The Soo Greyhounds are a junior ice hockey team based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. They have a long history of developing talented players who go on to play in the NHL. Their vision is to develop their young players not just as hockey players but also as good people. While they have sustained success on the ice, their fanbase is aging and they struggle to attract younger fans. They also have a smaller arena capacity compared to some other teams. Partnering with an NHL organization could help bring new resources. As the only hockey team in Sault Ste. Marie, they have a built-in fanbase without local competition. However, immature actions by players could damage their image.

1. Franco D’Agostino
RCEL-217-0NC
Soo Greyhounds marketing audit
Cecily Clarke

2. Introducion
Founded in 1962, the Soo Greyhounds are a hockey team that plays out of Sault Ste.
Marie, Ontario. The Greyhounds play in the OHL or Ontario Hockey League as well as playing
in the CHL or Canadian Hockey League. The Greyhounds are one of the many teams that
develop young boys starting from the ages of 16 and all the way up to young adults at maximum
age 21. These boys who play in leagues such as the OHL are highly skilled hockey players that
are one step away from being part of an NHL organization. The Soo has tons of history
developing big names that would go on to be stars in the NHL as well as hall of famers, such
names like Jeff Carter, Jake Muzzin, Paul Coffee, and a smaller name like Wayne Gretzky. The
Soo Greyhounds have been developing talent the right way since the day it became a franchise,
but how are they doing developing a marketing campaign and how are they developing their
business?
Company analysis
The vision of this team is to have its players grow from boys into good men, this does not
just mean on the ice. The Greyhounds want each and everyone of its players to be responsible for
its actions and behaviour, so that they can be seen as respectable individuals, as well as being a
team that their fans respect on and off the ice. One major belief of the Greyhounds, is that they
want to create a legacy of sustained success. Sustained success is a major key to not only their
own success as a business but also for its players. Some of their beliefs include putting people in
positions to be best utilised, character and integrity are key to determining who is best fit to be
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3. apart of the organization and to maximize the potential of the young athletes as students and as
hockey players, in that order.
When personnel are in the right positions, a few things happen, they become more
passionate, they are better at what they do, as well as enjoy their job much more. For example, if
you have a head coach that is a master at drawing out plays but is not very good at motivating
players, they may be more suited as an assistant coach instead. Managing personnel is key to
making the kids better hockey players and humans in general.
Playing organized sports teach kids lots of life lessons. Kids learn how to work as a team,
leadership skills, as well as hard work and dedication, these are just a small few of the endless
amount of information an organization has to offer athletes. A major goal for the Soo
Greyhounds is to turn their boys into men. For some athletes, the OHL may be the end of their
career not everyone makes the NHL. As an organization they wanna help set their players on a
path to succeed in hockey but also in other areas in life, they encourage academics just as much
if not more than just learning how to be a better hockey player. It is very important to do this
because, players need to be grounded and know that hockey is a privilege to play and that they
must respect the game and the honour it comes with playing it. They want their players to know
that just because they are good hockey players does not mean they get to become NHL players
without also being a greater human being.
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4. PESTLE Analysis
Social:
In Canada we are known for a few stereotypes, one being that we love hockey. According
to statistics Canada, ice hockey is the second most popular sport among males to play, as well in
the top 5 of total participation of both genders. It is safe to say people in Canada love hockey and
this works out perfectly for the Soo Greyhounds. Most likes and dislikes come from people
closest to you, for example, if your parents like hockey you have a good chance at liking it too.
This means that as generations keep growing older and and creating families, the interest of
hockey grows with them. The more people interested in hockey means more ticket sales, more
merchandise to sell and more potential players for the team. As an organization, the Greyhound’s
demographic is predominantly older. Over the last 5 seasons 50% of fans were aged 60+ as well
as 40% being 26-59 years old. This can help in the Greyhounds in a few ways, most importantly
by helping to share the hockey traditions. The second highest demographic bracket has persons
in the prime age for family building, meaning as they start having kids that become interested in
hockey the attendance levels will lower in average age and help to make their organization live
on longer. They also provide deals to help get the youth involved in watching hockey.
Economic:
The Greyhounds take full advantage of getting the youth involved by offering discounts
on ticket prices. Some discounts include, a family deal, where you get two adult tickets and two
child tickets with four drinks and four popcorn bags for $69 plus tax, which saves the customer
$24. This is a great deal for families who are trying to get their kids interested in learning
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5. hockey, they get to see future stars of the NHL and at an affordable price for a night of fun. One
other way they attempt to get people to fill seats is by offering discounts to highschool students,
as well as college and university students. One hour before every home game, as well as all day
on Wednesdays, students save $5 on admission to the game as long as they have a valid student
card. Students generally do not have a lot of money, for some they may still be too young for a
job or some may need to pay off bills. If the tickets are too expensive for this age group, they
would lose a large demographic of current fans or future fans. The Greyhounds understand this
fact and try to make seeing games accessible to all.
