Currently, Ithaca College Basketball, both men’s and women’s, is faced with the low fan attendance at their basketball games. Due to the fact that there is a lack of “Bomber-Pride” towards the athletic teams on campus, low fan attendance has become a perpetuating cycle at the games. Within this proposal, we have re-evaluated the current situation surrounding the basketball games on campus, then established a multitude of ideas which can be implemented to increase student attendance at the games. By pairing these proposed tactics with the newly branded “Ithaca Athletics,” an atmosphere of school spirit and athletic pride can now be established among the student body of Ithaca College.

1. 1
PETER JAMES JACOB MARMOR DREW OLKOWSKI SHANNON SAMUELS CHRISTOPHER HAYES MATTHEW HOCHBERG
December 5, 2014
JOIN THE
BOMBSQUAD

2. 2
TABLECONTENTS
of
CONTACT INFO 3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS 5-9
OBJECTIVES 10
TARGET MARKET 11-14
STRATEGY 15-16
THE BIG IDEA 17-28
EVALUATIONS 29-32
MEET THE TEAM 33-36
APPENDIX 37-39

3. 3
CONTACTINFO
OLKOWSKI
james hochberg
marmor samuels hayes
716.848.0064
aolkows1@ithaca.edu
315.552.7165
pjames1@ithaca.edu
22 15 1
42 18 7
862.485.5007
mwhochberg@gmail.com
413.320.7842
jmmarmor@gmail.com
585.662.3413
ssamuel2@ithaca.edu
585.794.0818
chayes3@ithaca.edu

4. 4
EXECUTIVESUMMARY Proposal Summary
Currently, Ithaca College Basketball, both
men’s and women’s, is faced with the low
fan attendance at their basketball games.
Due to the fact that there is a lack of
“Bomber-Pride” towards the athletic teams
on campus, low fan attendance has
become a perpetuating cycle at the
games.
Within this proposal, we have re-evaluated
the current situation surrounding the
basketball games on campus, then
established a multitude of ideas which can
be implemented to increase student
attendance at the games.
By pairing these proposed tactics with the
newly branded “Ithaca Athletics,” an
atmosphere of school spirit and athletic
pride can now be established among the
student body of Ithaca College.
Thank You!
On behalf of the entire team, I would like to personally thank
Director Bassett, as well as the entire Ithaca Athletics department
for giving us the opportunity to assist with the continued success
of Ithaca Athletics.
From a group of sports fanatics currently studying here at IC, we
were thrilled to conduct research and design tactics concerning
the success of a cause that hits close to home. From die-hard
Cortaca Jug fans, to playing on club or varsity sport teams, our
team is constantly engaged with Ithaca Athletics, and we are
passionate about Athletics future success.
As shown through the new visual identity of Athletics created this
year, students and alumni are the driving force behind bringing
a community together. This is exemplified by Jason DeLand ‘98
volunteering to act as a strategic advisor for the re-branding, and
Director Susan Bassett ‘79, returning to her alma mater to serve
as the Director for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational
Sports. Ithaca College is a community that continues to support
itself and help itself grow.
That being said, if there are any questions concerning the
proposal, or if anyone would like to further discuss any of the
tactics mentioned in the proposal, please feel free to contact me
by phone at 716-848-0064, or by email at aolkows1@ithaca.edu
Thank you again for giving us this opportunity to work with you,
Drew Olkowski
Creative Director

5. 5
SITUATIONAL
ANALYSIS

6. 6
CAMPUSSURVEY Survey Results
What would help increase your interest in an Ithaca College
Athletics Game?
The top three choices in this section were Free Giveaways (84
percent), Free Food (63 percent) and Halftime Performances (57
percent). From these statistics, it is clear that to increase interest
in an Ithaca College Athletics game, giving away free items such
as Ithaca College gear and providing free food – even food as
simple as pizza – will help the attendance at games.
Would you be interested in being a part of a cheering section
TheBOMBSQUAD? (Be loud, show school spirit, bring signs)
47.2 percent of responses stated that they would be interested
in joining TheBOMBSQUAD, while 15.8 percent rejected the idea
and 37 percent were unsure.
What would motivate you to be part of the cheering section?
74 percent of responses stated that “special game privileges”
would motivate them to be part of TheBOMBSQUAD cheering
section. We can allow TheBOMBSQUAD to submit requests of
what special privileges they would like, and we can work with the
administration to make them happen.
Do you know when the basketball games are?
Only 5 percent – 5 percent! – of responses stated they knew
when the basketball games are being played. This is an
extremely low number that must be fixed via social media,
fliers and word of mouth. What is encouraging, however, is that
42 percent of responses stated that they if did know when the
games were being played, they would be more inclined to go.
Current Situation
The current situation that Ithaca College
Athletics is facing is low awareness and
attendance rates of Ithaca College
basketball games. We have come up with
a multitude of innovative ways to solve the
problem at hand, while targeting a variety
of different audiences. The most successful
ideas can then be implemented into other
sporting events, resulting in high
attendance and awareness rates for all
Ithaca Athletics teams.
In order to better asses the current
situation Ithaca Athletics faces, we have
decided to conduct a survey among
students at Ithaca College, analyze the
current media coverage of athletics,
create a S.W.O.T. analysis and finally
we conducted a competitor analysis to
finalize our objectives for this campaign.

