2018

Pittsburgh Maulers
Marketing and Promotional Plan

Julia Sevco, Nate Pudlo, Joe Kuntz,

and Ben Suchonic
 2018 Pittsburgh Maulers Marketing and Promotional Plan

Table of Contents

Executive Summary2

Situational Analysis2 - 4

Marketing and Promotional Strategy..5 - 6

Marketing Campaign..7 - 8

References..9
Executive Summary

The Pittsburgh Maulers is a new and exciting professional football franchise

coming to the city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. The Pittsburgh Maulers

organization is a sports entertainment company dedicated to winning United States

Football League (USFL) Championships, growing new football fans, and providing

superior entertainment, value, and service. The Pittsburgh Maulers seek to offer an

entertaining and state of the art football experience at affordable prices in the spring

season. The Pittsburgh Maulers product is a football experience like none other. It

combines the players, the game, the stadium, a professional atmosphere. Pittsburghers are

rabid football fans who would welcome additional football following the conclusion of

the National Football Leagues season. Maulers players, coaches, and front office staff

will be involved in appearances, charitable donations, and outreach programs with

nonprofit and community groups as a way to give back to the community. The goals for

the 2018 football season are to increase ticket revenue, increase attendance, improve

game atmosphere and entertainment, and increase awareness of the new team in town

through game day promotions to excite fans through affordable ticket pricing. The

Pittsburgh Maulers marketing campaign will use all types of media outlets including

television, radio, internet, and social media to engage with fans. The Pittsburgh Maulers

are an adventurous organization and are excited for their future in Burgh.

Situational Analysis

Pittsburgh is a sports town but at the heart of Pittsburgh is football. The

population of Pittsburgh is 304,391. However, the Maulers will draw from counties

outside of Allegheny too. Southwestern Pennsylvania including twelve counties has a

population of 3 million people. The Maulers will draw from counties down to West

Virginia and up to New York because there are no other professional football teams in

those areas. The average annual income of a Pittsburgher is $40,000. Although the

economy may be at a slight downturn, football will always be a priority for Pittsburghers.

The Steelers are sold out every year and have had a long waiting list since 1972 for fans

to obtain season tickets. Thus, there is a demand for more football in Pittsburgh

especially at an affordable price. As a result, the Maulers will quickly establish a wide fan

base and a successful franchise. The Mauler tickets will be offered at an affordable price.

The Steelers current season ticket package prices range from $732 to $3,008. The

University of Pittsburghs college team who also plays at Heinz field offers season ticket

packages ranging from $147 to $637. At the college game price point, the University is

able to sell 40,000 season tickets. The Maulers will price their season tickets in between

the Panthers and Steelers prices at a season ticket price from $400 to $2,000. This will

allow the Maulers to sell 35,000 season tickets the first year. Pittsburgh is home to three

other professional sports franchises including the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), Pittsburgh

Pirates (MLB), and the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL). Because the Maulers season is in the

spring, they will not be competing with the Steelers for fans. The baseball and hockey

teams do have games in the spring but the baseball attendance increases in the

summertime and is based upon the performance of the team. Hockey would provide some

competition as the seasons do coincide. However, the Maulers tickets are at a more

affordable price point. The Maulers will play at Heinz field that has a capacity of 68,400

and offers three club lounges seating 7,300, 129 suites seating 1,544, and 47 concession
areas and 7 merchandise shops. The Maulers will obtain corporate sponsorship to

purchase luxury boxes.

The following SWOT analysis examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,

and threats for the Pittsburgh Maulers.

Strengths: Weaknesses:
Experienced successful hometown New franchise
owner in Mark Cuban Lack of Awareness in the market
Respected hometown co-owners Limited experience
who know the fans needs and Lack of popularity
wants in Hines Ward and Lynn
Swan
Successful winning and recruiting
coach in Les Miles
Hometown hero quality player in
James Connor
Popularity of football from youth
football up
Lower cost ticket price point
City with rich history of football
State of art stadium which seats
68,400
Media rights deal with NBC Sports,
93.7 The Fan, Sirius XM

Opportunities:
Potential partnership with Steelers
to lower facility overhead costs
Emerging market in Steelers
waiting list fans potentially large
fan base
Partnership with top sponsors
High quality merchandising
Community involvement
Social media marketing
Economic benefit to hotels and
restaurants
Increase tourism and promotional
opportunities for the city of
Pittsburgh
Threats:
Competition with other professional
sports (Steelers, Pirates, Penguins)
for fan base
Other forms of family
entertainment (movies)
Past history of failure in 1984
Slight downturn in economy
TV/Media may limit fans from
attending games
Although the Maulers have weaknesses and threats they have to be cognizant of, the

strengths and opportunities far outweigh the weaknesses and threats.

Marketing and Promotional Strategy

The target market includes sports fans who cannot afford to purchase and attend

Steelers games. This fan base can be complimented with existing Steelers season ticket

holders as well as those on the waiting list. The Steelers waiting list has been in existence

since 1972 which shows the demand for football in the Pittsburgh region. The current

Steelers season ticket holders are middle aged to older blue-collar workers who have had

season tickets in their families for generations. The Maulers can capitalize on this target

market capturing those on the waiting list and expanding to a younger demographic and

families with a lower ticket price point and not having a seat license associated with

season tickets. Women and diverse ethnic groups are additional consumer groups to tap

into.

