Question to American fans about marketing of the World Junior Championships in the US
A host of one of the talk shows up here in Vancouver mentioned how Canada is drawing more fans in Grand Forks than the Americans.
This lead to an American calling in and making this point: The term "Junior" does not appeal to Americans and make some look down on the event because of this term. They (the organizing committee and USA Hockey) should have used the term "World Collegiate Hockey Championships" in the marketing campaigns due to the popularity of college sports in the US.
I can see the argument made here, because at work i told the bartender to turn the game on and she said who's playing and i answered "it's the world juniors" and like 3 guys said "juniors? who want to watch kids"...so obviously the word juniors does come with a negative conotation in the US. But if fans don't want to tune in because of the title, I'd prefer them not watch anyways. Whats the point? so I can hear the next day some guy who has no idea what hes talkin about walk up to me and say "how about that phil kessel?"...no thanks! I'd rather have those stupid americans watch their college football!
I don't think it matters really. The reason why it's drawing more Canadians is because it's in freaking North Dakota. What's really in North Dakota anyway?
I don't think it matters really. The reason why it's drawing more Canadians is because it's in freaking North Dakota. What's really in North Dakota anyway?
Do you remember Boston? It was a disaster. U.S coach Jackie Parker called the Beanpot a more important tournament, if you can believe that. I'll never understand why Americans don't warm to it. Only the Olympics and World Cup are better tournaments.
I don't think it matters really. The reason why it's drawing more Canadians is because it's in freaking North Dakota. What's really in North Dakota anyway?
Better question is why is there both a North and South Dakota, where's the explanation for that
The WJC will always be in the bottom of choices the ESPN viewers to watch and I was completely shocked that they got to play in a sports market like ESPN...hell, they're more then statisfied to play high school basket ball games instead...I could see also that the only real reason for the USA team to being see on ESPN, is b/c winning the gold in the previous tournament...to me, the lack of exposuer/attention the United States viewer gets, and the lack of a significant CHL teams in the states, people are ignorant to the meaning of the WJC and what a show it is...cant bame them though, we've all been grown with football, soccer, baseball, and basket shoved down our throats
One bizarre aspect of the tournament is the choice of music during the US games.
"American Woman" and "Born in the USA".
Both songs are highly critical of the US, so I find it strange they are played during US games. I could see people missing the point of Born in the USA, as the Boss is kind of subtle, but American Woman ? Not subtle at all... "I don't need your war machines, I don't need your ghetto scenes; American Woman: get away from me, etc. "
I'm not American, but I'm a little embarrassed for any US fans at the game that may have noticed this.
For the dummy who plays these tunes, just because a song says "USA" or "America" doesn't necessarily mean they are pro-US.
I dont think it has so much to do with "World Juniors" as it does with "hockey". With NCAA bowl games on during this period, most in the US would tune in to watch it compared to WJC. The NHL is to blame for this ultimately. It is the only hockey most people watch, and even then most do not watch it compared to other sports.
Until the NHL draws a big fanbase, you will not see the WJC as any thing more than a time slot that ESPN can fill with either Poker or WJC hockey. And on that note, I suspect poker(which I never understand why people watch a card game) would outdraw, ratings-wise, the WJC.
One bizarre aspect of the tournament is the choice of music during the US games.
"American Woman" and "Born in the USA".
Both songs are highly critical of the US, so I find it strange they are played during US games. I could see people missing the point of Born in the USA, as the Boss is kind of subtle, but American Woman ? Not subtle at all... "I don't need your war machines, I don't need your ghetto scenes; American Woman: get away from me, etc. "
I'm not American, but I'm a little embarrassed for any US fans at the game that may have noticed this.
For the dummy who plays these tunes, just because a song says "USA" or "America" doesn't necessarily mean they are pro-US.
especially considering that song was written by The Guess Who, who are Canadian.
I don't think it matters really. The reason why it's drawing more Canadians is because it's in freaking North Dakota. What's really in North Dakota anyway?
the ralph and uh...welll uh...let me think...the betty. oh there's a really cool truck stop in fargo that sells touch lamps and window paint! i'm glad they chose to have the wjc's in nodak since it's close to home and i was able to attend some games.
my 2 cents
changing the name: no, maybe they should advertise it...that may help draw some people. i'm in minnesota and there's nothin' about it anywhere and if there is you have to look to find info on it. even now in the local press the wjc coverage is 1/4 of a page from AP news. press doesn't care about hockey here in general so why they would give any attention to the wjc. that is asking a lot. and to change it to
World Collegiate Hockey Championships would just ocnfuse people because of Collegiate that should mean that all the players would come from college teams. if juniors is already being misinterpreted as "kids" then collegiate would be more misinterpreted. i just think people don't know because the information is not right there on the cover of the sports page or it's not easily accessible.
crowd draw: you're right when you say more canadians because it's in nodak. and really outside of nodak the largest and closest american population density is the twin cities in minnesota. that's a 6 hour drive and over xmas and new year's...to many damn american's like their football too much (a concept i will NEVER understand). BUT in minnesota the draw outside of nhl hockey is high school and college hockey. it's sad when you go to the hockey store and chat it up with the kid behind the counter and explain what you are doing for the week, 'going to the wjc" and he looks at you like you're speaking a foreign language. i read/heard somewhere that watching wjc during xmas in canada is like watching football game on xmas in the states. but then i wonder about hockey in the twin cities...a percentage of people go to gopher/wild games to entertain clients and as more of a "social" thing not to watch the game (more so this happens for wild games then gopher games but it does happen for both for sure), and the wjc is not going to get crowd draw from that.
