SS&E Chooses Ad Agency To Lead Pursuit Of Potential Customers

Spurs Tap Atkins Group To Help Reach Potential Fans

Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) is "working to create a more diverse market-penetration strategy in an effort to connect with a larger potential base of support," and has chosen San Antonio-based advertising agency The Atkins Group to "help it reach a larger audience," according to W. Scott Bailey of the SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL. SS&E President of Basketball Operations Rick Pych: "We've done a pretty good job of knowing who our customers are. We haven't done as good a job of knowing who our potential customers are. That's what we want to find out." The Atkins Group Principal Steve Atkins said that his agency "will also help the Spurs find new places to deliver their messages." Pych added that the plan "is to put more emphasis on new media outlets," and said that The Atkins Group "will be key in helping SS&E find those outlets and make the connections." Pych: "So much has changed in the last 10 years in how you reach people. It used to be that if you put an ad in the local paper and on local TV, you probably covered everyone. But that doesn't work anymore." Atkins added, "The reality is economic pressures are growing and the discretionary income available for family-based entertainment is going to be more and more stretched by gas prices, food prices and such. ... Campaign efforts will need to compete aggressively for those entertainment dollars" (SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/19 issue).