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Blue unleashed: Butler finds mascot appeal can be a marketer’s best friend

From calendars to TV to social media, every day is game day for Butler Blue.
Photo by: ZACH BOLINGER / ZJB PHOTOGRAPHY
Last year, two bulldogs ran unofficially for president.

Georgetown Jack and Butler Blue III, live mascots for their respective universities, starred in a campaign advertisement for the “Canine Party” — a promotion tied with the schools’ basketball game in Washington, D.C. The bulldogs were shown swaggering around national monuments during the four-minute video, bringing levity to the otherwise contentious election.

The ad received 130,000 views across all media channels and generated $500,000 in advertising value for the schools — all for the price of roughly $750, according to Michael Kaltenmark, Butler’s director of external relations.

“The [return on investment] was just insane,” Kaltenmark said. “We broke the internet that day. It caused other schools to call and ask, ‘How are you doing this?’”

When Kaltenmark took responsibility for the Butler Blue mascot program in 2004, the bulldog was hardly known around Butler’s home state of Indiana — and other schools certainly weren’t calling. While mascots are known to unify fan bases and represent schools, Butler Blue was simply an ornament of the basketball sidelines.

That wasn’t satisfactory for Kaltenmark.

Butler Blue takes a seat for game day.
BUTLER UNIVERSITY 
He is always camera ready.
Photo by: ZACH BOLINGER / ZJB PHOTOGRAPHY
“It wasn’t enough for me to just show up on game day and then go into hiding,” Kaltenmark said. “That’s all too comfortable. I wanted a dog that was going to be on campus every day because that’s the beauty of this.”

Kaltenmark focused on social networks first, posting photos and videos of the bulldog, whose real name is Trip (as the third bulldog to bear the name), across the school’s social channels. Taking the approach that he’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission, Kaltenmark created a blog and Twitter account in the dog’s voice — endearing content that built a strong following.

Two Butler Final Four appearances in 2010 and 2011 provided unprecedented media coverage of the bulldog and even led to local sponsorship deals to take care of all the dog’s needs. Butler Blue became a folk hero on the Indianapolis campus.

“Having that mascot that’s appealing to the masses with a Cinderella team makes it easy for people to jump on the bandwagon,” said Beth Monnin, a brand management director at Learfield, which handles Butler’s multimedia rights. “You have to have a little bit of luck, but you also have to position yourselves correctly to take advantage.”

Kaltenmark had already done that, but, again, he wanted more.

“I hoped people would recognize the Butler bulldog like they did Handsome Dan or UGA,” Kaltenmark said. “But Butler has obvious limitations (like non-scholarship football), so how were we going to do this?”

■ ■ 

The popularity of Yale’s Handsome Dan and Georgia’s UGA are products of years of tradition at their respective universities.

Handsome Dan gained notoriety thanks to the school’s Ivy League status. UGA’s lore “between the hedges” is aided by Georgia’s powerhouse football program.

While mascots have long been an effective way to extend a school’s brand and enhance the fan experience at the game, some athletic departments are turning them into prolific marketing tools.

At Colorado, a buffalo named Ralphie draws people to football games with what many consider the best entrance in college athletics — the spectacle of a 1,200-pound beast sprinting around the field to lead the Buffaloes out of the locker room.

“People are super excited to see her whether it’s before the game or when she’s out on the field getting ready to run,” said John Graves, Colorado’s live mascot program manager. “She’s just so magnificent and just awe-inspiring to see.”

Colorado is celebrating the tradition’s 50th anniversary with a variety of promotions this season, including Ralphie-themed season tickets, special appearances and a commemorative logo to decorate Folsom Field and the Buffaloes’ football helmets. On the donations side, the school started a crowd-sourcing campaign aiming to raise $50,000 for the Ralphie program.

Washington has chosen to raise money for its husky, Dub, with up to two appearances a week — most of which are paid — both on and off campus. He’s attended birthday parties, corporate meets, barbecues and orientations — he’s even been the ring bearer at weddings, according to Josh Chan, program coordinator of athletic bands and spirit squads.

It was that level of sophistication that led Butler’s Kaltenmark to consider the next step for Butler Blue after the exposure provided by the Final Four runs.

■ ■ 

When Butler transitioned to the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2012, Butler President James Danko walked into the athletic office looking for suggestions on how to capitalize on the move.

Kaltenmark spoke up, proposing that Butler Blue hit the road with the basketball team to post pictures and videos along each trip. Danko approved and Trip’s popularity spiked further, as local media outlets couldn’t help but broadcast the dog playing in front of Independence Hall, for example.

“Now that we were legitimate and people know who we are, it was time to start putting structure behind it,” Kaltenmark said. “Really try to get every facet and detail nailed down and represent the school.”

Butler Blue III made his debut before the Hinkle Fieldhouse crowd in February 2012.
Photo by: ZACH BOLINGER / ZJB PHOTOGRAPHY
Butler Blue’s sponsors now cover more than his basic needs. According to the university’s website, 15 companies — ranging from a local record store to Nike — sponsor the bulldog. A local Ford dealership even created the “Blue Mobile” for Trip, a van fully wrapped in Butler marks that allows for his maximum comfort during travel.

Licensing opportunities came, too. Butler athletics’ online store sells 132 products with Trip’s likeness, ranging from $8 stickers to $300 golf bags. Trip-branded products experienced 650 percent sales growth in 2016.

“The Butler Blue marks have given them a lot more options in terms of products,” Monnin said. “It gives fans an opportunity to acquire something different but is still Butler. The evolution of that logo has helped tremendously on the marketing side.”

But, again, Kaltenmark wanted more.

Trip became an “ambassador” for the university, helping Butler recruit students by appearing around campus during tours and student registration. High schoolers exposed to the bulldog during visits had a 170 times higher rate of commitment than those who didn’t, according to the university.

That ambassadorial role even extends beyond Indianapolis.

While Kaltenmark still posts content of Trip at major attractions, the duo’s main priority at away basketball games is now making house calls to prospective students within the city — a campaign called #ButlerBound.

Modeling is hard work ...
... but he makes it look easy.
Butler Blue has fun at work.
Photos by: ZACH BOLINGER / ZJB PHOTOGRAPHY
“We reach out to their parents,” Kaltenmark said, “and say, ‘Hey, the Butler Bulldog is going to come to your town on these dates with the basketball team. We understand that your son or daughter applied to Butler. If you can keep a secret, we’d like to come and deliver their acceptance letter.’”

Roughly 10 percent of high schoolers who apply end up matriculating to Butler. In the first year Trip began making those visits, about 30 percent of those students were Bulldogs in the fall. Now, close to 50 percent of Trip’s house calls result in Butler commitments, according to Kaltenmark.

Since #ButlerBound began, applications have risen by 30 percent and enrollment has increased by 23 percent, leading to the largest class in school history coming this fall.

“It was so successful, and students were like, ‘This is amazing,’” Kaltenmark said. “Now, as applications are green-lighted, we’re starting to go to Indianapolis suburbs to do the same.”

And for those who don’t get a visit from the bulldog in person, the school has increased its use of Butler Blue in recruitment literature. After students are admitted, they receive pet food from Trip, activating the bulldog’s nutrition sponsors in the process.

“We see data there that the dog breaks through,” Kaltenmark said. “It gets you away from a stuffy, institutional persona. This was something that other schools weren’t doing, and it really separated us and made us stand out.

“It gave kids another glimpse into our culture: It says, ‘family.’”

■ ■ 

Now, everybody recognizes Butler Blue, and other schools are calling to see how they can better leverage their own lovable mascots. Ohio State was one of the schools that contacted Butler after Trip’s presidential campaign.

Another day, more pictures.
BUTLER UNIVERSITY
Brutus, albeit not a live mascot like Trip, is one of the most recognizable mascots in all of sports; the Buckeyes’ interest in the Butler Blue program speaks volumes to Kaltenmark’s innovations.

In June, the two universities combined to present “the best mascot marketing practices” to the National Association of Collegiate Marketers of Athletics convention in Orlando. Hundreds of Division I schools were in attendance.

Kaltenmark said his next step is starting a kids’ club around Trip, “Blue’s Buddies,” adding another direct marketing opportunity for sponsors.

He doesn’t know exactly what it will look like, but if the past is any indication, Kaltenmark and Butler Blue won’t be stopping there.


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