among the followers
increases to a minimum of three replies per day and have at least three engaging posts
a week
32

Objective #3
Increase the overall amount of follows/like by 25% by May 2016.
We discovered in our focus group students did not like that the USD Athletics
Department had multiple pages. The students wanted a page with all the sports content
without having to follow multiple pages. We then found through our social media audit
that the USD Athletic Department did have one social media page that was dedicated to
all the sports and had all the desired content from the students. To achieve the goal of
increase the overall amount of follows/likes we believe it is necessary for the Athletics
Department to delete all the individual sports social media pages and use one page with
all the sports information. By only having one page with all the sports information it will
one account with all the information. To measure this goal we will track the amount of
look at is @SDCoyotes on Twitter and South Dakota Coyotes Athletics on Facebook.
Objective #4
Increase USD student knowledge about the paw points program by 50% by
May 2016.
Currently not many USD students are aware of the paw points program, therefore
the marketing for paw points needs to be improved. The program began in the fall
2014, and the marketing efforts were not strong. By improving the marketing efforts
it will increase the student’s knowledge of the program, thus our goal of increasing
the knowledge by 50% is attainable since it is not well known due to lack of marketing
upon the beginning of the program. To measure this goal is to see if new students
participated, more points are earned by the students, and all the prizes are picked up in
a timely way.
Objective #5
Increase student participation at USD football games by 50% by December
2015.
During football games students just stand in the bleachers and watch the game,
there is no effort to get them involved and keep their energy up. By including activities
that will require student participation it will keep the energy level of the students up
and it will keep students at the game longer. It is important to get students to the game
but it is equally important to make sure they stay until the end of the game and have a
positive experience while attending. Measuring this goal is simple; include at least one
activity for students to engage in per game. It is possible that USD Athletics may want
to write down the names of the students participating to ensure that some students do
not play more than other students.
33

Objective #6
Increase knowledge of USD Men’s and Women’s basketball games by 25% by
May 2016.
Basketball game attendance is generally lower than football attendance, and it
can be due to the lack of promotion for the games. Basketball game days vary while
football game days are strictly on Saturdays, so students do not always know when
the basketball games occur. With increasing the promotion for the basketball games
it will increase the student’s knowledge of the season schedule. Increasing student
knowledge of basketball games by 25% is an attainable goal because currently there is
little promotion and low attendance for basketball games. How to measure this goal is
to analyze the number of promotions that are used in the 2015-2016 academic year in
comparison to the number of students who attend the basketball games.
Objective #7
Increase student ticket pick-up for football and basketball games by 25% by
May 2016.
USD students do not prefer the current process for picking up their tickets to
games and to increase the number of students who pick up their tickets it is important
to modify the ticket process so that they will pick up tickets and attend the games. Most
students base their feelings on ticket pick-up because they only pick up tickets to Dakota
Days or South Dakota State games. These games have the highest attendance therefore
the line is longer and students need to wait longer. We want to increase student ticket
pick-up by 25% because it is intended to show students it is not an inconvenience to
pick-up their ticket. To measure this goal, one will need to analyze the number of tickets
picked up by students in the 2015-2016 season compared to 2014-2015 season.
Objective #8
Increase overall school spirit with students by 25% by May 2016.
Students at USD only show their school spirit on Dakota Days and South Dakota
State rivalry games. The lack of school spirit effects students and their attendance, if
students have little school spirit they are unlikely to attend games. But if students have
higher school spirit they are likely to attend games. To increase school spirit by 25%
improvements will be made to pep rallies and wear read Fridays. Measuring school
attendance number to pep rallies and gather lists of names of students who wear red on
Fridays and are in the MUC.
34

BUDGET
35

BUDGET
The budget we have to work with is $10,000 for the Athletic Department. The
Coyote Consultants have estimated to use $8,300. We broke the budget into four
sections which have been allocated a certain amount of money. The sections we broke
the budget down into are: social media advertising, print advertising, prizes, and other.
Social media advertising costs contain the promoted posts/tweets on social media. Social
media advertising uses $4,000 of our budget. Print advertising costs include posters,
Prizes contain items that will be given away at games or during contests. These prizes
include t-shirts and free dome dogs. We also included a chilli feed in this section because
it will be given away to students. Prizes uses $2,000 of our budget. Lastly, the other
costs include items necessary for other promotional events such as the penny wars and
basketball in the MUC. Other items uses $300 of our budget. Our campaign will only run
until the end of the basketball season, so we budgeted our money from August 2015 to
March 2016. The graph on the next page provides a monthly breakdown of how each
section uses the money.
36

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
$0 $210
Promoted
Posts
$420
Promoted
Posts
$840
Promoted
Posts
$0 $840
Promoted
Posts
$840
Promoted
Posts
$840
Promoted
Posts
$500
Flyers
$144
Posters
$50
Napkin Holders
$50
Flyers
$50 $50 $288 $0 $50 $50 $50
Flyers Flyers
Posters
Flyers Flyers Flyers
$50
Napkin Holders
$150
Dome Dog
Coupons
$400
Chilli Feed
$0 $0 $0
$1,200 $0
$50
Chick-Fil-A
Coupons
$150
Dome Dog
Coupons
T-Shirt
Giveaway
at game
$200
Pocket
Schedules
$0
$0
$200
Pocket
Schedules
$50
Items for
Basketball
in the MUC
$100
End of the
Football
season
video
$0
$50
Items for
Penny War
$100
End of the
Basketball
season
video
Other
Prizes
Print
Social Media
37

MARKETING
COMMUNICATIONS
STRATEGY
OVERVIEW
38

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
STRATEGY OVERVIEW
Strategy: Use print advertisements to create awareness of game
days and game day activities/promotions
Rationale
Posters are valuable advertising tools that can be utilized to learn about the
athletic programs throughout the USD campus. The posters will help raise awareness
for the program, as well as gain acceptance with prospective students. The new design
for the posters will provide attractive visuals and information about when games are
and where they are located. The USD Athletic Department can send these posters to
buildings throughout campus. Posters will be used for students to reference, while
gaining awareness and acceptance. Napkin holders in the Muc will also be used as
advertiseing space for game times/ paw points. Adding advertisements to the MUC
napkin holders will give students a bit of time to look at these advertisements while they
eat their meal.
Facebook, Twitter @SDCoyotes
Rationale
As stated in our research, students in the focus group found it hard to navigate
information about where USD will be holding athletic events, we will use one page where
the athletic events schedule will be conveyed, @SDCoyotes. The Facebook and Twitter
page will include visuals, as well as information regarding game times and place. It will
also help us raise awareness of paw points. The Facebook and Twitter page, will help the
University of South Dakota reach our goal by engaging with students on social media.
Strategy: To increase awareness of University of South Dakota
Athletics and bolster school spirit through Snapchat
Rationale
The @SDCoyotes Snapchat account will allow students to interact with the
universities athletic teams and mascots. This will give students a behind the scenes look
at athletics, athletes, coaches, and alike. The week prior to games, announcements
will be made to remind students of games/gametimes in a way that doesnt seem like
advertising. Snapchat uses videos and pictures to tell stories. On gamedays, photos and
videos before the game, tailgates, photos with charlie, will all be used to help share the
gameday experience, and engage with students in a new way. Snapchat is a popular
media and is only increasing in popularity.
39

