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NHL Marketing Gone Awry
by Alanah McGinley on 12/11/08 at 12:44 PM ET
Comments (5)
The Detroit Red Wings have a new holiday contest where fans submit and vote for their favorite home holiday display. And here are the prizes to be distributed December 30th:
First Prize: 2 Delta Airlines tickets
Second Prize: 2 tickets to the Winter Classic
Third Prize: a Winter Classic authentic jersey.
Which sounds good until Joe Hass at Winging it in Motown breaks down the problems:
So let me get this right: The Red Wings are running a promotion that has nothing directly to do with the Red Wings (it’s not the best Red Wings holiday display, just the best holiday display), gives a non-Red Wings prize as first place, and awards as second prize something that requires the “winner” to figure out how to get 288 miles away 38 hours later to use it or lose it on a night in which any hotel in the region you’re going to will charge an exorbitant rate because it’s New Year’s Eve. And couldn’t you see someone winning first prize and going, “I’d rather have the game tickets?”
That, ladies and gentlemen, is quality marketing!
He’s right. This is a mess and the only flawless aspect of this whole contest is the 3rd prize jersey—prizes 1 & 2 should have been combined.
Obviously every team has it’s marketing misfires (Vancouver has certainly taken its share of hits lately) but this Wings one is pretty trainwreckish.
After all, is there anything sadder than the thought of a couple Wings fans winning those Classic tickets and unable to do anything with them? Stuck in some seedy Detroit bar, watching the game and imagining what could have been…
I’d rather save that kind of fun for their pre-purchased and unnecessary Stanley Cup Finals tickets, after they get bumped out of the playoffs by Dallas or something. (Now that would be fun.)
But taunting them with Winter Classic tickets they almost certainly won’t be able to use? That’s just plain mean.
____________________________
*my thanks to Christy for the head’s up in my Twitter feed today.
Filed in: business of hockey | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: marketing,
Comments
Now, if it was a typo, and first place was supposed to be airline and game tickets, that’d make a little more sense… but the hotel thing is still problematic. But it would be better.
The Wings actually having to market the team and be fan-friendly is something that isn’t necessarily new to them, but they haven’t had to do it since 1994, so it might as well be. This is significantly better than even two or three years ago.
Posted by Nathan on 12/11/08 at 01:11 PM ET
Dear Alanah,
Who cares? The whole thing is just one big publicity stunt anyway according to that Chicago journalist, right?
I’m sure we can figure out what the logic is behind this prize scheme, and I am hoping that it was a simple mistake. But driving to Chicago problematic? Oh, I don’t think so, not for a Wings fan, we’d drive to Anaheim if they could keep the ice cold outside. And I personally will be staying with my cousin (probably should run this by him and his fiancee) the night before so that solves the hotel accomidations.
That’s right Alanah, I’VE GOT TICKETS, courtesy of an insider that I went to high school with. So please, stop trying to distract us from your current goalie woes and contraversial hits, by telling us about a marketing blunder and instead use that wonderful intellect of yours and concentrate on how you’re going to keep Luongo from taking a discount to come HockeyTown when his contract is up.
Love,
AnimalDrew
PS...this is what part of the alphabet would look like if the letters ‘P’ and ‘Q’ were eliminated.
PSS...I do respect the fact that you pointed out your own marketing flaws, and how you keep tolerating my good natured-ribbing. And you thought you were done with me when the Wings/’Nucks season series was over....
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 12/11/08 at 01:21 PM ET
shep -- That may be true, but I’m not sure we can criticize someone for being unable to find a way to drive 10 hours to-and-from Chicago at the drop of a hat, as badly as they may want to. And that’s assuming the weather doesn’t interfere...!
Nathan -- Yes, the airfare/tickets combo would have made a lot more sense. Currently it’s a better contest for Chicago fans, which seems like a misfire. 
Animal Drew -- I’m never done with poking a stick at Detroit. And why on earth would I want to think about my current goalie issues? My intellect isn’t up to that challenge.
P.S. Luongo discounted to Detroit? Never. Gonna. Happen.
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 12/11/08 at 01:33 PM ET
5+ Million Records, USA Business Email Database, Free DVD Hard Copy Mailed To Your Door- http://www.thedatasupplier.com
Posted by Frank Smith from USA on 01/18/09 at 06:25 AM ET
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About Canucks & Beyond
Alanah McGinley has been blogging hockey since 2003, sharing opinions, rants and not-so-deep thoughts with anyone who will listen. In addition to writing Canucks & Beyond and helping manage Kukla’s Korner, Alanah is one of the founders and co-hosts of The Crazy Canucks Podcast, as featured at Canucks.com.
She has contributed pieces to FoxSports.com and the New York Times Slapshot blog, as well as other stray destinations in cyberspace.
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While I agree that the prize structure is a head-scratcher, any hockey fan worthy of the title wouldn’t balk at driving to Chicago and sleeping in their car if they had to.
Posted by shep on 12/11/08 at 12:59 PM ET