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[This is part of a series on things that are broken, inspired by Seth Godin's presentation. We use #thisisbroken to describe blown and broken marketing and leadership opportunities and how to fix them.]
If The Brooks Group, owners of the AHL Philidelphia Phantoms wanted to reassure me their team was here to stay in Glens Falls, they blew it.
I know. It should be obvious from their remarks in the Glens Falls Post-Star that the Phantoms are here temporarily. This is just the latest:
“Some people think that we’re only there for a year, but we’re thinking a lot longer than that,” he said. “We do have a three-year lease agreement with an option for more, and it’s really Jim and my goal to set it up so there’s a long-term AHL presence in Glens Falls.”
Notice here that the Phantoms are not specifically identified, as has been the case in similar comments on the future.
Here’s why this matters to us:
The Brooks group has a brand that is in a tough spot. Their leadership has made a decision and it will have ramifications on the organization and its fans for the next few years.
They had no choice but to move here to Glens Falls because the Phantoms original home is being demolished and their proposed home in Allentown is not ready.
So until that proposed home is ready (if it ever becomes so), you have a temporary customer base to please. One that is particularly passionate about professional hockey and has a rich tradition of supporting an AHL team (the Adirondack Redwings).
Here’s what I would have done:
We’ll skip over naming the team “Adirondack” instead of Glens Falls. I get that, you want to appeal to the largest customer base you can. Plus, you want to appeal to the folks who have fond memories of the Redwings. So we’ll let that one go.
But I would come out and admit we’re here temporarily. It’s pretty obvious to all parties involved that the team is not going to be here forever, even if it is ultimately replaced by a new team. By admitting the truth, you may turn some people away, but here is where the opportunity is created:
People like limited edition. They like exclusitivty. By admitting the team is here temporarily, and creating an exclusive logo for your temporary customers, it’s like creating an invitiation to participate in something special.
People also don’t like to have their time wasted. So if the team is here temporarily, every game counts, making tickets to those games easier to market.
Will it work? To be honest, I’m just happy there is professional hockey ten minutes from the house, and I think most people around here feel the same way. No need to drive down and cheer for Albany, a team that used to have an intense rivalry with the Redwings, which is not ideal for anyone.
Fair-weather fans are not the kind of customers you want.
But by slapping Adirondack over Philidelphia and playing a cute will they or won’t they game with the press, I think they will do more harm to the brand over the long run than making a special, limited appeal to a hungry and welcoming fanbase.
Imagine how the future customers in Philidelphia and Allentown feel watching their team play elsewhere, even if it’s temporary.
