This was a project done for my 2nd year Marketing for Sport & Recreation course at Humber College in the Sport Management program. This is a marketing audit researched about the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals.

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Marketing Audit
Oshawa Generals
(OHL)
Colin McComish
Cecily Clarke
RECL-217
Thursday, December 5th , 2019

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Table of Contents
Section Pg #
Introduction……………………………………………………………. 3
About the Generals…………………………………………………….. 3
Company Analysis……………………………………………………... 4
PESTLE Analysis……………………………………………………… 6
Competitive Analysis……………………………………………………9
SWOT Analysis…………..…………………………………………... 11
Target Markets…………………..……………………………………. 12
Positioning………………….………………………………………… 16
Marketing Mix (4 P’s)……………….……………………………….. 17
Recommendations…………………………………….………………. 21
References……………….……………………………………………. 24

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Introduction
I have been tasked with conducting research on a semi-professional organization to
discover the various marketing strategies they use to market their team to the public and the
behind the scenes work that goes on to make their organization successful. I will be documenting
everything from how their business runs to their finding out who their biggest competitors are, as
well as finding out who they target to attend games and follow the team along with much more.
The team I have chosen is the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals. The following will be
a bit of history about the Generals.
About the Generals
The Oshawa Generals are not only one of the OHL’s most storied franchises but the
Canadian Hockey League as well. Back in 1937, the Generals were born under the name that
sponsored them, General Motors of Canada, and the dynasty that was to follow was set to
remarkable. Oshawa has been the home of many great NHL players including the man who took
flight, Bobby Orr, a player who changed the game for big players by the name of Eric Lindros
and the 15-year-old phenom turned Toronto Maple Leafs star, John Tavares, not to mention the
other 181 alumni who have played in the NHL. The Generals have won the OHL Championship
13 times, and lifted the CHL’s top prize, the Memorial Cup a record five times, most recently in
2015. The General currently play out of the Tribute Communities Centre and are one of the
OHL’s best teams in the 2019-20 campaign.

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Company Analysis
The Oshawa Generals, OHL or CHL do not have any set mission, vision, values or goal
statements. As a result of that, I will give a brief assumption of what I believe the Generals are
out to achieve not only on the ice, but off it.
Vision
• To help develop these young men into great hockey players, but at the end of the day,
develop even better human beings to represent themselves and the Generals.
Mission
• To make that vision a reality, we have to engrain a winning and respectable culture for
the young men to be able to thrive in and succeed at the sport through hard work at
practice and in games and in school through our education system.
Values
• Accountability
• Commitment
• Leadership
• Strong Work-Ethic
Goals
• A competitive, hard-working, tight knit group that wants the feel the joy of winning and
all the perks that come with it.

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Oshawa Generals Staff
The following is a list of the categories of staff, and how many employees make up each
category:
• Total Number of Staff- 65
o Business Operations- 11
o Hockey Operations- 37
 Coaching Staff- 10
 Training/Equipment Staff- 7
 Scouting Staff- 10
 Team Physicians- 4
 Additional Staff- 6
o Game Day Operations- 9
o Off-Ice Officials- 8
Key Funding Partners
Like any sports team, sponsors and funding partners are essential to the business aspect
of the organization. The Generals have many sponsor and companies who are involved within
their organization such as RogersTv, who broadcast their home games, CarStar Collision
Centre’s, and 94.9 The Rock, which is the Durham Region’s radio station. In terms of the main
funding partners, The Brick is the big one. They don’t have an outright sponsorship page on their
website, just the logos of those who sponsor such things as the Kedron Dells Golf Club Post
Game recap. The Brick has its logo right up in the top corner of the website, like many other

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teams’ website’s feature. There are other sponsors such as The Holiday Inn, Buffalo Wild Wings
and Canadian Tire, who is sponsoring their upcoming Teddy Bear toss night.
PESTLE Analysis
For this PESTLE Analysis, I will choose three of the six external forces that make up a
PESTLE Analysis. I will answer questions based on the three forces I choose and relate them
back to the Generals organization.
1. Economic
How does the current and projected household income impact the organization’s pricing and
revenues?
The Oshawa Generals have one of the best fan bases in the OHL, selling out their arena
almost every night as they averaged 5043 fans a game in the 2018-19 season. The Generals
have very respectable prices given the demand for tickets considering they always have very
competitive teams and how they are one of the most prestigious teams in the CHL. With the
average household income at just over $90,000 in a city that holds just under double that
according to the Polaris Database, the Generals do a great job in keeping ticket prices low
enough for people to be able to afford it, but still make a good amount of money in the
process considering the high-ticket demand. With the projection of the average household
incoming rising by $25,000 by 2028, that will allow the Generals to raise their ticket prices to
make even more money and bring in the max amount of revenue possible. As the income
raises, they can charge more as they know the tickets will always be in demand.

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2. Social
How do demographics, cultural norms and/or lifestyle trends impact the organization?
20 to 30 years ago, hockey in most cities or towns was the thing to be at on a Friday night
at 7:30 with friends. Like most cities or towns in today’s world, there is so much more to do,
not necessarily even having to go out somewhere. There is everything from Xbox &
PlayStation and Netflix at home, to indoor theme parks and state of the art movie theatres, 10
times the bars and restaurants in major cities making Oshawa no different. Most teenagers
nowadays go to a movie with friends on a Friday or Sunday rather than attend a hockey
game, so while the Generals do very well for attendance, I can imagine they lose a lot of
younger people to the games due to the amount of other activities there is to do. Oshawa is
however, able to thrive in spite of this theory. Unlike G.T.A teams like the Mississauga
Steelheads and former Brampton Battalion who competed with the Toronto area teams, in
Brampton’s case they were essentially forced to move to North Bay due to little consistent
fan support, Oshawa markets very well and has much richer history with deeper roots in their
home city, which allows them to attract fans to come to their event, rather than going to the
Playdium ten minutes down the road in Whitby for example.
3. Environmental
What are the effects of climate, weather or geographical location on the organization?
There is no end to the possibilities of the environment being a factor in a sporting event,
even on a game played indoors like hockey. In fact, on December 1st, 2019, the Oshawa
Generals Teddy Bear toss game was postponed due to the massive snowstorm that hit the
G.T.A, as the Kingston Frontenacs and Generals had a game scheduled for 6:05pm. Even if

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the game had gone on, there was no telling what the attendance would have looked like due
to the inclement weather. There is always the potential as well to weather impacting the way
machines operate. For example, snow has the ability to sneak into generators and disrupt the
work that provides for the rink. It could be extremely cold and if there is old generators or
any type of machinery, that could be damaged and hinder the ability to operate the facility. In
terms of climate, early in the season around September, it can still be fairly warm, which can
lead to poor ice conditions inside the facility, which needs to ensure it has the proper
machines working for such an event.
Competitive Analysis
For the Generals competitive analysis, I have chosen Oshawa’s closest geographical team
and biggest rival, the East Division’s Peterborough Petes. The second competitor, a team that
is 45 minutes away, the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL affiliate team, the Toronto Marlies.

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4 P’s Peterborough Petes
(OHL)
Toronto Marlies
(AHL)
Product
• How do they use
product extensions to
enhance their core
product?
- Offer birthday
packages for younger
fans which include
many benefits which
opens the door for
future ticket
purchases.
- Their extensive
online and in-arena
store which offers
hats, clothing,
jerseys, etc., offers
fans a chance to wear
merchandise of the
team.
- Give young fans a
chance to skate out
with Canadian flags
before the game.
- The Marlies offer an
extensive in-person and
online store for fans to
purchase merchandise.
This website includes
jerseys, hoodies, hats, t-
shirts and certain
memorabilia.
- Various ticket packages
allow fans to watch the
Marlies the way they
want to which gives a
diverse ability on how
they can watch the team
whether it be single game
tickets, flex packs or
season tickets.
Place
• How does their facility
enhance the consumer’s
experience?
• How do consumers
purchase tickets to their
games?
- The Petes play in a
very old, outdated
arena which doesn’t
offer much to fans in
terms of modern
experiences.
- Fans can access
tickets through an
extension of the Petes
website, and in
person at the box
office, which
includes will-call.
- The Marlies have various
areas within their arena,
Coca-Cola Coliseum,
including Marlies Alley
where fans can
congregate before the
game with a kid’s area
with blow up structures,
games and activities to
better and extend the fans
experience beyond just
the game.
- Fans have the ability to
access tickets through the
arena’s website,
Ticketmaster and various
ticket sharing sights. In
person, they can access
tickets at the box office
which includes will-call

