Newly acquired Shawn Kemp has become the "centerpiece"
of the Cavaliers' efforts to "revive fans' flagging interest
in the franchise and to fill more seats at Gund Arena,"
according to Angela Hardin of CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS.
Cavs Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Jim Kahler said that Kemp's
arrival puts the team "ahead" of last year's ticket sales
pace, but he would not provide specific figures. With a
"need to boost attendance," the Cavs are "stepping up" their
marketing efforts. For the first time, the team has created
a 30-minute infomercial that has aired once on local WJW-TV
and three times on SportsChannel. Kahler: "It allows us 30
minutes to tell what['s] going on with the team. ... We've
seen around 100 calls a show." In addition, the Cavs have
boosted their telemarketing department from a staff of 10 to
30 and have joined with Cleveland based Liggett-Stashower
Inc. for a new advertising campaign with the tagline, "Bring
It On" (CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, 10/6 issue).
NO BACKLASH HERE: In Minneapolis, Sid Hartman reports
that the Timberwolves have sold more than 1,000 full-season
tickets since signing Kevin Garnett to a $125M contract
extension. Also, more than 7,000 people attended Tuesday
night's free, intrasquad scrimmage at the Target Center.
Overall, the team has sold almost 10,000 full-season and
5,000 partial-season tickets (STAR TRIBUNE, 10/10).
