Mar 10 2011
Will history be made?
Spring is just around the corner. The snow is melting (not in Vancouver, but other parts of Canada) and is going to be replaced with sunshine and warmth. However, for sports fans the most excited part of the year is here. There is plenty to keep everyone interested, March Madness for College fans, NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs and the beginning of the MLB season just to name a few. With these differentiated “products” that each of these events provides the fans how do they create a competitive advantage? Well, since I’m Canadian and a hockey player, I’m obviously going to look into NHL promotion.
Even though hockey rules in Canada, it struggles in a lot of American markets. For example, the Phoenix Coyotes are broke and have been for years. They continue to dig their grave with less than 10,000 fans coming out to see them play. Could the Coyotes make a return to the City that they were originally stolen from, Winnipeg? Let’s hope. But in order to counter act the unpopularity in American markets and compete with the other 3 big leagues (MLB, NFL & NBA), the NHL marketers must be creative to draw new viewers as well as retain loyal fans. The playoffs are the perfect time to do so. Hockey gets more intense and excited to watch. NBC and the Versus network introduced the “History Will be Made” campaign during the 2010 post season.
The ads were extremely successful and they have continued through this season and new commercials will be continuously released from now all the way through the Stanley Cup playoffs. These ads draw on rememberable moments of playoffs, such as Bobby Orr’s famous superman goal to win the Stanley Cup. On a personal level, these ads bring me chills and shivers every time I see one because they bring back so many emotions and feelings. I can only hope that they do the same for the American viewers they are targeting so we can grow the great game that I love.