Strategy: Increase entertainment at games
Rationale
Increasing entertainment at games will help students stay longer during games.
By having more entertainment, students attending will be willing to stay longer. USD
does not have a winning record, so adding more entertainment during media breaks,
halftimes, and other breaks will keep students entertained and will create a better
attitude towards attending games and will encourage students to come to another game.
Strategy: To increase awareness and bolster school spirit by
offering pep rallies and other promotions in the week leading up to
a game
Rationale
Pep rallies are used to get students excited for upcoming university athletic events.
The Pep Rally will be a way for students to interact with coaches and players, increase
students want to support their fellow student athletes as well as another way to inform
students of game times and place. Other promotions in the week prior to games will
include promotions. These promotions may include games in the Muc between athletes
and students, or Penny Wars. These promotions with help raise awareness of games,
create excitement within students, and help students bond with student athletes.
Strategy: Designing new brochures to inform students of the game
dates so they can always have the schedule close by
Rationale
Brochures are a valuable tangible item that students will be able to utilize to learn
more about game time and location. The brochures will use the same design as the
current wallet-sized schedules. These fold-out brochures will be distributed to students
who are attending the university in the fall semester. These brochures will help raise
awareness of game times and location and allows us to better distribute the information
to reach our goals.
Strategy: Add more time and places to ticket distribution process
Rationale
Our data suggests students currently do not like the ticket distribution process.
This can be changed simply by adding more times to pick-up as well as more locations.
The current process includes few hours in the MUC, usually dur/class times. We want to
increase how many hours they will be open for pick-up. Adding more locations will make
it more convenient for students, and will help pin point our target market by adding
locations to North Complex and Coyote Village were underclassmen reside.
40

ADVERTISING
STRATEGY
41

CREATIVE STRATEGY
We will be directing our messages to USD students. Our creative target audiences
include freshman and sophomores because these are the people that will be at the
University the longest. Our target market includes social and sports minded individuals.
They are not die-hard fans, nor are they against going to some games.
Half of the target are new to campus and most likely have never been to a Coyote game.
Most live mostly on campus, in the dorms, Coyote Village, McFadden Hall, Burgess Hall,
and Norton Hall. Our target audience eats most meals in the MUC.
Creative Objectives
- To create pride through bolstering school spirit.
- To have the target audience be aware of game days, game day activities and
promotions.
- To get the target audience excited about game days, and have them stay longer
during games through improved game day experiences.
Strategic Focal Point
We want the target audience to feel proud to being a coyote, feel a sense of pride
for their school, and feel excited when engaging with our messages.
We will be using integrated marketing efforts to target our market. We will be
displays, to reach our target market.
Big Unifying Idea
We will utilize a new slogan, or hashtag, to be used on all advertisements and
social mediums. #CoyoteGameDay will be on Facebook posts, twitter posts, and
advertisements we produce. #GoYotes is currently the slogan that has been used on
social media and promotional materials. We are not trying to push this hashtag our of
use, but will be utilizing #CoyoteGameDay when referring to game, game times, and
promotions on our advertisements and social media messages.
The University of South Dakota’s school colors include Vermillion red, black, and white.
All advertisements, promotions, will incorporate the use of these colors.
42

MEDIA STRATEGY
It was a common factor in the situation analysis that USD students are not aware
of game dates and times and the paw points program, they are confused with the social
media accounts, and they lack school spirit. To reach our target market we are utilizing
the use of print media, social media, and mobile apps. To begin the media strategy
section, the media objectives will be discussed.
Media Objectives
1. Gather 25% of incoming freshmen students to follow/like at least one USD
academic year.
We want the freshmen class to begin following the USD Athletics’ social media pages
early in the year so they are aware of game day times and paw points information.
away and one home game. We want the students to be aware of the games because by
the ninth week of school it is Dakota Days. Therefore we know students will know about
the Dakota Days game, but it is important they know about the games after Dakota
Days. This is why it is crucial we have freshman following the USD Athletics’ on social
media so they are aware of game day times and other information.
2. Connect with 30% of the freshmen and sophomores on Snapchat within the
Snapchat is a popular app that we want to utilize. This app will allow the Athletic
Department to keep student up-to-date on game day times and other information, and
it allows them to show behind the scene photos and videos and information about the
student athletes. We want freshmen and sophomores to connect with the department
on Snapchat since they are the target audience. Once again we selected the goal to be
eight weeks. It is important to get the students aware of the games in the beginning
rather than later on in the year when there are less games for them to attend.
Media Strategy Elements
Target Audience
Our target audience for the campaign is USD students. We are targeting
attend games, have friends to attend the games with, and enjoy sports. One of main
concern with the campaign is to make students aware of the game days, therefore we
selected the media classes according to this concern.
43

Media Classes
We selected social media sites because it is a simple way for new students to obtain
information pertaining to game days. Social media sites also allow for the Athletic
Department to engage in conversation with the students and when a consumer can
engage with a company they are more likely to support the company. Since we want to
gain attendance, by gaining the support of the student and by educating the student
about the game day information the student will be more likely to attend a game. In
addition to educating students about games we will also use these platforms to promote
paw points. We will inform students of basic information about paw points, which games
they will receive paw points, and when to pick up their prizes.
The other media class we selected was mobile apps, but we are focusing
on Snapchat. Snapchat is a very popular app therefore we believe freshman and
sophomores will have it on their phones and will be willing to add USD Athletics’ on
Snapchat. Snapchat allows users to upload a “snap story” for all their friends to see. The
posts we believe the Athletics Department should upload on Snapchat are reminder for
game days and times, behind the scenes videos and photos, photos and videos of fans
on game days, features of student athletes, and more. Snapchat allows us to then see
how many people have viewed the story, so we know whether or not people are viewing
the content we post. In addition Snapchat will allow the students to send in their own
game day photos to the account. When students send their own photos to the Snapchat
account it will allow us to take screenshots of the photos and then display the photos on
the display board in the Dome. If students are aware their photos can make it onto the
board they will be willing to send photos to the Snapchat account.
napkin holders. We wanted to utilize posters so students will see the football and
basketball schedule every day. The posters will be placed in the dormitories and in
the Muenster University Center (MUC). The napkin holders purpose is the same as the
posters. It will feature the football and basketball schedules when it is the appropriate
season. The posters and napkin holders will be a constant reminder to students of the
Department will hold on campus.
Media Mix
We selected social media pages as one of our medias because it is a simple way
for students to interact with the Athletics’ Department and students tend to be online
so they will be more willing to follow/like a USD Athletic Department social media page.
Especially when targeting freshman and sophomores they are more likely to follow USD
pages because they are new and want to stay up to date with activities and games that
occur during the year. We selected Snapchat because of how simple it is to use and the
rise in popularity of the app. There are more smartphones on campus and therefore
we believe that most students with smartphones have Snapchat and will be willing to
add the Athletic Department on Snapchat. The unique aspect of Snapchat is the user
are choosing the view our content. In addition when a student views the photo/video
44

