Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Thrashers Need Mad Men



Like the Atlanta Thrashers and the Nashville Predators, whose non-retarded advertising I profiled last week, the Florida Panthers play in a non-traditional hockey market. Their ticket sales have certainly suffered for years as a result of the team's reliable suckdom, but this season--thanks to their sudden resurgence, a new marketing team, who knows--they're drawing in plenty of fans and seeking more through creative ticketing gimmicks.

From the Miami Herald's George Richards, one of the premier beat writers around the league (and apparently a guy with discerning taste in television):

Give the Panthers' marketing brass credit for one thing: They're creative. Oh, and they have plenty of brass. So make that two things. The latest out of One Panther Parkway comes a playoff guarantee. Basically, the team is saying if you buy a four-game pack of tickets to this year's playoff run and the team doesn't make the postseason, you score four freebies next year.

Why, oh why, can't the Thrashers dig up a halfway-decent marketing team? They could start by interviewing guys from Sterling Cooper. Get that Beatnik fella.

No comments: