"Ideas that Work" is a periodic feature developed for The NCAA News by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators. Individuals interested in contributing information may telephone Trip Durham of Elon University at 336/278-6708.

Guns 'n' Hoses

Colorado College

promotions and community outreach

Who: The promotion links kids with the community.

What is needed: Teams from the police and fire departments, a charity and organization.

When: Pregame.

What sport: Colorado College did it with hockey, but the promotion can be done with any sport.

How: Guns 'n' Hoses is in a way just another game, but with a little more organization and a great purpose. A few months before the event, the police and fire departments agree to participate in this fund-raising event for the community. Each gets together its own team to participate in the event. The school sets up all the normal game-day operations, including someone to sing the national anthem, an announcer, music, scoreboard operator and so on. Policemen and firemen are sold tickets at a group price, which they in turn sell at full price, with them keeping the difference for their charity. On the day of the event, the doors are opened early so that anyone who holds a ticket for the school's game that night could watch the Guns 'n' Hoses game. In Colorado College's case, the policemen and firemen held a raffle during their game and the school's game that raised more money for the charity.

Results: The event works well as long as the police and fire departments cooperate with the school. Since the event is run in the same way as any of the school's contests, the organization isn't overwhelming. In this case, the event raised $2,000 for the Candlelighters (kids with cancer). Some of the children benefiting from the charity and their parents also attended. In the end, everybody benefited from the event.

Punt, Pass and Kick Contest

University of Akron

communications/marketing staff

Akron worked with a local radio station to conduct a $25,000 Punt, Pass and Kick Contest before kickoff of every home game. Contestants, one male and one female, were selected randomly from the crowd. The contest required that a male contestant start at the back of the end zone and the female contestant start at the goal line to begin the contest. The contestants then must throw a regulation-sized football as far as they can in the air on the football playing field. The promotion staff then marks where the pass landed with an orange pylon.

The contestant then is instructed to punt the football as far as he or she can from the pylon. Again, the promotion staff marks the point of contact with a pylon.

The promotions staff then places a football on a kicking tee from the exact point where the punt landed. The contestant is instructed to kick a field goal from that point. If it's good, the contestant wins $25,000, courtesy of the radio station. The prize is underwritten through an insurance-risk company.

Akron fans enjoyed the contest, although no one was able to make the field goal. The closest was a 35-yard attempt.

Brown Bag It

University of Notre Dame

Contact: Athletics marketing staff

During the baseball and softball seasons, two nonconference games were scheduled at noon on weekdays. With business people at work and students in class, it would be a tough draw to attract anyone to attend entire games. To deal with the problem, Notre Dame implemented the theme "Brown Bag It" and encouraged Notre Dame faculty and staff, students and the business community to have lunch at the games and enjoy an hour or so of Irish baseball or softball.

A sponsor supplied sandwiches and drink, and the school gave away the pop and water in Irish baseball/softball can koozies. Although there was never an enormous crowd, fans taking lunch at various times were always in the stands.

Not only did the school provide some food and beverage for the fans, it also encouraged (with the permission of the Notre Dame concessionaire) fans to bring their own lunches, which typically wouldn't be allowed.

The games exposed some faculty and staff to sports they hadn't been exposed to before those dates. More in-game promotions were planned for the games, and it became a great atmosphere for those who were able to attend.