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which provides reserved
tickets left for the fans.
Price
• What pricing strategy
are they using?
• What is the average
price for a single game
ticket?
- For their season
tickets and flex packs
they are use the
strategy Product
Bundling to lower
the price of bundled
tickets rather than
purchasing individual
tickets.
- They have three
levels of tickets.
Adult, Senior and
Student which
identifies as
Differential.
- The average price of
an average adult
ticket is just over $23
which is very
reasonable for an
OHL game.
- Like any sports team,
teams create season
tickets as well as a lower
commitment feature,
identified as Flex Packs,
the Marlies utilize both of
these using the strategy
Product Bundling to
allow fans to commit to
the team but save money
they can later use at
concession stands and on
merchandise.
- The relative average price
for a Marlies game is
around $45, a very
reasonable price for the
level of hockey fans are
purchasing tickets for.
Promotion
• What unique
promotional approaches
are they using?
- The Petes have a
holiday flex pack on
now which includes
two coffee mugs, (4)
tickets and a signed
program for $59.99.
- The aforementioned
flag program and
youth birthday
program which allow
for a more enhanced
experienced at Petes
games.
- The Marlies have an
abundance of promotions.
They have a good number
of them but are all the
same in essence. They
have six graduating
players bobblehead days,
where the first 3000 fans
receive one.
- As most hockey teams
do, they have a Teddy
Bear Toss game.
- They also play four
games out of Scotiabank
arena, which allows fans

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SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- High quality facility.
- Team prestige.
- Devoted fan base.
- Winning history.
- Exceptional location within the city and have luxury of being only OHL team in the
Durham region.
Weaknesses
- Only offer hockey, if hockey ever hits a dip in popularity and followers in the future,
team will be in trouble.
- Always the possibility of the team running into a stretch of bad years on the ice, fan
devotion could drop and in culmination with that, ticket sales will lower.
- Lack of fan diversity, problem with most OHL teams.
- Inflated prices on some special offer packages, not many teams or people might be
willing to purchase
Opportunities
to attend where the
Toronto Maple Leafs play
without having to pay the
high prices of said games.

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- Potential for emerging technology that can create higher levels of fan engagement and
enhance the way fans view the game.
- Potential to reach out to new fans such as students by incorporating promotion nights
like Student Night for Durham College and UOIT students which offer cheap
beverages and food options as the city of Oshawa grows in population.
- To turn single-game ticket purchasers and children for the future into season ticket
holders and build a relationship with those fans for years to come.
- Potential to partner with any future teams that might locate to Oshawa for sports such
as Basketball or Soccer.
Threats
- Potential of RogersTv no longer covering games can lower the impact the team has
on the community and slightly lower awareness.
- Possible expansion of the OHL to the Durham region as Oshawa is the only team who
resides in that area.
- On-ice product weakens and affects ticket sales, fan support, etc.
- A professional sports team locating to Oshawa in the future could hurt the team’s
reputation and steal fan devotion.
Target Market
The target market the Oshawa Generals try to appeal to is much the same as many teams
within the OHL. They market their product to the two biggest users:
Single-game buyers
- Age range: Mainly 18 to 49

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- Class: Middle to Upper
- Fan Level: Average to Loyal
The first major target market the Generals are trying to attract is those who buy single-
game tickets. This could be a once-a-season purchase, or could be multiple, there are many
factors to consider when a consumer when purchasing a ticket such as weather, opponent, ticket
prices, etc. The goal of trying to attract single-game buyers is to have them buy tickets often
enough they fall in love with the game experiences as a whole and crave more, which leads to
them purchasing flex-packs, which can then turn them into season ticket holders. The age range
is so because at the age of 18, that is most likely when groups of friends start going to events
more regularly and if a group who likes hockey is looking for something to do, the Generals are
a great option for groups like that. At that age, they would likely be 1-3-time buyers a season
who most likely know enough about the Generals to have an amazing experience. Once a client
is in their mid-30’s, they most likely have kids in sports and don’t have enough time to commit
for a full season, although that is not at all set-in stone. They would be looking to take their kids
to games to set awareness in their child’s mind to make them want to attend again. The age range
caps off at 49, while people who are younger than 49 can most certainly be more than a single
game purchaser, this age is probably where it ends off for single game buys as at this age,
retirement is getting closer which can lead to having more time on someone’s hand which can
turn into purchasing season tickets.
Multiple game buyers
- Age Range: Mainly 35 to 65+
- Class: Middle to Upper
- Fan Level: Hardcore/Devoted

