The Hornets set records in just about every conceivable business metric last season, their first since transitioning away from the Bobcats brand. The '15-16 season presents the challenge of sustaining and building upon that success, and the team's new "Enter the Swarm" marketing campaign is meant to reflect those goals. Hornets Exec VP and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Pete Guelli said in '14-15, "attendance and fan engagement were up sharply," making Time Warner Cable Arena a "completely different environment." Guelli: "We wanted something that embodied the experience that we think people will be walking into this year." To that end, activation of the campaign will heavily feature in-game components. Guelli: "We wanted not just simply a forward-facing campaign, but something the fans could be a part of ... something that will be a part of every piece of our game presentation." While exact plans are being finalized, that will definitely include the opening video, game breaks and giveaways. Guelli added that the franchise is working on building a "true home-court advantage." Billboards are already in place in the Charlotte region, and digital activation has begun, with TV, radio and more online ads slated to break over the next several weeks.
THE BIZ OF BUZZ: Mercedes-Benz sponsored last year's "Buzz City" campaign, but Guelli said the team did not pursue selling sponsorship rights to "Enter the Swarm." However, he did say the team is having a "great offseason" in terms of sponsorship and other sales metrics. Sponsorship revenue was up by "double digits" last year, and it is "already up double digits going into this year." Season-ticket sales are pacing ahead of every other year at TWC Arena, with the exception of the landmark '14-15 season. The team's FY ends in October, and merchandise sales in FY '15 to date are "by far the most successful in franchise history," up by at least 200% from the previous FY. In-arena sales recently ranked top-10 in the NBA, which Guelli pointed out is a "radical departure from where we were as the Bobcats."
