Gonzaga Unveils New Microsite for Women's Basketball Program

Gonzaga University celebrated the start of the 2010 women's basketball season by unveiling a new, interactive microsite that serves as an ultimate destination for fans to get all of the content they need. The site, ZagsLocker.com, provides a means for the athletic department to highlight the women's basketball program in a simple yet comprehensive manner and engage with current and prospective fans.

The framework of the site was built with six (6) strategic objectives in mind:

1. Enhance fan engagement throughout the season

a. Fans can upload their personal photos to the site in an effort to win tickets and see their picture featured on the scoreboard, accompanied by a PA mention, at a live game

b. When submitting photos, fans are required to provide their email address, allowing the athletic department to message to them throughout the season

2. Strengthen fan affinity and goodwill via interactive contests and in-game engagement

a. ZagsLocker.com features an "Interact to Win" section that allows fans to reply to specific questions via tweets/Facebook posts to win select prizes. Fan comments made via social media (posts about Gonzaga athletics on Facebook walls; direct messages to/from Gonzaga Athletics on Twitter) provide additional exposure to fans that may not have been communicated to via traditional marketing efforts

3. Provide fans with an inside look at Gonzaga's women's basketball via "Zags TV"

a. ZagsLocker.com features a link to the Official Gonzaga Athletics YouTube page where fans can check out new weekly content of Gonzaga WBB on Zags TV

4. Data mining for future marketing campaigns

a. Gonzaga Athletics is giving away commemorative Sweet Sixteen mini-banners to all fans that register on ZagsLocker.com with their full information. This strategy allows the athletic department to collect useful information for database/marketing purposes and drives additional awareness amongst fans and alumni of the WBB team's past Sweet Sixteen run.

5. Drive season and NCAA tournament ticket sales

a. ZagsLocker.com features a direct link (Buy Tickets button) for fans to purchase season, group, individual, and NCAA tournament tickets throughout the 2010 WBB season

6. Generate merchandise sales

a. Fans have the ability to link to the official online merchandise store to purchase goos by hitting the “Buy Gear” portion in the locker on ZagsLocker.com

Comments

[Hugh Beaumont]

Not sure on the overall effectiveness of the solution:

Design:
-Honestly it's brutal, and if you look at the work that firm does - it's templated. Don't consider it a professionaly done design at all. It's clearly a price game - and hopefully for Gonzaga a very inexpensive one.

Content:
-Merch Callout: Really doesn't entice you to buy, nothing is classifed as Featured or Showcased, no discounts or specials. If Zags fans don't already know about the AD store they need help.

-Tix Link goes out & TV link goes out.

-Facebook, don't see people staying here to comment and follow, would much rather do on the main Facebook site.

-The banner registration, i guess it accomplishes a goal and can be considered unique, but it is not a repeat traffic driver, and you need to be a huge Zags Women's team fan to want that banner. The banner is dated too, would rather just have a general Zags Promo banner.

-Photo Contest: This deserves some props for creativity I'll admit. Again the design though, wow it just really makes it look cheap. But can't argue, I like this feature. Prefer to see a list of all the winners, and then maybe at season end let Fans vote on an overall winner that gets free tix.

-Interact to Win: A nice feature. Again would like to see a list of all the winner's.

Overall just really short on repeat traffic drivers. The problem also is a result of the main Zags AD site. There is basically nothing there either that you don't find on any templated AD website:
-Team Blog is a year outdated. Are you kidding me????
-No Twitter feed for Coach or WBB Specific Acct
-No specific WBB Facebook Acct
-No easily viewable Photo Gallery
-No unique content about or from the Program & Players
-No unique Promos
-They don't even have a callout for ZagsLocker.com on the Main WBB Page

Needs to be better planned. Also could have gotten a coach/program site from CBS Sports through their contract so not really sure what the true value of this is compared to what it could have been.