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The second market the Generals will want to reach are fans who are seeking a more
extensive and frequent experience at games. This can be achieved by purchasing one of three
flex-packs offered by the Generals. The 6, 12 or 18 game flex pack offers great flexibility for
fans to be able to see a variety of games without having to commit to 34 games. The hope with
fans who purchase flex packs is to eventually have them fall into buying season tickets as flex-
packs show some loyalty, season tickets display a high level of dedication and commitment.
With season ticket packages fans get tons of benefits to enhance their experience at Generals
games. Those benefits include being able to attend team events, reserved seats throughout the
playoffs, free parking not far from the rink and many more. For season tickets, the Generals will
want to attract adults in their mid-30’s to older adults who could be retired and have the time to
attend all home games. Season tickets reach the highest benefits for people who are able to use
them all the time, and will only want to be purchased by people who assure themselves they can
attend the highest number of home games possible.
Target Market Profile
Single game buyer
Demographics
- Age: Mainly 18-49
- Gender: Male or Female
- Family: Single people, older adults who are most likely married with children
Geographic’s

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- Country: Canada
- City: Oshawa/Durham Region
- Language: Most likely English
Psychographics
- Personality: Outgoing, engaging with other fans, but not as hardcore as regular fans
- Attitudes: Positive, looking to enjoy their time
- Interests: Hockey, competition, social time with other fans
Product Choice
- Benefits Sought: “1-day fun,” good experience, nothing amazing
- Usage Rate: Very little, 1-5 times per season
- Loyalty Status: Fans, relatively not hardcore, have a general interest about the team
- Readiness to Purchase: Most likely mull around the idea of it, have the “I’ll go next
time approach”
Multiple game buyer
Demographics
- Age: Mainly 35-65+
- Gender: Male or Female
- Family: Older adults most likely married with children, retired seniors
Geographic’s

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- Country: Canada
- City: Oshawa/Durham Region
- Language: Most likely English
Psychographics
- Personality: Outgoing, engaging with other fans within their section, know fans
more personally
- Attitudes: Positive, looking to enjoy their time, see people they know
- Interests: Hockey, competition, social time with other fans
Product Choice
- Benefits Sought: Seeing multiple games, getting rewarded for committing to
multiple games, playoff seats
- Usage Rate: Many times, full season more times than not for a season ticket holder
- Loyalty Status: Hardcore and devoted fans, have more than likely been fans for
many years
- Readiness to Purchase: Jump at the chance to purchase tickets, have a “can’t wait”
mentality
Positioning
For the Oshawa Generals, they position themselves from the competition with their
extensive and rich history inside the game of hockey. When a hockey fan first thinks of the OHL,
they would probably say the London Knights, everyone knows who they are. But the team most
people should say, is the Generals. They have the most OHL Championships victories with 13
and have a record five Memorial Cup wins. They have the “IT” factor teams like the New York