7. 7
MEDIAANALYSIS
The media coverage of the Ithaca College
Men’s and Women’s Varsity Basketball teams
over the course of the last few years has
generally been bland, but also positive.
Because it is Division III athletics, there is not
as much media focused on the teams as there
is, for example, at Cornell and its Division I
program.
Ithaca College’s official athletic site,
athletics.ithaca.edu, reports the news in an
unbiased manner, focusing on the outcomes
of the games and the statistics of the players.
Athletics also recognize awards and accolade
Bomber athletes receive.
Ithaca College’s student-run newspaper, The Ithacan, digs deeper and
tends to profile players and focus on their backgrounds and
upbringings on top of merely writing game previews and recaps. For
example, The Ithacan published an article on November 18, just at the
start of the season, highlighting sophomore Ahmad Boyd and his
journey to Ithaca College and motivation to make an impact on the
team after being cut just one year earlier.
Aside from The Ithacan, however, much of the content within the Ithaca
and Tompkins County area, such as The Ithaca Journal, produces a
lot more news on Cornell Athletics. There is more at stake – in terms
of website traffic and ultimately revenue – in writing on the teams and
programs that will draw more clicks and eyeballs.
One strategy to attract more attention to the
Ithaca College Men’s and Women’s Varsity
Basketball teams would be to reach out to
specific media outlets and pitch stories with
the hope of attracting the attention of editors
and writers. Specifically, The Ithaca Voice,
which is an online-only publication launched in
June 2014, is certainly worthwhile to contact.
Due to its founding in June, the Voice has yet
to cover the basketball season and may find
the idea of pursuing stories on the Ithaca
College basketball team to be interesting.

8. 8
S.W.O.T.ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
The athletic facilities are new and accommodating to
fans
Recent, strong rebranding of Ithaca College Athletics
The basketball team has a diverse amount of
students, from first year students to seniors
Students have expressed interest in viewing sports
games at Ithaca
Not a lot of parking near the facility for winter
games--many students live off campus
Home games are not well publicized with students
on campus
Not a large amount of school spirit behind Ithaca
Athletics
Many people are unaware of where the basketball
games are held
IC Athletics has very little social media presence
Largely residential campus, with mostly first or
second year students
Intercom is a widely read platform on campus to
spread information among students
Many students have free time during Basketball
game time
There are over 200 different clubs and
organizations on campus that may be able to team
up with IC Athletics
Cornell Athletics has a greater amount of Athletic
talent and larger facilities at a Division 1 level
Friday nights are known high binge drinking and
party time periods for students
A large amount of clubs on campus decide to have
large activities on Friday evenings.
Having low first year student attendance will lead to
low attendance over their career at Ithaca

9. 9
COMPETITORS
As far as Ithaca College’s winter sports go, basketball is
probably the most relevant and popular. Unfortunately, there
aren’t many other varsity sports teams to compare it to. With that
said, we think our biggest competitor for fans on a Friday night is
Cornell’s athletics. For a smaller, division 3 school, it is difficult to
compete for relevance and popularity with a much larger
division 1 school like Cornell.
For the less sports-oriented students, there’s generally a show to
catch on campus in a plethora of departments whether it be
music, theatre, or comedy performance. The musical theatre
schedule runs all year long, and usually has nighttime
performances during common basketball game times.
Additionally, music school students are required to go to a
certain number of music performances each semester here at IC.
Because they are required for students majors, these
performances will be difficult to compete with, when attracting
music school students.
Lastly, for the 21+ demographic, we believe the bar scene might
pull away potential IC basketball fans. Off-campus events like
Moonshadow Tavern’s 6:30 beer pong tournament likely draws
many fans off South Hill to Ithaca’s Commons. Friday nights are
notable high binge-drinking and “party” time periods for Ithaca
College students. Although there is a large portion of students
who do not decide to attend parties, or go to local bars on the
weekend, many students who live off campus choose to go to
the bars opposed to coming back to campus for the athletics
game.
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

