Transforming Attendance: ASU Volleyball’s Innovative Marketing Approach
When Arizona State University (ASU) women’s volleyball coach JJ Van Niel was pursuing his undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California, he stumbled upon an exhilarating opportunity: helping a professor code and build a currency trading system. This hands-on experience not only enriched his learning but ignited a passion for combining theoretical knowledge with real-world applications. Van Niel reflected, “It was really fun; I learned a lot and totally bought in. It was actually real. There was skin in the game.”
With this invigorating experience in mind, Van Niel thought about how to enhance the marketing of the Sun Devils’ volleyball program. He turned back to his past and reached out to Daniel McIntosh, the faculty director of the sports business program at ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business. This inquiry led to a groundbreaking collaboration between athletics and students—one aimed at revitalizing attendance at volleyball and baseball games without any financial backing.
The Collaborative Model
In this partnership, students from three sports business capstone courses apply innovative, real-world marketing strategies as they work to elevate the visibility and attendance of ASU athletic events. The collaboration offers students firsthand experience in marketing, while simultaneously bringing the excitement of live sports to more fans. As Bill Kennedy, associate athletic director for student engagement, noted, “We think that this collaboration has worked out wonderfully. The students get the benefit of practical experience in marketing and game activations, and ASU gets the benefit of increased student attendance and the energy it brings to those games.”
Trust and Empowerment
McIntosh was astounded when Van Niel proposed that the sports business students take on the marketing of ASU volleyball games. “This is an incredible statement of their trust in our program for them to turn over one of their marquee events with ASU volleyball,” he remarked, emphasizing the significance of such a partnership. The first event, held in 2022 against the University of Kansas, saw a remarkable attendance of 4,179 fans, laying the groundwork for future successes.
Recent Wins
The student-led efforts truly began to pay off as they broke attendance records for ASU baseball, creating an engaging atmosphere that resonates with their peers. Most recently, on November 17, the volleyball program drew 7,703 fans, achieving its largest crowd in over a decade during a match against the University of Arizona. Van Niel expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “It’s been a really cool thing. We’ve had some really nice successes with them working with us.”
Marketing by Students, for Students
A significant advantage of this collaboration lies in connecting with a young audience—students themselves. Van Niel attested, “At the end of the day, we’re trying to get a young crowd…working with students taps into their creativity and understanding of their peers.” This student-to-student marketing allows for fresh ideas, devoid of the preconceived notions often held by seasoned marketers.
Frank Jee, a clinical associate professor involved in the capstone courses, explained that the initial aim of the collaboration was straightforward: to get more “butts in the seats.” However, as students delved deeper into their marketing strategies, they expanded their role to include designing promotional materials, such as themed T-shirts, and collaborating with Sun Devil Athletics for real-time audience engagement analytics.
Crafting Engaging Experiences
Diverse teams of students are formed, with each group pitching unique marketing ideas to the leadership at Sun Devil Athletics. For the volleyball event featuring 7,703 fans, a team named Inferno Aces implemented a combination of social media strategies and word-of-mouth outreach. “Our main approach was just to try to get as many eyes on the game as possible,” explained team member Josh Heggie, who emphasized the importance of urgency in their messaging.
Another student team contributed to the lively atmosphere by organizing interactive trivia games using the Kahoot platform, creating an engaging pre-game experience that allowed attendees to win prizes like autographed volleyballs.
Innovative Approaches to Promotion
Beyond social media efforts, students reached out to various organizations and clubs, including volleyball youth groups and senior communities around campus. They even enlisted players from the volleyball team to share promotional materials within their own networks.
An essential lesson learned through this initiative was the understanding that college students often plan their outings last minute. Therefore, marketing strategies shifted to focus on promoting events just a day ahead of time, ensuring timeliness and relevancy in their outreach efforts. “This is just pure grassroots marketing,” McIntosh noted, highlighting how essential it is to harness the energy and creativity of students to promote events effectively.
Real-World Learning Experiences
As students witness their marketing strategies yield tangible results, it often leads to transformative learning opportunities. Ryan Kota, one of the professors guiding the capstone courses, remarked that many students aspire to work in sports and are gaining invaluable insights into what that career path truly entails. Engaging with real projects fosters a sense of responsibility and achievement that transcends traditional classroom environments.
In essence, this innovative partnership between ASU’s volleyball program and sports business students is not only breathing new life into attendance figures but also equipping the next generation of sports marketers with essential tools and experiences as they prepare to enter the workforce.
