Phase I i. 1 Research Plan

Contents

I.1.1 Secondary Research

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  The Denver Broncos are members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League
  
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  Began in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL in 1970 as a part of the AFL-NFL merger
  
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  Won two superbowls and six AFC championships
  
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  Four players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: John Elway, Floyd Little, Gary Zimmerman and Shannon Sharpe.
  
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  Rivalries: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots
  
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  Uniforms:
  
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    Broncos debuted with yellow jerseys, brown pants, brown helmets and vertically striped socks
    
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    2 years later they unveiled a new logo of a bucking horse and changed colors to royal blue and orange  white pants, blue helmets and either orange or white jerseys. Design had a D with the bronco coming out. Known as the “Orange Crush”
    
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    1997: navy blue replaced royal blue. Changed jerseys to being orange, white and blue. Changed the logo to just the bronco
    
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  Home field: Mile High Stadium  Invesco Field  Sports Authority Field at Mile High
  
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    Stadium has a legendary home-field advantage
    
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      One of the best in the NFL, especially play offs
      
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  Radio: KOA, 850AM with Dave Logan as the play-by-play announcer and Ed McCaffrey as the color commentator beginning in 2012
  
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    In 2011, the Broncos partnership began with KJMN 92.1FM a Spanish station
    
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  The Barrel Man: Tim McKernan began wearing a barrel in 1977 to every game
  
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  Community programs
  
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    Build: Habitat for Humanity  “The Broncos regularly work as a staff on build projects and incorporate build opportunities into organizational-wide community days.” (1)
    
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    Care: Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children  “RMCH serves as a regular site for players to spread hope and cheer throughout pediatric units in metro Denver.” (1)
    
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    Cure: Susan G. Komen  “Each year the Broncos honor over 100 breast cancer survivors on field at a Broncos October home game, in conjunction with the NFL’s support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” (1)
    
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    Give: Bonfils Blood Center
    
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    Inspire: Boys and Girls Club  “The Denver Broncos opened the Denver Broncos Boys and Girls Club in northeast Denver (2003).” (1)
    
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    Live: American Heart Association  “The American Heart Association is a major partner for the Denver Broncos on the Play60 campaign that promotes youth fitness and healthy living.” (1)
    
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    Nourish: Food Bank of the Rockies
    
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    Play: Play60  “Broncos Bowl is an annual youth football scrimmage held at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.” (denverbroncos.com)
    
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    Provide: Inner City Health Center  “The Broncos granted $150,000 to ICHC for their new facility.” (1)
    
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    Serve: Denver Rescue Mission  “The Broncos staff volunteer regularly at all Denver Rescue Mission locations throughout the year.” (1)
    
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    Succeed: Denver Broncos Public Schools Futures Program
    
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    Volunteer: Mile High United Way
    
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  “A bulk of our philanthropic support, including monetary grants, player visits and auction items, aligns with the aforementioned flagship initiatives in order to have the greatest possible impact on the Colorado community. However, we do randomly select 20 causes every month from that month’s request pool of legitimate, in state causes to receive support through a player signed item of memorabilia.” (1)
  
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  Tickets: Season tickets, single game tickets and premium seating
  
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    “over 90% of Sports Authority Field at Mile High is sold on a season ticket basis for Denver Bronco games.” (1)
    
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    7 to 10 year wait for season tickets
    
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    NFL Ticket Exchange
    
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    Premium seating
    
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      United Club
      
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      Suites
      
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      5280 Room
      
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  Scoreboard messages: You can purchase a personal message to appear on the scoreboard during half time for $125, which is donated to the Denver Bronco Charities.
  
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  The Draft: “The Broncos’ draft GPA stands at 2.60.” (2)
  
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  Ended the 2011-2012 season as 1^st place in the AFC West conference.
  
