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The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    LAA rolls out new marketing initiative

    New commercials on lionsports.net feature the Lions football team highlighting the players’ athletic and personal strengths. “These are the faces of intensity, hard work and determination. The faces of the protectors, the defenders and the punishers,” says authoritative, anonymous voice while shots of players’ faces are shown dripping in sweat. These commercials are part of the new marketing initiative funded by the Lions Athletic Association, partnered with the Tangipahoa Tourism Commission.
    The commercials were shot by a close friend of Southeastern, and experienced film director, Hobby Morrison who came up with the “in your face feel,” said Erin Cowser, who is the director of public and governmental affairs also sits on the Football Marketing Committee which took expert advice from the Gagliano Group, a local marketing company with creative strategies.
    Newly elected LAA President David Danel says the campaign is a new venture with a dual purpose. Their obvious goal is to increase season ticket sales, but the underlying goal is to attract more people to Southeastern’s campus. People all over the Southeast region can have the chance to see what Southeastern has to offer students; athletics paired with an excellent academic experience. 
    “Our main focus is reaching outside the Hammond area to try and let people know about Southeastern athletics,” said Danel, who is also a past Alumni Association president. “We want to let people be aware of it, so that maybe they would have an interest in buying tickets and coming to Hammond, more importantly bringing their kids to Hammond.”
    According to Danel, the LAA decided this was a smart experiment because the reward is more than just ticket sales. Spreading the word about Southeastern as an academic institution is just as important.
    “The return has the potential to be more than the investment,” said Danel. “If for some reason we aren’t successful and don’t sell a single season ticket, we still put the word out about Southeastern. We’ve succeeded in doing that, because the ads aren’t just about advertising tickets. It’s about letting people in New Orleans know we have a quality educational center right here on the North Shore.”
    In the past, the LAA has reached out on an individual level to students and alumni in order to raise money for athletics. This exciting new venture is new territory for the LAA and Southeastern, and it will soon overflow into all the other athletic programs as their seasons reach the start.
    “We’ve never stepped up and done a coordinated media campaign, where we put together a package and looked at specific demographics we’re trying to reach,” Danel said. “We’re trying to expand the market, not touch the same market again.”
    The upcoming 2013 football season is thought of to be more competitive than ever. New players like sophomore running back Kody Sutton and junior quarterbacks Bryan Bennett and Justin Posthuma give the team a new edge. The right mix of players, a new attitude and a new marketing scheme are all parts thrown into the gumbo pot to fight for a Southland Conference championship this year.
    “It’s time for us to compete for a conference championship,” Danel said. “Coach Roberts has put together, not only the right players, but the right attitude to do that. I think for the first time, in a lot of years, they’re truly a team. And I think the players themselves have bought into the program.”
    The commercials will air in movie theatres from Slidell to Baton Rouge in time for the Fourth of July blockbuster weekend, and the “television spots will begin airing in mid-July in order to generate excitement for upcoming season and spur season ticket sales,” said Cowser.
    To get a sneak peak at the new commercials, and to purchase season tickets, visit lionsports.net.

     
     

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