10. 10
OBJECTIVES Objective 1:
Increase awareness of Ithaca College
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Games
by 60%.
Reasoning: By increasing game awareness within
the target markets, fans are more likely to attend
games knowing that they are going on. As
illustrated within our primary research, a large
portion of the target market, which was surveyed
did not know when games were held. Therefore it
is our first objective to increase awareness of when
games are happening.
Objective 2:
Increase attendance of Ithaca College
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Games
by 30%.
Reasoning: Games are better with fans. The
energy is higher, each score is bigger, and the
players enjoy the support from classmates. In order
to create a successful environment around
Bomber Basketball, it is crucial that we increase
attendance and grow the Ithaca fan base. With
loyal fans come loyal fans’ friends.
Objective 3:
Create first-time conviction of game
attendance within the target market.
Reasoning: In order to increase continual game
attendance, fans need to have first-time
conviction when going to an Ithaca Basketball
game. By increasing first-time conviction, a loyal
fan-base can be created and grow, through the
implementation of fan appreciation programs.
However, it is necessary to get fans in the doors
before growing and increasing the fan-base.
Objective 4:
Build “bomber pride” through increase
of brand awareness and recognition.
Reasoning: Ithaca Athletics recently went through
re-branding, creating a strong and cohesive brand
for Ithaca Athletics. Now, while the branding is still
new, increasing brand awareness and recognition
is critical, as it will allow the target market to have
identifiable images and icons when looking at
advertisements and promotional material for
different athletics events.

11. 11
TARGET MARKET

12. 12
TARGETSUMMARY This public relations campaign will reach
the following target audiences:
-Community members of Ithaca –
specifically families of primary school
children
-Students of Ithaca College aged 18 – 22
who participate in athletic events ranging
from intramural sports to varsity teams
-Students of Ithaca College who may not
have been interested in going to athletic
events in the past
-Students of Ithaca College who are
looking to get involved in school spirit
more
-First-year students of Ithaca College
-Faculty and staff of Ithaca College
Our primary target audience are the
students of Ithaca College who wouldn’t
normally come to any games. There are
many students who do not attend games
because they are just not interested in
them or they just don’t know where or
when the games are. Usually, there are
only athletes and parents who attend the
games. We are looking to target a wide
variety of students to come support the
teams. Additionally many other student
athletes already choose to come to the
basketball games to support their fellow
athletes.
We also want to bring in different media outlets to
sponsor and cover the games. Ithaca already has frequent radio
and television coverage through the student stations, but getting
local businesses to sponsor the games would be a huge benefit.
Some popular local businesses we could reach out to would be
The Alehouse, Mahogany Grill, or The Boatyard Grill. ESPN
Ithaca covers mostly Cornell and high school events, but we
could always reach out to them as well. Also, we would use the
media to reach all target audiences to announce the location and
times of the games.
There is also a need to spread the word to the general
Ithaca population about the games. Besides the parents of the
players, there is basically no support from the Ithaca
community for the basketball games. Getting the community
excited for these games is a major goal for our campaign.
Finally, a secondary target group we are going after are
the faculty and staff of Ithaca College. There is already a good
showing of sport management and media professors as well as
other coaches from other athletic teams. Getting all faculty and
staff more involved in the games could really bring a positive
outcome to the atmosphere of the event.

13. 13
PROFILES
Lindsey Burkett
Lindsey Burkett is a 36-year-old mother of 2 living right outside
of the Ithaca Commons. When she’s not working as a math
teacher at Ithaca High School she can be found spending time
with her 5 year old son and 8 year old daughter. During the
winter when her kids are stuck inside, she struggles to keep them
entertained after school. She’d love to bring her kids to the IC
Basketball games where her kids could exert their energy in the
bouncy house or get their face painted in blue and gold to cheer
for the bombers.
Jason Wells
Jason Wells is a freshman at IC majoring in Sport Media. He’s a
quiet student that has a close-knit group of friends that he met
in his residence hall. Every Friday night they want to get out and
meet new people but don’t feel like walking down the south hill
in search of a party. Jason and his friends would love to go to an
IC basketball game and become part of TheBOMBSQUAD.

