Author Topic: Big East website... coming soon? (Read 13858 times)

Spotcheck Billy · « **Reply #25 on:** September 03, 2013, 12:15:58 PM »

Quote from: Archies Bat on September 01, 2013, 04:07:27 PM

I agree on your point on branding, but other than the link here on Scoop, I've never been to a conference site, only to team's and sports reporting.

Same here, who uses a conference website for anything?

GGGG · « **Reply #26 on:** September 03, 2013, 12:18:34 PM »

Quote from: Red Stripe on September 03, 2013, 12:15:58 PM

Same here, who uses a conference website for anything?

Litehouse addressed it up above. A reporter looking for information....a fan wanting a composite volleyball schedule..

Honestly, can you guys think of better answers then "well, I never went there...must not be necessary." I have never gone to Wal-Mart's web site, but I'm sure there is a good reason why it is there.

mu03eng · « **Reply #27 on:** September 03, 2013, 01:27:44 PM »

Quote from: Terror Skink on September 03, 2013, 12:18:34 PM

Litehouse addressed it up above. A reporter looking for information....a fan wanting a composite volleyball schedule..

Honestly, can you guys think of better answers then "well, I never went there...must not be necessary." I have never gone to Wal-Mart's web site, but I'm sure there is a good reason why it is there.

Apparently they have never googled anything. Google American Athletic Conference and see what comes up first.

Tums Festival · « **Reply #28 on:** September 03, 2013, 05:51:02 PM »

The Big East does have a Facebook page that's updated regularly. It only has a little over 2,200 likes, compared to almost 200,000 for the B1G.

https://www.facebook.com/BIGEASTconference

ATL MU Warrior · « **Reply #29 on:** September 03, 2013, 07:23:25 PM »

Quote from: Terror Skink on September 03, 2013, 12:18:34 PM

Litehouse addressed it up above. A reporter looking for information....a fan wanting a composite volleyball schedule..

Honestly, can you guys think of better answers then "well, I never went there...must not be necessary." I have never gone to Wal-Mart's web site, but I'm sure there is a good reason why it is there.

Wal-mart is a terrible example, as is any ecommerce, transaction-based website.

Of course the Big East needs a website eventually. As someone said earlier, it's part of their brand identity. Maybe they are working on a larger rebranding effort and the website will be launched as part of that effort. Wouldn't be surprised if that's the case. However, they didn't need a website from Day 1 when they had far more pressing issues.

If someone whose job it is to write stories on some secondary or tertiary Big East sport (let's call them a reporter or journalist even though that's probably being kind) can't bother themselves to put some actual effort into finding some information then that's on them. Same with the few thousand people that would actually think to go there because they need a volleyball schedule. jeez.

I'm sure they will have one soon and then all the geniuses on here can tear it apart for how crapty they think it is and why it took them so long to come up with such a piece of sh!t.

The Equalizer · « **Reply #30 on:** September 03, 2013, 08:58:05 PM »

The time to rebrand was July 1st. That's the date you had all of sports paying attention--everyone knew for months that big changes were going to take place . . . and when they tuned in that day to see what all the excitement was about, what did they get?

An image that the new league didn't have their act together--that's what. It was a perfect opportunity to come out of the gates strong. And it was blown.

Compare that to 1990, when the Great Midwest was being formed. Mike Slive was already working behind the scenes as the league was being formed. When he was publicly named commissioner in Feburary 1991 he hit the ground running with plenty of time to build awareness and excitement before the first league games months in the future. He evangelized the GMC tirelessly, and it paid off.

The Big East simply lost opportunity for momentum and excitement that they will never get back. Instead of coming out of the gates strong, they made it seem like they were trying to not have their act together--no web site, hiring a commissioner five days before lanuch, getting to the first day of classes with a facebook page that still says "Coming July 1, 2013".

