Rebuilding & Reinvigorating the Seton Hall Hoops/Athletics Brand - An Ad Agency Guy's Perspective & Plan (Multi-Part)

[CT Pirate]

As a retired ad agency professional having worked in firms in NYC and across New England, I asked myself on many occasions over the past six months what I would do if I were to pitch the Seton Hall Basketball/Athletics account. Given the times, it certainly presents a challenge – not enough budget, poor results, small but zealous fan base, changing college sports landscape. Considering the lack of positive news and momentum, I sat down and developed a plan for how I’d approach rebuilding, refreshing and reinvigorating the Seton Hall Hoops/Athletics brand. I’ll be presenting my phased plan broken up in separate posts as there is a lot to unfold and digest. (There will be several phases and shared over the course of the next few days and week) Will be interesting to hear reactions.

Phase I – Seton Hall Hoops/Athletics Statement of Business Intentions Press Conference Summit

Brands need a reason to believe and a reason to belong. Right now when it comes to Seton Hall Hoops/Athletics there is a paucity on both fronts. The brand is too quiet and downright stealth like with all communications. Low profile is no profile. The lack of PR is appalling. Our NIL efforts are like a secret society. Our conference performance across majority of our sports teams is dismal, especially with those that are at the tip of the Seton Hall Athletics brand spear.

It’s time to hear from leadership in a demonstrative way – from the top of the University down. Think of it as a public declaration of what the future direction of Seton Hall Hoops/Athletics is in this new world order. Unveil plans for how they plan to compete and declarative facts on the steps being taken by leadership to remain relevant and competitive. Right now, Hall fans are left wondering and thinking the worst – dropping out of the Big East or getting out of the sports business.

Letters from Brian Felt do not get it done. It needs to be big and bold. Why I am recommending a press conference or summit. We need to hear from leadership as the brand is at a crossroads. This would establish a beachhead position for the future direction. It serves to provide answers to nagging questions we all have while at the same time creating enthusiasm by giving Setonia faithful a reason to believe. It sends a signal to the Big East conference, sponsors, Seton Hall season ticket holders and NIL donors and students about how serious we are about being competitive in the new college athletics world order.

Coming Next

Phase II – Development of the Seton Hall Hoops/Athletic Brand Value Proposition

 

[newshu1]

Felt ultimate nice guy, what is the old saying about nice guys though?

 

[mga pirate]

What were Felt’s qualifications to run a Big East school’s athletic department? If someone had said Seton Hall was going to hire an AD from a school that small, with so little experience, people would’ve been up in arms.

Oh wait—didn’t that happen too?

Hall went from poaching Iona to poaching St Pete's

 

[SHUBall1968]

What were Felt’s qualifications to run a Big East school’s athletic department? If someone had said Seton Hall was going to hire an AD from a school that small, with so little experience, people would’ve been up in arms.

Oh wait—didn’t that happen too?

Hall went from poaching Iona to poaching St Pete's

Not disagreeing with you or being an apologist, just level setting as sometimes parts of history become lost. Felt came up through athletics at Seton Hall, ran pre-NIL fundraising for SHU athletics and knows a lot of the top donors, was recruited to be the AD at St. Peter’s, hired Sha into his first head coaching position at St. Peter’s that put him in the elite 8, was recruited to be SHU’s AD, and then hired Sha as SHU’s head coach as the Board demanded.

 

[lloyde dobler]

There’s a Catch 22 involved in your first suggestion - interest has gotten so low, combined with media business dying (no fault of SHU) that if there was a press conference, no one other than Carino and the Setonian would show.

However ….. to go along with what you said, there is absolutely no reason for the athletic department not to host a summit/town hall open to all supporters of the program, and they now have the perfect place to hold it. Other schools do it, it’s baffling why SHU doesn’t. They certainly need to.

 

[LBP43]

There’s a Catch 22 involved in your first suggestion - interest has gotten so low, combined with media business dying (no fault of SHU) that if there was a press conference, no one other than Carino and the Setonian would show.

However ….. to go along with what you said, there is absolutely no reason for the athletic department not to host a summit/town hall open to all supporters of the program, and they now have the perfect place to hold it. Other schools do it, it’s baffling why SHU doesn’t. They certainly need to.

Is it really baffling lloyde dobler ? The persons running this show know it all.

 

[LBP43]

Not disagreeing with you or being an apologist, just level setting as sometimes parts of history become lost. Felt came up through athletics at Seton Hall, ran pre-NIL fundraising for SHU athletics and knows a lot of the top donors, was recruited to be the AD at St. Peter’s, hired Sha into his first head coaching position at St. Peter’s that put him in the elite 8, was recruited to be SHU’s AD, and then hired Sha as SHU’s head coach as the Board demanded.

Felt will never supervise Sha --in large part he owes his selection to Sha. Never a good thing for a Supervisor to be beholding. BTW where are Felt and Sha on the Fund raiser?

 

[CT Pirate]

There’s a Catch 22 involved in your first suggestion - interest has gotten so low, combined with media business dying (no fault of SHU) that if there was a press conference, no one other than Carino and the Setonian would show.

However ….. to go along with what you said, there is absolutely no reason for the athletic department not to host a summit/town hall open to all supporters of the program, and they now have the perfect place to hold it. Other schools do it, it’s baffling why SHU doesn’t. They certainly need to.

 

[CT Pirate]

Lloyde - good point. The premise behind the state of the program is to make a declarative statement about the future direction. I know many people here would tune in and or be interested. Thanks for the feedback. Look forward to my next installment regarding the "brand" and a value proposition.