14. 14
PROFILESCONT. Brendan Walsh
Brendan Walsh is a junior at IC who’s a die-hard sports fan. When
he’s not busy with his multiple marketing clubs he’s usually with
his buddies watching college sports at any local bar. Although
Brendan loves Ithaca, he wishes the student’s section at IC
athletics games were more rowdy and fun. He would love to gear
up in IC Bomb Squad gear and cheer on his school’s teams.
Kyle Woody
Kyle Woody is an instructor at Ithaca College in the Department
of Sport Management and Media. Prior to coming to Ithaca and
joining the Bombers, Kyle worked at STACK Media, traveling
around the country and interviewing high-profile athletes. Kyle
lives and breathes sport, and while he spends his days devoted
to teaching students about the industry, he has wanted a chance
to be able to cheer for his Bombers. With the ideas we have in
place to enhance the atmosphere and experience at Ithaca
College Men’s and Women Varsity Basketball games, Kyle is
about to undergo an incredible, memorable season attending
games and rooting for his Bombers.

15. 15
STRATEGIES

16. 16
STRATEGIES 1.Create a spirit and energy
centered environment.
2.Incentivize student & community
attendance.
3.Expand the game experience outside
of the game.
4.Facilitate promotional
& media coverage.
5.Reinforce athletics brand
identity beyond the court.

17. 17
THE
BOMBSQUAD

18. 18
TheBOMBSQUAD To target the Ithaca College student body, we think IC Athletics
should implement TheBOMBSQUAD. TheBOMBSQUAD would
be a cheering section for IC students, similar to other
colleges’ cheering sections (Ex. RIT’s Tiger Den).
We feel TheBOMBSQUAD is a fun way to unite students and
make them want to attend the Ithaca basketball games.
TheBOMBSQUAD would be open to all IC students, as long as
they are ready to cheer!
Members would be given rewards based on their game
attendance. At their first game in TheBOMBSQUAD, they would
receive a free #BOMBSQUAD cheering towel. After attending
three games, they would receive an official BOMBSQUAD t-shirt.
According to our student survey, half of
the respondents said they would like to be
part of TheBOMBSQUAD. The top three
motivators for joining TheBOMBSQUAD
were: special game privileges, a free
t-shirt, and reserved seating in the front. In
order to carryout TheBOMBSQUAD
effectively, we suggest having two
“BOMBSQUAD Masters”, those who can
effectively pump up TheBOMBSQUAD,
lead cheers, make signs, and make
students want to be a part of
TheBOMBSQUAD.

19. 19
FREEGIVEAWAYS
Giveaway Item ideas:
1. T-Shirts
2. Sweatpants
3. Water bottles
4. Key chains
5. Pompoms
6. Cheering towels
7. Hats
8. Tank-tops
9. Noise makers
10. IC Tattoos
11. IC Athletics Bumper stickers
12. String backpacks
13. Light up novelties
14. Mini flashlight
15. Mini IC basketballs
Everyone loves free things, especially broke college students.
One tactic to get students to come to the Ithaca College
Basketball games is to have free prizes. According to our survey,
free prizes were the number one incentive to get students to
attend a game. All prizes should have the IC Athletics logo to
help increase awareness outside of the games.
There are also a multitude of different ways to give away free
items, including the following:
i. T-Shirt Cannon – (Or someone throwing prizes)
ii. First 40 students to arrive at the basketball game receive a free
prize
iii. Hand out small flyers to students on campus and in-dorms. If
they bring the flyer, they automatically receive a free prize.
(*Must stay until end of game)
iv. BEST FAN Award – The fan showing the most Bomber pride will
win a free prize.
v. Prizes for half-time contest winners

20. 20
SOCIALMEDIA Social Media is a great way to target a
mass amount of people, free of charge.
Ithaca College Athletics has 2,461
followers on Facebook and 4,326
followers on Twitter, while Ithaca College
has over 20,000 followers on Facebook
and 15.5K followers on Twitter. We suggest
that IC Athletics pair up with the Ithaca
College social media team, so they can
post about the big Friday night basketball
games.
Ithaca College Athletics does not have an
Instagram page. However, Ithaca College
does. Ithaca College allows students to
“takeover” the IC Instagram page for a day.
We believe that having an IC Basketball
player takeover the IC Instagram page
for a day could be a great way to increase
awareness and even attendance of the
games. Here, players can post pictures
about their past games, current stats,
what a typical practice is like, or even what
game day is like. These pictures and facts
would be seen by their 5,000
followers.
Instagram
Facebook & Twitter
#Bombsquad
In order to create a cohesive basketball
athletics message, we will utilize the
‘#bombsquad’ to aggregate all tweets
concerning the Ithaca basketball game,
and fans time and actions in the
“bombsquad.”

