Live Chat With Todd Dodge

[Quoner]

More likely the $2.95 for a limited time.

$4 torpedo. Second for a dollar.

[TheTastyGreek]

$4 torpedo. Second for a dollar.

Ask me about my meaty gyro!

[MeanGreen61]

This thread has surpassed ridiculous.

[gangrene]

I can tell you for a fact the a Billboard on 1-35 in South Denton costs $2500 a month for 1 side.

$2500 a month sounds high for Denton, considering we're paying less than that for a board at I-35 and Beltline in Dallas. While I agree, we should at least have an outdoor presence in Denton, I remain adamant in my belief that we are shooting ourselves in the foot by neglecting the greater DFW area. I asked RV about advertising in DFW during his chat last week and he basically dismissed it as too costly. That tells me he knows very little about marketing. Of the traditional media, outdoor, direct mail and local cable can be purchased very efficiently throughout the DFW metroplex...especially right now, with the economy still on a downturn. Internet advertising can be purchased for what amounts to pennies on the dollar when compared to traditional media....and you can more easily target those that have shown an interest in attending football games, outdoor activities, SMU football (as they did with our site last year), etc. I'm talking about a cost-per-thousand of <$5 for a behavioral targeting campaign in the Dallas DMA.

I think the most important hurdle (and I have to deal with this all the time) is getting RV to understand that spending money on advertising is going to result in additional revenue for the athletics program. Given the current state of our program (3 wins in two years and an old stadium), it may prove difficult to find a successful balance of promotional marketing and advertising but, I think now is the perfect time to start testing what works and doesn't work so we can have a good strategy in place before the new stadium opens. If we truly we want to be "the team of the DFW metroplex" we have to increase our exposure in the DFW metroplex. You can't build a brand without brand awareness. Many people in DFW may be aware of UNT but many also have misconceptions or dated viewpoints (i.e. commuter school). We have to begin to change those perceptions if we're ever going to build a loyal fan base in DFW. In Vito's story, "The DFW Connection," Villareal stated, “It’s extremely important for us to tap into the Dallas-Fort Worth market,” Villarreal said. “I have always advocated starting at home. We have so many alumni in the area. They could fill a stadium with no problem. We need to be the university [that] people in this area follow, and develop a program that will encourage people to do that.” I agree with everything in his statement. However, we need to market the program to these people. How many of you know UNT alumni that never went to a single football game while they attended the university?? How many times of you heard a student say something like, "I didn't even know we had a football team?" That's just sad, but I've heard a few students say that. Do you think there is a single student at Texas that doesn't know they have a football team? My point is - we need to build AWARENESS of our program on campus, in Denton and in DFW if we hope to ever be relevant in the DFW sports entertainment business. The university recruitment campaign was not bad (in terms of reach) but it had a much different objective than a football campaign would. A football campaign needs only a 2-3 month blitz of advertising (Aug, Sept, Oct and maybe Nov) to be successful. And we don't have to pay an advertising firm lots of money to have a good campaign. We have very good Marketing and Advertising departments, both faculty and students, that would be more than happy to create ideas/campaigns as class projects. We could also utilize the RTVF to produce the spots. And, if nothing good came of those endeavors, we could always hire an advertising/marketing firm. Costs may seem high at first, but the ROI has to be considered when gauging feasibility of any advertising budget.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now. It just a bit discouraging to hear RV's live-chat reply regarding advertising in the DFW metroplex.

[Comment From Jeff ]

Are there any plans for expanding football advertising into the DFW metroplex? As an advertising professional, I think we are neglecting a key market that could really increase attendance with a bit of advertising and/or pricing promotions to highlight how close Denton is to DFW and the great value that can be had on gameday by families on a budget.

11:30

Rick V: The things we have done in the Dallas market to expand our visibility is securing a 100,000 watt radio station as well as broadcasting local games in the DFW market.

I’m assuming that your talking about TV, radio, and billboards. I will tell you that at this point the cost of those medians makes them cost prohibitive for us but a number of schools.

However as an advertising professional I would be open to suggestions that you have to help us get the word out.

If it's "extremely important to tap into the DFW market," as RV stated, and he plans to do that only by broadcasting games on TV/Radio, then that's just laughable. We can't sell our program solely on the showcasing the current product we have. Even the late Billy Mays would have a hard time doing that. We need to give people more incentive...much more incentive to make the trek to Denton more appealing than the many other entertainment options available in DFW.

And...people aren't going to flock to our new stadium just because it's new (see SMU). This isn't A Field of Dreams and "If You Build It, They Will Come" is only a line from a fictitious Hollywood movie. We have to have a good product, good fan experience and brand awareness if we hope to obtain and sustain a loyal fan base in DFW. Fans have to be satisfied with the game day experience and feel they get good value for their entertainment dollar...whatever the price is. As we all know, the Cowboys prices are high, but fans/corporations continue to pay those prices because they feel it is a worthwhile investment of their time and money.

