News Article: Ottawa Citizen - Marketing and Fan base

[slamigo]

I agree you'll get more from Gatineau if it's downtown. You'll get more showing up to see Crosby or Ovechkin or some other star. But the opportunity to convert fans is quite limited

Yes and No. I find most Habs fans that I know aren't as hateful as Toronto fans. It's more of a good-natured rivalry. So they will *possibly* cheer for the Sens and come out to games. The Habs will always be their main team, but the Sens could be a strong 1B and those fans will probably come out for sake of seeing NHL hockey, especially for the stars as you mention.

 

[JD1]

Here's a 4 year old thread on the Gatineau side following. There's some interesting responses in there including from regular posters here

How big of a presence do the Sens have in Gatineau?

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

A lot of people I work with live in Gatineau and they don't consider going to Sens games simply because it's in Kanata. It's horrible for folks living in Alymer. Most are Habs fans but would love to go to NHL games and cheer for the Sens as an alternative. But it's just too far.

My main point being: even Habs fans will come out to Sens games if it's downtown. It's just so convenient and would still be a fun night out. If I moved to NY, I would go watch the Rangers. Ottawa would still be my team, but I would still like to go see NHL games.

It's easier to get to the CTC, on game nights, from Arnprior and Carleton Place, than it is from Orleans and (old) Gatineau.

This will change dramatically when there's an Arena at Lebrton Flats.

 

[hawthy]

It's been 26 years. If there was any significant opportunity on the other side of the river it would have shown itself by now.

I find it interesting that this exact mentality towards the community - applied across many demographics, years and failed endeavours - are at the very core of why the Sens organization is having to undo a massive amount of missteps on and off the ice.

[MOD]

 

[BonkTastic]

Would a heavy push on the other side of the river matter? Really? It's been 26 years. If there was any significant opportunity on the other side of the river it would have shown itself by now.

It's just something else to complain about.

You get out what you put in.

Thia team has historically ignored Gatineau compared to their presence in English speaking parts of the city. The results we've seen so far in that region are exactly reflective of the effort we've invested there.

If there was any significant opportunity on the other side of the river, this team wouldn't even know where to start with them. Gatineau might as well be Mars as far as this org is concerned.

 

[Sens]

Gatineau is booming too... I’m considering moving there

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

....and Ontario doesn't magically end at Orleans or Cumberland, either. There has been a growing population in Prescott-Russell for a few decades now. Outside of the occasional "hometown tour" stop in Rockland or Hawkesbury, there hasn't really been any presence out there. The local stores have more Leaf jerseys on display than Sens ones.

 

[Emerica]

Man you guys really got your ***** on today.

Would a heavy push on the other side of the river matter? Really? It's been 26 years. If there was any significant opportunity on the other side of the river it would have shown itself by now.

It's just something else to complain about.

A downtown arena will have a positive impact on attendance in the same way it will have a positive impact in people from orleans..,but the team isnt having to convince people from orleans to be Sens fans

So wrong.

The Senators most definitely have the opportunity to become the more popular team in the Outaouais region. Obviously an arena closer to Hull/Gatineau is a major key. So is ownership. If the franchise can’t ice a competitive hockey team consistently , of course young kids are more likely to follow the team their relatives grew up watching, that is only normal.

I grew up in Gatineau surrounded by Habs fans with my father being a lifelong Bruins fan. I am a Sens fan. My oncle is also a lifelong Bruins fan. His three children are Sens fans. My brother in-law is a die hard Habs fan, he still goes to Sens games when they win ticket contests from their minor hockey club or when the Habs are in town. His two sons cheer for both teams, they don’t have a pre-determined allegiance. They are still too young to form their own opinion but one would think if they get the opportunity to watch the Karlssons, Stones and Duchenes in their own backyard instead of hearing their dad talk about how great Montreal was 30 years ago, the choice won’t be hard.

The Senators were absolute trash until 1997-98 while being in between the two biggest hockey markets. The sell was always going to be hard at first. Throwing your hands up and giving because “it’s been 26 years and nothing has changed” is utterly clueless.

It’ll come in due time, the seeds have already been planted. Now if Melnyk decides to stomp on them all bets are off.

 

[JD1]

So wrong.

The Senators most definitely have the opportunity to become the more popular team in the Outaouais region. Obviously an arena closer to Hull/Gatineau is a major key. So is ownership. If the franchise can’t ice a competitive hockey team consistently , of course young kids are more likely to follow the team their relatives grew up watching, that is only normal.