21. 21
F.Y.R.E.
The First Year Residential Experience is
finally fully implemented on campus. All
first year students currently live together
within the Upper Quads, Lower Quads,
and East and West Tower, in a fully
integrated living situation.
For athletics, it is crucial to, not only
increase first year student attendance, but
also first year conviction. By targeting
students during their first year here at
Ithaca, Athletics can create a four year
fan-base within the first year class.
In order to integrate into the F.Y.R.E.
programming, Athletics could now
“team-up” with the Office of Residential
Life, and more importantly, the F.Y.R.E. RA’s
to facilitate floor and community programs
that revolve around the Ithaca College
Basketball games. By giving RA’s funding,
advertisements and a made agenda for
the floor program, there is little to no effort
on the RA’s part, yet this could be a well
attended floor program by students in
these first year areas.
If successful, the program could expand
into upper years areas.
EXAMPLE FLOOR PROGRAM
Title:”Bomb-Squad Pancake Pre-Game.”
Budget: $30.00
Expected Attendance: 30-35
Supplies Needed: Pancake mix, chocolate chips, plates, forks,
napkins, face-paint, poster-board, markers, temporary tattoos,
“rally-gear*”, Nerf-Basketball Hoop, 2 Nerf Basketballs,
Advertisements
Explanation: Join your RA for a “Pancake Pre-game!” Come to
the lounge of your building an hour before the game and enjoy
some pancakes and activities leading up to the basketball game.
Participate in PIG, knockout, and many more fun Nerf basketball
games, while we make signs, do temporary tattoos and
face paint to get ready for the game. The floor program is
sponsored by TheBombsquad. First five
residents in Ithaca apparel will receive some free “rally-gear”
from TheBombsquad. Five more residents will walk away with
some free gear after participating in the pre-game activities.
***SEE APPENDIX FOR PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL
AND SEE PAGE 19 FOR RALLY-GEAR EXAMPLES.***

22. 22
I.C.C. The Integrated Core Curriculum
The Integrated Core Curriculum, or
the ICC, at Ithaca College is a set of
thought-provoking academic experiences
that will connect students to their peers
across campus, and connect their thoughts
and ideas across disciplines to help them
shape their understanding of the world.
The 6 ICC themes are as follows:
Inquiry, Imagination and Innovation
Power and Justice
Quest for a Sustainable Future
Identities
World of Systems
Mind, Body, Spirit
Students in the ICC are tasked to
experience integrative learning,
connecting their chosen theme to real-life
situations and problems. Students
currently enrolled in their ICC Seminar
have the opportunity to explore their
theme inside, as well as outside of the
classroom.
How does this apply to Athletics?
Basketball is a sport that can connect to all 6 themes, creating a
real-world, integrated learning environment outside of the
classroom. Students may attend one of the many basketball
games as part of their seminar class, and connect the
different aspects of the game to their theme.
First year students, also living in first year housing, previously
stated, may take part in ICC-themed floor programs connecting
games to their theme as well. Athletics has the opportunity to
re-enforce the ICC while also connecting it with the overall
educational experience of college.
Sample ICC Activities:
Inquiry, Imaginations and Innovations:
Watch some of the most innovative plays in history, and discuss
ways Ithaca may be able to apply the ideas of Triple I to Ithaca
Basketball.
Identities:
How does each player establish his or her own identity on the
court? Students can explore how players create their own
identity while playing on the team.

