Marketing the National Hockey League

MARKETING THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

* The key problem is what should be the focus, a) marketing NHL through Television or b) through grass root marketing to achieve a higher and bigger fan base.

RECOMMENDATIONS

* 67.3% of 21-30 ages US Men fans developed interest in hockey by watching it on TV and 51.8 % after listening to their friends (Exhibit 15).Almost same proportion with US women. Hence Television and grass root marketing both are crucial in growing the fan base.

* Promote the NHL star players of respective teams in their respective zones thereby increasing the awareness and interest among the youth by making these local players a HERO using print media and hoardings.

* Convert the people under casual and slightly interested category to big fan category. This can be done by involving the people in local events where T shirts, mugs, bottles having NHL logo are distributed near cafeteria, outside food courts, near football stadiums.

* Conducting hockey games in schools and colleges. All participants must be given hockey jerseys. The winners must be given Hockey bats and free tickets to a home game.

* Online promotions and social media can also be used, create a Facebook page and for every person liking the page will get a free meal coupon to the best restaurant in that locality.

* Product placement in action movies and TV serials like 'Big Bang Theory' or 'How I met your mother' and having a celebrity as a brand ambassador may be Brad Pitt.

* Create a commercial featuring the captains of all famous teams, and delivering a message to America a caption which says World is changing, And so is sports! NHL gives you HOCKEY ~ America's tomorrow's game!

* Design a website of NHL, selling merchandise and playing stuff of Hockey as well as other sports at competitive prices, thereby drawing the attention of other sport fans.

* With all these there is a very high probability of the 'Not really interested' category (57.2% Exhibit 11) to shift their categories.