Any Marketing People on Here? Let's talk B12....

[blackoutknight]

I always hear that football drives the buss. When was the last time you took a buss? If you are on your 7th DUI, you take the buss. If you're a respected Athlete, you take a plane.

I unfortunately am lazy and don't feel like breaking this whole thing down. I would, however, love to see a breakdown of the following items, using the top 10 B12 expansion candidates:

-Average ticket price from each B12 departure city to B12 hopeful city
-Average # of connections
-Average time from departure and arrival
-Average time from airport to campus

We're selling a brand. Let's not stop at that. accessibility is important, especially when almost all of your sports make no money.

So with an airport that takes in 40 mm guests a year, we are in the top 3 airport category. That means more direct flights, subsidized pricing (Disney). Vegas has some of the cheapest flights in the world (subsidized?).

Can someone help break down my request? I can't break a $5 right now, but I believe in the power of #marketing.

 

[KNIGHTTIME^]

I always hear that football drives the buss. When was the last time you took a buss? If you are on your 7th DUI, you take the buss. If you're a respected Athlete, you take a plane.

I unfortunately am lazy and don't feel like breaking this whole thing down. I would, however, love to see a breakdown of the following items, using the top 10 B12 expansion candidates:

-Average ticket price from each B12 departure city to B12 hopeful city
-Average # of connections
-Average time from departure and arrival
-Average time from airport to campus

We're selling a brand. Let's not stop at that. accessibility is important, especially when almost all of your sports make no money.

So with an airport that takes in 40 mm guests a year, we are in the top 3 airport category. That means more direct flights, subsidized pricing (Disney). Vegas has some of the cheapest flights in the world (subsidized?).

Can someone help break down my request? I can't break a $5 right now, but I believe in the power of #marketing.

Drives the "Bus"

Everything except football would be flying commercial and not charter. If we got into the Big 12 our basketball team would likely start flying charter too. There isn't a lack of cheap fares for Memphis, Houston, Orlando, or Cincy so this will be a non factor. Recruiting location, tv markets, our enrollment size, etc will be much higher on the list.

 

[blackoutknight]

Drives the "Bus"

Everything except football would be flying commercial and not charter. If we got into the Big 12 our basketball team would likely start flying charter too. There isn't a lack of cheap fares for Memphis, Houston, Orlando, or Cincy so this will be a non factor. Recruiting location, tv markets, our enrollment size, etc will be much higher on the list.

Sorry for misspelling bus so many times. I'll work on that.

I am talking more about Olympic Sports. The fare might be comparable, but I would be willing to bet that the amount of direct flights to cities like Memphis and Cincinnati come nowhere close to Orlando (MCO). If FedEx get's into the passenger side, Memphis is a great choice. I know people are dying to go to Beale Street and all. It's the busiest cargo airport in the country, but to compare the passenger traffic of Memphis and Orlando, is not friendly to the former. With the crime level in Memphis, people are simply happy not to die there.

Cinci has Skyline Chili. I'm sure jet setters are begging for direct flights to that magical city.

Orlando has the most amusement parks in the world. We are very easy to get to, from any city in the country, and our campus is about a 15 minute ride from the airport.

Trying to think outside the box. I might be wrong, but at least I'm trying.

Since you are a marketing guy, do you have any thoughts?

 

[KNIGHTTIME^]

No big deal about the spelling. In the grand scheme it is a small number for the travel expense difference. If you compare a specific conference school travel to Orlando for the 14-15 Olympic sports each sport doesn't even travel to Orlando every year. Memphis is a hub/connection location so travel will usually be somewhat reasonable. Houston has southwest flights among other low cost airlines. Their flights would be around the same level. No idea about Cincinnati without research, but likely reasonable.

Our kicker is our large enrollment located in a pretty important and growing state. Big 12 doesn't have a Florida presence and we have the recruiting hotbed to go along with Texas. If the goal is getting a Big 12 network, getting a Florida presence is also key. #19 tv market is big for us. Big 12 already has 3 Texas schools so I think Houston is out.

 

[blackoutknight]

No big deal about the spelling. In the grand scheme it is a small number for the travel expense difference. If you compare a specific conference school travel to Orlando for the 14-15 Olympic sports each sport doesn't even travel to Orlando every year. Memphis is a hub/connection location so travel will usually be somewhat reasonable. Houston has southwest flights among other low cost airlines. Their flights would be around the same level. No idea about Cincinnati without research, but likely reasonable.

Our kicker is our large enrollment located in a pretty important and growing state. Big 12 doesn't have a Florida presence and we have the recruiting hotbed to go along with Texas. If the goal is getting a Big 12 network, getting a Florida presence is also key. #19 tv market is big for us. Big 12 already has 3 Texas schools so I think Houston is out.

All true. I left Houston out, because the airport issue would have hurt my point. Also, as you mentioned, I don't think they are as viable a candidate as UCF, Memphis and Cinci.

I guess when you get paid 25 mm a year on TV alone, you can justify some extra travel costs. I was just thinking of another angle that might make us look better than the rest. I want to believe.

 

[MechaKnight]

From wikipedia, total airline passengers in 2014...

Orlando 35.7 million
Cincinnati 5.9 million
Memphis 3.6 million

 

[SCKnight]

I cringe when anyone mentions marketing and "get on the bus" in the same post regarding UCF

 

[UCF-icenhl-06]

I always hear that football drives the buss. When was the last time you took a buss? If you are on your 7th DUI, you take the buss. If you're a respected Athlete, you take a plane.

I unfortunately am lazy and don't feel like breaking this whole thing down. I would, however, love to see a breakdown of the following items, using the top 10 B12 expansion candidates:

-Average ticket price from each B12 departure city to B12 hopeful city
-Average # of connections
-Average time from departure and arrival
-Average time from airport to campus

We're selling a brand. Let's not stop at that. accessibility is important, especially when almost all of your sports make no money.

So with an airport that takes in 40 mm guests a year, we are in the top 3 airport category. That means more direct flights, subsidized pricing (Disney). Vegas has some of the cheapest flights in the world (subsidized?).

Can someone help break down my request? I can't break a $5 right now, but I believe in the power of #marketing.

Jesus you are asking for someone to do a whole lot of work for little reason.

 

[pittstoner74]

it comes down to how much money can we make on tv and how much will that school help branding...doubt the people making decisions care how many students a school has or how many people fly into the nearest airport...you guys are debating nonsense.

 

[Square Knight]

School size can have a significant impact because it is one indicator of potential future fans of that team. Also, since UCF usually has good student attendance at football games, that is another indicator of high potential growth in the fanbase.

 

[HammerB08]

I agree, SK. Average enrollment in the Big 12 is about 28,000 students. In theory, UCF's alumni base should be expanding at about at least twice the rate of the average Big 12 school going forward. Doesn't mean much for the current situation, but a decade or two from now it will make a big difference in the number of possible alumni donors/season ticket holders/television viewers and fans in general. All those things mean more $$ potential.

 

[pittstoner74]

School size can have a significant impact because it is one indicator of potential future fans of that team. Also, since UCF usually has good student attendance at football games, that is another indicator of high potential growth in the fanbase.

It can have an impact, but doesn't really. Most UF and Ohio State fans never stepped foot on campus, let alone graduated. Fans has more to do with winning than alumni. If you win, the bandwagoners come out of the woodwork.