Toronto deal paying off for Bills

[Dr. Fong]

So what they're saying is Rochester needs a game too.

[Homey D. Clown]

Don't you think that selling luxury suites is the goal of this whole thing? Of course it's difficult, if it wasn't all of the suites at the Ralph would be sold to businesses and our financial issues wouldn't be as dire.

 

First they need to build a large fan base in the area so that ratings are high enough for Canadian companies to justify spending on sponsorships at the Ralph. Once that happens they'll have a much greater pull with businesses from Toronto to Buffalo...

 

 

I get it everyone, it sucks that we lost a home game but Buffalo's business economy can't support the Bills on their own. Embrace the concept of a "regional market" cause it's coming (if it isn't already here). Doesn't mean the Bills will leave Buffalo, but it does mean they're going to have to be open to doing business in a different way than the past.

 

 

Regionalizing the team is a great idea, and the challenges a smaller market team faces are corporate sponsorship dollars, not season ticket holders, the Bills have had no trouble selling seats to the current area. That's never been the problem. Getting corporate sponsorship from these regional cities is a challenge, but not impossible. If this little fiasco in the Rogers Centre brings a few over the border to actually fill suites, advertise in the stadium, or hold events in their town that involve the Bills Franchise, then great.

 

I clearly see moving games out of 1 Bills drive as counter productive for both the team and WNY. While the area is struggling with the economy, and NY state choking off one business after another, it is by and large, a very populated area from a season ticket holder perspective.

 

I think way too many people involved with the organization have been hypnotized by Ralph's decades long rant about how it's no longer possible to keep the team in the area.

 

I can't for the life of me see how the team could ever be successful playing less home games than the rest of the league, whether you choose to accept that or not is up to you, but the reality is that as long as the BIlls are a Buffalo team, Toronto will always be a neutral site AT BEST.

 

A winning team is not going to sway a die hard Miami fan or Steelers fan in Toronto into a Bills fan.

Edited April 1, 2011 by McKinleys Curse

[Buffal0 Bill5]

They need to build a bridge/stadium that sits over the river in Niagara Falls. It would be a technological marvel, and would take care of all of the customs problems. Canadians enter through the Canada gates, Americans through the U.S. side. Unfortunately their side of the stadium would look really nice, and ours would be crap.

Edited April 1, 2011 by Buffal0 Bill5

[papazoid]

They need to build a bridge/stadium that sits over the river in Niagara Falls. It would be a technological marvel, and would take care of all of the customs problems. Canadians enter through the Canada gates, Americans through the U.S. side. Unfortunately their side of the stadium would look really nice, and ours would be crap.

 

with a glass bottom...

[BuffaloBill]

Embrace the southern ontario and toronto market.....it is the key to keeping the bills in buffalo.

 

 

Agreed ... it may be what also keeps Buffalo as a city propped up. If Albany could only get a clue ....

[Mr. WEO]

You really think that they're just straight up making up the numbers? I find that one pretty hard to believe - there has to be *some* basis for them IMO. It's not like it would be a tough thing to measure, they have historical data on season ticket buyers.

 

Also why would they make the numbers up, it's not like they have investors to answer to? If (let's pretend) Russ is doing this to "save face" and it's all a lie, the big boss is still going to know the truth and Russ would be out of a job...

I don't think it's necessarily the Toronto games alone that are driving the numbers - certainly the increased visibility can't hurt, but (again IMO) the ancillary marketing to the region must have helped somewhat!

I agree, by ALL accounts, the Toronto games are a a bit of a joke. I doubt they had anything to do with the increase in Canadian season ticket buyers (the increase equals 2200 more tickets sold in 2010.

 

Fire Russ for fibbing? Ralph?? No, Russ has been told to put out this story--that the increase in season ticket sales was caused by moving games to Toronto--BY his boss, no doubt.

[papazoid]

Agreed ... it may be what also keeps Buffalo as a city propped up. If Albany could only get a clue ....

 

the economic key to buffalo's success is a regionalization approach to TOURISM between buffalo and niagara falls. new money from outside visitors.

 

we already have the Falls....in Buffalo, along the waterfront build a new world class Convention Center, a world class aquarium and move/build a world class Zoo there too.

[Mr. WEO]

the economic key to buffalo's success is a regionalization approach to TOURISM between buffalo and niagara falls. new money from outside visitors.

 

we already have the Falls....in Buffalo, along the waterfront build a new world class Convention Center, a world class aquarium and move/build a world class Zoo there too.

Wow! Spoken like a Buffalo Assemblyman in Albany.

