That’s a pretty perceptive article. I would add a couple more pieces of evidence:
In regard to behind the scenes access, they added a fan tunnel for each period that creates social-media-friendly premium experiences for hundreds (thousands?) of STH each season. That’s a low-overhead, high-impact touch for your most valuable market segment. Speaking personally, I might have waffled on taking my kids to a Wednesday night preseason game tonight. But we got picked in the fan tunnel lottery, so we are absolutely going to be there. At the same time, they have noticeably ramped up the quality and accessibility of other “inside access” type events which serve as a major perk to engaging with a small market team.
Also, I’d add Whalers Night to the either the jersey category or the “screw the haters” category. One of Dundon’s first moves was recognizing that they held a unique asset, and moving unapologetically to capitalize on it. Despite intense pushback from some circles, it turned out to be a success and generated a lot of publicity when the team was at the bottom of the standings. The attention they got from that event (which happened just as the surges were catching on) dovetailed with a sprint up the standings and all of a sudden everyone had their eyes on the Canes for the first time in a decade. And in the process, the Whalers brand became a key asset for the visual identity of the organization, as opposed to the awkward association it has historically been.
Now that I’m thinking of it, Dundon also seems to be the main advocate of revamping the painfully-bland red home jersey, and also gradually moving toward the black alternate as the main home jersey. He seemed to recognize that the circa-2014 brand refresh had fallen flat, and forced another revamp to get it right.
One other thing — on a political front, Dundon has been working like crazy on the Centennial Authority which governs the arena partnership. That has resulted in a new scoreboard now in place, a major arena renovation upcoming, and a very strong likelihood of an outdoor game in the football stadium next door. Peter Karmanos never even bothered to attend meetings with the CA, whereas Dundon is treating that relationship as an asset which can spin off high-level improvements in the fan experience.
