The Buccaneers.Com website is in full-fledged promotion mode. A quick look around will reveal some of their newest marketing strategies. Now I'm not a Marketing guy, but it only takes a little bit of common sense to look deeper into things.
First, they have a great website. Excellent looking graphics, easy to use and some good information.
Next, they clearly have moved on with 'new' faces of the franchise. Ronde Barber is there, but you will have to click on some of their tabs to find him. Along with Ronder in the second teir of faces on the Bucs website you will find Tanard Jackson, Davin Joesph, Carnell Williams, Jeff Faine and Aqib Talib. I find it interesting that they promoted two offensive lineman and two guys who have brought the most negative PR to the team.
Kellen Winslow, Josh Freeman and Barrett Ruud don the home-page. For a team that isn't willing to give Ruud a new contract, they seem convinced that they can milk a positive PR with him on the fore-front of their internet campaign.
Unite and Conquer - This is the slogan for the 2010 season. I can't figure it out. What are we uniting? As a team? I Guess, but was it a team that was in danger of dividing? Not really. Uniting rookies with the veterans? Happens to every team. As fans? As a city? I just don't get it. Plus, what are we conquering? Nobody expects the team to win the Super Bowl. Conquer the NFC South? Ambitious, but slightly out of reach. I say all of this slightly in jest, but it doesn't really say anything about the character of the team or what we are hoping to achieve. On top of that, it's not thematic to the Buccaneers. Pirates certainly didn't unite together. They stole by every means necessary. To me it's nothing other than something that sounds slightly motivational or something you would hear out of On Any Given Sunday.
Sing the National Anthem - The organization is holding a open-audition of sorts for anyone who wants to sing the National Anthem at a game this season. It's a cheap way to get somebody to sing the National Anthem, but it's also fun for the fans and is a marketing strategy to get people involved with the Bucs. America loves to vote on things (which I wouldn't be surprised if that's what it came down to, an American Idol type vote on Buccaneers.Com) and people love the opportunity to have their 15 minutes of fame. I like the idea and I think it is original and fun.
Cheap Tickets? - When you open the website you will see promotions for $25 Youth and $35 Adult tickets. They bring you into the link with an EXCELLENT video that runs on the theme of Own _____. Own Success. Own Physical. Own Emotions. Own The Moment, etc. The prices aren't bad, but the range of tickets quickly jump from the 35 a game to about $70 for upper-west corner seats.