Peace, Love, and Thunderstanding: Thunder Up, Marketing Team
(Welcome Clark Matthews, NBA writer extraordinaire from Oklahoma’s best blog, The Lost Ogle. I’m sure a lot of you are familiar with this column already. We’re going to be doing a little post exchange between our sites. We get Clark’s outstanding NBA commentary. They get some off-hand, confused rant from me. It’s all going to work out beautifully. I think. Hope you like.)
When the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City, the organization blew their whole marketing budget re-branding the team with a new name, new logo, new mascot, new player posters for the Ford Center, et cetera, et cetera. You get the picture.
So, coupled with the fact that the team sold their entire allotment of season tickets in less time than it takes Patrick to down a Newcastle, it was unsurprising when the Thunder pinched a few pennies by not rolling out a big “Meet the Team” advertising campaign. Personally, I felt this was a mistake considering that the team was breaking into a new market without a good understanding of the NBA product or an ingrained love of the sport. Sure, plastering billboards and flooding the local stations with commercials was not going to sell one more ticket (unless the team convinced the Ford Center to allow them to seat fans on the catwalk), but while the National Basketball Association has been around for, what fifty years, the NBA in this market is a brand new product in many ways. Expecting a team that was purchased for $350MM to take root by word of mouth was a pretty risky proposition.
Luckily, the franchise seems to have realized their folly as ticket sales have naturally slipped as a result of the poor economy, poorer results on the floor last season, and the wearing off of novelty. They now know they need to connect with potential fans to convince them to support a team 41 nights a year.
Of course, the first attempt, Thunder Up!, certainly has some limitations. After the jump, I’ll break them down for you.
First the good:
- It has a jingle. I am a sucker for marketing campaigns with jingles. The easy thing to do would have been to use the *cringe* Hinder performed version of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”–which the team already paid for–in the commercials. Instead they came up with something new, and somewhat catchy. Although, let’s be honest, it’s no “Lay That Trash On Oklahoma.”
- It has a lot of energy.
- I’m blanking out
Now, for the bad. My overriding complaint (other than, “What is ‘Thunder Up’ supposed to mean?”) is that I cannot, for the life of me figure out who they are targeting. The best answer I can come up with to that question is “local political junkies.”
In addition to Governor Brad Henry, who is in the screenshot above, the “celebrities” they recruited for the video include:
- Former senator/current OU President David Boren
- Former Flashpoint host/current OSU President Burns Hargis
- Former Channel-5 sportscaster/current OKC mayor Mick Cornett
- Former mayor/current brother of Sports Animal host Kirk Humphreys
I like some of those guys and respect most of them, but is seeing them cheese into a camera going to coax me into shelling out $60 to go sit underneath the basket? Or even $10 to traipse up to the nose bleeds…I mean “Loud City.”
<random aside>Do we have to keep calling the third tier “Loud City.” I know the Hornet marketing team, which did an excellent job selling the sport to this market, came up with the idea, and a lot of people have embraced this, but I’ve sat up there a lot. It isn’t loud and it’s not a city. There’s no community among the people seated there because it’s so damned dark I worry about taking my son up there for fear he might demand I turn on his nightlight. And since the fans have no one behind them, it’s pretty quiet. The sound all accumulates down low where the people paying $135 for their tickets (and the players) get to benefit from the energy created. Which is fine because, hey, they paid for it. But don’t pretend that “Loud City” is a great moniker. If we want something catchy, I submit “Thunderdome” for the upper level. Too Mad Max?</random aside>
Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, the Thunder are selling a sports team, and I would think they would want to appeal to sports fans. While the brief cameo from Barry Switzer is a good step for getting the attention of the rabid Sooner fans in the area, doesn’t the franchise have some athletes in-house that they could showcase?
Apparently not. In their first commercial, only three Thunder players make an appearance in some jump-cut highlight footage for long enough that you can pick them out. They are: Nick Collison. Nenad Krstic. Russell Westbrook. The first two are dunking and the latter is passing (I believe they may have used the only footage that could be found for any of those players doing any of those things).
Extending to look at the marketing campaign as a whole doesn’t really improve the campaign’s effort to bond the people of this area to the team. Players featured on the billboards along the city highways have featured these players:
- Jeff Green
- Russell Westbrook
- Nenad Krstic
- Earl Watson
- Kyle Weaver
While I applaud the team’s trying to introduce their second tier starters and the third string point guard for the Indiana Pacers, wouldn’t you think there is one player who probably should be the focus of any marketing campaign for the team missing there?
Some guy, oh what’s his name…some people think he might even be better than LeBron James…Gideon, can you look that up for me over the break?
