EVANSTON, Ill. —
Northwestern Athletics is launching next week its first-ever, wide-ranging marketing campaign, Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips announced today (July 29).
The campaign, “Northwestern, Chicago’s Big Ten Team,” is intended to build brand awareness while increasing ticket sales and fan interest. All initiatives will be content-driven and include outdoor, transit, radio, print and online components.
Officially launching Monday, Aug. 2, the campaign will boast seven year-round billboards throughout the Chicagoland area, including all major expressways. Newspaper ownership pieces consistently will appear in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Daily Herald, while radio ownership elements regularly will be heard on multiple Chicago stations.
“We want to remind sports fans that incredible Big Ten action is taking place in their backyard,” Phillips said. “We are proud to be Chicago’s Big Ten team, and we are opening our arms to everyone. We invite all college sports fans to enjoy the great combination of Northwestern and the Big Ten.”
To support the initiative, Northwestern Athletics has established its first-ever ticket sales department, expected to make nearly 2,500 weekly sales calls. In addition, the marketing department has recreated its gameday atmosphere for fans — from player introductions to a new speaker system — to ensure the fan experience at Northwestern sporting events is among the most exciting in collegiate athletics.
“We look at this year as a new era for Northwestern Athletics,” Phillips said. “We hope to attract sports fans and families to our games and win them over, one at a time, so they continue to come support our exceptional student-athletes.”
Northwestern football is pursuing its third-consecutive bowl berth after appearing in the 2008 Alamo Bowl and the 2010 Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day. Overall, 11 of NU’s 19 sports were selected for postseason play in 2009-10, including the Wildcat men’s basketball squad, which qualified for the second-straight season. Northwestern has placed in the top-50 in the nation in the NACDA Directors’ Cup in each of the last six years.
Source: www.nusports.com