the app lets us know. So we will get feedback of how many students view our posts on
will see them. For example, since our target market is freshmen and sophomores so
while they eat lunch in the commons they can view the football schedule on the napkin
holder on their table. The posters are used to be a constant reminder so freshmen and
sophomores are aware of the game days. Flyers were selected to remind students on the
events that will occur soon.
We did not choose to utilize television, radio, or newspaper because we believe
that students, especially freshman, will view those media. Even though there are student
operated TV show (Coyote News), radio show (KYOT), and newspaper (Volante) they
do not have a big audience. We believe the freshman will not know about Coyote News,
KYOT, or the Volante and it would be pointless to target them if they are not viewing
the media. In addition we found from our surveys that newspapers, radio, and TV
advertisements were not preferred communications of USD students. While the survey
results found that Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and posters were preferred methods.
Therefore we selected the correct media vehicles to reach our target audience.
Media Timing
As for the timing for Facebook and Twitter posts, there will be activity that occurs
daily. The activity will be either new posts or replies to followers. But when it is close to
a game day there will be a heavy amount of posts to remind students and inform them
about the game day. For Snapchat there will not be daily posts, but there will be at least
one post a week. The posting will focus around game days so there will be multiple posts
before a game so students are aware of the game and can see what they will have to
look forward to when they attend. The posters and napkin holders with schedules will be
will be displayed according to the event dates.
Decision Criteria
the information out to the students while there will be no advertising when there are
no games. The form of advertising we will take is promoted posts and tweets. We
information to more people, but we hope that once the students are exposed to the
account they will follow it. This method will also allow us to save money for other
promotions since we will have no advertising at points.
Media Tactics
As mentioned before the media vehicles we selected to reach our target audience
demonstrate what we would like to accomplish through these medias. To begin the
media tactic section, we will look at the social media pages and how they will accomplish
getting the message to the target audience.
45

Social Media Pages
Table 4 lists the content that will be featured on the social media pages for the
USD Athletic Department. On the next few pages are examples of a week of posts on
Twitter and Facebook that demonstrates the content we want the pages to include.
Table 4 -
Content on Facebook and Twitter
Upcoming game dates and times
Scores of games
Pictures of fans at games
Pictures of athletes at games
Behind the scenes photos and videos
Information about athletes
Replies to students
Contests for students to participate in
Paw points program informations and updates
46

Facebook Posts
Saturday
(Game Day)
#COYOTEGAMEDAY
47

Friday
Thursday
Wednesday
Tuesday
Monday
48

Twitter Posts
Saturday
(Game Day)
49

Saturday
Friday
Thursday
Wednesday
Tuesday
Monday
50

Facebook Advertisement
Get ready for #CoyoteGameDay this Saturday, Sept 19 vs. Drake!
Twitter Advertisement
Get ready for #CoyoteGameDay! This Saturday, Sept. 19 vs. Drake!
51

Snapchat
The content on Snapchat should be used to get students excited. Instead of
directing messages toward them, we want to show them stories. Instead of announcing
what time pick-up for tickets are, we can show students picking up there tickets and
when, and where. Snapchat allows you to convey information without making it feel like
its an advertisement. We can use fun Snapchat stories to feature videos and photos of:
- Game days and times
- Fans at games and tailgates
- Athletes before, during, after games
- Behind the scenes videos of athletes, coaches, Dome activities
- Paw points information and pick-up times
- Information on ticket pick-up times
Below are examples of what the Snapchat content would look like.
52

Posters
Napkin Holders
53

Media Calendar
Our media calendar runs from August 2015 to March 2016. It features the dates
when all our media will run and when events we planned will occur.
Dome Dog
54

Dome Dog
55

Media Budget Summary
allows the Athletic Department to advertise heavily around game days, and not advertise
when there are no games. Since there will be periods with no advertising this will save
money for the department to use in other areas. While we save money, we also need
to spend it. The budget amount we will spend on promoted posts/tweets will be a total
of $4,000. The promoted posts/tweets allow us to select the location we wish to target
and then the higher the cost the more people the post will reach. We just want to target
USD freshman and sophomores so the cost is relatively low. Therefore we will spend
$15 per day on promoted posts/tweets for seven days up to the selected game day.
So each game will receive $210 for promoted posts/tweets on Facebook and Twitter.
We will advertise every home football game and select home basketball games. Not all
basketball games will be advertised because there are a lot of basketball games in a
season and the advertising costs would take up most of the budget. Then for Snapchat
budget.
holders. Posters will cost $18 per poster and with eight posters one set will cost $144.
Therefore the posters with schedules will cost $432. Napkin holders we estimated for
$50 per season for a total of $100 for the napkin holders. Flyers will be made for the
budget is $1,500.
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58
SALES
PROMOTION
STRATEGY

SALES PROMOTION STRATEGY
Our sales promotion strategy will focus on USD students, and will be held mainly
through the campus. Our goal for this campaign is to increase attendance to games,
and we believe the best way to do this is to increase awareness as well as excitement
about the games. We are going to target our sales promotions toward USD students for
interaction. However we are going to keep the promotional items open so that others
way participate as well.
Sales Competitions
There will be at least one competition before every major athletic event that will
which students, professors, and others can participate. It is important to have some
student athletes participate as well, because it will only strengthen the relation to sports
for the students. The games must grab enough attention to draw a crowd, such as noise
or use of items. Students who participate can win some prize like a gift card or device.
1. Basketball in the MUC
Volunteer or chosen students can go to the MUC to participate in an activity that mirrors
basketball. There will be a small basketball hoops set up, and there will be a barrier
so that there is distance between it and the students. Each hoop will be at a different
basketballs into the nets to score. There can be prizes labeled on each hoop, or mystery
prizes. This can improve interaction, especially if the ones in charge of announcing the
game are one or two of the basketball players.
2. Penny Wars
Students will go to the MUC where nominated professor’s each have a jar with their
name/photo on them. Students will put pennies into the professor’s jar of their choosing.
to participate in an event. This could be getting a pie in the face or having the football
team pour Gatorade on them. The meaning of this is to promote a fun activity that will
3. Show us Your Spirit Contest
USD athletics can hold a “spirit” contest in the MUC or outside in a busy area. The
student who comes dressed in the greatest amount of school attire or appearance will
receive something of value to students. This can be turned comical if athletes participate
to get the events started; they can dress extremely outwardly to gain the attention of
students.
4. Hunt Charlie
Charlie the coyote will hide somewhere on campus, and students will receive clues as to
where he is. This could be through email or social media (Snapchat). The student who
for food in the MUC. This is an interesting way for students to be involved with athletics
through social media. The clues could be funny pictures and draw attention for students. 59