Ok, maybe I wasn't off of my soapbox yet...it's just so frustrating sometimes...but I'm done now.

[Quoner]

$2500 a month sounds high for Denton, considering we're paying less than that for a board at I-35 and Beltline in Dallas. While I agree, we should at least have an outdoor presence in Denton, I remain adamant in my belief that we are shooting ourselves in the foot by neglecting the greater DFW area. I asked RV about advertising in DFW during his chat last week and he basically dismissed it as too costly. That tells me he knows very little about marketing. Of the traditional media, outdoor, direct mail and local cable can be purchased very efficiently throughout the DFW metroplex...especially right now, with the economy still on a downturn. Internet advertising can be purchased for what amounts to pennies on the dollar when compared to traditional media....and you can more easily target those that have shown an interest in attending football games, outdoor activities, SMU football (as they did with our site last year), etc. I'm talking about a cost-per-thousand of <$5 for a behavioral targeting campaign in the Dallas DMA.

I think the most important hurdle (and I have to deal with this all the time) is getting RV to understand that spending money on advertising is going to result in additional revenue for the athletics program. Given the current state of our program (3 wins in two years and an old stadium), it may prove difficult to find a successful balance of promotional marketing and advertising but, I think now is the perfect time to start testing what works and doesn't work so we can have a good strategy in place before the new stadium opens. If we truly we want to be "the team of the DFW metroplex" we have to increase our exposure in the DFW metroplex. You can't build a brand without brand awareness. Many people in DFW may be aware of UNT but many also have misconceptions or dated viewpoints (i.e. commuter school). We have to begin to change those perceptions if we're ever going to build a loyal fan base in DFW. In Vito's story, "The DFW Connection," Villareal stated, “It’s extremely important for us to tap into the Dallas-Fort Worth market,” Villarreal said. “I have always advocated starting at home. We have so many alumni in the area. They could fill a stadium with no problem. We need to be the university [that] people in this area follow, and develop a program that will encourage people to do that.” I agree with everything in his statement. However, we need to market the program to these people. How many of you know UNT alumni that never went to a single football game while they attended the university?? How many times of you heard a student say something like, "I didn't even know we had a football team?" That's just sad, but I've heard a few students say that. Do you think there is a single student at Texas that doesn't know they have a football team? My point is - we need to build AWARENESS of our program on campus, in Denton and in DFW if we hope to ever be relevant in the DFW sports entertainment business. The university recruitment campaign was not bad (in terms of reach) but it had a much different objective than a football campaign would. A football campaign needs only a 2-3 month blitz of advertising (Aug, Sept, Oct and maybe Nov) to be successful. And we don't have to pay an advertising firm lots of money to have a good campaign. We have very good Marketing and Advertising departments, both faculty and students, that would be more than happy to create ideas/campaigns as class projects. We could also utilize the RTVF to produce the spots. And, if nothing good came of those endeavors, we could always hire an advertising/marketing firm. Costs may seem high at first, but the ROI has to be considered when gauging feasibility of any advertising budget.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now. It just a bit discouraging to hear RV's live-chat reply regarding advertising in the DFW metroplex.

[Comment From Jeff ]

Are there any plans for expanding football advertising into the DFW metroplex? As an advertising professional, I think we are neglecting a key market that could really increase attendance with a bit of advertising and/or pricing promotions to highlight how close Denton is to DFW and the great value that can be had on gameday by families on a budget.

11:30

Rick V: The things we have done in the Dallas market to expand our visibility is securing a 100,000 watt radio station as well as broadcasting local games in the DFW market.

I’m assuming that your talking about TV, radio, and billboards. I will tell you that at this point the cost of those medians makes them cost prohibitive for us but a number of schools.

However as an advertising professional I would be open to suggestions that you have to help us get the word out.

If it's "extremely important to tap into the DFW market," as RV stated, and he plans to do that only by broadcasting games on TV/Radio, then that's just laughable. We can't sell our program solely on the showcasing the current product we have. Even the late Billy Mays would have a hard time doing that. We need to give people more incentive...much more incentive to make the trek to Denton more appealing than the many other entertainment options available in DFW.

And...people aren't going to flock to our new stadium just because it's new (see SMU). This isn't A Field of Dreams and "If You Build It, They Will Come" is only a line from a fictitious Hollywood movie. We have to have a good product, good fan experience and brand awareness if we hope to obtain and sustain a loyal fan base in DFW. Fans have to be satisfied with the game day experience and feel they get good value for their entertainment dollar...whatever the price is. As we all know, the Cowboys prices are high, but fans/corporations continue to pay those prices because they feel it is a worthwhile investment of their time and money.