KEVIN DURANT
Seriously, any advertisement the marketing team sends out the door should feature his image prominently. This is similar to the mid-80′s Bulls trying to sell tickets by featuring Charles Oakley and John Paxson.
Most markets seem to understand this. When I was in Minneapolis last Summer you could not walk ten feet without seeing Joe Mauer or Adrian Peterson’s face on something. In Seattle this past Summer, Ichiro was everywhere. Even in Washington D.C. the Nationals were trying to use their star, who, let’s be honest no one outside of the Capitol had heard of, to convince people to buy tickets to their 100+ loss team.
Here? It’s as if the first superstar we’ve ever hosted is treated by the Thunder marketing office as that ugly statuette their mother-in-law got them that they hide in the closet until she comes over to visit. Put me in those marketing meetings and I’m pitching a line of comic books to be given away free to Oklahoma City public schools that feature the Durantula playing one-on-one against a giant gila monster and a series of commercials where Durant shows up at people’s office and gives them bad advice…the catch line “Kevin Durant…he may not know double entry bookkeeping, but don’t leave him open at the three point line”.
Until the Thunder geniuses figure out their star’s marketing potential, I guess the idiots at Nike will just keep wasting their time with him.
Almost seamless. Almost.
Here is the correct link to Royce’s first post:
http://www.thelostogle.com/2009/10/08/welcome-to-thunderdome-a-k-a-the-harkins-parking-lot/
Doh! So close.
I fully support the Kevin Durant “May Not Know” commercials and any and all Durantula vs the Gila Monster advertisements. Fantastic.
Though you know the day is coming when there’s a giant billboard of Blake Griffin in his Clippers jersey at the I-35, I-40 melting pot that reads, “Come watch the Thunder!”
@J.G.
That’s funny but yet possibly dead right at the same time. It wouldn’t shock me one bit if they marketed Blake here to get people to come to games. Which is so sad.
Oh, and I think Clark nailed this completely. I agree in every way.
I wondered if all the politicians in the commercial were supposed to invoke civic pride/duty. You know… inferring that we should support the Thunder because we’re Oklahomans.
But watching it again, I just wonder if they chose people that they think people immediately associate with Oklahoma. Nothing says Oklahoma like Barry Switzer … and… Brad Henry? I dunno. Nothing against Brad Henry though.
I’d like to say that if celebrity was the approach, were Toby, Garth, Carrie, Kristen or the Lips not available? Too expensive? Gotcha. Then go with Gary England, Jim Traber or Biker Fox. (see, I read TLO too).
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Thumbsup.
They probably were going for a civic pride angle, because most of those people were instrumental in getting the team here, but the civic pride angle bullet was used last year. Eventually, they are going to have to sell the consumer on the team. I fear that if they don’t, we’ll be in the same position as Memphis where there isn’t really much of an attachment despite it being their only professional team.
Wait, you guys don’t go to the games hoping to see Kirk Humphries?
Clark mentioned it, but when the Hornets were here, they marketed PLAYERS. And that was huge in us connecting to the team. People went to see Chris Paul and the Hornets, not the Hornets featuring Chris Paul.
If they are guarding from the potential of Durant leaving or something, that’s pathetic. If they are worried that more people recognize the name and logo than Durant, that’s pathetic as well. Smart marketing relies on the most recognizable thing – and that should be Kevin Durant.
Thunderdome! Why didn’t I think of that before? I’m using that from now on, for the whole Ford Center not just the 3rd tier.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Ashlynn Brooke? Jesse Jane?
@TravisB
Celebrity with TLO? Check.
Celebrity with Internet surfers? Check.
Celebrity with Jax Raging Bile Duct? Check.
Nightmare for PR department trying to field calls from angry conservative Oklahoman’s about mixing porn with basketball? Definite CHECK.
@Clark Matthews
Another issue is what type of fan is honestly going to feel like they can associate with the people pictured.
Do they really think that the average middle-income Oklahoman is going to see those individuals and think, “You know what, they’re fan experience and my fan experience will probably be the same because they’re just like I am! I CAN afford the same types of tickets as they can!”
I think this is a huge underlying problem. Not only are they choosing the wrong types of individuals to hinge the long term success of the Thunder’s marketability on (instead of the players), but they’re alienating the largest group of their potential audience in doing so because, let’s be honest, shouldn’t they be selling the experience of Thunder basketball to the majority of potential buyers? Why not have an entire montage of fans cheering and going crazy during the best, most heart-pounding moments of the season?
I just don’t get it either.