23. 23
FIRST-YEARFRIDAY
Establishing Tradition
Often when asked why they do something,
the answer is “it’s a tradition.” For example,
why is there so much excitement
surrounding Cortaca? For many students,
the answer is simply “it is a tradition.”
Creating a tradition within the First-Year
class will establish, not only a memorable
moment to associate with Athletics, but
also the possibility of a four-year fan
conviction.
First-Year Friday
In order to draw more first year students into the basketball
games, Ithaca College Athletics can begin the tradition of the
“First Year Friday” basketball game. The game will be centered
around the first Friday basketball game in December, with
activities centered around first-year students. The concept
behind having the game on the first Friday game of December is
that, the weather begins to get colder, and fewer students desire
to go out to a party, which is one main competitor of basketball
games. Therefore, by drawing students in during the colder
months, they can find entertainment instead of traveling in the
cold weather.
Event Information (Brief Outline)
The event will have specific activities that will be specifically
oriented for first-year students. These would include:
1. An introduction or beginning dedication to all first-year
student basketball players.
2. Every time a first-year player makes a basket, cheerleaders
throw bomber gear into TheBombsquad cheer zone.
3. A free rally towel will be given to each first-year student upon
arrival (shown through ID scan).
4. There will be a half-time contest, where select first-year
students will be chosen to compete in basketball challenges with
prizes awarded to the winners.
5. After the game, there will be a “first-year” dance event on the
court, following the game. The dance will have a D.J. and free
food, giving students the opportunity to enjoy a night out after
the game.

24. 24
STUDENTORGS Club Involvement
There are over 200 student organizations on campus. With
everything from Ithacapella, Premium Blend, IC Circus, Spit That,
Voice Stream, and Tap Club to IC Unbound, IC Stand Up,
HiFashion and many more, we suggest bringing student
organizations in on the basketball scene.
Giving student organizations the chance to perform at half time
as well as before and after the game could be a great way to
increase student attendance rates at basketball games. Not only
will this bring in students from different organizations, but also
their supporters.
Over 60% of our survey respondents said the main reason they
don’t go to the games is because none of their friends are going.
Going as a student organization would allow for students to go
with a large group of friends, and give them the opportunity to
show off their skills. We believe bringing in student organizations
is a great way to increase awareness, attendance and excitement
at the Ithaca basketball games, resulting in more regular game
day attendees.
Also, 72% of our survey respondents said they would rather
attend an on campus event such as a theater performance, music
concert or stand-up comedy, rather than a basketball game.
Bringing these student organizations to the basketball games
would be a great way to increase awareness, attendance and
excitement at the Ithaca basketball games, resulting in more
regular game day attendees.
Examples
Ithacapella is a very well-known student
organization on campus, with concert
attendance rates of over 500 students. If
1/10th of the students were to go to a
basketball game to see them perform,
that’s 50 more attendees at an Ithaca
College Basketball game. We would
suggest reaching out to Ithacapella for a
half-time performance to draw their
fan-base to the game.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind could put on
a dog show during half-time. This could
be similar to the puppy-bowl during the
Super Bowl, while also bringing attention
to the guiding eyes for the blind.
IC Unbound could perform some
pump-up dance routines. These routines
could get fans in the Bombsquad excited
for the next half of the game, and bring
attendance of the different dance clubs
around campus that would come to
support their fellow dancers.

25. 25
HALFTIMESHOWS
Halftime Show Ideas
Target and invite professors and Ithaca College employees to be
able to play on the court at halftime at one of the IC Varsity
Basketball games. This will increase attendance among the
faculty who are interested in basketball.
Allow the opportunity for cheerleaders to play on the court at
halftime or have a shooting contest. Publicize this in advance with
the intention that friends of cheerleaders will come see them
play.
Pick fans from the crowd to play on the court at halftime or have
a shooting contest, such as a three-point contest or the
“Knockout” game. Winner will receive a special prize, such as a
free IC t-shirt, gift card to the bookstore, etc.
Host “Social Media Night” in which fans who tweet/instagram the
best tweets or photos from the first half of the game have the
opportunity to be recognized on center court at halftime with the
chance to win a prize.
Host “Children Night” in which we publicize this to families within
the Ithaca community. Allow children to play on the court at
halftime, providing them with IC t-shirts to make it a
memorable experience and to ensure the community feels closer
to the school.

