C-Paw Marketing

[UcatsRick]

It seems to me that when I travel around the ergion and look in shops that sell NCAA members' gear, there is so much stuff to buy with SEC/ACC/Big10 team logos. And almost nothing with the C-Paw.

UC needs to do a much better job getting their brand in front of a larger buying public, and stop limiting access to trademarks. There is money to be made by selling UC gear and other items.

Funny story and true...
While Christmas shopping at Florence Mall last year, I was following an elederly couple both wearing UK gear, and walking near a glass store front. The woman said to her husband, "Look dear, a UK Deviled Egg plate!". No kidding. People will buy some of the dumbest things if has a logo on it.

I'm tired of browsing stores full of Tennessee and UK gear and almost nothing branded for the Bearcats. Make it, sell it.

[BearCatMarcher]

My life won't be complete until I own a UC branded lobster fork set.

I will likely die a sad man.

[GoCats1994]

Originally Posted by UcatsRick

...UC needs to do a much better job getting their brand in front of a larger buying public, and stop limiting access to trademarks. There is money to be made by selling UC gear and other items...

I have some first-hand experience with getting college-labeled products into stores. The short version... UC has very little/nothing to do with getting licensed products onto shelves.

The reality is that there are a handful of schools across the country whose fan bases gobble up licensed merchandise. To your point...it doesn't matter if it is a t-shirt, a logo golf ball, or a salt & pepper shaker set. The products move off the shelves.

UC does not happen to be one of those schools with that type of fan base.

If you want to see more UC products on the shelf, look in the mirror. The more UC gear that gets sold, the more will be supplied.

[Lobot]

Funny that this post came up today. I was told today that two people in the AD's office are in fact monitoring the boards here and have the UCMarketing ID if they need to use it.

So your concern was most likely seen by someone.

[CaptainProbasco]

I would buy some of that stuff. Yep, I'm one of "those" people. In fact, I looked around at Christmas for some cool UC stuff for presents for my brothers. Problem is that it's nearly impossible to find so most people I know resort to making it ourselves.

Last year, my sister-in-law made me a plate with a C-paw on it, and it's permanently displayed on my coffee table.

[cmm27]

The other issue is that usually the retail manager of whatever store have the final say on what products are on the shelf. I recall entering a local retail outlet around Christmas time last year and seeing nothing but Ohio State and Michigan merchandise on the shelf, and yet none of it was being purchased, that I could tell. I struck up a conversation with a few other people picking through the items looking for anything UC and coming up empty. I asked one of the assistant managers at the store and he informed us that the actual store manager is a big Ohio State and Big 10 fan and does not see the need to stock anything else on the shelf, afterall we are in Ohio...

[Rock]

Flying the C-paw proudly at Myrtle Beach along with Pitt, VT, and WV

[Binturong05]

Originally Posted by Rock

Flying the C-paw proudly at Myrtle Beach along with Pitt, VT, and WV

Just got back from there where I conspicuously wore a red t-shirt with a large C-paw as part of my to-and-from the pool/beach uniform or when I needed a shirt to go indoors to public areas that required a shirt.

I did see a ton of WVU license plates and a couple VTech window stickers but other than those two teams nothing really stood out.

Though I live in Columbus we flew out of Cincinnati/CVG and I was happy to see the heavy marketing of the University of Cincinnati at the CVG airport. From my experience most travel the nine months falling between September and May is business travel and I think it's great UC is helping to keep the university in the sights and minds of business travelers, hopefully many of which are management and executives with hiring authority.