The average household makes above the average median of Canada, meaning they have a
higher income than most people in Canada. This is perfect for the Greyhounds because it means
more families will have extra money to spend on fun activities such as going to see a hockey
game or even for the super fans, buying season tickets. It is much easier to get people to come to
games when they can actually afford to see games, this works to the Greyhounds advantage.
Environmental:
Being part of Canada means very cold winters, especially for a town up north like Sault
Ste. Marie, which also has lots of ponds and lakes nearby. Having lots of lakes and ponds during
the winter months means playing hockey can be more accessible to newcomers of ice hockey, it
gives them a free place to experience a new game as well as develop new fans of the sport. There
are not any other close OHL teams to Sault Ste. Marie, so if kids fall in love with playing hockey
on the ponds, the next area they would begin to be interested in is learning how to become better
at the sport, and what better way to learn than from watching professional athletes. The
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6. Greyhounds can take advantage of this and are, by offering the deals to the youth. Hockey is not
always an easy sport to enjoy for the average person in many areas of the world, lucky for the
Greyhounds it is much easier to get people to experience hockey due to its geological location.
Competitive analysis
Two main competitors for the Greyhounds are the North Bay Battalion and the Sudbury
Wolves. These are the two closest OHL teams to Sault Ste. Marie, the home of the Greyhounds.
The main reason for being their direct competitors is because they all have a similar sized facility
and in a fairly close area together while also being far away from the other teams. This would
mean they would need to fight to make new fans from their respective towns and surrounding
areas.
Sudbury Wolves
Product and promotion:
The core product of the Sudbury Wolves is hockey and entertainment. Sudbury has a few
unique ways to stand out and make their game days feel different than other teams. For example,
on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there is a different theme that is being utilized to make
spectators more interested to coming and seeing a hockey game. On Fridays, the Wolves host
their ‘TGIF’ event that has beer sold for $3, hot dogs sold for $2 and popcorn sold for $1 at the
concession stands. also , during the intermissions a live DJ will perform as spectators wait for the
hockey game to resume. This helps to encourage spectators to come out to a game of Friday and
have a great time while watching hockey or even just to enjoy a night out with friends where you
can enjoy music and cheap refreshments.
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7. As for Saturday, the wolves host ‘Sudbury Saturday Night’. This is a community building
night where country bands come out to play and a unique food item from Sudbury is sold. This is
a perfect night to learn something about the delicacies found only in or originally made in
Sudbury. Having a night of fun, good music, and trying some new foods while enjoying a
hockey game can be a real treat for any hockey fan.
On Sundays, Sudbury has a special event for the youth of the community called ‘Jr.
Wolves Sundays’. After every Sunday afternoon game, there is family friendly activities and
entertainment, as well as a full team skate along with the whole Sudbury Wolves team. As a fan
of any sports team, everyone's dream is to play with their heroes and get to know them. For the
kids of Sudbury, this could be a special moment to experience skating a professional ice and with
their hockey heroes. This can help create lifelong fans.
Place:
The Sudbury wolves play in the Sudbury Community Arena. This arena seats up to 4,640
spectators on game days. This is a smaller arena but this can have advantages, for example, in a
smaller arena every seat is a great seat. In big arenas, if they are poorly designed some seats
make it hard to watch all the action, this can be frustrating to some fans. When the main core
product is entertainment, having a good view of the action is crucial. Unfortunately, having a
smaller arena does limit how many spectators can visit a facility at any given time or game.
As for ticket sales, the Wolves utilizes two methods of purchasing tickets, online and in
person. This is perfect for all ages and demographics to purchase tickets. Most of the older
demographics may not be tech savvy and would prefer a face to face experience when buying
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8. tickets to see a game. As for people who are not able to make it to the arena or prefer to have a
quick and easy experience online buying tickets, they have the option. Having both methods
makes it easy for all interested consumers to buy the way they want, when they want.
Price:
Tickets for a game in Sudbury cost from $16 up to $25 depending on the section of the
rink spectators wish to sit. This is a slight increase from what the Greyhounds offer, which
tickets start at $11 for kids under 12, and adult tickets costing the most at $22. The Wolves
pricing strategy is to keep tickets affordable even in the high quality seats. They want all
spectators to enjoy the event they way that they want to experience it without breaking their bank
account. This means if a spectator wants to watch from right in front of the glass or from the top
of the stands, the ticket prices are about the same price.