Promotions
Dome Dog Giveaway
coupon for their loyal participation to the sport. This will allow people to be more
interested in arriving a bit early for the games. It is inexpensive for the school and is
just a small reward that students will take note of.
Price Reductions
Through email, allow students to participate in a sweepstakes. Students can
answer a few questions (this may even help solve some problems for athletics—maybe
a mass survey) with the understanding that they can get a discount on clothes from
discount for http://shop.goyotes.com/.
Rivalry Week
This can be an emphasis on particular major games during the season. On
Facebook athletics could keep track of games won and lost during between the USD and
another team. This may increase the school spirit for other games other than D-Days or
SDSU games, and give more importance to games with other schools. This will not be an
attack on every other school, but a way for students to get excited about having games
against others.
Ticket Sales
During our research stage, we discussed ticket distribution with students during
interviews and in our focus group. The students often expressed that many times they
do not pick up a ticket because they feel that they do not have the time during the
distribution time frame. The ticket distribution method mainly included a table in the
MUC that only allowed students to get tickets during a time slot of about three hours.
Students felt that they would rather get lunch or that they had to be in class during
these times. We needed to give students more opportunities to get a ticket based on
their own schedule. In order to do this, we decided that it would be best for the athletic
department to set up distribution tables at more than one area on campus, maybe
be open for more than three hours a day. The tables should be open for a few hours,
probably around 10 a.m. to 3 p.m as well as times at night, such as 5-8 p.m. This way
they are available during the busiest times of the day for these areas. People running
these tables could work in shifts to break up the time, or one table could be used and
moved between these three areas during the day. Coyote Consultants feel this gives
students more freedom to pick up a ticket when they do not have to choose between
getting a ticket or going to class/lunch.
60

PUBLIC
RELATIONS
STRATEGY
61

PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY
In order to increase attendance at university football and basketball events, focus
needs to placed on public relation strategies. Throughout our research we found reasons
people don’t attend games are because they aren’t aware of when games are, they wish
there was more promotion before games, and they didn’t like the attitude the players
tend to give out. A simple way to address these issues is to promote the game times
and players personalities through public relations. Throughout this section we will aim to
increase awareness for fall athletic events, which will lead to an attendance increase.
One of the best ways to promote game times through the use of social media
sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Throughout our research, this is one place we found
very confusing to navigate because there are a variety of different athletic pages. One
solution to this problem is to create a page where students can go to get information
just regarding game time and place. Another way to gain student attendance through
public relation strategies is to promote the game in the MUC on the days leading up to
the event. We want more than posting the game time and location to the white board.
This can be achieved in a variety of ways.
Students from our research group had suggested that we have a pep rally before
our games, much like they did at high school athletic events. These rallies will get our
rallies will create school and community unity. Also, it will prepare and inform the crowd
about the big game. Finally, the pep rally should include everyone, teachers, students,
staff, and player’s, by doing this it creates unity throughout the University. These pep
rallies will happen before football games on Fridays and on select days for basketball
games. By increasing student involvement at these rallies it will help bring students
to the games. It would also allow for students to have another way of learning about
game and not giving students the option of saying they did not know there was a game.
Also, doing promotions during the game are a way to keep students active and into the
athletic events.
Once we get students to games, we need to keep the students in the stands. To do
this, games need to include more music, jumbotron activities, and entertainment during
during media breaks. Also, during half-time breaks, entertainment such as a threelegged
races or football throw contest for randomly selected students will encourage
students to stay longer by adding more entertainment value. These tactics will help keep
students in the stands longer.
the students information on game time and place throughout campus, will increase the
chances of reaching our goal. These ways will also allow students to have a chance to
get to know the athletes in a better light. We also will maintain students in the stands
longer by having better entertainment, other than the game itself. Research helped
determine these tactics to increase attendance at athletic events.
62

DIRECT
MARKETING
STRATEGY
63

DIRECT MARKETING STRATEGY
In order for the University of South Dakota Athletics to have a successful
campaign, it must utilize direct marketing strategies. The main direct marketing
used in different ways across the campus of USD.
Posters will be used in different locations across campus to promote football and
basketball games. These locations include the MUC, North Complex, Coyote Village,
Burgess Hall, McFadden Hall, and building such as Beacom or the Al Neuharth. There
will be three different variations of posters used to highlight men’s basketball, women’s
basketball, and football. The posters will provide scheduling information, promote the
#CoyoteGameDay hashtag, and the Snapchat username. These posters will use visuals
to appeal to the students, and also serve as a reminder of upcoming athletic events.
Flyers will be similar to the posters in that they will provide the same information
and visual appeal to students. They will be distributed to incoming freshman on movein
day at North Complex. It will be important to distribute these as students will then be
able to hang them in their dorm rooms serving as a visual reminder of athletic events
Muenster University Center napkin holders that are placed on every table. Those half
sized sheets will contain scheduling information for sporting events and paw points.
Wallet-sized foldable brochures are an important direct marketing strategy, as it
will enable us to put information about USD athletics in every student’s pockets. They
will be wallet sized brochures that contain the schedule for football and basketball
games, as well as promote the #CoyoteGameDay hashtag and Snapchat username in
Email marketing will be one of the most important tactics in the direct marketing
strategies. Email marketing will offer information about upcoming sporting events, ticket
distribution, upcoming contests and promotions around campus, and various themes for
each individual sporting event. Emails will be sent to students at the beginning of the
week, and will include visually stimulating colors and photos in order to draw students
in to the information, rather than the traditional black/white all text emails used in the
past. The emails will also include links to the YouTube videos described in the creative
strategies section of this plans book. These emails will be sent to all students enrolled at
USD, which provides a perfect opportunity to push information directly to students. This
offers the most direct relationship and marketing technique while achieving the goals of
increasing awareness and attendance at the University of South Dakota athletic events.
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CAMPAIGN
EVALUATION
65

