On Ottawa and the NHL

So I was at the Rangers 2-1 SO Win over the Ottawa Senators Saturday afternoon inside Scotiabank Place. Ottawa is great, and even though the arena is in Kanata (about 10 minutes outside the city), there is plenty to do around Kanata as well.

The Senators as a franchise were lucky enough to have the distinct advantage of being placed in Canada to start from a business perspective. Unless they never win a game for the next five years, I don't see how their attendance could ever dive below the top 15 (in terms of percent capacity). The biggest business challenge for the Sens to me? They are going up against the history of the Maple Leafs, Canadiens, and even the Quebec Nordiques to an extent.

I was thinking about this at the game. Ottawa is, for the most part, just stuck between Montreal and Toronto. With the Leafs and Habs being apart of the original six, generations upon generations of Canadians grew up supporters of one of the two clubs typically. With the Senators playing only their 17th season this year (16 if you want to subtract the lockout), its no wonder some people seem to think Sens fans aren't as dedicated as others.

To this I say bullshit. I know the passion is there otherwise they wouldn't fill the arena year in and year out. The key, to me at least, is to create a consistently winning team. I mean, look at the fan passion during the 2006 Stanley Cup final. That looks like a lot of fun for anyone. What needs to happen is the team has to give a reason for the roof to blow off Scotiabank, which could easily happen with a playoff run.

To me, part of the reason why the Rangers are so popular (besides being from NY), is because of 1994. The support of the Rangers got passed down generation by generation just like any other original six team, but 1994 awoke many sleeping fans along with creating new ones (including myself, as my dad is a Bruins fan with his parents from Boston). Hockey was hot in '94, and conveniently one of the biggest cities in the world captured the top prize. Coincidence that there are Ranger fans scattered across North America and the World today? Not at all.

My end point is this: I want Ottawa to succeed because I think there should/can be at least two more teams in Canada. This whole southern expansion thing has been good and bad, but the NHL needs to cut its losses in the next three to five years. The NFL did it with NFL Europe, and cut its losses eventually. Canada is where hockey will always be king, and the NHL needs to take advantage of that in a business sense. The great thing about the Senators is that, from my point of view as an American going to games at Scotiabank, all they need to do is put a winning team on the ice consistently. Everything else will fall in line because Ottawa is lucky enough as a franchise (from a business sense) to be located where Hockey is king.

Marketing the Game: Celebrities and the NHL

Vince Vaughn at the 2009 Winter Classic.

One of my roommates here at school is an Ottawa Senators "fan." I use the quotation marks because he doesn't watch any games during the season, he only knows three to five current players on the roster, and above all has absolutely no clue where they are in the standings. All that matters to him is two things. First, Mike Fisher stays with the team. And second, the Senators win in our annual trip to Scotiabank Place when the Rangers visit the Sens in October or November of each season (three years and running the Rangers have lost this game, kill me now).

I subjected you to all of that because he just started talking the whole Mike Fisher-Carrie Underwood relationship thing/fling/news; weeks after I mentioned it to him. This got me thinking about other NHL celebrity fans. Jeremy Piven has been interviewed at least once if not twice at Ranger games this year, both of which seemed forced and awkward. Spike Lee was also caught at the garden as well. I've seen Pat Sajak at Kings and Capitals games, and plenty of stars showed up for the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Do not get me wrong, having Celebs at the games are great. It no doubt brings attention to the game along with probably making a couple of fans out of dumb Americans that follow celebrities. But like I said above with the Jeremy Piven-New York Rangers interviews, most interviews just seemed forced and fake. I guess what I'm really trying to get at is, the NHL seems so desperate when it comes to recognizing public figures at its games. Personally, I think the NHL should be very nonchalant about it. Sure, do a story about them at the Winter Classic and ask some simple questions. Sure, take a picture of Hilary Duff and Carrie Underwood once or twice and ask them their opinions during the game. But after that, just let them be. I understand celebrities are used to attention, but don't bring it to them when they are trying to relax watching a great game in a great sport that is under-appreciated to begin with.

This isn't really a big issue, but it just seems like anytime a famous face is in the Garden during a Rangers game, they have someone sticking a mic in their face and asking awkward questions about their next entertainment ploy. I guess I just don't want to drive away any star power the league has to begin with. The league should act like the cool older brother to the group of little sister and friends, where they say hello, talk to them from now and then, but at the same time just let them be most of the time.

Any thoughts on the issue for the few of you loyal businessmen/women out there?

The NHL "Brand" is Back

According to Sports Marketing and PR Roundup along with Marketing Daily, the NHL brand is back and stronger than ever. The articles cites changes to the on-ice rules, the NHL's strong Internet presence, and the creation of the Winter Classic as some of the biggest factors in the resurgence.