Being a new organization is both exciting and challenging. The goals for the 2018

football season is to increase ticket revenue, increase attendance, improve game

atmosphere/entertainment, and increase awareness of the new team in town. The

Pittsburgh Maulers marketing objectives include the following:

Average attendance: 40,000 fans per game

Season tickets: 35,000 ticket holders per season
Increase attendance by 10% in the next 2 seasons
o Group Ticket sales at a 20% savings
Churches
Youth groups/organizations
Public and Private schools
Local businesses
City employees
Educators
 Military service personnel
o Sponsorship Packages
o Employers through Perks programs
o Family packages for a game discounted 2 adult/2 children package to
encourage families to attend
Increase merchandise sales by 20% over the next season
o Maulers Rubber Hammer
o Partner with Under Armour and Dicks Sporting Goods to have exclusive
official team merchandise at their store and on line
o 7 novelty stores at the Stadium
o Merchandise tent sales outside the stadium
o Create an online Maulers store
10 Player appearances throughout the season wearing jerseys to increase team
recognition and branding
o Hospitals
o Churches
o Schools
o Charity fundraisers
Promotions for all 9 home games
o Travel with the Mauler football team to an away game- all expenses paid
o Naming the mascot contest winner receives 2 season tickets for 3 years
o First person to buy season tickets leads the team onto the field at the home
opener
o Fireworks after a night game
o Veterans Day game honoring all veterans with free ticket
o Mauler rubber hammer provided to first 5,000 season ticket buyers
o Fan Fest day before first home game at the stadium Public can meet
players and coaches; sponsored by 93.7FM the Fan radio station; includes
photos and autographs, food, beverages, cheerleaders, inflatable games
and activities for kids, tents selling tickets and merchandise
o Hop to Better Seats first 1,000 fans attending the game will have the
opportunity to move to better seats at no cost
o Sideline coach for a game includes two field passes and access to locker
room at half time
o In-seat visits from cheerleaders for fans who do the most online posting
during the game
o Concert after the game by T. Powell
o Cancer Strong Day honoring those fighting and those surviving cancer
Partnership with American Cancer Society to provide pink Mauler t-shirts
to fans in attendance
Corporate Sponsorship
o UPMC currently partners with the Steelers so Highmark and Allegheny
General Hospital would love to be a corporate sponsor for the Maulers
 o The American Cancer Society will sponsor with the Pittsburgh Maulers
because of James Connors strong relationship with the organization

Marketing Campaign

The 2018 Pittsburgh Mauler football season is filled with high energy and

promise. The Maulers marketing campaign will generate a lot of excitement in the

city of Pittsburgh and surrounding counties. The Pittsburgh Maulers marketing

campaign will use all types of media outlets including television, radio, internet, and

social media to engage with fans. The campaign is based on price and promotion.

Pricing is very important to the success of the Maulers. The most important areas

regarding pricing are tickets and merchandise. To differentiate from the Steelers

organization, the pricing will be lower for tickets. Ticket pricing will fall between the

pricing of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football games and the Pittsburgh

Steelers. Because of the relationship with Under Armour and Dicks Sporting Goods,

pricing for merchandise can be slightly higher to capture the large initial apparel

purchase and make more profit.

Regarding promotion, social media outlets will build brand and fan base. The

Internet provides many low cost promotion tools. The marketing campaign will

include the use of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Maulers coach along with

some players will use twitter enabling their fan base to grow. Pittsburgh Mauler

owner, Mark Cuban, will use print, social media, and the speaking circuit to draw

awareness and promotion for his new team. Social media will bring the game and the

players to the fans. Facebook will be used to update fans and keep them engaged and

involved in the organization. The Maulers will also have an interactive website.
Along with social media, the Maulers recognize the importance of traditional

promotions as well. Therefore, promotion will occur through word of mouth, online

newsletters, newspaper, local and regional television, billboards, radio and giving

back to the community.

The Pittsburgh Maulers will have two promotional campaigns that are linked.

First, the campaign will highlight hometown hero and star running back James

Connor. Connors story of overcoming cancer to finish out his career with the

University of Pittsburgh Panthers is well known. The second campaign will

piggyback on Connors popularity. James Connor is associated with the hashtag

#ConnorStrong. This will be paired with the hashtag #MaulerStrong. Connor ends his

video with the words This is our house. The Maulers will use that as a springboard

to the linked campaign in which they partner with Under Armour and T. Powell using

the hashtag #Protect this House. Heinz field has a reputation of winning and the

Pittsburgh Maulers will continue that winning tradition. A winning football team will

bring fans to the games and build demand for the product. The Maulers will use Vine

and Youtube videos along with social posts from athletes and fans to build momentum

for the inaugural season of the Pittsburgh Maulers. T. Powells song will be played at

each home game as the team takes the field. T. Powell will provide a concert

following the home opener. The combination of a winning football player and person

in James Connor linked to a winning sports venue in Heinz field will set the tone for

the soon to be winning Pittsburgh Maulers.

https://youtu.be/WreiP9FwEZ8?t=6s

https://youtu.be/CuboB1Wz2qA?t=12s
 References

Hoffmann. Jonathan. Pittsburgh Maulers. Received by Julia Sevco, 15 February

2017.

James Connor Pitt Highlights Connor Strong. YouTube, uploaded by Julia Sevco,

24 February 2017, www.youtu.be/WreiP9FwEZ8?t=6s.

Official Athletic Site of the University of Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh. 2017,

www.pittsburghpanthers.com. Accessed 21 February 2017.

Schaferhott, Nick. 9 Effective Marketing Ideas for Sports Teams and Sporting

Events. 17 November 2015. ThemeBoy. Web. 22 February 2017.

Scheiner, Ty. 4 Winning Sport Social Media Marketing Campaigns You Can Learn

From. Brafton. 15 February 2012. Web. 16 February 2017.

The Official Site of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh Steelers. 2017,

www.steelers.com. Accessed 23 February 2017.

UnderArmour Boyz (Protect this House). YouTube, uploaded by Julia Sevco, 25

February 2017, www.youtu.be/CuboB1Wz2qA?t=12s.