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Yankees and New England Patriots have, they have the rings and the history that fans love. They
also play in one of the nicest facilities in the OHL. The then General Motors Centre opened up in
2006 and is a state-of-the-art facility for the team to play out of. They have a facility players are
attracted to and someone who potentially could be thinking to go the NCAA route, might think
twice when they make their decision to skip out on a first class organization like the Generals.
Marketing Mix (4 P’s)
Product
Like both of their competitors, the Generals key product extensions are made up of the
merchandise they sell both at the arena and online through their online store. The store carries
everything from hoodies and hats, to jerseys and memorabilia. This is a huge influence on fans as
every fan loves to support the team they follow; this gives them the opportunity to feel like apart
of the team by being able to purchase a hat or jersey to wear to a game and enhance their own
experience. Not only is there store a huge contributor to the on-ice product, but the concessions
throughout the arena allow fans to purchase food and beverages to add to the core product and
overall experience at a game. The Generals also have everyone’s crowd favourite, their mascot
named Deke, who interacts with fans, attends team events and pumps the crowd up for games.
Brand Equity
- Brand Awareness
o Considering the attendance Oshawa puts up almost every game with their
loyal fans, it is safe to say the awareness in the Durham Region relating to the
Generals is very high. If there was a poll taken, I can imagine that the number

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of people who were asked if they know who the Generals are and if they have
been to a game, the number would be considerably high. They do a lot of
community work as well to help build their fan support and attract new fans
who they hope will stay fans for the future. With help from the Generals
social media platforms, they have the ability to be noticed by everyone who
follows them and even people who don’t.
- Perceived Quality
o The best marketing tool is offering fans a good product that they will want to
spend their money on and give up their time to support the team. The fans of
Oshawa know that the Generals are always competitive in the standings and
have a great track record of sending players to the NHL. Aside from just the
team, fans want to go to an arena like the Tribute Communities Centre due to
how new and nice it is. Being one of the new OHL rinks, it offers a lot to fans
for a great experience.
- Brand Association
o The Generals as I have mentioned have a very loyal fan base and the team
means a lot to tons of people who have likely been fans for decades. Fans that
were there in the Eric Lindros days would have a huge place in their heart for
the Generals. I have a feeling most hardcore fans would choose to watch a
Generals game over a Toronto Maple Leafs game, that is how much the team
probably means to a lot of season ticket holders especially.
Place (Distribution)

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- Location and Accessibility
o The Tribute Communities Centre is in a prime location in the city of Oshawa
being located right next to the Durham College and UOIT campus. The
facility is easily accessible by car from highway 401, GO Train, or bus and
obtains 2,900 parking spots for those driving. The arena has a designated
parking area for those arriving with disabilities, which is a must.
- Designand Layout
o The Tribute Communities Centre has a seating capacity of 6000 in a bowl-
based arena. There are seats for people with disabilities. The arena holds 27
suites, 23 of which are private and four are group suites. The main concourse
is large enough for big crowds to gather at intermissions of the game and the
arena also holds another ice pad, that is easily accessible through hallways
connected to the main rink.
o Fans can access tickets through a Ticketmaster extension of the Generals
website, the arena’s website, in person at the box office or on ticket sharing
sites like StubHub.
- Amenities
o The Tribute Communities Centre offers the Prospects Bar & Grill, which a
restaurant located right next to the main bowl of the arena. There are many
concessions stands throughout the arena. The team has a store located inside
the arena for fans to purchase merchandise. The aforementioned 27 suites the
arena holds are a major bonus for the team. The facility was also just updated

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heavily in the dressing room area. A brand-new player lounge and workout
area is key for recruiting players to come and play.
- Customer Service
o The arena has the company Spectra Venue Management, who takes care of all
customer service related needs and is driven by putting the client first, to give
them a safe and memorable experience.
- Price
o The main pricing strategy the Generals use, likes most teams is Product
Bundling, where they turn single things and add them together to make a
bundle with things such as tickets, merchandise, etc. As previously mentioned,
the Generals have three flex-pack options of 6, 12 and 18 games which gives
fans more choice than purchasing single game tickets or having to commit to a
full season. They also bundle things like tickets to a game with dinner
afterword through the promotion “Gens Night Out.” This event is sponsored
by Wendal Clark’s Classic Grill and Bar and offers 25 tickets to a game, a
practice on the ice then a portion of dinner paid at the restaurant. This strategy
is very useful as it gives fans options and more ways to experience a Generals
game.
- Promotion
o The most recent sales promotion set out by the Generals is their Teddy Bear
Toss night, which had to be rescheduled for Thursday, December 5, 2019 due
to the original games ate being postponed for weather hazards. The toys are
donated to children in hospitals and gifts for Christmas.