I grew up in Gatineau surrounded by Habs fans with my father being a lifelong Bruins fan. I am a Sens fan. My oncle is also a lifelong Bruins fan. His three children are Sens fans. My brother in-law is a die hard Habs fan, he still goes to Sens games when they win ticket contests from their minor hockey club or when the Habs are in town. His two sons cheer for both teams, they don’t have a pre-determined allegiance. They are still too young to form their own opinion but one would think if they get the opportunity to watch the Karlssons, Stones and Duchenes in their own backyard instead of hearing their dad talk about how great Montreal was 30 years ago, the choice won’t be hard.

The Senators were absolute trash until 1997-98 while being in between the two biggest hockey markets. The sell was always going to be hard at first. Throwing your hands up and giving because “it’s been 26 years and nothing has changed” is utterly clueless.

It’ll come in due time, the seeds have already been planted. Now if Melnyk decides to stomp on them all bets are off.

So apart from the past two years, we iced a competitive team for 20 years. 1 final. A couple of ECFs. Always in the playoffs. Focussing on drafting from the Q. Some french speaking players.

How is it working?

 

[BondraTime]

So apart from the past two years, we iced a competitive team for 20 years. 1 final. A couple of ECFs. Always in the playoffs. Focussing on drafting from the Q. Some french speaking players.

How is it working?

From 01-10 they made 79 selections, 1 being from Quebec (Lessard) and 4 taken from the Q.

From 11-14 they made 29 selection, 4 being from Quebec and 4 being from the Q.

From 15-18 they have made 25 selections, 4 being from Quebec (Lajoie out of W), 2 from the Maritimes, and 5 total from the Q.

They have began (with lots of success) to use the Q heavily, but it was widely ignored for a decade.

 

[bert]

So apart from the past two years, we iced a competitive team for 20 years. 1 final. A couple of ECFs. Always in the playoffs. Focussing on drafting from the Q. Some french speaking players.

How is it working?

How about they have to drive for 45 minutes to go to a game. When its only an hour and a half to get to Montreal. Are you that naive to think that a 5/10 minute commute wont help.

 

[bert]

So wrong.

The Senators most definitely have the opportunity to become the more popular team in the Outaouais region. Obviously an arena closer to Hull/Gatineau is a major key. So is ownership. If the franchise can’t ice a competitive hockey team consistently , of course young kids are more likely to follow the team their relatives grew up watching, that is only normal.

I grew up in Gatineau surrounded by Habs fans with my father being a lifelong Bruins fan. I am a Sens fan. My oncle is also a lifelong Bruins fan. His three children are Sens fans. My brother in-law is a die hard Habs fan, he still goes to Sens games when they win ticket contests from their minor hockey club or when the Habs are in town. His two sons cheer for both teams, they don’t have a pre-determined allegiance. They are still too young to form their own opinion but one would think if they get the opportunity to watch the Karlssons, Stones and Duchenes in their own backyard instead of hearing their dad talk about how great Montreal was 30 years ago, the choice won’t be hard.

The Senators were absolute trash until 1997-98 while being in between the two biggest hockey markets. The sell was always going to be hard at first. Throwing your hands up and giving because “it’s been 26 years and nothing has changed” is utterly clueless.

It’ll come in due time, the seeds have already been planted. Now if Melnyk decides to stomp on them all bets are off.

Great post.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

So apart from the past two years, we iced a competitive team for 20 years. 1 final. A couple of ECFs. Always in the playoffs. Focussing on drafting from the Q. Some french speaking players.

How is it working?

[MOD]
It's pretty much obvious you need to commit for generations to cultivate a fanbase in a competitive market. You think the old farts whose family cheered for the habs or leafs for generations would throw that away and buy a Sens jersey the first day of Ottawa's existence?

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

From the Senators, via social media​

Winterlude is hosting the Ottawa Senators Alumni and NHL Alumni for an Outdoor Shinny Hockey Game on the Rideau Canal Skateway this Saturday Feb 2nd from 1p.m. to 2p.m. Come watch Chris Neil, Laurie Boschman, Pascal Leclaire, and more with the chance to win Senators prizes!

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

The local stores have more Leaf jerseys on display than Sens ones.

This is true right here in Ottawa. Walk into any Giant Tiger, CDN Tire or Wal Mart, and there's always more Habs and Leafs merch. than Senators.


BUT, this is not the Ottawa Senators fault. The purchasers for these stores only buy what they know their stores can sell.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

[MOD]
It's pretty much obvious you need to commit for generations to cultivate a fanbase in a competitive market. You think the old farts whose family cheered for the habs or leafs for generations would throw that away and buy a Sens jersey the first day of Ottawa's existence?