The moves of the league's presidents so far smack of an atttude that they think they can simply ride the coattails of the orginial Big East's success--without actually taking any of the efforts to build a league the way Slive did it 23 years ago (or Gavitt 34 years ago).

melissasmooth · « **Reply #31 on:** September 03, 2013, 09:25:11 PM »

Yeah, didn't take AAC long

http://theamerican.org/

Eldon · « **Reply #32 on:** September 03, 2013, 09:29:15 PM »

Quote from: melissasmooth on September 03, 2013, 09:25:11 PM

Yeah, didn't take AAC long

http://theamerican.org/

Man, I gotta say, when I look at that conference it's very respectable athletically. However, for some reason, UCF sticks out like a sore-thumb.

melissasmooth · « **Reply #33 on:** September 03, 2013, 09:37:20 PM »

Quote from: ElDonBDon on September 03, 2013, 09:29:15 PM

Man, I gotta say, when I look at that conference it's very respectable athletically. However, for some reason, UCF sticks out like a sore-thumb.

and south florida

ATL MU Warrior · « **Reply #34 on:** September 04, 2013, 07:02:30 AM »

Quote from: The Equalizer on September 03, 2013, 08:58:05 PM

The time to rebrand was July 1st. That's the date you had all of sports paying attention--everyone knew for months that big changes were going to take place . . . and when they tuned in that day to see what all the excitement was about, what did they get?

An image that the new league didn't have their act together--that's what. It was a perfect opportunity to come out of the gates strong. And it was blown.

Compare that to 1990, when the Great Midwest was being formed. Mike Slive was already working behind the scenes as the league was being formed. When he was publicly named commissioner in Feburary 1991 he hit the ground running with plenty of time to build awareness and excitement before the first league games months in the future. He evangelized the GMC tirelessly, and it paid off.

The Big East simply lost opportunity for momentum and excitement that they will never get back. Instead of coming out of the gates strong, they made it seem like they were trying to not have their act together--no web site, hiring a commissioner five days before lanuch, getting to the first day of classes with a facebook page that still says "Coming July 1, 2013".

The moves of the league's presidents so far smack of an atttude that they think they can simply ride the coattails of the orginial Big East's success--without actually taking any of the efforts to build a league the way Slive did it 23 years ago (or Gavitt 34 years ago).

So you want to launch a rebranding campaign for a basketball-centric league in July? When absolutely no one in the world is paying any attention whatsoever to college basketball? Great idea.

Would it have been nice to have a better web presence on July 1? Sure. Is it the train wreck many here seem to think it is? No way. Nobody will care until anticipation for the upcoming basketball season starts ramping up...and promos begin running across Fox properties. If they don't have something by that time it is obviously a big problem.

Brewtown Andy · « **Reply #35 on:** September 04, 2013, 09:41:37 AM »

Quote from: melissasmooth on September 03, 2013, 09:25:11 PM

Yeah, didn't take AAC long

http://theamerican.org/

Because they already had the staff to run the website hired, because they were the old Big East staff.

The Equalizer · « **Reply #36 on:** September 04, 2013, 09:49:56 AM »

Quote from: ATL MU Warrior on September 04, 2013, 07:02:30 AM

So you want to launch a rebranding campaign for a basketball-centric league in July? When absolutely no one in the world is paying any attention whatsoever to college basketball? Great idea.

There are at least six strong reasons to have been ready on July 1:

First, because for MONTHS leading up to that date, THAT was the date the league was telling everyone in the world that they launch. Not being ready on that date sends a message of incompetence. Still saying that you're "Coming July 1st" when the caledar flips to September cements that notion. If July 1 was such a bad date, someone should have thought of that back in December when they started telling everyone in the world that they get started on July 1st. And if they were concerned that nobody would be paying attention on July 1, then they should have told the world a different date.

Second, because NOT having a website ready sent a signal to the world that the league didn't have its act together, which was reflected in the coverage at the time. Instead of building on the success of the Big East, we dug a hole that now reqires some sort of rebranding to get out of--and it will invite comparision to the "not ready for prime time" image we presented on the day we initially SAID we would launch.

Third, becuase every website has bugs when launched, and launching during a slower period gives the staff a chance to weed them out---launching before the heaviest period risks more embarassment of system crashes--which would extend the notion that the league doesn't have its act together.

Fourth, because we certainly would have received more coverage in a down time when the media are looking for stories than we will going head to head agianst the NFL, College Football, the World Series, every OTHER conference's own basketball coverage, NBA pre-season, NHL preseason, and who knows what else.

Fifth, a "rebranding" was completely unnecessary given the already strong Big East brand if only someone thought about trying to leverage it and build on it to be ready to go on July 1st. I mean, there WAS six months lead time. That's plenty to take all the existing Big East coverage and come up with one or two new ideas--maybe an interactive league history timeline.