I did a marketing piece a little over a week ago, which focused on moving forward using partnerships and technology as the catalysts. I might have to look back now on what the NHL needs to stick with so they don't stray away from their target audience in their growth attempts. As the Marketing Daily article puts it:

The NHL has made great strides. But like any reviving brand, the league must guard against migrating too far from its target customer in growing its franchise. Ticket prices, for example, are rising rapidly again, posing a potential barrier to the core fan attendance. And the salary cap per team has jumped from $39 million to $58 million, making it difficult for smaller teams to compete.

I think I will also take a look into how fast the ticket prices have risen since the lockout at some point as well.

In other News, Electronic Arts will be creating a line of athletic toys with Toy Island which will aim to teach kids how to play different sports. Upon further research, I found a little more information on the new series of toys which are set to hit the shelves this fall. This includes:

• A line of interactive training tools featuring voice commands and instructional coaching elements designed to take budding stars to the next level

• A complete game-in-a-box containing all the equipment necessary for kids to practice and play a sport; a line of sports toys that will utilize electronics to reward young athletes with cheers when they use proper techniques

• A basic line of high density-foam balls to help kids develop throwing and kicking motor skills at an early age.

Hockey is amongst the list of sports to be included in the series, amongst Basketball, Baseball, Football, and Soccer. Hopefully more news breaks on this, but if not I will definitely be looking for these sets as I am curious to see what they would do for our sport. I hope the set comes with gloves and does its best to encourage fighting, but that might be wishful thinking.

Monday Afternoon Roundup

Here are the top stories this afternoon around the Business World of Hockey:

- Wings @ Pens drew a 1.1 on NBC yesterday afternoon (Puck The Media)

- Speaking of marketing partnerships, MLB TV and NHL GameCenter team up to offer you a great online viewing deal (NHL.com)

- CBC posts Gary Bettman's uncut interview on CBC's "The Hour" last Thursday. (Slap Shot - New York Times) Highlights? Right off the bat the relocation/expansion talk starts, and then around the 10 minute mark some more Phoenix discussion comes up. Its a long one, but Bettman does reveal some interesting views on how he deals with certain situations and basically what makes him tick.

- In light of the Wild freezing season ticket prices, other teams are starting to announce their plans as well. The Oilers and Bruins will both be slightly increasing their tickets for next season.

I'm going to revive a little tradition which I loved that Sean Leahy used to do weekly over at Going Five Hole to keep our touch with the game fresh. Here was this past Saturday's Coach's Corner with Ron MacLean and Don Cherry:



Hopefully more later...

Marketing the Game: the MLS, Video Games, and NHL GameCenter

I've had a bunch of thoughts rolling around in my head for the past week or so regarding the marketing of the game we all love. As we have seen the past two to three years, the NHL has been growing in terms of dollars, attendance, fan base, and TV ratings (since the lockout, at least). I was going to make this into some kind of series, but like I said, all I have thus far is just a bunch of random thoughts on what markets are out there that the NHL could possibly reach out to in order to extend its growth.

All of this thought began when I ran back into a report published back in October by Experian Customer research (via Yahoo), which showed that NHL fans, in general, have a higher mean household income than any of the "big five" sports leagues in North America (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS).

The average between the NHL (around $88,500 a year) and the NFL (just under $82,000) isn't shocking big; but it is a difference. But what really got me thinking wasn't this, it was the further research done by the report.

Average NHL fans, according to Experian, are 27% more likely to own/play video games in their spare time. Furthermore, with exception to the MLS, NHL fans are in general of a younger age than NBA, NFL, and MLB fans; respectively. The report goes on to also state that NHL fans are doing more shopping online and are more tech-savvy than any other league in North America.

Most of you might have already heard this spiel, for which I am sorry. But, as I sit here enjoying one of Canada's finest beverages (Labatt Blue, of course), I wonder if the NHL will take this information seriously enough to actually think about the possibilities. Now I don't have many suggestions, but I have thought of some. Here are three "common" "assumptions" about the NHL and their fans concerning marketing:

1. Hockey does not fare well on TV, and is much better in person.
2. Hockey is a niche sport, therefore only having die-hard regional fans that really only pay attention to their respective team.
3. With Hockey fans being so tech-savvy, many avoid paying the $169 a season for the newly launched NHL GameCenter by the NHL.

