WNBA's reigning champs reach out to find fans.
by Rick A. Richards
The Women's National Basketball Association is filled with remarkable athletes–the best in the world at what they do–and stellar competition.
But when it comes to player salaries, television viewers and marketing prowess, the WNBA lags far behind the NBA. Julie Graue, vice president of business development and marketing for the WNBA's Indiana Fever, readily admits the women play second fiddle to the men, but a WNBA game is just as intense as a men's game.
The Fever are the reigning WNBA champions, and Graue says that has helped the organization build a bigger presence in Indiana. “We have a much smaller budget than the NBA so we can't focus around the state like the Pacers do. We focus our efforts on central Indiana.” That means most visits by Fever athletes are to schools and group within an hour's drive of Indianapolis, but Graue says there are exceptions. “We have been involved with church groups and the AAU at events in Northwest Indiana, where they'll come to a Fever game and make a weekend of it.”
While counterparts in the NBA have hefty marketing budgets for billboards, radio and television ads and player appearances, Graue says that's not the case with the Fever. “We do a lot of personal things within central Indiana, like taking players to reading programs to read to students and conducting get-fit clinics.”
The WNBA came into existence in 1996 and today has 12 teams. The Fever came into being in 2000 as an expansion team. Two of the team's biggest stars at Tameka Catchings, an All-American and Olympian from the University of Tennessee, and Katie Douglas, a native Hoosier who played at Purdue.
Graue says the key for the Fever is luring people to games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Last year when the Fever won the league championship, the team averaged just over 8,000 fans a game. This year, the Fever have been plagued with injuries and are in last place in their division, averaging just over 7,500 fans a game.
“Winning last year's championship has been huge for us,” says Graue. “We've had a couple of sellout crowds and we've attracted some new people. We've reached out more to the community. We think that once people see our product and once they experience a WNBA game, they'll be back.”
One of the recent benefits of winning the championship was an invitation for the Fever to visit the White House and meet with President Barack Obama. “That was an incredible experience,” says Graue. “It was great to see the team dressed up in their formal best.”
At the White House, the team got an exclusive tour and got to spend an hour with the president, an admitted basketball fan.
Because there are no multimillion-dollar player contracts in the WNBA, Graue says the players need to be more accessible. Even though the players are paid to make personal appearances, Graue says that doesn't diminish the interaction between fans and players.
The WNBA season is less than half that of an NBA season–34 games–so that gives the Fever (and all teams in the league) just 17 home games in which to establish a bond with fans.
“That's why it's so important to reach out and interact with fans,” says Graue. “We tell people you can bring a family to a Fever game for about the same amount as it would cost to go to a movie. What other sport can you do that?”
