University of South Carolina Marketing Team Overview

ABOUT US

  • Key personnel:
  • Blake Edmunds: Assistant AD/Marketing & Fan Experience
  • Joe Johnson: Creative Director
  • Eric Nichols: Senior Associate AD/Marketing & Branding/CMO
  • Joe O’Clair: Assistant Director of Marketing
  • Rebecca Piner: Assistant Director of Marketing
  • Amber Wise: Assistant Director of Marketing
  • Brad Muller: Director of Content
  • Overview of departmental changes over the years; now adapted to a more comprehensive, collaborative work style.
  • Emphasis on communication and teamwork to enhance overall performance.

PHILOSOPHY

  • “Be Forever Creating Comprehensive, Sustaining Success”:
  • Ensures support across all sports for success in four areas:
    • Broad-Based Attendance
    • Student Attendance
    • Technology/Data
    • Community Outreach

BROAD BASED ATTENDANCE

Comprehensive Success

  • 4 out of 8 ticketed sports rank in the top-5 nationally for average attendance.
  • 7 out of 8 ticketed sports rank in the top-30 nationally for average attendance.
  • All ticketed sports rank in the top-40 nationally for average attendance.

Sustaining Success

  • 3 ticketed sports ranked in the top-5 for average attendance for the last four years.
  • Significant increase in attendance for the majority of sports over four years (avg. of 25% increase).

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

Comprehensive Success

  • Notable increase in student attendance across many sports; over 19,500 students attended at least one event this past year.

Sustaining Success

  • 11 of 15 sports have seen an increase in average student attendance over four years, with some exceeding 100% increase.

TECHNOLOGY/DATA

Comprehensive Success

  • Significant revenue generated through football ticket sales attributed to digital advertising.
  • Mobile pass sales also contributed substantially to revenue generation.

Sustaining Success

  • Over 35,800 users registered for the Gamecock Student Rewards app in the past four years.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Comprehensive Success

  • Impact on over 30,000 lives through school programs; largest college athletics sponsor of the US Military.

Sustaining Success

  • Cumulative impact on over 550,000 lives via school programs over 10 years.

REVENUE GENERATION

  • Focused on various ticket sales and membership programs; significant increases across multiple sports and initiatives.
  • Olympic sports and men's basketball saw impressive revenue gains during the past year.

STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE

Beyond Sports

  • "Beyond Sports Professional Development & Summer Internship Program" aims to prepare student-athletes for careers after college.

Dual Final Four Runs and Championships

  • Celebratory events planned with fan engagement efforts like parades and pep rallies.

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

  • Offers hands-on experience for students; interns significantly contribute to marketing initiatives.
  • Program emphasizes leadership skills and opportunities for personal development.

BRANDING

Innovations

  • Effective use of game-day specific branding initiatives, engaging promotional materials, and collaborations with major partners (e.g., Coca-Cola).

Facilities

  • Enhancing entrance branding of facilities to welcome fans in a unified Gamecock style.

INNOVATION

Data Warehouse and CRM

  • Creation of a data warehouse to analyze market trends led to improved ticket sales strategies.

Digital Engagement

  • Successful use of digital advertising and fan engagement apps to enhance fan interactions.

FAN EXPERIENCE

  • Strategic in-game promotions and giveaways tailored for target audiences, focusing on engaging fans comprehensively.
  • Special theme days and unique contests designed to enhance attendance and create memorable experiences.

SOCIAL MEDIA & BROADCASTING

Growth

  • Significant increase in social media following, ranked highly across various platforms.

Content Engagement

  • Interactive promotions via social media that resulted in impressive engagement and attendance.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Student Rewards Program

  • Encouragement of attendance through reward points and incentive strategies leading to enhanced participation at events.

PROMOTIONS & PARTNERSHIPS

  • Developed various initiatives to engage students and local communities; created collaborative programs for enhanced reach and visibility.

SUMMARY

  • Overall successes across various metrics of attendance, engagement, revenue generation, and community outreach illustrate a well-rounded department focusing on 'Forever To Thee.'
  • Continuous efforts in marketing, fan experience, student engagement, and community outreach solidified recognition as NACMA Marketing Team of the Year in 2018.