Marketing Buzz:
The Northwestern Wildcats are getting more aggressive in promoting the program. Athletic director Jim Phillips said in a statement that the Wildcats are set to begin a campaign on Monday with the slogan, "Northwestern: Chicago's Big Ten Team."
This seems like a broad change in strategy from typical Northwestern marketing efforts, of which there have been few. But maybe Phillips felt that at this time, with the football team set to take on Illinois at Wrigley Field and the basketball team on the upswing, it was most prudent to start promoting his teams.
People like winners and both of Northwestern's revenue generating programs are set up to win right now.
Still, it seems like this marketing campaign is a direct shot at the guys up in Champaign, Illinois. The Fighting Illini have many fans in Chicago and have packed the United Center for basketball games. Do you think Northwestern could fill it? (Not unless it was like Duke or Kentucky on the other side.) It's fun to dream that someday the Wildcats really will be Chicago's Big Ten Team, but right now the city seems to belong to the Big Ten as a conference and not the Wildcats, but maybe this campaign will change the perception.
Lake The Posts, the site I defer to on anything concerning Northwestern marketing,
is absolutely thrilled by these new developments.
Recruiting Buzz:
Another article about the Wildcats worth noting from this week is Teddy Greenstein's conversation with Dave Telep, the National Recruiting Director at Scout.com. Telep has a really interesting Twitter account and he's also someone that's very knowledgeable about the recruiting scene. Combine that with Greenstein's insight into the Northwestern program and you get some interesting nuggets.
Telep seems to like both of the point guards the Wildcats signed for 2011 - Tre Demps and David Sobolewski. He thinks they'll be able to come in and help replace Michael Thompson. Demps seems to be very quotable, which will certainly stop once he goes to Medill. But reporters can dream for now.
Greenstein also mentions that besides being in the mix for Dai-Jon Parker, one of the top shooting guards in the class 2011, the Wildcats are also looking at Minnesota's Shelby Moats, Texas center Geoff Groselle and Californians Kyle Caudill and Kenyatta Smith to take over a spot in the paint.
It's also worth noting that
Kevin Coble is going to remain on scholarship until December when he graduates. I guess there is an outside shot he reads Lake The Post's
open letter and decides to reconsider.