Just a little story to add to this. I went to the Canada/Sweden game, when we crossed the border in International Falls, the border guard asked where we were going, we said the world juniors, he looked at us with a dumb stare and asked if we were playing.
It's North Dakota.Look at the map.How many people are going to go to Grand Forks,N.D. or Minnesota during Christmas and New Year's week?If someone is going to go on vacation,they will go visit their family in another state or head for some warm climate and NOT North Dakota or Minnesota.
Just a little story to add to this. I went to the Canada/Sweden game, when we crossed the border in International Falls, the border guard asked where we were going, we said the world juniors, he looked at us with a dumb stare and asked if we were playing.
yeah i kept getting asked if i had a friend playing in it(after my attempted explaination of what it was)
One bizarre aspect of the tournament is the choice of music during the US games.
"American Woman" and "Born in the USA".
Both songs are highly critical of the US, so I find it strange they are played during US games. I could see people missing the point of Born in the USA, as the Boss is kind of subtle, but American Woman ? Not subtle at all... "I don't need your war machines, I don't need your ghetto scenes; American Woman: get away from me, etc. "
I'm not American, but I'm a little embarrassed for any US fans at the game that may have noticed this.
For the dummy who plays these tunes, just because a song says "USA" or "America" doesn't necessarily mean they are pro-US.
You have way too much time on your hands to worry about the songs being played in the arena.You gives a ****
It's not advertised at all in the US. As for Americans being out drawn in attendence, it shouldn't suprise anyone. Tonights game is on at the same time as the Giants/Cowboys NFL game so I expect the ratings to be 0.00.
You have way too much time on your hands to worry about the songs being played in the arena.You gives a ****
i'm more embarrassed about the fact taht they can't announce goals right after they happen, or that the clock stops 15 min into the period because someone didn't reset the clock, and the ice is crap and other little things that make it to be an under par production. at least you can HEAR what the announcers are saying...this summer at eval camp you couldn't even hear what was being said (but that could also be partly because the arena was bare). it's a state of the art building...i guess i just expect state of the art everything (but it still rules you can watch the game in the bathroom stalls from the reflection on the floor because there are tvs in there.)
Do you remember Boston? It was a disaster. U.S coach Jackie Parker called the Beanpot a more important tournament, if you can believe that. I'll never understand why Americans don't warm to it. Only the Olympics and World Cup are better tournaments.
I can almost guarantee you that, since the US is coming off a gold at the WJC, the results would be different in Beantown.
The reason the tourney is less-than-well attended by Amerks is because we are only 100 miles from the border, fools! Actually, the US games have had bigger and better crowds than the Canuck games (although some Canadians are at the US games-rooting for the other teams!). The closest hockey city is Minneapolis, which is 4+ hours away. Winnipeg is only 2 hours away, and Brandon, Morden, Winkler, etc. are ALL closer than that to the Forx.
I think the big problem is that we here in the US don't really care about hockey players under the age of 20 unless they play college Division I hockey. Because other than Crosby, none of these guys is as good as the players we see on a regular basis playing NCAA Division I games. And they don't play well as a team for the first 4 games.
By the way, GO USA!
You want to know why Canada is drawing more than the USA?
Because Canada cares more. It's that simple. They showed a whole legion of Canadians at the USA/Sweden game. That doesn't happen for anyone else.
Hockey is hardly marketed at all in the USA. North Dakota is not a strong market. I'm sure if St. Paul got this tournament it would be a lot more supportive. It's almost like they're trying to create a hockey market and they can't.
I heard the other night that the first WJC's in America were held in Anchorage, Alaska. What the hell? It was somewhere else and then in Boston in 96 (if anyone knows that middle site that would be great)
The reason the tourney is less-than-well attended by Amerks is because we are only 100 miles from the border, fools! Actually, the US games have had bigger and better crowds than the Canuck games (although some Canadians are at the US games-rooting for the other teams!). The closest hockey city is Minneapolis, which is 4+ hours away. Winnipeg is only 2 hours away, and Brandon, Morden, Winkler, etc. are ALL closer than that to the Forx.
I think the big problem is that we here in the US don't really care about hockey players under the age of 20 unless they play college Division I hockey. Because other than Crosby, none of these guys is as good as the players we see on a regular basis playing NCAA Division I games. And they don't play well as a team for the first 4 games.
By the way, GO USA!
P.S. Wayne Gretzky is here in town, so...
A couple of points
1. yeah the reason Canada is drawing so well is that Canada has huge cities like Brandon (40, 000 people), Morden (6200) and Winkler (6400) so close. I agree that Grand Forks isn't exactly in the middle of a huge American population base but to claim that the relatively close proximity of "huge" Canadian "cities" like Winkler give Canadians a leg up in attendance numbers is ludicrous
2. only Crosby is as good as any of the players you see in NCAA. wow, that may be the most assinine thing I've ever read on these boards. I'm not going to slam NCAA hockey, because some very good players have come that route, but you so underestimate the quality of Canadian major junior and European pro leagues (not to mention someone like Bergeron, you I might suggest is at least as good as the average NCAA player; sarcasm intended)
Hockey is hardly marketed at all in the USA. North Dakota is not a strong market. I'm sure if St. Paul got this tournament it would be a lot more supportive. It's almost like they're trying to create a hockey market and they can't.
I heard the other night that the first WJC's in America were held in Anchorage, Alaska. What the hell? It was somewhere else and then in Boston in 96 (if anyone knows that middle site that would be great)
I guess that's just stupid strategy by USA Hockey. Why put it in a nontraditional market? St. Paul would sell out in a second if it were held there. Hell I bet even Portland would be a better draw than Grand Forks.