Sixth, and most importantly, the league staff SHOULD be completely and 100% focused on much more important basketball-related priorities once basketball season nears.

Think for just a moment about what you're suggesting: You want the league to divert resources AWAY from its most imporant sport at EXACTLY the most critical time of the season in order to instead focus on a website redesign and unnecessary rebranding campagin. But in your mind, that's the BETTER idea.

Is it a train wreck? No--and nobody said that.

It was, however, a HUGE missed opportunity. We could be building right now on a strong start as opposed to needing to "rebrand" to get back on track.

Can it be done? Sure. Nobody said it couldn't.

The question is why wasn't it done in the first place.

Brewtown Andy · « **Reply #37 on:** September 04, 2013, 10:06:42 AM »

The launch date was more about the operation of the NCAA calendar. July 1 is the day the NCAA flips from 2012-13 to 2013-14, so that was the day that the transfer of teams was official in the eyes of the NCAA.

When the Big East presidents took until June 26th to announce Val Ackerman as the commissioner, and therefore the person in charge of hiring the next level of staff on the flow chart, things were going to be delayed.

Hell, they just brought in John Paquette to run media relations back on July 24. He still has to hire his staff, etc., etc.

Pakuni · « **Reply #38 on:** September 04, 2013, 10:34:42 AM »

Outside the few hardcore fans - i.e., us, who rarely if ever go to a conference website for information - nobody cares about college basketball in July. Or August. Or early September.
The sports hierarchy these days is going:
1. NFL
2. NFL
3. College football
4. MLB in towns where teams are still relevant
5. High school football
.
.
.
.
.
6. Everything else

The notion that "the world" was watching with bated breath for the launch of a Big East website on July 1 is ridiculous.
Having an awesome website ready to go July 1 would obviously be better than nothing, but the reality is in four months nobody will care and the impact this has on the league's future is nonexistent.
But it's the offseason, there's no Hiroshima to fret over, so Scoop has to find something to b*tch about, because that's what we do.

mu03eng · « **Reply #39 on:** September 04, 2013, 10:44:46 AM »

Quote from: Pakuni on September 04, 2013, 10:34:42 AM

Outside the few hardcore fans - i.e., us, who rarely if ever go to a conference website for information - nobody cares about college basketball in July. Or August. Or early September.
The sports hierarchy these days is going:
1. NFL
2. NFL
3. College football
4. MLB in towns where teams are still relevant
5. High school football
.
.
.
.
.
6. Everything else

The notion that "the world" was watching with bated breath for the launch of a Big East website on July 1 is ridiculous.
Having an awesome website ready to go July 1 would obviously be better than nothing, but the reality is in four months nobody will care and the impact this has on the league's future is nonexistent.
But it's the offseason, there's no Hiroshima to fret over, so Scoop has to find something to b*tch about, because that's what we do.

Timeout, lets throw out the artificial date of July 1st. You and the others are right, probably too ambitious and not required.

However, it is two months later, 5 weeks from midnight madness(roughly) and not only do we not have a conference website, we have a completely unused twitter account, and a barely used facebook account. You think that will all magically change in October and people will pay attention with college football conference games in full swing, the NFL hitting it's stride and all the other basketball conferences but ours getting pimped by TWWL? The time to get some sort of awareness was early August. Plus as people pointed out we have sports going on now and nowhere to post the news/schedule/info.

We are now shackled to FS1(which I'm happy about), but that also means we can't ride the eyeball train that is ESPN. The Big East is going to have to promote itself and so far it is has promoted exactly nothing. They very well may have some sort of master plan for brand building and an awesome awareness campaign, but I don't see any evidence of it. They've been slow to hire a lot of stuff so I don't have a lot of confidence that they are really on the stick.

WarriorFan · « **Reply #40 on:** September 04, 2013, 11:05:13 AM »

Hmmm, a startup having problems with marketing and brand management.
And this is a surprise to anyone because.......?

Having said that, I would like to see a conference schedule soon, so I know what Tix to buy.

MUCrew · « **Reply #41 on:** September 05, 2013, 11:09:30 AM »

Website is live....you freaks:

http://www.bigeast.org/

ATL MU Warrior · « **Reply #42 on:** September 05, 2013, 11:17:33 AM »

It's horrible!

What an embarrassment!

Should be better with all the time they took!

---------------------------------

Ok. glad we could get that out of the way.