CAMPAIGN EVALUATION
Coyote Consultants was given the task of increasing attendance to USD football
games. Our primary research included a survey, interviews, emails, and a focus group
to understand the student perspective on the games. The research showed that the best
way to do this was to turn to the university’s social media and advertising methods.
we hoped to reach by the end of your campaign. We will go through each goal and point
out the methods in which we can determine if the campaign was successful.
1. Increase the University of South Dakota’s student attendance to
football and men’s and women’s basketball games by 25% during
the 2015-2016 academic year.
To evaluate the increase of student attendance to games, we must look at ticket
sales and the overall population attending the games. We want student attendance to
increase, and we can determine if this is higher than in previous years by tracking the
and calculating ticket sales, which will give the percentage, an effort could be made to
look into the games themselves. Someone may attend a game in order to witness or
take notes on a change in atmosphere or overall number of students in the stands at
the end. This could work as a visual study in its own way if we track several games for
similarities. While it may be impossible to calculate an exact number, it is possible to
witness a change in student interaction amongst each other.
2. Increase interaction among the followers by 25% by May 2016.
Our agency worked to organize the schools multiple social media pages into a
for student athletics and that the majority will follow this one page rather than spread
out among the many others. We feel that the more students active on one website,
the more interaction they will have with each other. We hope to see a high level of
social interaction (tweets, posts) among these followers. By comparing the number
of interactions to those of the old website, the athletics department can determine the
popularity of the new pages.
3. Increase the overall amount of follows/like by 25% by May 2016.
Evaluation will be determined by calculating the average increase of posts
occurring before the campaign. The website would want to see the 25% increase for
every post, which can be easily measured.
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4. Increase USD student knowledge about the paw points program
by 50% by May 2016.
During our research we sought out 10 students who actively used the paw points
system and asked them their opinion on the program. While they all knew of the paw
points, there was uncertainty among them about how exactly the system worked. Also
points. They suggested better methods to pick up the prizes and methods for students
to gain more information. We changed the pickup system for paw points as well as
organized an email system that will be more attractive. When evaluating this section of
well as an increase in prize pickup.
5. Increase student participation at USD football games by 50% by
December 2015.
The increase in student participation can be measured by looking into the numbers
of students attending the games before the campaign. The schools record system
keeps track of the number of attendance at all games and then stores it on the athletic
website. By going to the website and comparing the numbers of the prior year, there
should be an increase of attendance overall for the year. Since our campaign aims to
increase the participation of students with the athletic department in general, we may
look into doing another survey. Originally we took a survey of 525 people who gave us
our original data. By going out with another survey or similar content, we can judge
whether or not student opinion has changed since the campaign.
6. Increase knowledge of USD Men’s and Women’s basketball
games by 25% by May 2016.
This can be evaluated by social media discussions about games as well as an
that better understands the increase itself, because attendance does not always equal
be emailed to students. This survey can simply question them about their currently
knowledge of game activity and how they received it. By doing this you can judge if
the campaign methods to attract attention were successful, but also pinpoint the exact
mental images that the students remember which measures the message quality.
7. Increase student ticket pick-up for football and basketball games
by 25% by May 2016.
This is also a measure of increased attendance. USD uses an electronic system to
control ticket activity, so the numbers of tickets bought are always in the system. The
best way for this system to be evaluated is to track the number of ticket sales and see if
they increased.
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8. Increase overall school spirit with students by 25% by May
2016.
An increase of school spirit can be separated from game days. During our
research our literature review showed that students more emotionally attached to the
event are more likely to participate. So of course higher numbers of attendance could
be linked to spirit. However we can also look at this from a larger view as a campus
goal. Spirit can be judged by an increase in students participating in other activities
such as wear red Fridays and pep rallies. Our competitions and rivalry weeks are a
great way to judge spirit because they demand for students to seek out these activities
themselves. The more students interacting in these activities, the more attachment to
the events, and the school, can be seen. Spirit can also be judged by an increase in
student hunger to participate in organizations or follow social media. Overall, we want
students to feel an attachment to USD.
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APPENDICES
69

