While the Buccaneers were chastised by many last week for the launch of their "RED" female-oriented fan program, other pro teams in the Tampa area "haven't received near the backlash for their female-oriented marketing campaigns or events," according to Katie Mettler of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. The Rays "started regular Girls Night Out events last year, handing out wine glass tumblers and blue cowboy hats." For 12 years, female Lightning fans have "gathered for the team's once-a-year Hockey 'N Heels event, which features behind-the-scenes tours and a coach's primer on the sport and its basic terminology." Mettler: "So why did the Bucs take heat while the other Tampa Bay franchises didn't?" Momentum Worldwide Senior VP & Dir of Sports & Entertainment Mike Sundet said that the message teams send to female fans -- "especially in a social-media driven world where people are quick to pounce -- must be nuanced." Sports journalists and PR specialists said that the problem for the Buccaneers was that the RED initiative "insinuated that all women -- and only women -- don't understand football." Both the NASL Rowdies and the Lightning have "programs for rookie fans, but neither franchise educates based on gender alone." On game day, the Rowdies "insert a 'Soccer at a Glance' tip sheet into the program." The Lightning's "Hockey University" program "teaches Hockey 101, 201 and 301 classes to 'beginners and experts alike.'" Lightning Exec VP/Marketing & Communications Bill Wickett said, "We've never designed a specific marketing campaign toward our female audience." He emphasized Hockey 'N Heels "was a 'one-off' event each year, but not a separate campaign, like the Bucs' RED." Sundet said that the reception to events like Hockey 'N Heels, or the Rays' Girls Night Out "has more to do with how they're branded than anything else" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 8/8).
