Much has been said in the blog and twitter world this past week on what can be done to increase attendance. One sure way is to increase access. It takes a lot of work on the part of those who probably have the least amount of time -- the head coaches, staffs and players. Fans relate better to a team/players that they know. The only way they get to know you is to go out and meet them. The bad news is that to be effective at this method you must do it a lot. A few appearances a year won't work. It has to be a non-stop strategy. The good news is that it is free. You just figure out the various places you can go, speak, sign autographs and be sure to promote in advance that you'll be there.Probably the most tunneled vision, completely focused coach to ever walk the sidelines was Vince Lombardi. But even Coach Lombardi understood the importance of a good fan base and home crowd support to the point that he made it a priority of his to go out and drum up business. It's is this type of community effort that has made Green Bay a special place in professional sports.
The following comes from "Run To Win," by Donald T. Phillips:
In addition to immersing himself in the technical details of the football team, Lombardi began a personal marketing and public relations campaign. He traveled throughout Wisconsin promoting the team and hawking season ticket sales, which, quite understandably, had been extremely sluggish. He strategically sought to bring a sense of pride back to the Packers. So he called on public officials and industry executives in both Green Bay and Milwaukee and asked for their support.
And Lombardi made countless speeches on behalf of the team, addressing audiences both large and small. On one hand, he’d tell his listeners that “this is not a Green Bay football team but a Wisconsin team.” On the other, he’s play on the Packers’ small-town image as sentimental favorites.
