After almost 20 years in marketing and promotion in the corporate world, you are in your second season handling those chores at UT, focusing on women's basketball. But in the corporate arena, you are focused on the direct sale of a specific, consumable product, and the job is to expose the product and drive its sales. Our role is more in the fulfillment of the marketing and promotion plans, trying to tie up all the ends and concentrating on event management. On the other hand, we're always trying to sell tickets and get people in those seats. In college athletics, there is one school of thought that says there is little need for marketing and promoting.
Attendance depends solely on wins and losses.
Certainly, it goes without saying it is easier to promote a team that is winning. However, a lot of what we try to do is to focus on the overall entertainment value of an event, and that's not always tied to winning. We try to appeal to families and youngsters, to create an atmosphere that is fun and that will make people want to come back. I think music is a big part of this total entertainment aspect, and it greatly affects the upbeat atmosphere. That's where we are fortunate at the Erwin Center to have an excellent sound system and to have the great Longhorn basketball band.