Gold Out

[IWB]

Once again MU is sending out notices trying to promote National Marquette Day with a "Gold Out". I know people have been critical on this on other boards every time MU has tried it, but MU is working hard on this. But seriously, why does it never work?

Problem: People just don't pay attention. How many people going to MU games think about it when getting dressed? Some do, put on their MU best, which might be blue, light blue or grey, but they don't think about it as "I need to wear gold".

Solution: There is a simple solution, and these are the little things that MU's Marketing Department always misses on. I saw someone say that it works at other schools because they put shirts on every seat. While this may be true, in this day and age it is tough to get someone to pony up $20k for advertising on t-shirts. So, here is what you do. Get a sponsor that will throw in a little, charge them .50c per shirt. Now print up 2,500 shirts and assemble a squad of students with marketing majors and have them target every person that walks through the gate without gold shirts and sell them shirts for $5.00 each. Remember, this isn't about making money, it is about getting people to wear gold and support National Marquette Day. However, you will make money, so take the profit you make and give it to the Marketing Club for their work in doing the sales end of the deal.

Why is this solution not obvious? I see little things like this at almost every single MU event, and it always drives me nuts.

[Goose85]

A gold t-shirt with the same We are Marquette logo on them. Not very expensive at all, selling them for $10 at the Union. Problem is, most people are not going to the union.

MU has been giving t-shirts to students at games - show your ticket and ID and get a shirt.

Problem with a gold out is MU is not like Penn State, we have three colors other than white.
MU madness one year has a light blue shirt give away, maybe a white shirt give away, then a gold shirt give away. Blue shirts fall from the rafters at games or in t-shrit tosses. Some of the better looking stuff in the Union are blue (that's what I wear).

Many alum don't want to wear t-shirts to games (it is winter), so if your $50 - $75 MU pullover isn't gold, I can see why they aren't buying another one just for a gold out game.

I'll have gold on and it will be an older sweatshirt, but I can see how hard it is at MU as if you are buying one sweatshirt and don't buy a gold one, especially since MU markets the light blue and blue clothes.

[Mrs Gato78]

I was down at Spirit Shop Thursday and $10 gold shirts sold out except for a few XL; they also sent out emails to all season ticket holders

[IWB]

I know they were selling shirts at the Union, and I saw the e-mails etc. They did the same thing last year, and my entire row and the entire row behind me there was not one piece of gold.

To GooMU85's point, yes, I know they have blue, light blue, grey and white items. But over the years most people have picked up at least one item that is gold. But to me, that is not enough - people don't pay attention. That is why I suggest the marketing club gets to the BC and sells t-shirts. In the atrium, in the blue and gold room, in the aisles, so when you see a woman wearing a freaking green sweater with snowmen on it, you can talk her into buying a cheap t-shirt to pull on over her sweater.

[Gato78]

Goes back further than just a few years. It used to be totally uncool to wear colors in the '60's and '70's and beyond. It wasn't until Crean got here that there was aggressive solicitation of alums to weaar colors. That is the mindset. Under the circumstances MU does a good job. Cannot force people to wear gold even if there are free shirts on every seat.

[Gato78]

Interesting at DePaul I would say about 80% of MU people were in gold as a contrast to Depaul fans so we wear it when we see a need

[MayorBeluga]

When MU added the powder blue as a tertiary color, MU seemed to stress it. They gave out powder blue at Maui instead of gold. Yes, we have navy and powder, but when giving out shirts, it needs to stay gold.

Unfortunately some will not wear gold because of the "Gold" nickname fiasco. Move on people, move on.

Next step? Getting Gato to wear the blue & gold pants favored by Hizzoner, OscarJim and Jimmy Mac.

[Gato78]

I will wear the pants when Alpha Bangura wears a pair.

[IWB]

Back to the "don't care" aspect - There is a couple that sits across the aisle from me. The husband always wears MU stuff, usually blue, as he did today. They wife almost always wears gold. Today? A plain gray sweater. Really? Didn't get the emails?

One more rant on this........ "National Marquette Day"....."Gold Out!!"......"and now, please welcome, YOUR MARQUETTE DANCE TEAM!!!!"......who is wearing green and black. Really? I like the dance team and I have a few friends that are former members. But, they wear a dozen different outfits during a single game, and they are more often colors other than blue and gold. Why?

[Gato78]

If this is all you have to bitch about, it was a GREAT day at the BC!