North Bay Battalion
Product and promotion:
The Battalions offer a hockey school before the start of their hockey season. With 30 kids
being taught by the coaches, general manager and a hand full of players on the team, what it is
like to train like the pros. This is a great way to get kids involved with the organization. It can
make kids lifelong fans of their team as well as serve as an early scouting tool for the Battalion.
A great idea for the hockey loving businessmen or for entertaining a birthday party, the
Battalions offer suites for rent. Have up to 20 guests watch a hockey game while having food and
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9. drinks served by a hostess. This helps draw in a larger crowd of people to come into their games
and makes the whole arena feel more professional.
Place:
The Battalions play in the North Bay Memorial Gardens. This arena has a number of
added extras that make the fan experience much more enjoyable. At the North Bay Memorial
Gardens, there is WI-FI ready to be used for all visitors. Having WI-FI is a necessity for some
visitors and having it available can make their whole visit more positive.
The arena also has the ice up for rentals to the public, as well as dressing rooms for when
it is rented out. Should a large group of hockey fans wish to have multiple games of hockey with
a number of different teams, the arena can accommodate five different change rooms for rental
as well.
As for ticket sales, the arena hosts a box office in the building as well as being sold
online. Having tickets being sold on site can have its advantages, for example, some visitors may
choose to buy another ticket to a different game after watching a game already. As for the online
tickets, it has become the standard way to buy tickets to any event. For people who find it more
convenient to purchase tickets from their own home or just cannot make it to the stadium before
hand, they still have options to go watch a game.
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10. Price:
The pricing strategy that the Battalions utilize is ‘Product Bundling’. When looking at
tickets for the Battalion games, you can see a number of different options to get multiple
spectators to come watch and enjoy hockey at a discounted price. This works in advantage for
them because the consumers feel they are getting a deal on the tickets and the Battalions have
more fans in the seats for their games. The average price for an adult to watch a single game is
$16 plus tax. Where as the group ticket prices can cost on average $11.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
One strength the Greyhounds have is their website, it is a great one stop place for all the
information you need about the team and it has a very simple design making it easy to use.
Whether you want to know the stats for the players, when the next game is or how to buy tickets,
their main website has you covered. Not only does it make all this information accessible to
everyone, it makes it a pleasant experience for the eyes. Having a website that has everything
any Greyhound fan would need is a great tool for them and makes the fan experience positive.
The greyhounds have a great history of developing talent and for prospects that is an
important factor. From smaller names like Jake Muzzin to bigger names like Wayne Gretzky, the
Greyhounds know how to develop great hockey players, and this helps get more players
interested to play for them. Everyone wants to play for the best team they can, this can help them
become the best player they can be as well as learning from the best coaching staff and alumni.
Taking this information from a great team that has seen it all in its 56 years as an organization
dealing with NHL teams, they know what they expect and they train their players right.
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11. Sustained success in the OHL makes the team much easier to market to fan. The Soo
Greyhounds have had many years of success in the standings as well as winning championships
in recent history, this means more people are interested in learning about the Greyhounds.
Everyone wants to support a winning team, and with the Greyhounds knowing how to develop
players the right way, they have a great team every year that fans can be proud of and want to
support. As an organization, the best marketing strategy is having a stellar product and the
Greyhounds have a stellar product.
Weaknesses:
The Greyhounds have an aging fanbase with 50% of the fan base being 60 years and
older. The Greyhounds are trying to market to younger generations but to little success. With
10% of its total spectators on game days being 25 and under, the team even though attempting to
attract younger fans are struggling.
The arena that the Greyhounds play in can only sit 4,928 spectators, this limits the
number of fans that can enjoy the game from the stands. The GFL Memorial Gardens is a
relatively new stadium but still has a smaller amount of seats compared to some other OHL
teams, this makes it harder for fans to make it to a game due to there being a smaller amount of
tickets to buy.
Opportunities:
Many NHL teams have started to use junior teams as development teams for players they
have already drafted. The Greyhounds are not yet one of these teams that have an NHL partner,
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12. this could be a big advantage for them if they could acquire one. Being apart of an NHL
organizational family would mean the Greyhounds could use new resources allotted to them like
better training staff or new equipment.
There is only one source of hockey in Sault Ste. Marie. This is a huge advantage for the
Soo Greyhounds because it means they do not need to fight for attention in their own town and
surrounding areas. Most teams in the OHL are farther away from Sault Ste. Marie, so if there are
new hockey fans from that area, chances are they will become Greyhound fans.
