Hurricanes work with SAS and IdeaS to Analyze Promotions and Ticket Pricing

by Bob Wage on Aug 22, 2009 9:52 AM EDT

The Carolina Hurricanes have recently turned to SAS for help with maximizing revenue regarding their home games this year. According to this article by News and Observer reporter David Ranii, the lead time for some promotions may be extended in the future. For instance, instead of needing to buy reduced price tickets on game day, perhaps they will allow fans to purchase them in advance.

Last season, the team offered discounts to groups such as college students and families for specified games, as well as military discounts for all games. They also made some discounts available only on game day; that may change this year, Nowicki said. "We have re-evaluated how we are going to handle those promotions specifically, and some will be available for longer periods of time," he said.

The team is also taking a hard look at how reducing prices to get more bodies in the building might help with the bottom line.

IDeaS is based in Minneapolis and has 206 employees. Its software analyzes reams of sales data and identifies ways for customers such as Hilton, Hyatt and US Airways to increase revenue. IDeaS' analysis of 2007-2008 ticket data concluded that the Canes could have boosted ticket revenue by 4.5 percent with better pricing. With some promotions, the team could have sold more tickets and generated more revenue with deeper discounts, while in other cases it cut prices more than was necessary, said Martino.

This news should be encouraging for fans in that the team seems to be more receptive to new ideas than in the past. We will see how it works out.

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I think an effective college student promotion could be something like:
All season long, and unsold tickets for weekday games (no weekends) in the upper levels will be opened up to college students starting one week before the game for a cheap price ($10-$15).

That’s only 20 games, and I imagine that weekday games are the ones that most often have empty seats. I imagine that most “normal” fans would have already bought their tickets earlier than one week before the game, and giving the students a full week to get in on the deal should promote better turnout than just game-day sales. I’d hate to be a student, go through the hassle of going out to the RBC center before a game, fighting traffic and parking, and only then discovering that the game is sold out…

by toddl on Aug 22, 2009 12:58 PM EDT reply actions

The Canes do a large amount of sales via walkups at game time. This is one of the things that hurt their sales promotions.

by C-Leaguer on Aug 22, 2009 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions

The team is also taking a hard look at how reducing prices to get more bodies in the building might help with the bottom line.

This is relevant to my interests.

by Iggy Reilly on Aug 22, 2009 3:21 PM EDT reply actions

I also like that the Canes are the first NHL team (sports client, in fact) that SAS (or IdeaS) has done this for.

Imagine this headline at ESPN.com (or The Hockey News, since they’ve become such followers of late)

Carolina Hurricanes: NHL Trend-setters push the envelope of technology in marketing and fan relations

What’s next: All HDTV broadcasts? Ray Whitney Twitter updates? Open-door policy with exclusive interviews to their top-rated SBNation blog?

BTW – check out the link to THN.com above – more upbeat comments on the future of our favorite team Carolina from leading writer Adam Proteau

Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!

by Carolyn Christians on Aug 22, 2009 4:19 PM EDT reply actions

Now Ray Whitney is someone worth following on Twitter. :)

by caniacgirl on Aug 22, 2009 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Wouldn’t that be cool?

Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!

by Carolyn Christians on Aug 22, 2009 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Extremely. I can just see the updates now.

6:52 pm “Mugging for the camera behind Tripper and Roddy”.

by caniacgirl on Aug 22, 2009 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Who can we get you to email to make it happen? ;)

Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!

by Carolyn Christians on Aug 23, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL. Maybe the media relations guy? I’m sure he’s got nothing better to do than make sure Ray’s tweets are appropriate. :)

by caniacgirl on Aug 23, 2009 9:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Ummm...

Could they possibly plug in beer sales data and figure out they’ll sell more if I can afford the beer?

Love, love, love the Canes!

by Caniac Jack on Aug 22, 2009 10:24 PM EDT reply actions

WORD!

I had to take out a second mortgage last time I wanted more than one! SAS doesn’t know the flower business but they need to know the beer business!!

Satan is just a coping mechanism for monotheists.

by wilmnoca on Aug 22, 2009 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Speaking of tickets has anyone heard when tickets for opening night will go on sale for STHs? Generally they give the option to STHs to buy extra tickets for opening night before they go on sale to the public.

by hotchipsnsalsa on Aug 23, 2009 7:50 PM EDT reply actions

Tickets

We should have out tickets prior to the Caniac Carnival, and I believe at that time you can get additional tickets. Just a side note, anyone have a clue as to why the 26 game plan holders didn’t get tickets for the last home game of the season? Kind of strange.

by kcljar on Aug 24, 2009 7:43 AM EDT reply actions

If ray started twittering or tweeting or whatever you would do on twitter I would have to break down and sign up for an account.

by CarolinaCanes on Aug 25, 2009 11:58 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Twitter is absolutely useless unless you have a phone that can except the “tweets”, and even then… if you sign up to follow too many(3 or 4 sports teams/ blogs) people- prepare to have your phone blowing up CONSTANTLY.

by packpigskinfan25 on Aug 26, 2009 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions