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University Newcastle

Ice hockey team goes to school for marketing plans

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

October 22, 2008 | 3 min read

Newcastle ice hockey team, The Mincoffs Vipers, have this week revealed a revamped and revived image campaign following a review by Newcastle University Business School students.

The campaign to encourage more families to the team's matches, will launch in schools around the region over the next two weeks. And new promotional literature will reach over 12,000 families in the North east of England throughout October and November.

As part of the MBA programme, students from Newcastle University Business School "got under the skin" of the Vipers and conducted strategic research into the organisation’s marketing plan, from which they produced a detailed recommendations document.

One of the main areas highlighted in the report was the importance of opening up new markets and minimising the effects of the credit crunch by appealing to families and younger children.

Jamie Longmuir, marketing manager for the Vipers commented: “The report produced by Newcastle University Business School students has proved to be an invaluable resource for us, and we are implementing several of the recommendations made.

“The Vipers are very much part of the entertainment and leisure industry, gone are the days where spectator sports are just for men to get together to meet up after work and catch up whilst watching a match. The industry and the Vipers are very family orientated and compete not just with other sporting clubs in the city but with cinemas, shopping centres, ten pin bowling and other activities where families want to spend their free time together.”

Andrew Simpson, director of executive programmes at the University, added: “We actively encourage our students to go out and complete projects with businesses where they can make a real difference. It benefits both parties involved as students gain the opportunity to learn more about an organisation and the organisation benefits from the high calibre work our students produce for them.”

University Newcastle

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