APPENDICES
Appendix A
Survey Questionnaire
70

Survey Codebook
73

Appendix B
Focus Group Topics/Questions
1. What types of games have you attended this year? How many?
2. What is your favorite part of the game? What kind of game day entertainment did you
enjoy?
3. Did you attend the tailgate this year? What did you think?
4. If you went to the tailgate, did you go to the game?
5. Would you go to basketball games if there was a tailgate?
6. What prevented you from attending?
7. Would you attend football or basketball games if you knew that after attending 3
games you could win a free prize?
8. Did you like how the football tickets were distributed this year? How would you like to
receive your tickets?
9. What would you want to change about the game day experience?
10. If there were half-time/time-out games/activities for the students to engage in
would you go?
11. What do you think about fan game-day pictures being shared on the dome board?
a.What do you think is the best media to share these pictures?
12. What types of prizes would entice you to go to games? Stay until the end?
a.Noisemakers?
b. T-shirts?
c. Coupons/gift cards
13. Would Charlie the Coyote engaging more with the crowd increase the game-day
experience for you?
14. Would themed game-days change your feeling or experience at the games?
15. Any other thoughts on how to improve game-day attendance?
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Appendix C
Personal Interview Email Questions
1. Do you know what Paw Points are?
3. Have you received any prizes for your Paw Points?
4. What issues do you see with Paw Points right now? Do you think it is well advertised,
is it well known among the student body?
6. How would improve the Paw Points experience? (Change the prizes; change the
method of prize pick-up, etc.)
7. Why do you attend the games?
8. Which sport(s) and how many have you attended for the 2014-2015 season?
9. What can they do to improve the game day experience for you?
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Appendix D
Literature Analysis
A literature analysis was used since it allows gathering secondary data from
legitimate sources on the topic and it is low in cost to gather this data. Although a
weakness to using a literature analysis is it is a long process and the data may not be
valid due to time or changes of information. We gathered our sources for the literature
analysis from the USD library research gateway online.
Background Information
An article written in Time explains the threat that college campuses face when
compared to media outlets. In the article, Brad Tuttle gives information from the
Chattanooga Times Free Press who reported 9 of the 14 teams of the richest and more
successful conference in college football saw a home attendance decline last year (Tuttle,
2013). The article directs its attention to the major decrease in football attendance and
the affects that it has upon the teams despite how successful they were in their games.
The key issue regarding sporting attendance is due to the constant increase in social
media users. Instead college students stay at home and use social media outlets to take
part in. The reasons for this seem to be the individuals’ growing interests in simpler
methods of achievement.
Going to games is no longer a matter of simply buying tickets and coming to the
game. There are many factors that people consider before they purchase the tickets.
One problem is the rising costs of these events; not only are ticket prices going up but
then the consumer need to pay large amounts for food, parking, as well as facing large
reached the point where the hassle simply isn’t worth the price of admission” (Tuttle,
2013 pg. 1). The main problem the teams face is that with media making everything
easier, fewer people are willing to put up the effort in exchange for their convenience.
Fan motivation
Behavioral, Sociological, and Psychological Factors
Choi, Martin, Park, and Yoh (2009) investigated the motivational factors for
spectator involvement at men’s and women’s basketball games. They focused mainly on
behavioral and socio-psychological factors. A Fan Behavior Questionnaire was developed
to learn more about spectator behavior. A motivational scale was developed to measure
and developing a list of motivational factors comprehensive enough to measure the wide
Yoh, 2009).
A case study about game attendance factors discussed factors affecting athletic
event participation at a rural based Division I school. The students interviewed in the
study used a Likert scale to rank game and service factors, while the second part used
surveys to collect data on demographics, frequency of attendance at athletic events,
sex, age, annual household income and relationship to the university. There were many
factors discovered that affect attendance, some included: popularity of sports, team
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performance, game attractiveness, promotions, economics, weather, competition, fan
services quality (Choi, et al., 2009). When looking into these, the authors believe that
by having more controllable factors, they may change the focus to different objectives,
such as new facilities, accessibility, crowding, parking, seat comfort, food services and
quality, and cleanliness (Choi, et al.). Team performance and economic factors were also
considered. However, the biggest factor discovered was game atmosphere.
Krohn, Clark, Preston, McDonald and Preston (2008) studied psychological and
several different issues including several that focused on a more mental concept of
attendance. According to this study, there are several motivating factors that affect the
fans and how they participate in events. These include: the personal objectives of the
ideal. Each of these factors controls whether or not an individual interacts favorably or
better understand the reasoning behind ticket sales (Krohn, et al., 1998).
individuals who have a strong personal goal and associate these goals with sporting
events. These personal goals can be things such as money or gaining a certain level
of status in society. According to Krohn, et al. (1998), fans are interested in attending
sporting events “not just to witness a winner and loser, but primarily to be included in
the overall atmosphere the game presents” (Krohn, et al., p. 277). The games signify
a lifestyle that the participant wishes to be included in. So, one way to earn more
attendance for this group may be to build on the concept of belonging attributed to the
games.
The second point mentioned by Krohn et al. (1998) is the “excitement and escape”
attribute. With this concept the authors argue that people will use sporting events as a
way to separate themselves from their normal lives. The world becomes boring to these
individuals, and they seek outlets that allow them differences from the normal. To some
this method of escape may be even more effective than speaking to a family member
or another close person. To some fans “certain sports such as football and hockey as
own work” (Krohn, et al., p.277). Many businesses take advantage of this by purchasing
tickets to sporting events for their employees. This increases the number of people who
would usually not attend. The individuals then get to break their workweek up with these
events and enjoy the excitement created by the athletes. Businesses could also use this
time and these events to build stronger ties between coworkers.
of a group. Many individuals feel the need to connect to something in order to have
personal validation. By identifying as fans they gain this while being able to participate
with other large groups. This article explains that fans can have a serious relationship
with regards to these sporting events. Fans connect themselves as an important part
of the game and feel this with the players as well. These fans can even experience pregame
symptoms such as nervousness and an increased heart rate. Some go a step
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further and actually go over game plans as if they were actually competing in the event
(Krohn, 1998). Many alumni go to sporting events because they feel this connection.
symbolic link between themselves and their college days” (Krohn, et al., p. 277).
Relationships between Motives and Points of Attachment
consumption, explained several motivators for why attendance is limited, and then
reasoning behind motivators. These authors pointed out that they have examined three
(i.e. motivators) and negative factors (i.e. constraints) that affect individuals’ leisure
choices and behaviors should be examined to more thoroughly understand individuals’
reasoning for those choices and behaviors. In addition, negative factors are often more
factor issues and what the authors believed may be affected by it.
with regards to intentions. They found internal constraints such as “lack of team
improve attendance, it is necessary to look at the primary motivations associated with
the problem. If the university is unable to list the problems that are causing the drop
in attendance, they will be unable to address the problems. Many institutions fail to
research the primary reasons for which the student body fails to have any interest in
attending the games. These are constraints that can be changed with simple steps of
just focusing on the negative attributes.
The second point the article focused on was the issues of constraints on the
spectators. “Knowledge of constraints is critical to teams, schools and sports that draw
more by constraints than by motivators” (Trail & Yu Kyoum, 2011, p. 80). One thing
the journal explained was an experiment to judge if there are any social or systematic
hierarchy in the decision making process of spectators. The research questioned whether
or not individuals are attending based on the social systems that they are a part of.
showed an attempt to focus on the individual’s personal states. The article also focused
on “external constraints” such as cost, parking, and the location of the event as other
provided several negative constraint solutions that may assist in attendance.
One solution suggested for the negative constraints was for the sports teams
to focus on individuals who usually do not attend these events. One reason for this is
that such individuals do not have others to attend with, and thus shy away. By doing
can relate to and thus become one with the system. Another method they argue is
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creation of an online community support effort will allow the university to use a wider
range of methods to sell tickets. An effective media strategy helps “sports consumers
share team-related information, discuss opinions and build relationships with other
sport consumers in cyberspace” (Trail & Yu Kyoum, 2011, p.63). The team can then
attract more attendance by providing group tickets with designated areas so that people
can better attend in groups. These solutions are managed by addressing the negative
constraints of the individuals and the motivators that would drive their attendance.
Stephanie Withey of Clemson University in her thesis Fan Motivation for
Attendance to Men’s Division I College Soccer Matches outlines several factors that
play a role in attendance. She claims that college athletics have the “ability to impact
