News Article: Ottawa Citizen - Marketing and Fan base

[Sens of Anarchy]

I liked the article.. most positive thing I've read about the Sens in a long time. We need more good vibes about this team.

I liked this;

“We are in a communications age where people are hyper aware of everything you’re doing, but they’re also more open to accepting that things happen … as long as you are able to come to the table and say, ‘Hey, we know this didn’t go as planned, and this is what we plan to do about it.’”

Exactly.. Part of that people figured out all by themselves.. the other part ? where is that? We have plans.. we have many plans .. we are going to offer Erik Karlsson a contract on July 1... STOP feeding us fn bs.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

What a load of crap this article is. Lip service is all it is.

Yeah, let's make the fan experience more fun as we let a cheap owner and incompetent GM decimate the core while giving away draft picks willy-nilly.

Marketing is incredibly important, don't get me wrong, but these two hires are the definition of putting lipstick on a pig. Until whoever owns this team actually spends where it matters, noting else matters.

 

[Ice-Tray]

This is the very definition of spending where it matter. Do we need more of this? Of course, but we absolutely need these two executive positions filled.

Nick is from my old hood so I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do. As for the nay sayers? It's always the same thing no matter what happens. Good news, bad news, no news, everything looks like crap when there's shit on your glasses.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

It could be lip service...or it could be that new guy they hired in the summer getting things started.

I don't have high hopes for anything surrounding this team (you'd have to be incredibly naive to believe anyone in the organization at this point), but I'll give them the benefit of some huge doubts and see where this goes.

 

[coladin]

It could be lip service...or it could be that new guy they hired in the summer getting things started.

I don't have high hopes for anything surrounding this team (you'd have to be incredibly naive to believe anyone in the organization at this point), but I'll give them the benefit of some huge doubts and see where this goes.

Well that's a heck of a lot better than many here already shooting the down before they start

 

[Cosmix]

Many of the quotes in the article seem to be pr spin to me. I will give them some time to implement their new “fun” environment at the games and I hope they succeed in refreshing the experience as it was getting very stale and boring. But the bigger issue is to improve the product on the ice and this requires resigning the core players (Karlsson, Stone, Duchene) and making wiser player acquisitions. A new GM from outside the existing org would be a good start. Improved coaching too.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Bring back Count Dooku or w/e the white-gloved tightass who sang the anthem was.
Bring back Johnny Shaka.
More hot dogs/Subway out of Master Blaster.
Have Sparty piledrive Leafs, Habs and Blue Jackets fans.Bob McCown.
Stan Neckar cigar lounge night.
Bring back the pudgy gladiator.
Hard liquor served in stands, we're gonna need it.

 

[BankStreetParade]

Owner made a killing two seasons ago and proceeded to cut salaries for the roster and bragged about cutting hockey ops to the bone. Of course, this is after he promised to spend when the team was competitive.

Sorry champ, but the owner has broken the trust and it is up to him to spend money to win back the fans, not the other way around.

If he can't afford it, then **** him. Time to sell.

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/thre...he-ncc-part-ii.2525597/page-23#post-148896941

Who chose to load the team with debt is the salient point.
Are the fans responsible to make sure that all of Melnyk's Sens related corporations make a profit, no matter how he structures them and how much debt he chooses to load them with?

I have never claimed that Melnyk is making a "killing" from this business. Just that his operations as a whole are profitable and that the increase in the valuation of the team will see him make a tremendous amount of money when he sells.

Him crying poor to justify cutting spending is a joke. Having fans perpetrate the lie on an on-going basis is simply sad.

LOL.

 

[Tuna99]

I’m kinda old school on this - you have an excellent product and it’ll sell itself through word of mouth.

This to me is beyond marketing and reaching out and flex packs - the brand is broken because the owner who is selling it is a crazy person.