Threats:
One looming threat for all hockey teams is that the players are not always mature. The
last thing any sports team wants to hear is that one of their players are involved with a crime of
some sort, this can end the players career and hurt the image of the team. The Greyhounds aim to
make its players professionals but sometimes you cannot change a person and they still cause
problems.
With a decline in performance this year, it can become harder to get people in the stands
as the team struggles to win games. If the game day operations are not keeping people
entertained during games, and the team continues to struggle, fans may be less inclined to buy
tickets to games for this season. This would create a drop in profits.
Target market
One target market for the Soo Greyhounds are all hockey fans in the Sault Ste. Marie
area. Being the only professional hockey team near that area, hockey fans would need a place to
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13. go to watch hockey that is also close to them. Sault Ste. Marie is very far from any NHL teams
and other OHL teams meaning the hockey fans would need a place to go and enjoy hockey in
person. This is why the Greyhounds market towards existing hockey fan. The goal of the
Greyhounds is to act and replicate what fans of the NHL have grown to know and enjoy, and
show them that fans can enjoy the same experience in Sault Ste. Marie.
Another main marketing target is the youth. The Greyhounds offer deals for students as
well as deals for families with kids to help them come and experience hockey first hand. As
Canadians we are all exposed to hockey when we are young, but, it is a complete different
experience at the arena during a game than it is on tv. Feeling the crowd erupt when there's a
goal or big hit, the feeling of seeing the intensity of the players at ice level. These factors all
make watching hockey that much more appealing and entertaining. The goal for marketing to
younger sport fans and non-sport fans allows them to get hooked on the feeling of watching
hockey in the arenas and becoming lifelong fans after.
Positioning
The Soo has a competitive advantage due to its distance from all the other teams in the
OHL. Being far away means less teams you have to compete with for new fans and current fans.
The rest of the OHL teams are from towns and cities that are closer together and this leads to
them needing to fight to gain fans in areas. Fans from Sault Ste. Marie have one team to cheer
for and that makes them a more unified town as well as a more passionate town for their team.
Another competitive advantage that the Greyhounds have over its direct competitors is its
ticket prices. The Greyhounds have cheaper tickets for sale to all their home games as well as
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14. better ticket deals. All spectators can expect to see a game at an affordable price and still offering
deals for students and the elderly.
Marketing Mix
Product
The GFL Memorial Gardens offers a number of services on game days, one important
product extension is its standard concession stands. There are four concession stands for quick
access to many types of snacks and drinks such as popcorn, peanuts, licorice, as well as drinks
like water and soft drinks. For most spectators, having a snack while you watch something
entertaining is important. The concession stands are filled with well known brands such as Coke
and Twizzlers. These brands are just some items that consumers have a feeling of loyalty
towards, and would rather buy over other products. This can be important to a customer because
if the product for sale is not a product they personally like or know they will feel less inclined to
spend their money on the product. Having known brands for sale will increase sales.
For those interested in more interested in having a more filling option than snacks there
are two options. One of these options are ‘The Dog House’. At ‘The Dog House’ fans can enjoy
a foot long hot dog, Italian sausage or Jalapeño and cheese sausage. This area of the arena has
bar tables so fans can enjoy their food before going to their seats to enjoy the game.
Lastly, the GFl Memorial Gardens offers a restaurant partnered with Molson Canadian,
known as ‘The Molson Canadian Hockey House’. At this restaurant fans can enjoy a meal or an
appetizer as well as a selection of different drinks and beers. This restaurant is partnered with a
big name brand that many people will recognize. Having a recognizable brand hosting a
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15. restaurant will entice fans to believe that it will have quality food as well as give them a space to
enjoy an ice cold beer due to the branding of the restaurant being partnered with a well known
beer company.
Place (distribution)
The GFL Memorial Gardens is located in the heart of downtown Sault Ste. Marie. Having
the arena in the downtown core means the arena is near different restaurants and other
attractions. This means that going to a Greyhounds game can be a whole day attraction with
exploring the city as well as making the game your one stop.
In terms of accessibility, the arena is fully wheelchair accessible and offer designated
viewing areas. The arena also attempts to accommodate all visitors that did not purchase a ticket
for the designated accessible areas if possible. Service animals are also welcome inside the arena,
visitors are encouraged to ask for any other needed accommodations such as needing an aisle
seat so that a service animal may also have a spot if needed. Due to the arena having three levels
of seating, there is an elevator for any visitors who have limited mobility.
At section 105 visitors can find the guest services desk. Guest service staff are there to
answer questions about anything from future tickets and transportation to lost item returns or
emergency assistance. During events, arenas can become very hectic. Having thousands of
people in one arena can lead to many issues. When having a designated area where people can go
and ask questions as simple as where the restrooms are, can make the visiting experience much
more enjoyable and leave a positive impression.