[papazoid]

Bills trying to find ways to raise their profile in Toronto

JAMES CHRISTIE

Toronto Globe and Mail

Published Friday, Apr. 01, 2011 9:47PM EDT

 

 

The NFL team brought its marketing staff to Toronto this week to meet with four teams of MBA students at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management to the University of Toronto, looking for ideas that will make the Bills Toronto Series a success.

 

Among the attractive ideas were creating a group of dedicated supporters, a la Andrew Boguts efforts to create a rooting section at Milwaukee Bucks basketball games (he gives out 100 lower-level seats to chanting, screaming, wig-wearing fans who have auditioned to create some atmosphere as Squad 6); the idea of overcoming Ontarios liquor laws by substituting the typical NFL tailgate parties with special wing-fest nights at a chain of bars and restaurants; the idea of sending Torontos NFL fans to Buffalo games by bundling Bills tickets with discount nights at a Niagara-area casino and hotel, so attending a game becomes a weekend event and not just a one-time ordeal of waiting at the border.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/bills-trying-to-find-ways-to-raise-their-profile-in-toronto/article1968156/

 

P.S.- the Bills should try to sign a player from the canadian league or one who was born in canada.....

Edited April 2, 2011 by papazoid

[bananathumb]

Bills trying to find ways to raise their profile in Toronto

JAMES CHRISTIE

Toronto— Globe and Mail

Published Friday, Apr. 01, 2011 9:47PM EDT

 

 

The NFL team brought its marketing staff to Toronto this week to meet with four teams of MBA students at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management to the University of Toronto, looking for ideas that will make the Bills Toronto Series a success.

 

Among the attractive ideas were creating a group of dedicated supporters, a la Andrew Bogut’s efforts to create a rooting section at Milwaukee Bucks basketball games (he gives out 100 lower-level seats to chanting, screaming, wig-wearing fans who have auditioned to create some atmosphere as Squad 6); the idea of overcoming Ontario’s liquor laws by substituting the typical NFL tailgate parties with special “wing-fest” nights at a chain of bars and restaurants; the idea of sending Toronto’s NFL fans to Buffalo games by bundling Bills tickets with discount nights at a Niagara-area casino and hotel, so attending a game becomes a weekend event and not just a one-time ordeal of waiting at the border.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/bills-trying-to-find-ways-to-raise-their-profile-in-toronto/article1968156/

 

P.S.- the Bills should try to sign a player from the canadian league or one who was born in canada.....

 

 

Let's face it. Ralph, Rogers and Russ's dream of Regionalization is not going to work.

 

No-one in toronto is interested in a team that plays a game or two in the city and Buffalo fans don't want to go to them either. It was a one-off scheme by Wilson to get money and Rogers to bring a team to Toronto.

It will end after the contract is up in two years.

 

Toronto may eventually have its own team and Buffalo may not have a team, but this grade-school sharing scheme will never work.

[BADOLBILZ]

"At Ralph Wilson Stadium on any given Sunday, close to 15 percent of your fan base is from Rochester, and 15 percent of your fan base is from Southern Ontario," Brandon said.

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article379741.ece

 

Buffalo Bills = 4th Largest market in North America !

 

This is by no means a surprise to people who tailgate regularly in the lots and go to all the games. Canada is always well represented at Bills games. I'd say the 15% seems a little on the low side, but it's at least that much.

 

The question is, whether the Bills have done ENOUGH. I think they've really just added fans by the mere fact that they tried. If you don't try to market in Toronto, they won't embrace you.

 

Also, the fact that the NFL itself just keeps getting more popular obviously helps the Bills attract ticket buyers in from Ontario.

 

It's not uncommon at all to be in the stadium and hear fans around us that are just basically NFL tourists from Ontario. They are there to be at an NFL game. They often mock the pathetic Bills, start Argo chants, etc... But I get the feeling that they WANT to root for the Bills, it's just hard to start up any kind of fan loyalty with a LOUSY team.

 

And despite the fact that the Bills do win 6-7 games usually and haven't had a truly putrid record.......the play on the field has been every bit 2-14 for most of the past 5-6 years. If the team starts playing winning and exciting football, they will start attracting fans from Toronto as well the more southern areas Ontario which have long had many Bills fans.

 

That's a big step for the Bills in Toronto. In perspective, the night the Bills lost SBXXV, the Global TV sports show opened up with info from Leafs practice and closed the show with a mocking laugh at the NFL team from Buffalo that lost the American Super Bowl on a missed kick. Much has changed.

