Selling out
UCLAâs marketing department prefers to see red rather than be in the red. That seems to be the message from another aggressive campaign put in motion this week to lure fans to the Rose Bowl on Saturday -- Fresno State fans.
UCLA ran a quarter-page ad in the Fresno Bee on Tuesday that read, âFresno State vs. UCLA,â and underneath it, âSo you can say âI was there.â â
The Bulldogsâ âred waveâ fan base usually travels well, but the engraved invitation probably will drive the numbers up, as Fresno State Coach Pat Hill said he expected, â20-25,000â to attend the game.
Is green a more desirable color than powder blue in Westwood?
âReally?â UCLA defensive end Korey Bosworth said when told about the ad. âI donât know what to say about that. Iâm kind of baffled, actually, that they would run that.â
This was the latest move in UCLAâs effort to market a team that is rebuilding and fill seats in the cavernous Rose Bowl.
âItâs a bit different to see a school from a power conference giving that type of invitation to a âlesser conferenceâ school,â said Thomas Boyd, professor of marketing for the Steven Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at Cal State Fullerton.
âGiven the circumstances, I think UCLA is hoping for a good game. But that appeal clearly is for Fresno State fans to come watch Fresno State beat up on UCLA. I find that unusual.â
Fresno State is receiving a $450,000 payment for the game.
Scott Mitchell, director of marketing at UCLA, said Tuesday that, âThe way we have it structured, itâs clearly branded towards Fresno State fans.â
UCLA officials said Wednesday that the ad was directed at UCLA fans in the Central Valley.
This was the latest in a marketing campaign that appears to rely on attention-grabbing ads while the Bruins struggle on the field. Many, it seems, are trying to offer fans incentives to attend UCLA games. The universityâs bookstore is offering 25% discount on merchandise if you bring a ticket stub from a game where the Bruins score five touchdowns. UCLA has four touchdowns total through three games.
âLike every year, weâre doing anything we can do to drive up revenue,â Mitchell said.
That included run an ad proclaiming, âThe football monopoly in Los Angeles is officially over,â before the season began. The Bruins have a 1-2 record and have been outscored, 90-10, in their last two games. USC is 2-0 and ranked No. 1 nationally.
âThat was directed at our fan base to share our vision,â Mitchell said.
When asked whether saying âitâs overâ equated âsharing a vision,â Mitchell said, âI think every UCLA fan believes in their heart that weâll get there.â
Boyd said that ad âseemed a little premature.â
UCLA also ran ad telling fans, there was room on âthe bandwagonâ following a season-opening victory over Tennessee.
The Bruins were then buried by Brigham Young, 59-0, and lost to Arizona, 31-10, a game where thousands of Bruins fans appeared to jump off the bandwagon, rushing for the exits with six minutes left.
âI donât think their marketing is bad,â Boyd said. âI think it may lack a little finesse.â
A request was made to interview UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero on Wednesday, but he was not made available. Bruins Coach Rick Neuheisel tried to play the ad campaign off with a laugh, saying, âI trust them. Theyâre the marketing department. They donât ask me what Iâm going to call on third and one either.â
Neuheiselâs reaction was a little different two weeks ago, when after a news conference, he was told about the âbandwagonâ ad. Neuheisel stood silent for seconds, then turned slowly to look at a UCLA official, who threw up his hands and said, âI didnât do it.â
Neuheisel said he had not been consulted about marketing plans.
Boyd said, âIt is the marketing departmentâs job to fill the stadium.â But, he said, âyou have to judge the effect on your own fans. The fact is pretty clear that youâre telling Fresno State fans to come see a big win for Fresno State.â
Bruins players, meanwhile, were shocked by the ad, but tried to give the politically correct answer.
âIt doesnât matter to us,â Bruins guard Scott Glicksberg said. âJust donât quote me that I was the one who ran the ad. That wasnât my idea.â
Foot-brawl
The Bruins seemed frustrated and edgy Wednesday, with two fights during practice, one where offensive lineman Jess Ward smacked defensive tackle Justin Mann upside the head, then kicked him.
On Tuesday, Kahlil Bell screamed at fellow tailback Derrick Coleman, then shoved him.
Neuheisel said he didnât want to see any âcheap shots,â but that the fights are âare a byproduct of getting after it physically.â
Odds and split ends
Fullback Trevor Theriot left practice because of a knee injury, later determined to be a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. He will undergo an MRI exam today. Neuheisel said that Chane Moline would be the fullback if Theriot was unable to play. . . . Freshman tackle Jeff Baca worked entirely with the first team, and tackle Micah Kia practiced with the second team.
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Go beyond the scoreboard
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