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16. Price
The main marketing strategy used by the Soo Greyhounds organization is differential.
This strategy refers to selling the same product to different demographics for different prices.
During the hockey season, the Greyhounds offer discounts for students and seniors. This is done
for a few reasons. Seniors contribute to 50% of the total visitors of the arena during hockey
games, the Greyhounds are providing a discount for the majority of their fans. As for the student
discount, this age demographic has the lowest attendance numbers all the other age groups.
Offering a discount for this age group gives them an extra incentive to want to visit and watch a
hockey game. By using this marketing strategy, they are maximizing their attendance from their
main fans as well as trying to boost the number of younger fans that get involved with the
hockey team.
Promotions (Marketing communications)
One of the latest events ran by the Greyhounds is their annual teddy bear toss. A teddy
bear toss is a christmas tradition for hockey teams in junior leagues such as the Greyhounds.
Fans are encouraged to bring a stuffed toy to the game and are to throw them on the ice when the
home team scores its first goal of the game. After the game all the toys are donated to hospitals
to be used as gifts for children. This promotion lets fans enjoy a fun game of hockey as well as
brightening up a child's day.
For students, they have a deal going on called ‘Student Rush’. For all students in
highschool, college, or university that have a student ID will receive a discount on tickets. This
deal runs one hour before every home game as well as all day on every wednesday home game.
This helps get students involved and interested in the organization as well as the Greyhounds
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17. knowing that students do not have a lot of money on average so they help make it more
affordable to see a hockey game.
The last big promotion the Greyhounds offer is the family pack deal. Two adults and two
child tickets as well as four drinks and popcorn for a discounted price. This is perfect for hockey
families who want to experience a game. The discounted price and free refreshments help make
entice people to buy tickets.
The Greyhounds have a twitter account that remind fans about the promotions
periodically, so that fans stay informed of the deals. Being a follower of their twitter is the best
way to find out about new promotions, information about players as well as score updates and
highlights. They use this twitter to show all the best parts of watching a game, making fans more
excited about watching a game. Creating hype around the team and then showing details on
deals, helps generate sales and getting spectators to games. However the posts about the deals are
not very frequent.
Recommendations
For people who are not direct fans of the Greyhounds it may be harder to know about the
deals they provide for tickets to the games. Due to their twitter account tweeting not very often
about the deals and promotions, and the deals only visible on the tickets tab, some casual viewers
may miss these deals. Some ways to fix this could be more posts about the deals and promotions
as well as showing the deals on the homepage of their website. By having the deals more visible
more people will know about the deals and feel more inclined to look into buying tickets. Having
a great product is pointless if no one knows about it.
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18. The ‘Student Rush’ ticket deal for students is meant to get a younger audience to watch
the Greyhounds, however, it is restrictive to when it can be bought. Having it only sold during
certain days and times makes it less accessible for all who would otherwise be interested in
buying tickets. The best way to fix this would be to make every day at all times of the day. This
deal should just be a normal price for students, I believe this would drive more attention from the
younger demographic.
The OHL often has afternoon games during the season, this would be a perfect
opportunity to invite schools and students to go watch a game at a group rate prices during a
school day. This would get a lot of students which is the target demographic to come watch a
game at a discounted price, and students would take any reason to skip class for a day, lots of
students would be interested.
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19. References:
Mission vision and values
https://soogreyhounds.com/mission-statement
https://soogreyhounds.com/letter-to-all-greyhounds-fans
Canadian sports participation stats
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-595-m/2008060/s5-eng.htm
Ticket deals
https://soogreyhounds.com/family-pack
https://soogreyhounds.com/student-rush
Greyhounds attendance stats
https://s3.amazonaws.com/ohl-network/archive/ohl.uploads/app/uploads/sault-ste-marie_
greyhounds/2017/07/14120254/Corporate-Partnership-Advertising-Book.pdf
Sudbury:
https://sudburywolves.com/2019-20-promotional-schedule
https://sudburywolves.com/single-game-tickets
https://sudburywolves.com/group-sales
https://sudburywolves.com/2019-20-promotional-schedule
Battalion:
https://battalionhockey.com/hockey-school
https://www.northbaymemorialgardens.ca/host-your-event-at-memorial-gardens/
https://tickets.battalionhockey.com/Online/
Greyhound’s Arena:
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20. http://gflgardens.ca/Arena/Food-Services.aspx
http://gflgardens.ca/Arena/Accessibility.aspx
Teddy bears toss:
https://twitter.com/OHLHoundPower/status/1201171976204603392
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