Ok, maybe I wasn't off of my soapbox yet...it's just so frustrating sometimes...but I'm done now.

So in summary, the product may still suck, but more posters will fix it.

The money is better spent in PR/Promotions until we have something worth discussing. Look how Pony Up backfired on SMU after they sucked for two years.

[gangrene]

So in summary, the product may still suck, but more posters will fix it.

The money is better spent in PR/Promotions until we have something worth discussing. Look how Pony Up backfired on SMU after they sucked for two years.

Yep, that's exactly what I'm suggesting.

[letsgiveacheer]

Here in the Triangle, I have seen billboards promoting the football programs of UNC, Duke, NC A&T, Elon, App State, and my favorite, ECU, which just says "aaaargh" with a picture of their Pirate mascot. I would hope we could afford this as well.

[Quoner]

Yep, that's exactly what I'm suggesting.

I was boiling it down for joke's sake - I give you more credit than that. But folks who have read the board know that I share the view that the billboards and other cost-effective ads don't have any kind of justifiable ROI to them. Your stated goal is to build awareness. Awareness of what? A football stadium 45 minutes away where people grill? A team that is improving, but still coming out of hitting rock-bottom? Can't the papers and TV deals accomplish that same goal? Can't the bump in press if we win/improve/play strong accomplish that.

I don't see any kind of ROI on buying up all this ad space you talk about now. It seems like something that needs to be done after a foundation that has yielded tangible results is in place.

[Quoner]

Here in the Triangle, I have seen billboards promoting the football programs of UNC, Duke, NC A&T, Elon, App State, and my favorite, ECU, which just says "aaaargh" with a picture of their Pirate mascot. I would hope we could afford this as well.

I can afford an oil-based painting of Burt Reynolds giving my mother a Rusty Trombone that could be displayed in Dr. B's office, but that doesn't mean it's a good investment.

[NT03]

I can afford an oil-based painting of Burt Reynolds giving my mother a Rusty Trombone that could be displayed in Dr. B's office, but that doesn't mean it's a good investment.

Would go great in my den next to this one

[KRAM1]

Well, as a finance guy, I have to agree with Quoner on the billboard thing...the ROI has to be ZIP on such an expenditure. If you want to raise awareness, the things RV talked about do that as well. How many folks will buy season tickets because of a billboard? The billboards UNT did touting the University were fine, I guess, but if you live in the DFW area and you are not "aware" that UNT exists...well, no amount of billboard space can really help.

Other schools may have more $$$ to spend on such stuff, but I doubt ECU picks up much from a Dallas area billboard. I wonder if it was an Alum just "sticking to someone"? I do not recall seeing billboards for ECU, Duke, etc., etc. during my travels throughout the Metroplex. Not at all saying they are not there...I am sure they are if they have been seen by members of the Mean Green Nation. But, being the observant Boy Scout that I once was, the billboards sure don't have a very broad impact. That's my problems with billboards...if you drive that way great, but you tend to get the same people seeing the same billboard over and over during "drive times", and less frequent travelers may even miss the things entirely if they are actually in any traffic. I am sure the billboard ad folks would disagree and have all kinds of stats to prove me wrong. Great for them, but I have never bought anything or checked anything out or changed a service provider because of a billboard. I am pretty sure I am not alone in that either.

What kind of "stuff" would I like to see? Well, the "stuff" we get on the radio with the Coach shows is great, the plugs we get from George (and others sometimes) on the Ticket reach sports fans (at least). maybe even a few $$$ thrown at HS football/Basketball programs in the area with schedules, etc. might help...those cost so very little...and local newspapers...and, gasp, Internet ads or Facebook even...all I think would do better than a one location...$2500/mo. billboard. Just how many of those must you do to get any real exposure other than the same 2 times per day drive time folks on the major freeways around the metroplex??? Just wondering...obviously, I am not an "ad guy", so those who know "better"...be my guest.

GO MEAN GREEN.

[NT80]

While I too would like to see more NT athletic billboards and ads in the DMN sports section I'm not sold on their power to motivate people to the product. I can't think of any product or service a billboard has caused me to go purchase after seeing it.

Numerous billboards or Repetition (like PonyUp?) will help get the message on the mind but buying it is another thing.

I would be more lured to attend a Smut game by the opponent they were playing than anything on a billboard. Otherwise a cheap ticket might do it if I'm really, really bored or maybe a big cash or car giveaway. The lure of attending a Smut game just because of a fancy phrase or because "They're Highland Park's Team" won't do it.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

When you lose an All-American and more than 2,000 receiving yards from the previous year it's hard to be optimistic about any improvement; especially when almost 400 of the less than 500 returning yards comes from former walkons and transfers. But, with a little luck, this class could be superior to that of 2008. The reason....speed.