These generational fans of the Leafs & Habs are not going to place a Senators Jersey under their Christmas trees, they're going to raise their kids as Habs or Leaf fans....... and they'll help their kids raise their grandchildren as Habs of Leaf fans.

It's only human nature.


If the NHL awarded an expansion team to Toronto, how many generations would it take for the expansion team to cultivate a fan base that would rival the Leafs fanbase?

Ottawa has that challenge times two.


How long did the Toros last in the "center of the hockey universe"?

Or the Nationals?

 

[BatherSeason]

These generational fans of the Leafs & Habs are not going to place a Senators Jersey under their Christmas trees, they're going to raise their kids as Habs or Leaf fans....... and they'll help their kids raise their grandchildren as Habs of Leaf fans.

It's only human nature.


If the NHL awarded an expansion team to Toronto, how many generations would it take for the expansion team to cultivate a fan base that would rival the Leafs fanbase?

Ottawa has that challenge times two.

May as well disregard the Ottawa Valley too, generations of Leafs fans there as well. Lets just focus solely on Kanata, if we want to grow the brand lets branch out to Stittsville, lots of new young families settling there.

 

[JD1]

[MOD]
It's pretty much obvious you need to commit for generations to cultivate a fanbase in a competitive market. You think the old farts whose family cheered for the habs or leafs for generations would throw that away and buy a Sens jersey the first day of Ottawa's existence?

How many in ottawa do you think did exactly that?

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

How many in ottawa do you think did exactly that?

Not as many as you think.

 

[Kiros]

Anyone else find it funny they are running a marketing ad right now that calls out fans for wearing dated merchandise? "Are you wearing a jersey that is 10 years old!? Spend $200 and get free tickets!!!"

Then you've got Ol Euge wearing his super old jersey in official team material. Just ridiculous. Get that man an addidas sweater!

 

[hawthy]

From the Senators, via social media​

Winterlude is hosting the Ottawa Senators Alumni and NHL Alumni for an Outdoor Shinny Hockey Game on the Rideau Canal Skateway this Saturday Feb 2nd from 1p.m. to 2p.m. Come watch Chris Neil, Laurie Boschman, Pascal Leclaire, and more with the chance to win Senators prizes!

Sweet! Melnyk has the platform for his next press conference. Perhaps here is where he’ll announce the Sens are relocating.

 

[BatherSeason]

Sweet! Melnyk has the platform for his next press conference. Perhaps here is where he’ll announce the Sens are relocating.

Even the alumni wear nicer jerseys than the big club wears. Selling these jerseys as opposed to the current ones would make Old Euge more money.

 

[BonkTastic]

So apart from the past two years, we iced a competitive team for 20 years. 1 final. A couple of ECFs. Always in the playoffs. Focussing on drafting from the Q. Some french speaking players.

How is it working?

"Some French speaking players".

Wow. So much marketing.

Vegas currently have Fleury, Marchessault, Stastny and Carrier on their NHL roster. I guess they're HEAVILY invested in marketing to Gatineau as well, eh?

 

[BatherSeason]

"Some French speaking players".

Wow. So much marketing.

Vegas currently have Fleury, Marchessault, Stastny and Carrier on their NHL roster. I guess they're HEAVILY invested in marketing to Gatineau as well, eh?

Do the Sens actually have a scout located in Quebec, or just a part time guy out east? From the last 5 draft picks from the Q, 4 have been from the East coast, while only one, Gabriel Gagne, was from a team located in the province of Quebec.

Could absolutely be a coincidence, or could it be that we only have people scouting the Q that are based in the East coast.

According to this press release, the Sens hired 3 new scouts in the offseason:
Senators announce three additions to the team's scouting staff

But coincidently, not one of them appear on the team scouting page on the website:
Senators announce three additions to the team's scouting staff

Websites are pretty easy to update nowadays. Another smoke and mirror show? Did they really actually hire new scouts? Did these guys already quit??

 

[JD1]

"Some French speaking players".

Wow. So much marketing.

Vegas currently have Fleury, Marchessault, Stastny and Carrier on their NHL roster. I guess they're HEAVILY invested in marketing to Gatineau as well, eh?

Wtf do you want? Does the franchise need to pander to the other side of the river and beg for fans? Give it up. We have a fench speaking gm, a french speaking coach, we have drafted from the q, we've acquired players in part hoping to attract more from the other side of the river.

I'll say it again...it's bitching for bitching sake

If Gatineau was going to go all in and embrace the Senators as the community's team it would have happened already