True Sun Devils bleed maroon and gold. As I was talking with my marketing professor and thesis director (Vince Blasko) yesterday, we discussed ASU as a brand. In many cases, students and alumni take drastic measures to remain loyal to the ASU brand.
One of my good friends, Blake Lerdall, was featured in today’s State Press Magazine (our on-campus magazine) as one of those people. His article “Bleeding Maroon and Gold” is hilarious and rings too true of many die-hard college sports fans.
Vince and I discussed that although there are many Blake Lerdalls of the world who remain dedicated through highs and lows, I’ve noticed that despite a large starting attendance – well over half the student section had disappeared by the third quarter of last weekend’s game. When the ASU marketing department is counting on students to be present for advertising and marketing spots (such as the Chevron car race or Papa John’s pizza mix-up), what can they do to keep people in the stands?
Perhaps even more interesting is continuing loyalty post-graduation. Stay tuned for my perspective on that one.
A Blog About Blogs 
Q: What can the ASU do to keep people in the stands?
A: Replace your quarterback.
Although the ASU marketing department may believe that attendance is related to the brand, it is primarily related to what is happening on the field. Football is a product. Provide a better product – get better results. ASU basketball games get far less attendance although the brand is the same. That may be changing as your basketball program is on the way up.