Its all marketing. Pure and simple. It doesn't always matter how many games you win in a particular sport, or what your QB's stats were in the last game. What DOES always matter is getting your brand out and familiarizing the general public with your logo.

Winning championships/ big games is huge in generating buzz and excitement for a school/sports team but you can't bank on winning in order to keep your program relevant.

Example 1) Oregon. The team that is practically owned by Nike is an annual media darling and NOT because they win (or have won championships) but because they generate buzz around their program with uniforms, apparel, unique color combo.

Example 2): Notre Dame...they haven't done a damn thing in football for over a decade and yet they continue to rake in millions in revenue from.......MERCHANDISE.

Example 3) UNC. Until Michael Jordan, UNC was considered a great basketball program but NOT the basketball giant that it is today...thank you Kenan Flagler institute and ESPN. They also have unique colors like Oregon. Flashiness draws attention, period.

Example 4) The Chicago Cubs suck. They still have a HUGE fanbase. I see their hats everywhere.


Bottom line is NC State marketing NEEDS TO HUSTLE HARD...much harder than other triangle schools. NC State should be busting down the doors to get OUR brand out. Kids on the West coast will never know our record versus the rest of the ACC in any sport...AND IT DOESN'T MATTER...but what they WILL know is that if we have an NC STATE hat on the shelf in Lids in Tucson, then WE MUST BE SOMEBODY, amirite? The merchandise sells the school!

10/11/2009 9:58:57 AM

k

10/11/2009 10:08:29 AM

dude, you thought about that too hard.

10/11/2009 10:09:03 AM

meh, I don't care about logo sales. I care about selling our DC and getting a new one and winning games.

10/11/2009 10:09:07 AM

^we definitely have to win games and be a consistent contender. I just think an aggressive marketing campaign strategy (a sustained one, not just a one time deal) could be the "it" factor that gets us through the not-so-good seasons and stirs all kinds of buzz when we're actually doing well.

10/11/2009 2:23:24 PM

How the fuck are you gonna hype decades of .500 seasons

This is some Lee Fowler-level stupidity

10/11/2009 2:32:01 PM

^umm, Lee Fowler is too lazy for this gem of a scam....

but really, you're blind if you don't see the value of having media and apparel sales on your side...People on here cry about Walmart UNC fans all the time...

10/11/2009 2:36:02 PM

Quote :

"you're blind if you don't see the value of having media and apparel sales on your side"

Of course I see the value of having a national fanbase. You seem to think we can just take out some TV spots, make some t-shirts and we're #1 national championship contenders every year. Win first, make bumper stickers second.

10/11/2009 2:37:43 PM

^

and... I don't want a bunch of walmart fans. I want real fans, fans that have a tie to the university.

10/11/2009 2:39:15 PM

^^nope, you're missing the point. Like I said, it can't be a one and done deal and you HAVE to win in order to be successful but you will find a nice ceiling for those schools who fail to bring in big money....Boston College and Maryland got passed over for more prestigious bowl games when they were good...because they didn't travel well AND DIDN'T DRAW ENOUGH NATIONAL ATTENTION. We have to set goals, short term (have a plan) and longterm.

10/11/2009 2:43:57 PM

Your plan is to pick unique colors

C'mon guy

10/11/2009 2:46:20 PM

damn wade...you crazy

10/11/2009 2:47:13 PM

Maybe we should go back to having pink as one of our team colors, that would be unique. Then we could hire Pink to make a commercial about how we have pink jerzees...

And think about the rivalry merchandise potential! If your friend is having a baby boy, you buy him a UNC pacifier. A girl? NC State baby!

[Edited on October 11, 2009 at 3:02 PM. Reason : .]

10/11/2009 3:01:24 PM

oh no, BC and maryland didn't get to play in some random bowl game that doesn't matter

10/11/2009 3:03:43 PM

Here is a recent NC State marketing ad (a general ad, not a sports ad)



And I'll throw this in too just for fun:

10/11/2009 3:10:04 PM

^see there? Our marketing program needs to be aborted along with all the negative nancies.


and replaced with professionals maybe?

10/12/2009 11:30:25 AM

we shouldn't start by losing to duke.

10/12/2009 11:32:35 AM

someone needs to create a mix of those two videos

10/12/2009 3:30:42 PM

Didn't the CEO of Nike graduate from Oregon, so he uses them as a test subject for all of their new designs? I haven't verified that but I heard it from a credible source. That means we need someone in textiles to create a new nike/under armor and use NC State.

10/12/2009 3:33:21 PM

WE ALL GO TO NC STATE

10/12/2009 6:27:51 PM