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  Head coach: John Fox
  
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  2013 Draft
  
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    Round 1: Sylvester Williams (DT)
    
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    Round 2: Montee Ball (RB)
    
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    Round 3: Kayvon Webster (CB)
    
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    Round 5: Quanterus Smith (DE), Tavarres King (WR)
    
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    Round 6: Vinston Painter (OT)
    
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    Round 7: Zac Dysert (QB)
    
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  Survey: Are you older than Josh Mcdaniels (32)? 48.93% said yes and 51.07% said no. (3)
  
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  The Denver Broncos are the fourth most popular sports team among Hispanics (4)
  
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  NFL is the favorite spectator sport in Denver at 21.3% followed by NHL at 7.5% (4)
  

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  “74% of the Denver adult population has an interest in the NFL, with 67% having watched, attended or listened to a Bronco game within the past 12 months” (4)
  
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  “More than six million fans attend sporting events in Denver annually” (4)
  
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  Broncos have more than 100 season ticket holders from California, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico and Texas (4)
  
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  “regular season household TV ratings for the Denver Broncos are more than four times greater than the combined regular season ratings of the Rockies, Nuggets and Avalanche” (4)
  
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  “The Broncos have sold out every regular season, non-strike home game since 1970” (4)
  
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  Broncos season ticket holders have held their season tickets for an average of 35 years (4)
  
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  “The Broncos have the most home wins of ANY football team at the professional, college and high school level since 1974” (4)
  
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  Game day promotions: Co-Branded premium item giveaways, interactive displays, scoreboard features, on-field promotions (4)
  
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  Co-Branding: category exclusivity, official partner design, promotional use of team marks, enter-to-win contests (4)
  
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  Stadium branding and awareness: channel cut sinage, LED digital signage, tri-vision panels, concourse signage, scoreboard exposure, branded concepts (4)
  
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  Media: CBS4 “Home of the Broncos”, 850 KOA Broncos Radio, The Denver Post, Team Publications, Denverbroncos.com and Broncoscountry.com (4)
  
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  Tickets and hospitality: VIP training camp visits, pregame field passes, premium seating, tailgating parties, customized private events, stadium tours, fantast camps and game day sponsorship (4)
  
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  Opportunities: community development programs, customized special events, youth marketing, womens initiatives, Hispanic marketing, business-to-business, experimental opportunities, cheerleader and miles the mascot appearances (4)
  
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  Partnership with US Bank (4)
  
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    Signage and giveaways to Broncos Debit Cards
    
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    Broncosbanking.com highlighting promotions and customer saving opportunities
    
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    Broncos Banking package of checks and debit cards is more popular than any other sports team in US banks portfolio
    
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  Western Dairy Association used the team’s logo and color scheme to develop orange flavored and orange colored Mile High Milk  ended up generating media buzz and generated conversation in schools about changing the look of school milk
  

I.2.1 Client Profile

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  Began in 1960
  
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  Won two superbowls
  
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    1997: Green Bay Packers
    
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    1998: Atlanta Falcons
    
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  Six AFC championships
  
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    1977: at Oakland Raiders
    
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    1986: at Cleveland Browns
    
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    1987: at Cleveland Browns
    
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    1989: Cleveland Browns
    
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    1997: at Pittsburgh Steelers
    
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    1998: New York Jets
    
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  John Fox is the head coach
  
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  Home field is Sports Authority at Mile High
  
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  Owned by Patrick Bowlen
  
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  For a single game ticket the cost is between $40 - $350. The $40 ticket was in the “nose bleed” section and bought seven months in advance to the game.
  
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  Season tickets are based on 10 games
  
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    Makes individual games in the price range of $45 - $150 a game. Without the hassle of buying tickets several months in advance.
    
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  Over 90% of Sports Authority Field at Mile High is sold on a season ticket basis for Denver Broncos games.
  
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  The current wait is about 7 – 10 years, and the number of people coming off of the waiting list is based on cancellations from year to year.
  
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  Once you are a season ticket holder you can request to upgrade your season ticket package and have first opportunity to do so when it is time to renew.
  
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    Generally first available season tickets are in the upper level corner end zone
    
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  Pat Bowlen’s office endorsed the concept for Invesco filed to host a Super Bowl. It is possible Denver might host a Super Bowl at the late part of this decade.
  