[nobody]

So the Bills added something along the lines of 3000 Southern Ontario season ticket holders over the last 3 years. With this economy that is nothing to complain about. Of course some of that might be due to the economy rather then just marketing. It is cheaper today for Canadians to buy tickets as the loonie is on par with (and moving past) the dollar.

 

 

 

 

So what they're saying is Rochester needs a game too.

 

 

By the next US Census - the Rochester region will probably be larger then the Buffalo region. If another stadium is ever built for the Bills it will have to be built closer to the Rochester and Southern Ontario markets.

Edited April 3, 2011 by nobody

[bbills17]

This is the biggest load of crap I've heard. So, Brandon wants me to believe, that, because of the crap game in Toronto, that almost every Bills fan hates (both Candians and Buffalonians), has inspired more fans to come to Buffalo? For what reason? They were awed by the crap that takes place in Rogers Centre? I'm calling BS. That's why he won't give numbers.

 

Total load of bull. How many people really believe the crap in Toronto inspired new fans to become season ticket holders? If they have taken in a game in Buffalo, yeah, I can see it. But inspired from the game in Toronto.......yeah right.

 

I think Brandon knows better than you do. My brother and I are two of those people, having bought seasons tickets since the TO games.

[papazoid]

I think Brandon knows better than you do. My brother and I are two of those people, having bought seasons tickets since the TO games.

 

 

see....the marketing effort is working......imagine when the bills are a playoff team.

[Mr. WEO]

A major reason the S. Ontario percentage of season tickets went up 4% (of the total) is because the total number of season tickets is down from 55,000 to 44,000 in 2010. Even if the actual number of S. Ontario season ticket buyers stayed the same in 2010, their % would have risen nearly 3%.

 

That's some magic trick by Russ's marketing machine--an "increase in 44%" while making 11,000 season ticket holders disappear.

 

Maybe those Canadian students can teach him something.

Edited April 4, 2011 by Mr. WEO

[papazoid]

A major reason the S. Ontario percentage of season tickets went up 4% (of the total) is because the total number of season tickets is down from 55,000 to 44,000 in 2010. Even if the actual number of S. Ontario season ticket buyers stayed the same in 2010, their % would have risen nearly 3%.

 

That's some magic trick by Russ's marketing machine--an "increase in 44%" while making 11,000 season ticket holders disappear.

 

Maybe those Canadian students can teach him something.

 

 

10,000 fans and growing, from southern ontario coming to the Ralph every game......it's a beautiful thing....

[Mr. WEO]

10,000 fans and growing, from southern ontario coming to the Ralph every game......it's a beautiful thing....

How do you know this?

 

Russ said they make up 16% of the season ticket buyers in 2010. That's 7000.

[papazoid]

How do you know this?

 

Russ said they make up 16% of the season ticket buyers in 2010. That's 7000.

 

 

STATEMENT #1- "After three years of that experience, we've had a 44 percent increase in season-ticket holders from Southern Ontario to One Bills Drive," Brandon said (talking about season ticket holders ONLY).

 

STATEMENT #2- "At Ralph Wilson Stadium on any given Sunday, close to 15 percent of your fan base is from Rochester, and 15 percent of your fan base is from Southern Ontario," Brandon said. "That's how we make it work."

In a crowd of 70,000, that equals about 10,000 fans from Rochester and about 10,000 from Southern Ontario.

(that would be season ticket holders AND single game purchases)70,000 times 15% = 10,500.....and growing...lol

[Mr. WEO]

STATEMENT #1- "After three years of that experience, we've had a 44 percent increase in season-ticket holders from Southern Ontario to One Bills Drive," Brandon said (talking about season ticket holders ONLY).

 

STATEMENT #2- "At Ralph Wilson Stadium on any given Sunday, close to 15 percent of your fan base is from Rochester, and 15 percent of your fan base is from Southern Ontario," Brandon said. "That's how we make it work."

In a crowd of 70,000, that equals about 10,000 fans from Rochester and about 10,000 from Southern Ontario.

(that would be season ticket holders AND single game purchases)70,000 times 15% = 10,500.....and growing...lol

How does he know this? Is he going through the parking lot looking for Canadian plates?

[papazoid]

How does he know this? Is he going through the parking lot looking for Canadian plates?

 

laffin....your just determined to call bullchit on poor Russ....

 

well, statement #1- all season ticket account holders have their tickets mailed to them with something called an address. it's also a very useful tool in tracking your customers. statement #2 - most single game tickets are purchased using a credit card, when the buffalo bills or ticketmaster take those orders, an address is also required. seeing as most games are sellouts (approx 6 of 8) there is very little "walk up" ticket sales paid in cash.