Our fans are sofistictaed and understand a bad season can happen, we have withstood the $15 parking, the -40 walk to the arena, the insults from the owner, losing our stars, cheating us out on the fan experience - and always come back, but there’s a point with every product

Melnyck is the only NHL owner who can’t sell hockey in Canada - ask yourself why? It’s because he’s ruined his product through arrogance, through greed, by being rude, by acting crazy, by being eradicat - it sells papers but he’s selling his anger, his ego, his desperate need to be elevated and Ottawa isn’t that town. We’ve never wanted a man who’s at the center of attention and never will, we will give that person that through trial by fire - and the only person who’s ever earned it in my life is Alfie, not even EK has earned it, you can’t market and sell that respect, that is earned.

These two execs might get a bump, but they need true believers to turn this around. Alfie is one, I am one, Melnyck is not

 

[Sensung]

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/thre...he-ncc-part-ii.2525597/page-23#post-148896941
LOL.

In the year in question, the owner made a killing with a lengthy playoff run and expansion fees.

The team was close...only a goal from the cup and Eugene promised to spend when we were close. Just another Melnyk lie.

 

[BonkTastic]

... after you said you weren’t defined by gross indulgences.

Sounds like a quote from someone seeking re-election after some mid-tier scandal (and who probably won't get re-elected).

 

[Spirit of 67]

My god, Harold Ballard lives!

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

In the year in question, the owner made a killing with a lengthy playoff run and expansion fees.

The team was close...only a goal from the cup and Eugene promised to spend when we were close. Just another Melnyk lie.

Or you could say "oops ya you got me" and move on...

 

[Samboni]

“Improving the fan experience”... don’t they promise this EVERY year?

 

[Sensung]

Or you could say "oops ya you got me" and move on...

I'd say he partially got me by taking a post out of context.

Stating I never in the original post speaks to my track record to that point in time and was in the context of the long term financials for the team, not the specific case of 16-17.

 

[BonkTastic]

“Improving the fan experience”... don’t they promise this EVERY year?

Missing Chiclets 2.0

 

[otown]

Parking reductions - no more gouging. Offer incentives eg. buy a 12 game package get 50 % off parking.

Parachute prize packs during intermission- gift certificates to concession stands around the arena. % reduction cards to the Sens Store. Free parking coupon etc.

Better game experience. The Prime Minister race may have run its course! No pun intended.

Individual game seats. Flash sales on unsold seats . Limited window.

Offer 3 game packs throughout the season.

Some of these are minor but would certainly help.

 

[topshelf15]

How about removing the sad reality, of our team having to luck its way to winning...Because in no way are we ever going to do what it actually takes to do it consistantly...Hot dog shooting monkeys arent going to remove the negativity of this fanbase ,we want a ownership group that will ice the very best every year ...Without money always being a factor

 

[L'Aveuglette]

How about removing the sad reality, of our team having to luck its way to winning...Because in no way are we ever going to do what it actually takes to do it consistantly...Hot dog shooting monkeys arent going to remove the negativity of this fanbase ,we want a ownership group that will ice the very best every year ...Without money always being a factor

Brb buying a flex pack.

 

[topshelf15]

Brb buying a flex pack.

Yeah no shit....Team thinking a few token gestures is going to fix what is wrong...Just proves how out of touch they actually are...They are in this mess because of them period ,they f***ed up and kept the cash ...Now their golden goose has gone sour,and are trying everything but the one thing this team has needed since it all began...Which is a ownership committed to winning first and foremost

 

[otown]

Ownership isn't changing. Now what???

 

[topshelf15]

Ownership isn't changing. Now what???

Seattle Senators??But seriously if it doesnt change then EM will get what he deserves

 

[Daffy]

Ownership isn't changing. Now what???

Says who?

 

[otown]

Says who?

Haven't seen the "SOLD" sign yet!

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

They're really going to keep taking the stance that last year was just a blip on the radar aren't they?

To a certain extent, there's some truth to it because there is some improvement possible, but it's also painfully obvious just how thin our roster is. I'd say we're especially thin on D, but our forward group looks pretty weak too.

While I'm happy to see them re-engage with the media for the first time in a long time and won't fault them for doing so, I think we can all agree that this was not what we're after and we're a lot more interested in answers about our roster and the future direction of our UFA core 4 than we are about pr statements about fan experience improvements. It feels like they're pulling a fast one in the article by saying thing like fans can take things for granted, and last year was a blip, etc... we can see the roster they're about to roll out there, we're not stupid.