I do not disagree with any of these assumptions. Number one is somewhat true, as a game in person is 100x better than a game on TV, no argument. I would say number two has some truth to it as well, because I would say that hockey has more die-hard fans than most sport. And finally, with number three, lets just say I have my sites for when the Rangers are blacked out the nine times a season so I can continue my horrible habit of watching an offensively capable team struggle in a defensive system with an all-star goalie (sorry for the rant).

Now, with all this said, I don't think the NHL can go anywhere near mainstream like some think it can within the next 5 to 10 years (I will leave the ESPN issue to another day). I love to see the NHL growing in dollar figures and in fan bases, it only means (for now) better things for a game that I think has some of the highest levels of honesty (sans betting schemes), integrity, and culture within North America. Some around the hockey world would like to see the NHL get right back on ESPN and grow grow grow as fast as possible, but I refrain from that, as I am more of the slow and steady type. I think the game right now is fine where it is, and if it continues on the current path, I think it could be a very viable product for many for years to come. I think some NHL fans have to come to accept this and realize that we will never reach the heights of the NFL and MLB because to put it perfectly honest, Ice Hockey is not America's pastime.

So here are three areas/ideas/situations that I think the NHL could look into in order to continue growing its product off the ice.

1. Major League Soccer

The MLS, whether you believe me or not, is actually growing. Now many point to this in large part due to the rapidly growing Hispanic community all across the US, and I wouldn't disagree. But, at the same time, Soccer is the biggest sport in the world and is another niche sport in the U. S.A. that attracts families of children and much of the same demographic as NHL fans. 11 out of its current 15 franchises are located in or around the same area as NHL franchises. As of next summer, that number will jump to 12 out of 16 with the arrival of a Philadelphia team.

In that same Experian report, the MLS is right behind the NHL in the Household Income, video games, and average age statistics. The MLS and NHL seemed to be poised for the future, and together I think they could really help each other out.

Now I am in no way a Marketing wiz (Hell, I'm taking my first marketing class as I type), but I like to think I know a good ploy from a bad. I don't have many suggestions for the NHL here, but one that stuck in my mind the past few days would be a year round plan. The MLS, unlike most soccer leagues around the globe, starts in the spring and plays through the summer and ends in the early days of autumn. The NHL, as you know, is on the opposite schedule. Could the two link up and offer a year-round season ticket plan? As Mythbusters would put it:


- Video Games

More specifically, NHL 09. The game won 4 best game of the year titles in 2008, and is very addictive (trust me). Many puckheads are always upset with the game not being on the same level in terms of game mode compared to EA Sports Madden NFL series, but what makes NHL so good is the game play. I enjoy nothing more than playing my football and basketball obsessed friends in NHL, and beating them on a consistent basis.

The NHL must explore this market, as there has to be something to the mass appeal to the game. The Video Game guys around the net could easily pick Madden every year, but NHL has been a hot topic the past few seasons, and NHL 2010 is already greatly anticipated.

Ideas? I don't know, do an online tournament through NHL.com where 16 randomly chosen gamers get to re-create the NHL playoffs over the summer to keep interest up. I'm not big on ideas for this section, but there has to be something.

I say this because people like playing the game of hockey via NHL 09. They realize how intense and fast the game is through their video-game console, which keeps them coming back for more. If the NHL can figure out a way to parlay that into keeping them coming back to Versus to watch a live game, they will have done their job.

- NHL GameCenter

The NHL GameCenter was launched fresh this 2008-2009 season. The idea and platform was loved and prasied by some, but also labeled as a rip-off by others. Let's debate both sides of the issue:

Pro's: The GameCenter lets you have everything at your fingertips. Since us NHL fans are so tech-savvy, this makes us giddy as information is everywhere and we can watch any game at any time. Also, a key for die-hards, it allows the die-hard fan to catch every game all year, which to some who live in markets where hockey is an afterthought in the media, this is awesome.

Con's: Being a hockey-traditionalist myself, I love the idea of sitting down at 6:30 on a Rangers game-night or a Saturday night before Hockey Night in Canada; and finishing up the program when the game(s) are over. When this idea gets accomplished, I feel complete and refreshed. I am on my computer enough as it is, I don't really want to sit and watch a game on it some times. The lazy boy calls me often.

The GameCenter is a great idea by the NHL and in no way should they abandon it. I'm sure they did well in its first season and I'm sure it will continue to grow. One thing I think they should due in light of the economy is cut the price. It should be in no way above a $100, to me, and they should offer some really flexible offers at the beginning of the season.

So that's it; all my random thoughts written down in a somewhat coherent way. If I come up with anything else or remember something, I'll either add it or save it for another post. Please let me know what you think, as this stuff really does interest me.

I have a busy Sunday planned so I'm not sure how much I will be around. If not I will be back Monday.