Lack of multimedia/social networking root of recruiting problem?

ottoman89

Well-Known Member
I've been thinking about this. And no I'm not directing correlating the renovation of GoHawks.com as part of the problem. But, I look around at other schools and surf the Official YouTube of teams like Ohio State, and Oregon. They're all (not to mention a majority of SEC teams and other Big 10 schools) injected with phenomenal Game Trailers, Season Hype videos and mood setters. Something that just grabs you and instantly makes you love that squad (a knee jerk reaction). They're in-game antics at the stadiums are phenomenal (see Wisconsin's Jump Around and several others schools crowd pleasers).

Forget about the in-game antics and lets go back to the world wide web of social media and multimedia ingestion. One thing I think Iowa misses out on big time (gut feeling, no facts to back this up) is they're Multimedia. Ever since the original GoHawks.com which featured great hype music and a fun, enticing interface, especially for 17 and 18 (even 16 in some case) year old kids. Since then, they've removed music and resorted to a blah-ish format. The GoHawks YouTube channel is rarely updated and if it is updated it's another video of the squad working out. Which, sure, is interesting but it doesn't pull you in like these Gameday Trailers and Seasonal Hype videos that other teams put out.

Anymore the recruiting train is ran through social media and multimedia. And anymore, a commitment isn't a "commitment" until the LOI is signed. A kneejerk reaction is common among recruits, fans and teams anymore. I wholeheartedly believe a missing piece to recruiting success is successful multimedia presentations, videos and hype-trains.

Hell, I remember when ScotHawk had his videos and man, they just made you wanna go out and smash someone on the Football field for Iowa. And 3-4 years ago Iowa wasn't bad with the multimedia and put out some cool, interactive stuff. But as the times have moved, much like our on the field schemes, Hawkeye Football hasn't.
 




With it comes to this kind of stuff I think Ferentz's overall anti-twitter/facebook/instagram attitude and the limitations he places over it are the biggest recruiting problem.

Recruiting a kid today and telling them they can't use social media during the season or whenever is like recruiting a player in the 1980s or 1990s and telling them they can only use the phone during the offseason or the only time of day they can talk to another person is during football practice.

As ridiculous as it is, social media to teens and 20-somethings is vital. Its how they communicate.
 


It's a mixture of things. Iowa does not do a good job of marketing their sports programs. They rely a lot on retaining their current fans and using tradition to keep them. Kids these days get excited by new and shiny things. Look at Oregon and how many kids want to go there because of stupid things like uniforms. Iowa would NEVER dream of doing anything different with uniforms because it would upset the old guys. Just ask most of the people on the forums here.

Just compare the websites of Oregon and Iowa.

http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/iowa-m-footbl-body.html

http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=233

Oregon showcases what kids want to see...The stadium, the uniforms, and the facilities. I don't know what the hell Iowa focuses on other than Mediacom and sponsors.
 


It's a mixture of things. Iowa does not do a good job of marketing their sports programs. They rely a lot on retaining their current fans and using tradition to keep them. Kids these days get excited by new and shiny things. Look at Oregon and how many kids want to go there because of stupid things like uniforms. Iowa would NEVER dream of doing anything different with uniforms because it would upset the old guys. Just ask most of the people on the forums here.

Just compare the websites of Oregon and Iowa.

http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/iowa-m-footbl-body.html

http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=233

Oregon showcases what kids want to see...The stadium, the uniforms, and the facilities. I don't know what the hell Iowa focuses on other than Mediacom and sponsors.

You hit the nail on the head. Kids do get excited about the Nike Combat uniforms, the facilities ... the hype. Our entire marketing of Iowa athletics leaves much, much to be desired. We have a short-attention, what's-in-it-for-me society ... Kids flip flop school "verbals" like you or I change our mind about what to have for dinner.

And I absolutely agree with your comment that Iowa sort of relies on keeping their current fans ... They just sort of assume they will keep coming. For the most part, Iowa fans do continue to go to Kinnick (good or bad). Also, we have a coach who for 16 years has told the media we aren't a sexy program ... we aren't flashy ... We are pretty much just like our head coach ... Head down ... go to work ... don't question me ... let me do my job ... I know what works best ...

That mindset no longer works ... Society has changed a lot in 16 years ... Heck, even the last 5 years have been witness to an explosion in social media. You have to adapt to the times ... and we have not done a very good job of that ...
 


It's a mixture of things. Iowa does not do a good job of marketing their sports programs. They rely a lot on retaining their current fans and using tradition to keep them. Kids these days get excited by new and shiny things. Look at Oregon and how many kids want to go there because of stupid things like uniforms. Iowa would NEVER dream of doing anything different with uniforms because it would upset the old guys. Just ask most of the people on the forums here.

Just compare the websites of Oregon and Iowa.

http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/iowa-m-footbl-body.html

http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=233

Oregon showcases what kids want to see...The stadium, the uniforms, and the facilities. I don't know what the hell Iowa focuses on other than Mediacom and sponsors.

Well said.
 


It's a mixture of things. Iowa does not do a good job of marketing their sports programs. They rely a lot on retaining their current fans and using tradition to keep them. Kids these days get excited by new and shiny things. Look at Oregon and how many kids want to go there because of stupid things like uniforms. Iowa would NEVER dream of doing anything different with uniforms because it would upset the old guys. Just ask most of the people on the forums here.

Just compare the websites of Oregon and Iowa.

http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/iowa-m-footbl-body.html

http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=233

Oregon showcases what kids want to see...The stadium, the uniforms, and the facilities. I don't know what the hell Iowa focuses on other than Mediacom and sponsors.

Yeah, this is probably not the most exciting pic to have as the first thing recruits see when going to the website:

head.jpg
 
Last edited:




It's a mixture of things. Iowa does not do a good job of marketing their sports programs. They rely a lot on retaining their current fans and using tradition to keep them. Kids these days get excited by new and shiny things. Look at Oregon and how many kids want to go there because of stupid things like uniforms. Iowa would NEVER dream of doing anything different with uniforms because it would upset the old guys. Just ask most of the people on the forums here.

Just compare the websites of Oregon and Iowa.

http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/iowa-m-footbl-body.html

http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=233

Oregon showcases what kids want to see...The stadium, the uniforms, and the facilities. I don't know what the hell Iowa focuses on other than Mediacom and sponsors.

Rick Klatt we're talking about you. It's not just Barta and Ferentz that need to go. A complete house-cleaning is in order.
 




Top