Will a blackout work? - Mellinger

[Phobia]

http://mellinger.kansascity.com/entr...ve-our-chiefs/

If you are a Chiefs fan, you undoubtedly know about the grassroots fan movement that calls itself Save Our Chiefs. I’ve written about them a few times, players have been asked about them, and it’s been all over the internets.

But what we know about their reach is still fairly vague.

As I type this, their Twitter account has 68,811 followers but nobody can really be sure what that means. The number used to be well over 100,000 but the people who run it self-reported a bunch of spambots. There’s also the thought that whatever the number of real-life human beings are following on Twitter, the number who passionately support the message is smaller. In other words, there are Chiefs fans who don’t wish Scott ***** to be fired who follow Save Our Chiefs on Twitter just to keep up with things.

The other way that Save Our Chiefs has created waves is in paying for banners to be flown over Arrowhead Stadium before games. They have another one scheduled for rush hour traffic tomorrow morning. But all it takes is one person with about $600 to get a banner flown, so again, it’s hard to know how many people are behind the message.

The point of all this is that we’re about to have our best indication yet of how many people are on Save Our Chiefs’ side.

That’s because the message is going from Twitter and message boards to something more tangible for Sunday’s game, for which the group is pushing a “blackout” — you know, everybody wear black like it’s a funeral.

So far, people inside the team’s offices can diminish Save Our Chiefs’ reach as a small but vocal minority, and there’s really nothing tangible that people could point to in response.

It’s true that if you have ANY fans angry enough to fly critical banners over games or start a movement like this that attracts more than a tiny handful of supporters you’ve got a problem, but it’s also true that none of us — not me, not you, not the people who run Save Our Chiefs — can have a real strong feeling of how many people are with this.

That changes, in large part, on Sunday. Because thousands of the Chiefs’ most passionate fans will be there in person, and many more than that will be watching on TV and there will be nowhere to hide.

If Clark Hunt looks out at his stadium and sees the same mix of red jerseys as usual, he can more confidently feel like the angry letters he receives come from a vocal minority.

If he sees a big number of people actually wearing black and treating the stadium as a church funeral, then that will be the most powerful message yet about fan disapproval.

We’ll find out in three days.

Read more here: http://mellinger.kansascity.com/entr.../#storylink=cp

I think he's right. There's no way the black shirt wearers make a dent in the red. I'm very concerned. pr_capone can't even find people to pass out fliers. Who is going to go out of their way to wear black? A couple thousand people isn't going to cut it. All the banners, interviews, and social media followers in the word won't send a message Sunday. This is where SOC comes up short.

[Gary]

The key is for the people wearing the shirts with the blackout message to get as much camera time as possible...hopefully getting the media talking about the message.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Spott

I think it would be a little humorous if the Chiefs decided to wear an alternate black jersey for the game so it wouldn't look like a protest with a bunch of fans wearing black in the stands.

Wouldn't matter the media is already aware of the Blackout. Since it was announced first.

[NJChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Wouldn't matter the media is already aware of the Blackout. Since it was announced first.

They can't anyway. Teams have to tell the league before the season starts what jersey options they will have for the year.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

It really depends on your definition of success. SOC is already a success IMO. Because of being mentioned in the local and national media. The Blackouts' success will depend on a few things. One is how many shirts were sold. Another is that it has already been mentioned and people are aware and want to see the outcome. Of course the outcome that most want to see is also the most debateable of success. If there is any patches or small areas like 15 to 20 people together it is a success.

Yep - this is how I feel about it.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Wouldn't matter the media is already aware of the Blackout. Since it was announced first.

The media is aware of us now. Clark and the Chiefs are aware of and our desire to see ***** gone.

If we don't give Clark a really good reason to change his long term business plan.........he's not going to change.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

This shouldn't be the end of the blackout movement, IMO.

When we get our asses kicked this weekend, push to black out the next two home games.

[Phobia]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

FWIW, I work at a place where Chiefs merchandise is sold. Nothing Chiefs is selling these days but this week if it's selling it's black.

That's encouraging. Thanks.

[Phobia]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Well surely you knew this going in when it was decided to take the SOC in this direction.

I kinda jumped in after this decision was made. Never been a huge fan of the idea simply because I've always thought it was going to be tough to even get 20-30% black shirt wearers. That said, I've done my very best to push the message and support it and will continue to do so. Also plan to attend specifically for the blackout which will be my first game this season. Didn't really have any intentions of going until this.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

This shouldn't be the end of the blackout movement, IMO.

When we get our asses kicked this weekend, push to black out the next two home games.

Dude, if it flops, you let the idea go. Basic 101.

[tk13]

I don't know about that. If it does reasonably well at all you've raised awareness and continue to push it and try to increase participation.

[stevieray]

Sad to say, but I think the people in black isn't going to be that noticeable for two reasons.

1) Rabid, hardcore fans that live and die Chiefs isn't a huge number...in the context of being vocal...I think the apathetic numbers are growing.

2)A good deal of people out there don't even wear Chiefs gear and are only there to be seen. ..It's a social event.

I'm wondering if it's going to cause confrontations among the hardcore fan base.

...all these are just my opinion, and I'll admit, I'm curious and even a little anxious to see how it all plays out...I could be wrong on all accounts.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by stevieray

Sad to say, but I think the people in black isn't going to be that noticeable for two reasons.

1) rabid, hardcore fans that live and die Chiefs isn't a huge number...in the context of being vocal...I think the apathetic numbers are growing.

2)A good deal of people out there don't even wear Chiefs gear and are only there to be seen. ..It's a social event.

I'm wondering if it's going to cause confrontations among the hardcore fan base.

...all these are just my opinion, and I'll admit, I'm curious and even a little anxious to see how it all play out...

heh, my thoughts exactly. The Die hard, passionate fanbase which this boards represents, is probably only around 20-30% anyways. The rest of the fans that show up there are apathetic, just looking to have a good time or the type of fan that thinks the Chiefs can do no wrong.

Hopefully theres no violence.......

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by tk13

I don't know about that. If it does reasonably well at all you've raised awareness and continue to push it and try to increase participation.

Has anyone on here ever taken a marketing class? Done any PR?

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Hopefully theres no violence.......

If there is violence over this, I would seriously consider whether I belong in this fan base. That would be unfathomably idiotic.

[DoucheMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Hopefully theres no violence.......

Violence?