Let me get this straight? The Thunder Marketing department is doing a poor job? Seriously???
Actually, I’m starting to wonder if these poor marketing decisions are being made at the top. CEOs & Executives love to micromanage marketing and advertising campaigns. This smells like CEO influence: “Put my political buddies in commercials. They’ll love that!”
Great article…
It must be some ‘team unity’ thing…or maybe they KNOW KD won’t come back and don’t want to push him on us if he’s going to leave soon…
Suck…
Off topic, but did any of you see this pic on newsok.com of Russ driving and dishing into Mike Conley and Randolph? If you you close you will see Conley wearing shin guards. What a sissy, this isnt soccer. I just thought that was kinda weird.
http://www.newsok.com/russell-westbrook-shows-his-maturity-in-okc-thunders-loss-to-memphis-grizzlies/article/3407253?custom_click=pod_headline_sports
First thing I thought of when I saw the video and then my tickets….
Thunder Up, almost as good as Cowboys Forever. Now if we only had a orange-eyed evil Rumble, we’d be set.
Also, we wanted to “Feel the Buzz of the Birdman.” http://www.thelostogle.com/2008/01/27/bring-back-the-birdman/
@Blake
Haha. That made me chuckle softly to myself for some reason.
Also, couple the marketing campaign with the team picture in the practice facility and you have to kind of question their motives.
Maybe I can get an interview with their marketing people.
Opening a can of worms for Crow with this one…. pun intended.
I got a random phone call from somebody with the Thunder who was asking about how I had enjoyed games in the past, and if I was going to be making any games this season. In the conversation I mentioned that I had moved out of state, so I don’t think he ever got to his point, which I assume was to try to sell me season tickets. Nice guy, and I appreciated the work they’re doing this season to promote the team.
It’s a fine line of trying to get someone that John Q. basketball fan can recognize while still relating to them. I’d recognize Bob Stoops in a second, but I doubt I’ll see him on 3rd or even 2nd tier. Same goes for Toby Keith, Carrie Underwood, Gary England, etc. But if some random people throw on Thunder Gear and put in a commercial, I just think “paid actors” like when I watch a Oklahoma Lottery commercial.
My idea is “on location” commercials. People love to see people they may know at places they visit. Shots of normal, unimportant people supporting the Thunder in their daily lives.
People in line at Earl’s Rib Palace
A speeder and ticket-writing police officer together
One of the Fraternities/Sororities at OU/OSU/UCO/etc
A rower on the Oklahoma river/cesspool
Rick and Brad
Sweet! Although you guys aren’t really saving me any mouse clicks by just trading posts!
@Steven
I got a similar call. Nice guy. REALLY wanted me to buy a 10-game pack though.
@girlballer
That’s the point
I think they need someone like that incredibly intelligent guy in Baldwin’s article about being the 37th best sports city who pointed out that so much of Oklahomans’ identity is tied into our sports teams.
Of course, then everyone would ask, “Why do they have Mike Martz in an Oklahoma City basketball commercial?”
@TravisB
I like your idea, except I think there is a fine line between what you’re talking about and the 1am add with regular people buying used cars for $12.
A 30 second local TV spot of a Durantula mixtape would be more effective than anything I’ve seen so far.
OK, so if the marketing campaign is “Thunder Up!”, what happened to “Rise Together”? Maybe that’s why the Rise Together T shirts are $5 at the Thunder shop. You’ll see my whole family sportin’ em.
/cheapskate/
SD
Yes, we do still have to call it Loud City. My husband’s the mayor of that town.
“Don’t Lay That Trash On Oklahoma” BEST. JINGLE. EVER.
Why doesn’t TLO/DT produce it’s own Thunder commercial? Put Nick and Cardboard Jim in a room and roll cameras.
How about the fanatics from this site (Nix, Jax, JG and even me) for the next commercial for PR we could make anyone fans of this team and probably wonder how and the hell could we be so crazy about this team, so in other words we would sell more tickets than those highly paid guys calling everyone to buy season or partial tickets
@cdb77
This is a fantastic idea.
@Royce
Royce, if you get credentialed, get cardboard jim from clark and take him to the home games.
Sam Presti has a rule about how many times each player can be used in marketing campaigns. In fact, when the team was in Seattle for their lame duck season, he formed a committee in which all marketing materials that involved players had to be cleared through, and each player was tracked. He wants to promote the “team” concept, rather than an individual player. I don’t agree with it, but that’s his focus.
That’s why the last Sonics ticket brochure had Johan Petro instead of their “new superstar” Kevin Durant.
It’s dumb, but it’s their policy.