Reds Marketing Department Waking Up?

[Ltlabner]

Driving south on I71 I noticed an electronic billboard just north of the William Howard Taft exit. It proclaimed, "Aaron Harrang is pitching tonight against the Astros!" with a big smiling Harrang floating head.

There's another electronic billboard on I275 around Sharronville. I don't think it says who's pitching but last night it was pimping the upcomming Ryan Freel Dirty Shirt Night.

There used to be a billboard on SR-32 between Newtown and the Beachmont Levy. Not really sure if it's still there, but I think it might be. It's a tradional billboard.

Maybe those billboards have always been there and I just missed them? Beyond that, while 3 billboards are spit in an ocean it's nice to see the Reds making a little better effort to reach casual fans in the local area.

For those of you in the extended Reds country, have any new signs of Reds marketing shown up lately?

[Chip R]

There's a regular billboard on 75 South between Hopple and the Harrison exits that has been there since before ST. The stuff on ther has changed several times but it's been a Reds billboard. I think there's a house along I 75 that has Reds stuff painted on it like an ad. I've seen the one on 275 since last year.

I've been very critical of the Reds "marketing" department before Bob took over but they have done a 180, IMO. Of course a giant floating head of Aaron Harang could scare off the kiddies. ;)

[Ltlabner]

Of course a giant floating head of Aaron Harang could scare off the kiddies. ;)

I'm glad the man can pitch because a carear as "male model" just aint in the cards.

[redsfanfalcon]

I'm glad the man can pitch because his carear as "male model" just aint in the cards.

He is approaching Willie McGee status, eh?:laugh:

[keeganbrick]

I like the new commercials on FSN this year. The one with Harang and David Ross gave me a laugh.

[Matt700wlw]

I've heard Josh Hamilton is on a billboard....I haven't seen it, but can anybody confirm?

[jimbo]

Everytime I see that picture of Hamilton in your posts Matt.......my first thought is always "I didn't know Bobby Flay was a Reds fan."

[Caveat Emperor]

I've been very critical of the Reds "marketing" department before Bob took over but they have done a 180, IMO. Of course a giant floating head of Aaron Harang could scare off the kiddies. ;)

The electronic billboards they have up are fantastic. I saw the Harang advertisement on 471 right before the Newport exit heading into downtown. Those kinds of billboards give the freedom to have very updated content (since I'm sure they just upload the advertisement into a computer and it is transferred to the screen) and its pretty neat to see a pitching matchup advertised same-day of a game, especially right as your driving into the city.

Extremely effective advertising -- hats off to the FO on this one. They're finally selling the players as the reason to go to the ballpark as opposed to the old Cincinnati "marketing tradition" of assuming that fans will just show up.

[TRF]

You know, a giant electronic billboard or ticker on a building downtown that displays the current score of the game, and the game situation would be pretty cool.

[Ltlabner]

You know, a giant electronic billboard or ticker on a building downtown that displays the current score of the game, and the game situation would be pretty cool.

There is a scrolling ticker display on the Duke Energy Center (Convention Center). It would be perfect as it's right on 5th street so everybody who exits I75 going towards Fountain Square would drive right past it.

[redhawkfish]

Can you imagine if last year they had put an announcement that "Joe Mays is pitching tonight?":eek:

[EddieMilner]

I caught an Angels game the first week of the season while I was out in CA. Their marketing department was on the ball. This I liked:
1. When you walk in the stadium on every pillar is a large picture of a player from the team, their number, and their name. It really helped the casual fan figure out who was on this team.
2. When they did the jumbotron race, instead of everyone just picking a random color and rooting for it, they had a color on the back of your ticket. That was your color to root for, and if that color one then you received 10% off in the team store during the game. I thought that was a great way to get people into the team store as well.

I haven't been to GABP yet this year, so I don't know what they are doing, but I always like to hear what other teams are doing to give us some ideas.

I had an idea the other day to try to get fans in the stadium and to have people follow the team better: every time the reds sweep a series, the next home game is $1 hot dogs or half off concessions, or something like that.

[Dunner44]

I wonder if they can do something with the big screens in Fountain Square? That seems like vast untapped potential there. Even if they just have a ticker...

[Matt700wlw]

You know, a giant electronic billboard or ticker on a building downtown that displays the current score of the game, and the game situation would be pretty cool.

It could air the game.....and cause wrecks.

