July 27, 2011 | Volume 10, Issue 5

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Dear Faithful Readers,

As editor of this publication, many unique sports sales and marketing ideas cross my desk daily. Many involve up and coming technologies that are creating new revenue sources. Others are variations of established ideas that worked 40 years ago and continue to move the needle today. That's the wonderful thing about great ideas...no one cares where they came from, as long as they complete the desired objective. No matter how crazy the promotional idea might be, as long as it puts butts in seats, its worth considering. Today's feature definitely falls into the crazy idea category. As you will read below, New Mexico State University was able to create a unique experience for their student body, which resulted in a new student attendance record for basketball. Themed nights are nothing new in our industry, however I challenge you to push the envelope like New Mexico State did in order to cultivate fan participation for the not-so-well attended game nights on your schedule.

Enjoy the Feature,

Joe Shapero
[email protected]

P.S. Don't forget to take advantage of our new NSF "Killer Offer" while it is still available! Until July 31st (which is Sunday), for $3000 you can register not 1, 2, or 3, but 4 people from your organization (that's a $750/person rate which is unheard of in the history of the NSF!). Click Here for more details!

New Mexico State's Pajama Party Puts Attendance Concerns To "Rest"

Aggies take fan comfort to a whole new level while seeing over 125% hike in student attendance.

CONTACT

Advertisement

Steve Macy
Associate Athletic Director
New Mexico State Aggies
Phone: (575) 646-7104
Email: [email protected]

ORGANIZATION

New Mexico State Aggies

PROGRAM TITLE

Pajama Party

OBJECTIVES

Have you noticed a decrease in event attendance over the past few years? If so, you are not alone. With the economy in turmoil and home theater systems providing a more realistic viewing environment, increasing fan attendance is one of the biggest concerns for any sports franchise. Ultimately, the ability to fill your stadium's seats has the greatest effect on the success of your program as a whole. The New Mexico State Aggies of the Western Athletic Conference were looking to boost student attendance and participation for a Men's Basketball game versus Utah State. The event was scheduled for 9pm on a Wednesday night, usually a tough time slot to draw from the student body. Associate Athletic Director, Steve Macy explained that the NMSU Athletic Department wanted to, "create a fun event for students and increase attendance," for a game that was played during, "a bad time for our typical crowd."

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

New Mexico States "Pajama Party" came to be after a brainstorming session with the athletic department's marketing staff. Students were encouraged to wear their favorite pajamas in order to create a unique and exciting atmosphere for the big game. The athletic department was also interested in creating a halftime event that would drive fan participation while also staying consistent with the theme of the night.

What once began as an idea for a "flash mob," transformed into a pillow fight after communicating with the universities housing department. RAs informed the students to wear pajamas and bring a pillow for a pillow fight that they believed would be unknown to the university or athletic department. Macy explains that NMSU wanted to have the students believe that they were "pulling one over" on the administration, when in fact Macy, "coordinated the event with security personnel to ensure [students] could have access to the floor."

The New Mexico State bookstore also joined in on the fun, selling Aggies sweatpants at 25% off in preparation for pajama party in the Pan American Center. Students who attended also were in line to receive benefits from multiple organizations on campus. The first 500 students to arrive were given a free hot dog courtesy of the NMSU Housing Department, while the first 2,500 students received a free rally towel from the Associated Students of NMSU. Prizes were awarded to students with the best PJ's and for the most creative signs. Walgreens also provided students with free t-shirts that promoted the special event.

Click Here to view the in-arena video via AggieVision of the halftime pillow fight.

MEDIA

The "Pajama Party" was advertised though a variety of media outlets; television spots, radio coverage, print and internet advertising, as well as a message that ran on the on-campus video marquee. The campus housing department also played a crucial role in getting residents excited for the game. On game day, the athletic department hosted a pep rally with players and coaches dressed in pajamas at the student union building in order to create awareness. Wendell McKines, a star player that was injured at the time, came out before the game in his pajamas and spoke to the students in order to generate additional buzz within the arena.

PARTNERS

Aside from the free t-shirts provided by Walgreens and the collaboration with on campus organizations such as the NMSU AS and Housing Departments, no additional corporate partners were involved in the implementation of this promotion.

RESULTS

All of the hard work surrounding the "Pajama Party" paid off for the NMSU Athletics Department after the final attendance numbers were tallied. The university had the highest student turnout for the entire year, even including game attendance against rivals New Mexico and UTEP. Overall the game attracted over 1800 students, a 125% increase over the average student attendance. "Several organizations on campus came together with athletics to make this game fun and that's what made it a true event." expresses Macy. "Buy-in from the campus, buy-in from the students and buy-in from the team all combined to make a tough night and start time the best game and environment of the year."

These full page ads were found placed in napkin holders at dining halls
throughout campus in order to create extra buzz for the Pajama Party.

LOOKING AHEAD

When asked about a "Pajama Party" in the future for NMSU Athletics, Macy replied, "We have looked at the formula that made this [night] successful and will use that formula again to plug into different theme nights throughout next season. [A lot] of smart and hard-working people were part of this special event. Everyone had fun and looks forward to the next event that we can all play a part in."

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