19 Dec Creating the “Fan Zone” Experience
Sports teams weave together a large part of the fabric of American culture and very little merchandise is more identifiable than that of a sports team. Sports-laden merchandise materializes attached to the bumpers of automobiles, embroidered on cold-weather toboggans, and marking the lapels of business attire. Merchandising is a large part of athletics and our local hockey team, the Ice Bears, are no exception. Recently, Acme Printing worked to update how Ice Bears fans interact with merchandising outputs in Knoxville, Tennessee. Prior to Acme’s assistance, the Ice Bears’ team discussed with us how little visual attention the merchandise area received.
Ice Bears Hockey in Knoxville, TN
Established in 2002, the Knoxville Ice Bears was an inaugural charter member of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) in 2004. The Ice Bears are four-time SPHL champions and provide Knoxville and surrounding East Tennessee an opportunity to partake in the exciting sport of hockey. It is vital to the Ice Bears that their merchandise play a role in communicating the love for the game. The “Fan Zone,” where merchandise is sold during Ice Bear matches received minimal visitation, even during sold out games, such as the Wiener Dog Races. These races are held on the ice during half time, and don’t worry if you missed the December 15th races you have a second chance on February 16, 2019. The merchandise is housed past ticket sales, food and beverage sales, and in a location that is not easily seen by spectators. The lingering question was “how do we drive people to our Fan Zone?”
Winning Games and Fans
A successful team does more than score goals and win games, they win the hearts and loyalty of fans. Providing sports enthusiasts with opportunities to express team loyalty and love for the game goes beyond ticket sales. Creating a relatable brand for devotees goes into designing merchandise that fans want to wear, promote, and share with others. The Ice Bears knew that grabbing the attention of sport’s fans as soon as they walk in the door would be key. With that, Acme Printing worked to create an inviting atmosphere promoting hockey, enthusiasm, and the team’s identity. We crafted a space to bring attention to Ice Bear’s merchandise so that followers could participate beyond the arena space. To increase traffic flow to the merchandise area, designs were created and produced that draw fans to the merchandise area. We designed and produced banners, A-Frames, tear drop banners, and merchandise backdrops to guide fans to where merchandise is located.
Once the fans are in the fan zone, they need team swag to purchase. With the new look and feel of the fan area, it was only appropriate to also update team apparel, trinkets, and more! The Ice Bears were ready for a newer, cleaner look for their apparel, and Acme delivered merchandise that fit those goals and needs.
Acme Printing an East Tennessee Commercial Printing Business
The Ice Bears prides itself on offering unique and exciting intermissions activities and endless fan interactions, all while presenting a family-friendly activity for East Tennesseans to enjoy. More than sweaty matches between two teams, sports teams are national institutions. When Acme Printing was called upon by the Ice Bears Hockey Team to update their merchandising, we stepped in and made sure supporters were inspired to share in their love of the game. Reach out today by phone, (855)-581-8528 or online to learn more about how we inspire sports fans!
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