a community and unite students, fans, and the surrounding city” (Withey, 2013 p.1).
Fans, according to Withey, hold a great deal of power over the teams through their
enthusiasm and attendance. The main issue with sporting attendance is that with
a constantly growing media system people no longer have to leave their houses to
attend the games. Using the consumer choice theory, which is the method of studying
consumer demand when circumstances change were used to address the common
factors of student participation. Random systematic sampling was used over a certain
elements as “quality, escape, boredom/avoidance, social, entertainment, sport
atmosphere, game data, game players, and game weather” (Withey, p.ii). While some
of these factors are well known, others are not commonly focused on while researching
game participation.
Even teams with great reputations aside, the stadium itself can determine whether
or not fans choose to return again. Each stadium has its own atmosphere that generates
its own special setting which affects the fan population. It is more common for fans to
return if they enjoy the stadium itself. Things such as “parking, cleanliness, crowding,
fan control, food service, and attendance intentions all have an impact on a fan’s
decision to stay throughout the duration of the match or even attend” (Withey, p.11).
among the teams and colleges involved. According to research provided, Withey
quotes other research by Borland & MacDonald (2003) which shows that fans are more
attracted to games where each team has a chance of winning. Fans are more likely to
attend games “where there is high but relatively equal talent and skill. Certain leagues
have the opportunity to create a situation where there is unpredictability about the game
with their competitive balance” (Withey, p.15). The other team, in that respect, can
be issued as a motive for fan attendance. It is necessary for the game to allow fans to
experience “excitement, eustress, and can affect self-esteem through BIRGing (basking
quality of the game was the one factor that did not change despite gender or age group.
When focusing on gender, both male and females said quality of game is important.
However the males generally showed a higher demand for the quality of the game than
the females surveyed. Withey assessed that this could indicate that females placed
higher importance on things such as social variables. Women are less likely to “view
being a sports fan as important and consider themselves sports fans for social reasons
of self-identity” (Withey, 2013, p.68). When looking at those who attended games alone,
women were less likely to attend if they did not have a friend, and men seemed to be
more focus on seeing the game than if they were alone. Female fans will have a more
enjoyable time at sporting events if they have someone else to go with.
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A literature analysis is important to have because it enlightened our group to
what research has already been done on the subject. We encountered many interesting
aspects to motivations for students to attend sporting events, and what discourages
students from attending. This section will help give our team direction as we start our
Marketing Strategies
Jennings (2002) tried to determine if there was a difference between marketing
dollars spent, winning percentages and attendance. This study focused on Division I
baseball, softball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. The research conducted was
through either email or telephone interviews with both asking the same questions. The
results found that attendance and marketing dollars spent for men and women’s games
correlation between winning percentage and attendance, yet attendance is limited to
factors like: city population, weather conditions, or the skill level of the competition
(Jennings, 2002).
Peetz’s (2011) article about marketing college games discusses the pattern of
students not attending games against teams who they considered not to matter as
much, which greatly decreased the supportive atmosphere of the game as well as
revenue. Also there is a difference between a fan and spectator, which the researchers
think is an important key to a successful marketing campaign. Then factors that
Peetz (2011) discusses the student rewards program at Kansas State and how it was
implemented and some problems that occurred. The problem that was occurring at
as the game against the University of Kansas would always have a high attendance rate,
but then the attendance rate would drop for other games. The same problem happens at
against our biggest rival South Dakota State University, have good attendance but other
games do not. To resolve this problem K-State came up with their rewards program.
According to Peetz (2011) the students were encouraged to sign up for the program in
groups of 2-10 people. K-State thought this would encourage the whole group to attend
the game together. The students were then awarded a point for every home game they
attended. The points system determined their place in line for the games that sold
out during the season. To get the information about the new rewards program out,
there were emails sent to the students, a press release, and an article in the student
newspaper. The rewards program was connected with the student’s ID numbers and
determine the students place in line based on the number of games they attended. This
program successfully increased attendance at games in 2009 by 18.2% (Peetz, 2011).
To understand why this program increased the attendance we look at the difference
between fans and spectators and their different motivation factors (Peetz, 2011).
Spectators merely observe or watch a game while fans do so because they are engaged
on a deeper level. Marketing plans have to work to maintain their connections with
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(Peetz, 2011).
spectators to attend the games. Rival schools can get together to determine marketing
strategies for the games (Peetz, 2011). The psychological reasons for the rewards
program success are also discussed in the article. The personal investment theory,
perceived options, sense of self, and personal incentives are all relevant to why the
rewards program works to get students to games.
Peetz concludes with three guidelines to developing a successful rewards program:
“Guideline #1: Supplemental marketing strategies need to be designed
and executed in order to increase the attractiveness of an event or reward
program. Giveaways, half-time entertainment, and in-game promotions
are some ways in which to strengthen the allure of a rewards program.
Guideline #2: Marketing activities should be aimed at developing stronger
connections with the team…steps should be taken to make sure all
customer service elements are given the highest priority…highlighting
unique qualities of a team and promoting rivalries could also be used to
strengthen fan-team connections. Guideline #3: Marketing campaigns
should emphasize the social aspects of attending an event. People should
be encouraged to come in groups and promotions aimed at unifying a fan
base should be implemented” (Peetz, p. 211).
An example of this is having all the fans wear the same thing, like a “white out”
theme to unify the fans all in one color and then having a giveaway of white t-shirts to
the students in the rewards program to wear on the “White Out” game day.
Since USD implemented a rewards program as of this year, this research can help us
better the program and help market it to students. Making the game more exciting
through giveaways and half time entertainment, creating a connection with the sports
team, promotion rivalries and social aspects of attending a sporting event are ways to
make USD’s rewards program more successful.
Home Viewing Experience
Attendance at college football games has slowly been declining over the past
three years (New, 2014). “50 public colleges with top football programs found that the
average student attendance is down seven percent from 2009” (New, p.1). Not only is
attendance down but also students that are showing up to games, tend to come later
to games and leave earlier. The discussion on why this is happening seems to be never
ending. According to New, the reasons that this is happening is because the tailgating
experience is getting better and bars run game day specials making it cheaper to drink.
Also, because of how the games are being presented on big screen televisions, which
are decreasing in price, expands the in home experience to the consumer (New, 2014).
New believes that the biggest issue depends on the success of the athletic team, which
is ultimately not possible to control the team’s season. This research states Universities
are competing against the home/bar viewing experience and depends on the success of
the team. This is important research, but because USD winning record is low, and we are
ultimately losing attendees.
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Appendix E
Benchmarking
Our next method of research we decided to use was benchmarking. The primary
purpose of benchmarking is to research into how other schools create and implement
marketing strategies to better inform the University of South Dakota, and to discover
new ideas for methods of increasing attendance. We selected benchmarking because of
its strengths, which allow us to look at successful methods other universities have tried
and it allows us to look at the competition. Weaknesses to benchmarking are that the
methods from other universities may not have the same success at USD, as it did for
them. Benchmarking also may not provide us with new ideas to implement at USD. The
materials for the benchmarking were collected from online databases. Benchmarking is
purposive sampling since we selected the universities that are fairly similar to USD to
review and gather information from. Currently getting students to attend college athletic
events has been a challenge for most college schools throughout the country. Not only
are schools struggling to get students to attend games, but also when students do
attend, schools are having trouble keeping them there throughout the entire game. To
begin the benchmarking section we will look at the issues Ohio University had in 2008.
In 2008 Drake Bolon took over Ohio University’s director of marketing position.
After conducting a survey at the university, Bolon found that one of the reasons students
weren’t attending games is because they were not aware of when events were taking
place (Steinback, 2013). “There’s never an excuse for a student not to know when a
didn’t know when the game was, and I hear that from our peers in the Midwest Athletic
Conference and other schools across the country. That’s really step one. We make sure
that’s darn near impossible (Steinback, 2013).” Ohio University has taken many steps
to insure that students never misunderstand when games take place. Ohio University
students walking throughout the campus in the fall can’t help but notice the posters and
wall reinforce the message. Student Facebook pages and Twitter feeds are likewise
plastered with daily reminders along with paid advertising during game week (Steinback,
attendance at university football games is up 85 percent since 2008.