I.2.2 Communication Audit

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  Target audiences
  
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    Kids: Denver Broncos Kid Zones
    
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      Junior Cheerleader
      
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      Broncos Brunch
      
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      Mascots
      
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      Play60
      
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      Youth Football
      
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    Fans
    
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    Teens/Young adults/Adults (16-50)
    
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      Social media sites
      
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  Key messages
  
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  Media tactics
  
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    Social media
    
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      Twitter: @denverbroncos, @broncoscheer, @broncospromos, @johnelway, @5280miles
      
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      Facebook: Denver Broncos, Broncos Cheer, Broncos promos, Miles the mascot, Broncos for women, Broncos fanaticos, Thunderstorm, Broncos high school football
      
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      Pintrist: Broncos
      
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      Instagram: Broncos
      
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    Fan Forums: message boards and chat rooms
    
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    Bronco mobile ap
    
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    Orange and Blue News
    
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    CBS4 “Home of the Broncos”
    
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    850 KOA Broncos Radio
    
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    The Denver Post
    
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    DenverBroncos.com
    
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    BroncosCountry.com
    
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    Custom License Plates
    
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    Broncos toolbar
    
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    Orange and Blue News
    
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    Auctions
    
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    Message boards
    
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    Mobile alerts
    
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    Mobile app
    
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    Fan Photos
    
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    Contests
    
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    Rock your Jersey
    
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    Salute to Service
    

Broncos current target audiences are specific to current fans, residents of Denver, and as well children, but there is a lack of involvement from students of Colorado Universities. If the Broncos were able to address this gap many benefits to the organization could arise.

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  Increase attendance from University students in Colorado at Bronco games during the 2013-2014 season and increase involvement in fandom on University campuses.
  

II.2.1 Primary Audience

Full time college students who attend school in Colorado

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  Both male and female
  
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  Live both on or off campus
  
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  Ages 18-24.
  

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  Colorado State University Fort Collins (5)
  
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    Total students- 27,569
    
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    Gender
    

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  Race
  

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  University Colorado at Boulder (5)
  
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    Total students- 31,796
    
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    Gender-
    
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    Race
    

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  University of Denver (5)
  
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    Total students- 11,052
    
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    Gender
    
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      Race
      

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  University of Northern Colorado (5)
  
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    Total students- 12,702
    
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    Gender
    
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    Race
    

II.2.1.2 Impact Objectives

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  Have at least 50% of campus be aware of the Broncos and their football games.
  

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  Have at least 20% of each campus participate in “Football Friday’s.”
  
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  Distribute marketing packages to campuses. Count the number of packages that were created and the number distributed at each campus.
  
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  Have a booth on campus and have 25% of the student population stop by this booth during the hours of operation.
  
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  Have colleges be excited and attend the “College Day” game. Each school will sell 100% of the tickets given to them.
  

Parents of these students.

II.2.2.1 Profile

II.2.2.2 Process Objectives

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  Promoting and advertising packages to parents whose children purchased tickets in hope that parents would purchase these packages for their children who will be attending the game
  

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  Get colleges in Colorado more involved with the Broncos
  
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  Have Football Friday’s at colleges where students wear their Bronco gear and tweet creative pictures @DenverBroncos. The school with the most creative pictures at the end of a six week period will have players visit their school and raffle prizes will be given away
  
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  Send packages to colleges with shirts, tickets, signed gear, etc.
  
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  Visit campuses and have a booth (for example on the plaza) with activities. This could also be a part of Play60 or could just advertise the Broncos and how they support the community.
  
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  Have a “College Day” game and only sell tickets to college students. Assign different sections to each school and make it a competition to which school has the most attendance, spirit, etc.
  

II.4.1 Creative Concept

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  Football Friday
  
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  College game day
  

II.4.2.1 Message Strategies

II.4.2.2 Messages

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  Mile High Mania
  
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  Orange crush
  
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  Mile High Salute
  

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  Use social media sites that are already available because the target audience is a big user or social media
  
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  Advertise in the college newspaper the 2014 Broncos team and Football Fridays
  
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  College radio advertisement
  

II.4.2.4 Tactics

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  Paid advertisement: newspaper ads, promotional flyers and posters, radio commercials
  
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  Unpaid advertisement: booths on college campuses, news/press realeases, social media websites
  

IV.1 Output Evaluation

1. 
   Denverbroncos.com
   
2. 
   http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Evaluating-the-Draft/c128950f-0c51-4e78-9327-1994d46e6729)
   
3. 
   http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=76044
   
4. 
   http://prod.static.broncos.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/09_DB_Sales_Collateral.pdf
   
5. 
   Collegestats.org
   
6.