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o Back in October, the Generals had a “Halloween Spooktacular” on October
27th against the Hamilton Bulldogs, which offered a trick or treat trail,
bobbing for apples, a costume contest and much more.
o For the month of September, anyone becoming or who already was a season
ticket holder was entered into the Generals “14 Days of Giveaways”
promotion which had pries like a 10-person suite for their October 4th home
game, four Hockey Hall of Fame passes and a signed team stick.
o The team has a very solid social media presence on platforms like Instagram
and Twitter. They design amazing graphics and videos to allow fans to get a
bit of a behind the scenes look into the Generals. This helps them market to
younger fans who are more inclined to using these apps and can benefit a lot
from viewing these, which can allow for fans to have the desire to attend
games.
Recommendations
1. A more “flexible” flex pack
a. The Generals do have a great flex pack system in place already, the only chance I
might suggest is to input a “create a flex pack” option, which can allow fans to
decide just how many games they might want to attend. If a fan wants to go to
more than six games but not as many as 12, there should be an option for that, not
just games that are set in stone, the more flexible the options, the more people are
attracted. Building off of their existing flex packs they should set out parameters
like:

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i. Option 1: 6-9 games
ii. Option 2: 10- 15 games
iii. Option 3: 16- 20 games
2. Create a promotional schedule on the website
a. Promotional nights are always a blast for fans because they can receive a cool,
free piece of merchandise. In order for fans to know about the promotions and
especially for single game buyers who might be more intrigued because it is a
promotion night, they would want to know and their website does not clearly state
when and what promotion nights will happen. Things like these are usually
decided before the season starts to allow for items to be made or purchased, they
should clearly outline what is happening when because if fans don’t know, that
can affect ticket sales.
3. More fan to player interaction
a. By saying this I don’t necessarily mean players and fans coming together all the
time, but have the players be featured for a segment during the intermission of the
video board which can give some background to fans on who they are cheering
for. This can allow for more fan engagement and even bring up brand awareness
and loyalty. Possibly having Generals players and young fans going shopping
around Christmas time to donate presents to hospitals and kids in need is a great
way to get the community to come together with the players.

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References
Oshawa Generals (n.d.a) Business Operations Retrieved from
https://oshawagenerals.com/staff/
Oshawa Generals (n.d.b) Hockey Operations Retrieved from
https://oshawagenerals.com/hockeyoperations/

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Oshawa Generals (n.d.c) History Retrieved from
https://oshawagenerals.com/history/
Oshawa Generals (n.d.d) Facility Retrieved from
https://oshawagenerals.com/facility/
Oshawa Generals (n.d.e) Season tickets Retrieved from
https://oshawagenerals.com/season-tickets/
Oshawa Generals (n.d.f) Single game tickets Retrieved from
https://oshawagenerals.com/single-game-tickets-2/
Oshawa Generals (n.d.g) Flex packs tickets Retrieved from
https://oshawagenerals.com/flex-packs-tickets/
Oshawa Generals (n.d.h) Group tickets Retrieved from
https://oshawagenerals.com/packages/
Oshawa Generals (n.d.i) Holiday packs Retrieved from
https://oshawagenerals.com/holidaypacks/
Oshawa Generals (n.d.j) Shop Retrieved from
https://oshawa-generals.myshopify.com/
Peterborough Petes (n.d.k) Birthday packages Retrieved from
https://gopetesgo.com/birthday-packages

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Peterborough Petes (n.d.l) Shop Retrieved from
https://store.gopetesgo.com/
Peterborough Petes (n.d.m) Tickets Retrieved from
https://gopetesgo.com/single-game-tickets
Polaris (2018) Profile Report Retrieved from
https://app-polarisintelligence-
com.ezproxy.humber.ca/profile/showreport?comparison_session=true&_locale=en&com
ponent_name=pre_defined_market
Toronto Marlies (n.d.n) Tickets Retrieved from
https://www.ticketmaster.ca/artist/985495?brand=torontomarlies&CAMEFROM=CFC_MARLI
ES_WEB
Toronto Marlies (n.d.o) Promotions Retrieved from
http://marlies.ca/promoschedule/
Toronto Marlies (n.d.p) Shop Retrieved from
https://shop.realsports.ca/pages/toronto-marlies

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