[Redsland]

There's a billboard on 71 above the BMW Store.

[BRM]

Can you imagine if last year they had put an announcement that "Joe Mays is pitching tonight?":eek:

Talk about killing walk up ticket sales.

[Redsland]

How about:

Your Cincinnati Reds:
266 days, Joe Mays-free!

[KronoRed]

I like that the billboards also proclaim REDS WIN when the Reds win, I haven't seen what they say for losses, I'll try and find out ;)

[KronoRed]

I've heard Josh Hamilton is on a billboard....I haven't seen it, but can anybody confirm?

Yep, seen it on 75.

[Caveat Emperor]

How about:

Your Cincinnati Reds:
266 days, Joe Mays-free!

The 2007 CINCINNATI REDS:
Now with 65% less Ben Weber!

[Redsland]

The 2007 CINCINNATI REDS:
Now with 65% less Ben Weber!
:laugh:

GREAT AMERICAN BALLPARK:
After the game, you can leave out the same door Esteban Yan did.
:thumbup:

[MartyFan]

I'd love to see them reclaim Columbus from the Tribe (Who I hate) by posting highlights, scores and game updates downtown on the electronic boards outside of Nationwide Arena and on the south side of Downtown on High Street across from the State House.

If they would run some sort of advertising promoting the match ups and highlight the recent games or hot players here they could a crowd to drive down from Columbus for 7:05 games.

The presence of their affiliate here in Columbus is NON-EXISTENT but it is Clear Channel...Looking at the landscape of Columbus Radio I don't really know where else to put them, maybe with 920 Am since they dropped the tribe...Maybe on an under performing FM...I'm starting to think too much about this...time to wrap up the post. :)

[jmcclain19]

:laugh:

GREAT AMERICAN BALLPARK:
After the game, you can leave out the same door Esteban Yan did.
:thumbup:

"No More Franklin, No More Excuses
C You There!"

[StillFunkyB]

I purchased one ticket to one game in Miami last summer. Same thing in St. Louis.

This offseason I recieved 3 peices of mail from the Marlins, and 2 from the Cardinals.

I have purchased many tickets to Reds games in the same fashion, from the website.

I have never recieved ANYTHING in the mail from the Reds.

[vaticanplum]

I purchased one ticket to one game in Miami last summer. Same thing in St. Louis.

This offseason I recieved 3 peices of mail from the Marlins, and 2 from the Cardinals.

I have purchased many tickets to Reds games in the same fashion, from the website.

I have never recieved ANYTHING in the mail from the Reds.

I used to go to maybe two Mets games a year -- and I'm guessing that all of maybe two times total, I purchased those tickets myself on a debit card. Maybe only one.

They send me mail all the time. The send me promotional stuff. They send me a pocket schedule. They send me a smiling David Wright picture. They send me letters from Omar Minaya. They send me vouchers for free tickets one or two times a year. They send me a detailed letter every winter telling me why I should be a season ticket holder.

I've lived in two states since I last attended a Mets game -- neither of which, notably, is New York.

By contrast, I used to go to maybe 20 Yankees games a year, and they've never sent me a thing. By contrast, it took six months and about as many phone calls to get across the message to my own bank that i had moved once -- not twice, but once. And we still have to go through my moving history every time I go in to make a deposit.

The Mets' marketing department is better than the FBI.

[HBP]

The 2007 CINCINNATI REDS:
Now with 65% less Ben Weber!

and no added Tony Womack!

[Yachtzee]

The 2007 Cincinnati Reds:

Better than a punch in the Manzanillos! :)

[Reds Freak]

Driving south on I71 I noticed an electronic billboard just north of the William Howard Taft exit. It proclaimed, "Aaron Harrang is pitching tonight against the Astros!" with a big smiling Harrang floating head.

There's another electronic billboard on I275 around Sharronville. I don't think it says who's pitching but last night it was pimping the upcomming Ryan Freel Dirty Shirt Night.

There used to be a billboard on SR-32 between Newtown and the Beachmont Levy. Not really sure if it's still there, but I think it might be. It's a tradional billboard.

Maybe those billboards have always been there and I just missed them? Beyond that, while 3 billboards are spit in an ocean it's nice to see the Reds making a little better effort to reach casual fans in the local area.

For those of you in the extended Reds country, have any new signs of Reds marketing shown up lately?