26. 26
INTERCOM We plan to use Ithaca College’s
campus-wide communication system,
Intercom, as means to communicate with
our target audiences. The major benefit of
Intercom, in this case in particular, is that
it has specific areas for specific parts of
the Ithaca College community. There are
sections for faculty, students, and a
combination of both.
By placing information for games in
different sections of Ithaca College’s
Intercom system, we can tailor the
information for each section. This way our
message will be better heard because we
will provide individualized and relate-able
information specifically for each part of
Ithaca College’s community.
Intercom notifications are sent out through
weekly emails across campus, allowing for
a variety of different opportunities to get
the message out about basketball games,
in methods other than social media. This
helps fight the one draw-back of social
media messaging, in which the target
audience must first follow the social media
account in order to receive updates from
the user.
For Students
In order to best reach students, among the many other
announcements on Intercom, we will focus on three key points:
1. The free giveaways and benefits students will gain from
going.
2. Promote any special event that will be occurring at the game
that will incorporate a specific student population (First-Year
Friday, Senior Night etc.)
3. Noting the time, date and place of the games in the title of the
Intercom article, to ensure students can get the information at a
quick glance.
For Faculty
Faculty, differing from students, read stories from within
Intercom for alternative reasons opposed to students. Although
we would wish to target all of campus within our Intercom
posting, we would recommend that only posts about the
basketball game specifically in the faculty section when the game
has some sort of specific attraction for faculty. These specified
postings can draw faculty attention to specific games due to the
limited messages increasing importance with the infrequency.
This being said, we would recommend that Athletics posts about
every game in the community events section of Intercom.

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COMMUNITYOUTREACH
In order to effectively gain the attention of
the Ithaca Community, we have
implemented numerous tactics that will
reach a wide variety of community
members.
Although Ithaca is a college town, we
see great potential in bringing families to
Ithaca College basketball games. Bouncy
houses, clowns, face painters are all tactics
that will attract parents and their kids to
our family fun event.
Obviously these tactics are aimed towards
younger kids, so to get the attention of
older kids we plan to team up with local
basketball teams (Modified, Freshmen, JV,
Varsity) and feature them as a “team of the
night” every Friday night. The team will
receive VIP seating during the game and
each athlete will be introduced at halftime.
During games that are not on Friday night,
we will introduce a local talent as the
halftime show. Ithaca is known for its
talented and artistic community, so we
want to take advantage of the plethora
of potential halftime acts whether it be a
small band, dance team, singer, or even a
magic show!

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AFTERPARTIES On the Court
Athletes know that the game doesn’t end on the court with them.
Countless hours go into practice and workouts to make the team
perform at its best...so why should the excitement of the game
end for the fans at the last buzzer?
On the court, following select home games, Ithaca Athletics has
the opportunity to have the Ithaca pride and party spirit
continue on the court. The newly renovated Hill Center
Gymnasium is the perfect facility to hold an after-party
celebrating the winnings of the game.
Those who attended the game will be able to get in free of
charge, while all others can still come for the after-party fun at
the minimal charge of a $3.00 admission. This would incentivize
attendance at the game for students.
If we can’t beat ‘em, Join ‘em!
One of the largest reasons students do not attend basketball
games on the weekend is that many of the students want to go
with their friends to the bar. Instead of trying to compete with
local bars, Ithaca Athletics has the opportunity to hold some after
parties, following athletics games, at local bars­, such as
Moonshadow Tavern, or Silky Jones. At the basketball game,
athletics can give away temporary tattoos of the Athletics logo
to all those who attend. If a customer wears the temporary tattoo
at the after party, he or she can receive drinks at a discounted
rate, as determined with the bar. This would be a way to not only
engage older, off-campus students, but also young locals who
enjoy both watching basketball, as well as going to the bars on
the weekend.

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EVALUATION

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To track the attendance rates at Ithaca College basketball
games we suggest:
- Have all students swipe their ID at the door
This will allow for gaining valuable information such as:
- Name
- Class Year
- Email Address
Additional Measurement Tactics Include:
- Have TheBOMBSQUAD sign-up sheet with email list
- Faculty swipe ID at door
- Monitor social media engagement
- Using specific game hashtags, such as “#ICvsCOR” or
“#GoBombersBeatAlfred”
- Send out surveys after the games to all the students and faculty
who attended
- See what they liked and what they would like to see
change.
To calculate community member attendance:
- Have separate sign-up sheet for community members to write
down name and email list
- This will allow us to keep track of who/how many community
members are attending games and give us the opportunity to
stay in touch with via email and update them on when games are
and new promotions
MEASUREMENTS

