Show me the demographics and results of a professionally done survey from another university in our conference that justifies any money spent on such an endeavor. Opinions and ideas are great, but that doesn't mean they are worthy of spending one single dollar on them.
Just to qualify me comment, App. State has had the same mascot for decades, so it is associated with winning championships and conference titles. Show me a successful mascot and branding campaign in the last decade in the SBC and I'm willing to listen.
Should we base every decision we make on a professionally done survey? We spent hundreds of thousands for an audit and did 30% of what it recommended. The fact is, getting kids under the age of 5 interested in your program (or brand) has a direct correlation to them staying invested in your program (or brand) for many years to come. I just watched multiple videos go viral on social media purely based on a Duck in Oregon making a grand entrance. Porgram all over the country copied it and got millions of free publicity because of it.
As far as your SBC campaign comment: WKU is one of the most famous and recognizable mascots in collegiate athletics. It is a giant red blob. WKU is certainly not an overly successful G5 program but most college fans know the mascot. All because of a bit on College GameDay that didn't even feature WKU playing in the game.
How come we compare ourselves to peers when it supports our slant on a pushback but claim how unique we are when it supports that slant? Our mascot should be a movable goalpost.
This is the promo, nice but missed the mark.
The Swamp and Alligators would capture imaginations like nothing else.
I've brought all manner of tourist to the campus Swamp, show them the alligators (not always visible) and they are blown away WOW!
I am sure young recruits would have the same reaction and if it was part of your identity they are fans for life.
This! I remember walking by when I was in school and thinking how cool it was having a swamp with live alligators in the middle of campus. And I'm originally from Franklin. I had seen swamps and alligators before. It would have to have some kind of impact on students who were new to that.
Maybe Ronnie Adams should be the mascot! Former Ragin' Cajuns football player finding "fame" on Swamp People. Just kidding, although Ronnie was a cool guy back in the day.
I know they are. But valid points don't matter around here. Some people just don't want. They don't want to hear logic, or solutions, or change... as long as it involves money, work or any additional effort. And I'm not singling out BJ here. We are run by a gaggle of people that see every single decision we make through this lens. There is a reason why we do less with more than any program in this country.
You've been part of a company ownership. So, I don't think I need to tell you about spending money without a tangible way of measuring how it will affect your bottom-line and brand. This is not how you sell an idea to someone that has to come up with a budget and marketing plan to fit your vision. So, yes you hire someone that actually has a reputation and a successful track record on how to put such a campaign together. You don't throw money at a concept without knowing what the expected returns would be if the money is spent. That's business 101 and college athletics is a business.
I've seen some Oregon videos financed with Nike money. We are not Oregon, and they are not in the SBC. WKU also hasn't been in the SBC in almost a decade? The WKU Mascot began in 1979, and again it is tied to many years of successful in MBB on ESPN.
Frankly, if someone wants to put together a marketing plan and not just drawings of an Albino Alligator, the associated cost and how it will pay for itself then I would congratulate them for at least making a concerted effort in putting something together rather just complain about it and tell administrators what they need to do.
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