582 replies to this topic

[lanforod]

Nice to see that Winterhawk streak broken! http://www.timescolo...rhawks-1.946391

[jonny]

Another win tonight and we're back in business!

[VicHockeyFan]

Royals were knocked out of the playoffs tonight.

[Sparky]

^ Crap!

[lanforod]

Wasn't terribly surprising. Still, kudos for their best season ever!

[pontcanna]

Royals Bid for Memorial Cup in 2016:

 

http://www.cheknews....eys-holy-grail/

 

The City of Victoria and the Victoria Royals have put in a bid to host the Memorial Cup Tournament in the Spring of 2016. The championship rotates each year between the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL, and this would be the first time the capital host the tournament.

[pontcanna]

T-C article on same subject:

 

http://www.timescolo...ament-1.1206388

[VicHockeyFan]

First 1,000 fans at the opener next Friday get Save-On-Foods gift cards, some loaded with up to $500.

 

Strangely, this is finally the first time apart from an obscure ticket deal that they have ever done anything with Save On.

[VicHockeyFan]

I have been surprised that they haven't done more grass roots marketing. They do all the radio stuff, but rarely do you see a Royals logo around town. Generally you would expect to see the local team's logo splashed all over the place in bars and restaurants. The WHL's no in your face very day like pro sports, and they need to do more to keep the team on the top of people's minds.

 

Ya, I challenge you to find any Royals logos or merch in any office, store or bar around town.

 

5,500 at last night's home-opener.  And they stunk the place out with an 8-2 loss that has them at 0-3 on the season.

[Mike K.]

Maybe they have a meagre advertising budget and CFAX has a comp deal with the team/arena?

[spanky123]

Ya, I challenge you to find any Royals logos or merch in any office, store or bar around town.

 

5,500 at last night's home-opener.  And they stunk the place out with an 8-2 loss that has them at 0-3 on the season.

 

Pretty weak home opener coming off a strong season. More than 6.300 last year.

[VicHockeyFan]

Maybe they have a meagre advertising budget and CFAX has a comp deal with the team/arena?

 

They do lean on radio advertising quite a bit.

 

But the problem is, that it's simply not cool to go to a WHL game.  There are not nearly enough 17-30 year olds there.  There are thousands in that age range downtown every weekend, but nobody is going to the Royals.

 

I've said it before, if it's just hockey, it's not enough.  Everyone can watch almost every NHL game and in HD on big screens at home.  Going to the game has to be more of an event, and that means something outside of hockey gong on too, between periods, before the game, in the concourse, whatever.

[jonny]

The Royals do a pitiful job of advertising and generating hype around their product. A good sized Canadian metro area like Victoria with a nice arena like SOFMC should be packed most nights. It's not like there are other major events going on most nights in this town!

 

I've said it before, but I almost never see Royals swag around town. I'm still surprised that after several years of existence you can go into a busy bar like Yates St Taphouse and not see the Royals logo anywhere.

 

In general I follow sports quite closely and had no idea the Royals home opener was last week. If you don't regularly visit the Royals website or listen to 91.3 the Zone then you will have no idea what's going on. Why wasn't the start of the season on the front page of every local media publication? Why don't they do more to get bored UVic students down to the arena?

[Mr Cook Street]

The food and drink offerings, as well as the VIP area are pretty sad at the arena. Play up the local beers, get some better food choices. Why not have a food cart style options rather than the generic nachos and hot dog fare.

 

I think Jonny might be on to something with appealing more to Uvic students. Get a free bus full of students to come down to games. $20 = ticket + 2 beers + return trip to Uvic.

[VicHockeyFan]

The food and drink offerings, as well as the VIP area are pretty sad at the arena. Play up the local beers, get some better food choices. Why not have a food cart style options rather than the generic nachos and hot dog fare.

 

I think Jonny might be on to something with appealing more to Uvic students. Get a free bus full of students to come down to games. $20 = ticket + 2 beers + return trip to Uvic.