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TIMETABLE
To kick off the season we’d like to promote
the 2 teams by introducing the bomb
squad cheering section. During the first
three home games we will give out t-shirts,
hats, water bottles, and other IC gear to
hype up the fans. Who doesn’t love free
stuff! During the first few months of the
season both teams don’t host too many
home games so awareness is our biggest
objective.
Once winter break starts we are going to
focus on increasing attendance of Ithaca
community members. During that month
there are 4 home games, so we decided to
host two family nights and two high school
nights. This will allow parents to bring their
kids to the games for family night and
will also target other parents who have a
son or daughter on any of the Ithaca High
School basketball teams.
As winter break ends and the students
flood back to campus is when the real
fun begins. Nearing the end of the sea-
son is when bomb squad fans can attend
Moonies night along with our own after
parties. We chose to implement these
tactics at the end because there are more
Friday/Saturday games, students tend to
have less workloads during this time, and
to celebrate the seasons of both men and
women’s IC Varsity basketball.

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BUDGET
70%2.3%
2.9%
6.7%
7.9%
5.9% 0.9% 1.7%

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MEETTHETEAM
Matthew Hochberg is a Junior at Ithaca College, studying Sport
Media. He illustrates his passion for the sport industry through his
published work in various online and print publications as well
as his work with professional teams, such as the NBA’s Brooklyn
Nets. Born and raised in New Jersey, Matthew’s other passions
include spending time with friends and family, watching Yankees
Baseball and writing about himself in the third person.
Half-Court is a full service Public Relations boutique based in
Ithaca, New York. At Half-Court, we specialize in sports public
relations, with concentrated divisions in Football, Basketball,
Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Baseball and our newest division of Polo.
Why Half- Court? Because that is the most important spot on the
basketball court. Half-Court is where the game begins, half-court
is a line you must cross decisively, and half-court is where the
most challenging, and most memorable, game-winning shots are
taken from. Here at Half-Court, we are all team players, who strive
to help “undrafted free agents” become super stars in the
sporting world. Please take the time to read the brief bios of our
team members below .

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MEETTHETEAM Peter James is a Junior majoring in Integrated Marketing
Communications and minoring in Legal Studies. He plans to
one-day work for an advertising agency, and is extremely excited
to gain real world experience while studying in Los Angeles this
Spring. Peter is a member of Student Consulting for Non-Profits
as well as American Marketing Association. His favorite sport to
watch is Syracuse Basketball.
Shannon Samuels is a Junior at Ithaca College, majoring in
Business Administration and minoring in Integrated Marketing
Communications. She is the Event and Marketing director for
Guiding Eyes for the Blind at Ithaca College, and spends her
extra time training guide dogs with the necessary skills needed
to succeed as a working guide. She is a member of the American
Marketing Association, and enjoys planning events. Her favorite
sport to watch is Syracuse Basketball.

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MEETTHETEAM
Jacob Marmor hails from Northampton, MA, a quaint little town
nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires. He’s a nice, fun-loving,
handsome, and slightly biased individual. When he’s not in class
you can find Jacob roaming the forests of South Hill, working at
one of his jobs, writing about himself in the third person, or quite
simply sitting in front of his television succumbing to his severe
addiction to watching sports. Once graduated, he plans to go
work on the corporate side of the music business. With a little
luck, he will one day return to school to receive a PhD and
eventually become a professor. He doesn’t know what sport he
like to watch the most as he loves them all, although he has a
borderline insane attachment to UMass Basketball.
Drew Olkowski is a sophomore, Integrated Marketing
Communications major. Coming from Buffalo, New York, Drew is
aware of what it means to be a “die-hard,” life-long fan of a sports
team, with his favorite team being the Buffalo Bills. On campus,
Drew is involved in Residents Hall Association, as the President,
as well as Students Consulting for non-profit organizations as a
consultant. This year, Drew is also a resident assistant in Hilliard
Hall, and enjoys outings with his floor. On his free time, Drew
enjoys watching Duke Basketball.

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MEETTHETEAM Chris Hayes is a junior Sport Media Major at Ithaca College. He
has been on the men’s tennis team for the last 3 years and has
also participated in the radio station as well. Chris loves Ithaca
and supporting the Bombers as much as anything else and he
recalls his favorite moment in Bomber athletics is when the Ithaca
men’s basketball team defeated the University of Rochester to
reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in his freshman
year. Chris calls Rochester, NY home away from Ithaca with his
parents and much loved golden retriever.

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APPENDIX
Survey Results

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APPENDIX

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APPENDIX
Giveaway Examples