Univ. of Michigan AD Dave Brandon has “encouraged” the athletic department’s first CMO Hunter Lochmann to “push the boundaries of Michigan's previous marketing strategy, old-school and unrefined, pushing into the modern era in every way possible,” according to Mark Snyder of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. Lochmann said the school is “not going to have a billboard” of QB Denard Robinson in N.Y. for the Heisman campaign. Lochmann: “That's not Michigan. It's all about the team. You remember what they did at Oregon years ago with Joey Harrington? We're not going to do that.” He added, "As a marketer would that be fun? Absolutely. But you have to do it in the context of what Michigan represents." When Brandon hired Lochmann, he “made a commitment to the resources as well.” The marketing budget “swelled from $218,000 in 2009-10 to $471,000 in 2010-11 to $750,000 in 2011-12, an investment Brandon says is essential.” The results “followed,” as two years ago there was a “double-digit percentage department revenue increase, followed by 7% this past year.” Additional changes included more staff with specified roles, new video scoreboards at Michigan Stadium and “paid advertising in different areas of the department, pushing to sell basketball games during student breaks and new ticketing options.” A student ticket loyalty program also is “debuting this fall,” and it will be “centered around technology and smart-phone apps” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/6).