 

All good ideas.

 

Yup, what passes as a VIP area upstairs of the reds and the little lounge at the front lobby are sad, sad, sad.  The best part of the place is the restaurant, and nobody I ever talk to knows about it - and it's been there for 10 years.

[VicHockeyFan]

Pretty weak home opener coming off a strong season. More than 6.300 last year.

 

Only 4,600 the following night this year.

 

This weekend the first 500 fans get a cowboy hat courtesy of Duke Saloon.  Snore....

[LJ]

They do lean on radio advertising quite a bit.

 

But the problem is, that it's simply not cool to go to a WHL game.  There are not nearly enough 17-30 year olds there.  There are thousands in that age range downtown every weekend, but nobody is going to the Royals.

 

I've said it before, if it's just hockey, it's not enough.  Everyone can watch almost every NHL game and in HD on big screens at home.  Going to the game has to be more of an event, and that means something outside of hockey gong on too, between periods, before the game, in the concourse, whatever.

I was a season ticket holder for the Canucks for over 20 years and when they played at the PNE the game was simple and everyone enjoyed it. When they moved to GM place they turned it into an "event" with music blaring, blimps flying around, lights flashing, contests etc etc. I quit going. I wanted to go see a hockey game but the hockey game was ancillary to everything else that was going on. I haven't been but the people I know who do go to the Royals games enjoy the hockey and don't need any other "entertainment" to go along with it. I do realize I am probably not their target audience.

[VicHockeyFan]

I was a season ticket holder for the Canucks for over 20 years and when they played at the PNE the game was simple and everyone enjoyed it. When they moved to GM place they turned it into an "event" with music blaring, blimps flying around, lights flashing, contests etc etc. I quit going. I wanted to go see a hockey game but the hockey game was ancillary to everything else that was going on. I haven't been but the people I know who do go to the Royals games enjoy the hockey and don't need any other "entertainment" to go along with it. I do realize I am probably not their target audience.

 

The Canucks moved to GM Place in 1995.  In 1995, less than 2% of the population had the internet.  Nobody had HD TV, and you could not watch any games on TV you wanted.

 

The Canucks sold out 466 straight games (over a decade) from 2003 to last year, despite their "entertainment" focus.

 

I'm pretty sure you are no longer their target audience for live games.

[spanky123]

LJ,

 

Problem is that you are getting old! I have been to US minor league sporting events and they have everything from Hooters girls to monster trucks to medal ceremonies for soldiers to bazookas firing swag into the crowd - and that was before the puck dropped.

 

On opening night we had a couple dancing for their dinner that were so bad that they were boo'ed and some guy tossing a $1 bag of Dorito's into the crowd for the big 3rd period time-out promotion.

 

If you wan to attract more than the blue hairs and their grandkids you need some pizazz.

[theboss]

They do lean on radio advertising quite a bit.

 

But the problem is, that it's simply not cool to go to a WHL game.  There are not nearly enough 17-30 year olds there.  There are thousands in that age range downtown every weekend, but nobody is going to the Royals.

 

I've said it before, if it's just hockey, it's not enough.  Everyone can watch almost every NHL game and in HD on big screens at home.  Going to the game has to be more of an event, and that means something outside of hockey gong on too, between periods, before the game, in the concourse, whatever.

I'm right in that demographic that you've mentioned. My biggest issue is that I really only want to see top Canucks/NHL prospects. 

 

I'd love to see Jake Virtanen, but Calgary doesn't play here this year, so I most likely won't attend a game. Same thing happened last year when Hunter Shinkaruk was injured and didn't play when the Tigers were in town. 

 

I did go a couple years ago when Seth Jones and the Portland Winterhawks played, but outside of Max Reinhart last year, there hasn't been a lot of big names. 

 

Generally, I think the student crowd is more interested in a package deal where they can get a beer/food and a ticket for a reasonable price. 

Edited by theboss, 01 October 2014 - 08:46 PM.