Case Study: Pitt Men’s Basketball

1. Case Study: Pitt Men’s Basketball • Chris • McKenna • Tyler • Olivia

2. Industry… • Pitt Men’s basketball is a collegiate team; specifically NCAA Division I.

3. Top 3 Marketing Trends • Social Media- Users are able to promote their favorite teams. • Story Telling- A lot of people enjoy underdog stories, by sharing stories of players or teams who have had to overcome obstacles, creates a lot of intrigue and interest. Brands can also use this to encourage their consumers. • Cross Channeling- This trend is strong during the March Madness tournament where establishments host viewing parties, and the NCAA live stream online, and games are on multiple television channels.

4. How Pitt uses these… • Pitt Basketball has active social media accounts. Pitt student, Pat Ramsey said that, “…if I can’t make it to a game, social media keeps me up to date, and it’s just like being there.” Also Brian Regan- Assistant Athletic Director said that when he was in school “…promotion for the games was all word of mouth, now we have Social Media, which has become a booming sensation in the sports world.” • Pitt has shared emotional and inspiring stories. Not directly related to basketball, but a Pitt Football star is currently battling cancer, sharing stories like this is getting people interested in the team. • You can watch Pitt’s basketball on television, stream it online, or listen on the radio.

5. Geographic Scope • SouthWestern Pennsylvania.

6. Top 5 Competitors • Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA • Robert Morris University, Moon, PA • Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh, PA • West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV • The music scene, Pittsburgh, PA

7. Duquesne • Duquesne University is seen as a competitor due to their proximity to Oakland, which only an 8 minute car ride. • DUQ competes in the NCAA Division I conference. • Their ticket prices are cheaper than Pitt’s, they range from $10 to $23; where Pitt’s prices are $55.

8. Robert Morris • Robert Morris is a suburb of Pittsburgh located about fifteen minutes from the city • They are a Division 1 basketball team • Last season, Robert Morris competed in the NCAA Tournament, where Pitt did not.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins • Consol Energy Center where the Pens play, is approximately 2 to 3 miles away from Oakland. • Both hockey and college basketball are played during the same time of year; Fall through Spring.

10. West Virginia University • Counties like Washington, Greene, and Fayette are approximately the same distance away from Morgantown as they are to Pittsburgh. • Last season out of 100 NCAA teams WVU has the 39th highest attendance; Pitt was ranked was 42nd .

11. The Pittsburgh Music Scene • There are concerts that go on the majority of the nights when Pitt has home games. They can be at the larger venues like Stage AE, Mr. Smalls, Altar Bar, even Consol; or at smaller venues like the Smiling Moose, Club Cafe, and Brillbox. • The average “concert goer” is usually a college aged student, thus having an impact on the number of students who show up to support the team.

12. Recommendations… • Offer a student discount, Pitt student Traci Teagle says that, “I love being a Pitt Panther, but sometimes I can’t always enjoy the games. We don’t get a student discount which is annoying. They have raffles to win some tickets but I’ve never won. It usually comes down to me not buying coffee all week to go to a game and coffee usually wins.”

13. Recommendations Continued • To get more attendees to a game, they should offer a student discount. Even though most college students can’t afford to go regularly, they will become alumni and will be able to afford to attend. However when this happens, they may choose not to go because they are not familiar with the Pitt Basketball atmosphere or just assume that since they didn’t get a student discount, they will probably not have an alumni discount as well.

14. Bibliography • "Case Study 1 Interview." Personal interview. 29 Jan. 2016. Olivia interviewed Pitt students, the assistant athletic director for Pitt, and student coaches. They provided information on how social media plays a crucial role in sports. What a Pitt basketball game is like. Also, how they prioritize Pitt games to other expenses they may have. This source is primary, and the interviewees are all tied to Pitt somehow. • 85. MEN’S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE UP SLIGHTLY IN 2014-15 (n.d.): n. pag. NCAA. Web. 9 Feb. 2016. <http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2015.pdf>. This source contained the attendance rankings for NCAA Basketball in 2015. It contained Pitt's ranking. WVU was featured, and I found out that their rankings are extremely close to one another. NCAA is the league in which these two teams play in. • ".  Event Guide | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette." <i>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</i>. PG Publishing Co, 2016. Web.              19 Jan. 2016http://www.post-gazette.com/events#/15222-pittsburgh/all/todayhttp://www.post-gazette.com/events#/15222-pittsburgh/all/today • "Individual Game Tickets." Duquesne Dukes Official Athletic Site. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. <http://www.goduquesne.com/tickets/individual.html>. This source provided where the Dukes play, a seating chart and how their venue is set up and capacity. It also told me the price range for their tickets. This source is valid because it is DUQ Official athletic site.

15. Bibliography • ""Men's Basketball - WVU Athletics." WVUsports.com. Citynet, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <http://www.wvusports.com/teams.cfm?sport=mbball>. This source told me where The Mountaineers play, how their schedule relates to Pitt's and ticket prices. Official WVU Men's Basketball site. • "A NCAA March Madness Marketing Lesson: Cross-Channel & Emotional Storytelling." Marketo Marketing Blog Best Practices and Thought Leadership. Marketo Inc., 24 Mar. 2015. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <http://blog.marketo.com/2015/03/a-ncaa-march-madness-marketing-lesson-omni-channel-emotional-storytelling.html>. Three helpful items it listed were how NCAA brands and teams are attracting viewers. How they are using social media to attract and spread their product. They also discussed the impact an emotional story has on viewership and to use a story in your advantage. This source came from a blog on Marketo, which is a software system used by marketers.

16. Bibliography • "Pitt Connection." Pitt Alumni Association. Dues Provided by Pitt Alumni Association, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <https://www.alumni.pitt.edu/july-2015/athletics/>. This source provided information on the perks, discounts and prices that Pitt alumni receive. Official site of Pitt's alumni club. • Pitt Basketball. "Pitt Men's Basketball Official Schedule - Pitt Men's Basketball - PittsburghPanthers.com               - Official Athletic Site of the University of Pittsburgh." Pitt Men's Basketball Official Schedule -     Pitt Men's Basketball - PittsburghPanthers.com - Official Athletic Site of the University of           Pittsburgh. NCAA, 2015. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/pitt-m-baskbl-sched.htmlhttp://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/pitt-m-baskbl-sched.html • "Pitt On The Road To Face No. 12 Miami Tuesday." Pitt Men's Basketball. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/pitt-m-baskbl-body.html>. This site is Pitt's official basketball source. It directed me to different links on ticket info. Pitt's schedule, where I could see how many home or important games that they have. It also linked me to a description of the Petersen Event Center, where they play. • "Pittsburgh Penguins." Pittsburgh Penguins. NHL, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <http://penguins.nhl.com/>. This source provided information on the Pens schedule and how it relates to Pitt Basketball's. Their location, also how their social media differs from Pitt's. This source is the official site of the Pittsburgh Penguins. • "Robert Morris Athletics." RSS. Side Arm Sports, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <http://rmucolonials.com/index.aspx?path=mbball>. This source told me where RMU plays, their promotional calendar, also ticket price. This source is RMU's official Men's Basketball site.