It was reported, however, that folks still stayed away from Great American Ball Park tonight because the next billboard down the road said "But if Harang can't go all 9, we've got Coffey and Cormier coming in..." The billboard also featured a big smiling Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee.

[KronoRed]

It was reported, however, that folks still stayed away from Great American Ball Park tonight because the next billboard down the road said "But if Harang can't go all 9, we've got Coffey and Cormier coming in..." The billboard also featured a big smiling Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee.

:laugh: :laugh:

[TeamBoone]

Everyone should write the Reds' PR Department and tell the manager (Rob Butcher?) how much they like the billboards. When someone does a good job, it's nice to get the compliments... and let them know you noticed!

Then you could offer up doing something similar in Columbus (and/or other markets).

Also, regarding the jumbotron in downtown... shouldn't cause any accidents as 5th runs one-way (east) and the jumbo faces east.

I heard they aired the OD game, but I can't confirm it.

[BCubb2003]

It could be like a ginormous game thread ...

[WVRedsFan]

I used to go to maybe two Mets games a year -- and I'm guessing that all of maybe two times total, I purchased those tickets myself on a debit card. Maybe only one.

They send me mail all the time. The send me promotional stuff. They send me a pocket schedule. They send me a smiling David Wright picture. They send me letters from Omar Minaya. They send me vouchers for free tickets one or two times a year. They send me a detailed letter every winter telling me why I should be a season ticket holder.

I've lived in two states since I last attended a Mets game -- neither of which, notably, is New York.

By contrast, I used to go to maybe 20 Yankees games a year, and they've never sent me a thing. By contrast, it took six months and about as many phone calls to get across the message to my own bank that i had moved once -- not twice, but once. And we still have to go through my moving history every time I go in to make a deposit.

The Mets' marketing department is better than the FBI.

I come to Cincinnati atleast once a year (except last year), buy from the Reds ticket outlets where they have all my information loaded in so when I reorder, they know my address, email, and all that. I never get squat from them. Nothing.

I atended one game at PNC Park two years ago. I ordered tickets for my son at Yankee Stadium and I am bombarded with Yankee email and even got a fake autographed picture of A-Rod. Both the Yankees and the Pirates send me season ticket applications. The Reds? Nothing.

I was at Bristol Motor Speedway when my son called to tell me that Suddenlink cable would be carrying 145 games on our cable system. To verify, I emailed Rob Butcher (or the PR department) asking if it was true. The answer I got back was they hadn't heard anything about it.

If Butcher is so good, as Marty, Marc, and even our old buddy TCII says, why did he not know this (or whoever answered my email) and why did he not know several years ago that we didn't have a local radio outlet (he kept saying WXAS was our affiliate when they hadn't carried Reds games for five years)?

[otto]

Everyone should write the Reds' PR Department and tell the manager (Rob Butcher?) how much they like the billboards. When someone does a good job, it's nice to get the compliments... and let them know you noticed!

Then you could offer up doing something similar in Columbus (and/or other markets).

Also, regarding the jumbotron in downtown... shouldn't cause any accidents as 5th runs one-way (east) and the jumbo faces east.

I heard they aired the OD game, but I can't confirm it.

Rob is the director of media relations, not marketing. Just FYI. :)

[Jpup]

I purchased one ticket to one game in Miami last summer. Same thing in St. Louis.

This offseason I recieved 3 peices of mail from the Marlins, and 2 from the Cardinals.

I have purchased many tickets to Reds games in the same fashion, from the website.

I have never recieved ANYTHING in the mail from the Reds.

I get all kinds of things from the Reds. Way too much stuff really since I usually know about it weeks before they send that stuff out.

[Yachtzee]

I get about the same amount of email from the Reds, Cubs and Indians. When you purchase tickets through their website, they give you the option of being added to the email list. I get the impression that the emails are all handled from a central place (like the folks at MLB.com) because the format is similar for each team. However, sometimes you get a heads up on good deals, like getting the opportunity to buy tickets to certain games before they go on sale to the public (the Indians like to do that, the Reds, well you know their story ;) ).

[TeamBoone]

Rob is the director of media relations, not marketing. Just FYI. :)

Thus the question mark after his name; I wasn't sure.

Do you know who the marketing director is?

[otto]

Thus the question mark after his name; I wasn't sure.

Do you know who the marketing director is?

Karen Forgus is handling most of the consumer marketing right now - she's the one driving a lot of the positive changes that you see.