Another study done in 2011 was a study by the Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate
Athletics. The group of people who ran this study did so in order to analyze collegiate
marketing strategies and the evaluation process. The authors for the 2011 study
consisted of Christina Martin from Troy University, Laura Miller from California University
of Pennsylvania, Rawia Elsisi, from Troy University, Ashley Bowers from Southern
Louisiana University and Stacey Hall from The University of South Mississippi. Surveys
were mailed to 329 Division I-A athletic marketing directors and 136 were returned,
which is a 41.3% response rate (Martin, Miller, Elsisi, Bowers, Hall, 2011). Responses
to these surveys showed that half-time promotions, brochures, local business sponsors,
radio advertisements, game giveaways, newspaper advertisements, and Internet
advertisements were used as promotions 90% of the time. Of the 136 respondents,
68% thought they could develop and implement new marketing strategies, while 62%
said they often evaluate their marketing strategies. Moreover, 54% of athletic marketing
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directors believe they are competent in designing and implementing a statistically sound
form of measurement for their marketing strategies. It was noted that only 22% of
Division I-A athletic marketing directors use research consultants (Martin, Miller, Elsisi,
Bowers, Hall, 2011).
The table below shows which marketing strategies are implemented among most
collegiate marketing directors according to research (Martin, Miller, Elsisi, Bowers, Hall,
2011).
The Motivators of Collegiate Sport Attendance Research
Mumford, Kane, and Maina (2004) recommended six strategies to increase
sporting event attendance:
1. Increase the value of the event
2. Increase student involvement with the sports program
3. Increase the event publicity and exposure through media strategies
4. Broaden the target market to include the community (not just those within the
school
5. Increase the “fun” factor of the event by including things such as a team
mascot, cheering and dance squads, bands, and crowd participation games
6. Increase promotional activities to including contests, prizes, and giveaways.
The article then describes how one of the main tactics marketers do to impact
game attendance is promotion. Examples of the types of promotions currently being
used include tournament contests, three-point shoot-outs, and “best dressed fan”
contests (Snipes and Ingram, 2007).
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The research methodology used in this particular study was broken up into
based on the information found within the literature review. The third stage involved
a focus group consisting of college students. Then they reviewed the full survey and
made recommendations for revisions to the survey to make it more clear, concise and
attractive to the reader (Snipes & Ingram, 2007). In order to gather a representative
sample of the target population, Snipes and Ingram used quota sampling. Quota
sampling is a non-probability technique that provides a better representation of a
subgroup within a population. The data in this survey was collected from people living
within 30 miles of the University, which is located in the southeastern United States. Five
1. College students
2. Faculty and staff
3. College alumni
4. Local high school students (juniors and seniors)
5. Families in the local community
A total of 2,515 surveys were distributed and 1,098 completed surveys were
returned for a response rate of about 44%. Snipes and Ingrams’ sample consisted of
51.5% males (566) and 49.5% (532) females. The age ranged from 14 to 80 with
a mean that was 29 years of age (Snipes, Ingram 2007). Also, about 35% of the
respondents had completed an Associate’s Degree or higher, and about 27% had not
completed high school (some were high school students).
The data from the study showed that the schedule and facility are the top
motivators for sport event attendance across all sports. Other important factors were the
admission price and the overall team record. The least important factors across all three
sports were corporate sponsorships, special prizes and giveaways, and the school band
(Snipes & Ingram, 2007).
These studies also found that marketing to people involved with the college versus
marketing to those who are not involved differ because they have different motivators
compared to others, college students are more interested in the schedule, school spirit
activities, participation games, and corporate sponsorships (Snipes & Ingram, 2007).
The table below made by Snipes and Ingram below shows the breakdowns of the means
and standard deviations based on the importance to attendance.
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The results of this study show that there are differences in what people attending
college athletic events are looking for. These issues are based upon the admission price,
food quality, food price, special prizes and giveaways, audience participation games,
corporate sponsorships, school spirit activities, cheering squads, halftime entertainment,
winning record, and the game schedule (Snipes, Ingram, 2007). Snipes and Ingram
concluded that when targeting male’s marketers may want to focus their time on food
quality, special prizes, and giveaways. They also found that when targeting females,
Snipes and Ingram found was that when targeting younger attendees (under 25) it is
important to focus on promotional activities and entertainment items such as prizes,
giveaways, participation giveaways and halftime entertainment (Snipes, Ingram).
Research on Promotional Ideas
Further research has shown that one of the best ways to increase attendance
at athletic events is to increase game day promotions. The following promotions are
from NAIA Institutions that have continually seen success when increasing audience
engagement. Oklahoma City University runs two promotions at many of their basketball
their sponsor, Tinker Federal Credit Union, they ordered 400 rubber basketballs with
the Oklahoma City University and TFCU logo on them (NACMA, 2007). During home
basketball games announcements were made for reminding fans to come down on the
court at the end of the game to participate in the TFCU Shoot for the Stars promotion to
win their very own OCU basketball. Immediately at the conclusion of home basketball
games a large container with the balls would be brought onto the court and invite fans
down to win a ball. Fans could purchase one shot for $2 or three shots for $5 from the
free throw line. If they made the shot they were allowed to keep the ball. The Director
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(NACMA, 2007). They brought in nearly $2,000 from people purchasing shots and
because the entertainment took place at the end of the game, it encouraged them to
stay throughout the entire game (NACMA, 2007).
The second thing the University does is called the “Group of the Game”. Quiznos
sponsored this event at which they honor one campus student group at every home
basketball game (NACMA, 2007). At the start of the year the University sends every
student group a form that allows them to nominate themselves as the group of the
game. Then the University selects the winning groups and assigns the groups a game
in which they will be honored. The group honored at the game is able to sit in a leather
couch and loveseat in the front row of the student-section (NACMA, 2007). At the game,
Quizno’s delivers a 5’ sub sandwich and sets it up on a table in front of the honored
group. The group gets to eat the free meal, sit in front row seats, and is acknowledged
through a PA announcement at the game as the “Quizno’s Group of the Game (NACMA,
2007).” The results of this event encouraged 10 to 50 more students to attend the
University’s events and the University also found that because people were being
honored, friends from around campus joined the game as well (NACMA, 2007).
with school spirit. For example, schools have themed game days like “Camo Night”.
Embry-Riddle University in Florida saw that on these spirit nights their attendance
was 298 percent higher than the season average at basketball games (NACMA, 2007).
Conclusion
After researching different studies, the University of South Dakota needs to
spend time creating a marketing plan that does a better job of informing students
when and where games are, promoting their brand, giving students a better halftime
entertainment selection and creating ways to get students involved in halftime events.
With this information, it is possible to not only raise attendance at athletic events,
but keep those students in the student section for the entirety of the event. With this
information, our group can push the Athletics Department one step closer to better
understanding what needs to be done in order to reach their target audience.
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Appendix F
Institutional Research, October 2014
Fall 2014 Enrollment by Ethnicity Fall 2014 Headcount Enrollment
M F Total M F Total Fall 2014 Enrollment M by F Total
Undergraduate Undergraduate Am Indian Ethnicity 50 118 168
Am Indian Asian/P Isl
Am Indian 37 87 124 Full-time Asian/P Isl 63 101 164
Asian 40 63 103 First-time New 445 702 1,147 Black Black 133 Hispanic 94 227
Black 113 76 189 New Transfers 155 194 349 Hispanic White 100 Nonresident 170 Alien 270
Hispanic 79 142 221 Other Fresh 136 159 295 White 168, 3281 2% 5363 164, 2% 8644
Native Hawaiian/OPI 1 7 8 Sophomore 426 553 979 Nonresident Alien 137 99 236 335
White 2,375 4,151 6,526 Junior 352 614 966 Unknown 236, 2% 146 206 227, 2% 352 352
Nonresident Alien 65 51 116 Senior 415 702 1,117 Total 3910 6151 270, 10061 3% 687
Multi Racial 67 124 191 Special 11 12 23
Race unknown 30 33 63 Certificate - - -
Total 2,807 4,734 7,541 Full-time UG Total 1,940 2,936 4,876
Graduate & 1st Prof Part-time
8644,
89%
Am Indian 13 31 44 First-time New 36 64 100
Asian 22 26 48 New Transfers 69 179 248
Black 20 18 38 Other Fresh 50 91 141
Hispanic 21 28 49 Sophomore 54 146 200
Native Hawaiian/OPI 0 5 5 Junior 55 167 222
White 906 1,212 2,118 Senior 154 413 567
Nonresident Alien 72 48 120 Special 445 734 1,179
Multi Racial 21 20 41 Certificate 4 4 8
Race unknown 28 29 57 Part-time UG Total 867 1,798 2,665
Total 1,103 1,417 2,520 Undergraduate Total 2,807 4,734 7,541
Fall 2014
Student Enrollment by Full-/Parttime
University Total 3,910 6,151 10,061 Graduate (Certs,M's+D's)
Full-time 296 442 738
Part-time 535 719 1,254
Graduate (Certs,M's+D's) 831 1,161 1,992
Source: USDIR Enrollment Extract (unduplicated)
First Professional Enroll
M F Total Full-time 269 253 522 Fulltime 6,136
Fall 2014 States of Origin
South Dakota 2,525 4,139 6,664 Part-time 3 3 6 Parttime 6,136, 3,925
Iowa 362 536 898 First Professional Total
61%
272 256 528
Minnesota 229 469 698 University Grand Total 3,910 6,151 10,061 3,925,
Nebraska 169 313 482
Source: USDIR Enrollment Extract (unduplicated)
39%
Other U.S. states 487 590 1,077 UG Applied/Admitted/Enrolled Fall 2014
Fulltime Parttime
International 138 104 242 M F Total
University Total 3,910 6,151 10,061 Applied 1,411 2,131 3,542
Source: USDIR Enrollment Extract (unduplicated) Admitted 1,212 1,934 3,146
Enrolled 481 766 1,247
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