2009

Tyler Stradford 5.6

Mike Outlaw 5.4

Jamaal Jackson 5.4

Sam Roberson 5.4

Desmond Brigham 5.4

Darius Carey 5.4

Kenny Barrett 5.3

Breece Johnson 5.3

Forrest Rucker 5.3

Austin Fitzpatrick 5.3

Willie Taylor 5.2

Bryant Seidle 5.1

B.J. Lewis 5.1

Bennie Jones 4.9

Jamel Jackson 4.9

Kevin Dickerson 4.9

2008 Losses

Casey Fitzgerald 4.9

Brock Stickler 4.9

Sam Dibrell 5.2

Roderick Johnson 4.9

Using the Rivals Ratings it doesn't appear that we lost much. While their ratings are the most accurate that college football has, they're far from perfect. Many of those not being recruited, especially by major programs, are not rated. The 4.9s represent a default rating. Even when the rating is pretty accurate it is given for recruits. I think that each year a player's rating should be adjusted up or down depending on his current worth. Given that, I'd put Fitz at 5.6 and Stick at 5.4; Roderick Johnson about 5.2. So the losses were substantial.

With so many redshirting last year we wound up pretty thin at WR. Roberson and Breece Johnson were the only scholarship athletes to participate and neither were particularly effective. Two walkon/transfers, Lott and Dickerson, had more receiving yards than Sam or Breece.

If Stradford is cleared by the NCAA we will have two speed burners; faster than anything we've had at that position. All have good speed and several were high school track stars. This year we should be able to stretch the field lengthwise instead of across it. We had one of the lowest yards per catch in the country last year in spite of Fitzgerald's and Stickler's averages of ten yards. Our overall average was 5.6.

What the 2009 group will lack is experience. Only Roberson, Johnson, Lott and Dickerson have any game experience at the BCS level. Mike Outlaw, Jamaal Jackson, and Bennie Jones did play junior college football. Jamel Jackson may have played at FCS level Northwestern State. We'll just have to see how quickly they adapt.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

When you lose an All-American and more than 2,000 receiving yards from the previous year it's hard to be optimistic about any improvement; especially when almost 400 of the less than 500 returning yards comes from former walkons and transfers. But, with a little luck, this class could be superior to that of 2008. The reason....speed.

2009

Tyler Stradford 5.6

Mike Outlaw 5.4

Jamaal Jackson 5.4

Sam Roberson 5.4

Desmond Brigham 5.4

Darius Carey 5.4

Kenny Barrett 5.3

Breece Johnson 5.3

Forrest Rucker 5.3

Austin Fitzpatrick 5.3

Willie Taylor 5.2

Bryant Seidle 5.1

B.J. Lewis 5.1

Bennie Jones 4.9

Jamel Jackson 4.9

Kevin Dickerson 4.9

2008 Losses

Casey Fitzgerald 4.9

Brock Stickler 4.9

Sam Dibrell 5.2

Roderick Johnson 4.9

Using the Rivals Ratings it doesn't appear that we lost much. While their ratings are the most accurate that college football has, they're far from perfect. Many of those not being recruited, especially by major programs, are not rated. The 4.9s represent a default rating. Even when the rating is pretty accurate it is given for recruits. I think that each year a player's rating should be adjusted up or down depending on his current worth. Given that, I'd put Fitz at 5.6 and Stick at 5.4; Roderick Johnson about 5.2. So the losses were substantial.

With so many redshirting last year we wound up pretty thin at WR. Roberson and Breece Johnson were the only scholarship athletes to participate and neither were particularly effective. Two walkon/transfers, Lott and Dickerson, had more receiving yards than Sam or Breece.

If Stradford is cleared by the NCAA we will have two speed burners; faster than anything we've had at that position. All have good speed and several were high school track stars. This year we should be able to stretch the field lengthwise instead of across it. We had one of the lowest yards per catch in the country last year in spite of Fitzgerald's and Stickler's averages of ten yards. Our overall average was 5.6.

What the 2009 group will lack is experience. Only Roberson, Johnson, Lott and Dickerson have any game experience at the BCS level. Mike Outlaw, Jamaal Jackson, and Bennie Jones did play junior college football. Jamel Jackson may have played at FCS level Northwestern State. We'll just have to see how quickly they adapt.

[eulessismore]

I see so many people around this Hurst-Euless-Bedford area wearing UNT t-shirts that I'm thinking every North Texas promotional campaign should include giving away plenty of those. I just had this thought about offering to buy every person I see wearing one a drink. On the other hand, most of those t-shirt wearers being female, good looking, and much younger than me could get me in trouble at home.