Struggling Spits hope Swifties can expand OHL team's fan base

The Ontario Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires are hosting a Taylor Swift-themed night — giving away two tickets to Swift's final show in Toronto on Nov. 23, 2024. The team is in last place in the overall standings, having only won one of their first eight games.

2 tickets will be given to see pop star in Toronto as part of Eras Tour

TJ Dhir · CBC News · Posted: Oct 20, 2023 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 20, 2023

Windsor Swifties excited to potentially win Taylor Swift tickets

2 years ago

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Marcie Demmans, left, Everly Vidican, centre and her mother Amy, right, all purchased tickets for Saturday night's Windsor Spitfires game against the Saginaw Spirit, where two tickets for a Taylor Swift concert will be given away. The CBC's TJ Dhir spoke with them about the giveaway. (Photos obtained from Marcie Paige/Facebook)

A Windsor Spitfires-themed night comes with the team struggling to start the season.

The Ontario Hockey League club is hosting a Taylor Swift night this Saturday vs. Saginaw — giving away two tickets to the musician's final show in Toronto on Nov. 23, 2024.

The team is in last place in the overall standings, with one win in their first eight games.

Remo Agostino, with the Spits' marketing department, says the Swift ticket night was planned during the summer and the hope is to attract a younger audience, "new fans that have never had the chance to experience wonderful Spitfires hockey."

"We thought, 'What better way to go after that young audience that maybe has not been here before than to do something with Taylor Swift?'"

A man wearing a dark blue zip-up hoodie standing next to a hockey rink — Remo Agostino, who works in the Windsor Spitfires' marketing department, says the team is focusing on bringing in new and younger fans by offering up two tickets to a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto as part of her Eras Tour. (TJ Dhir/CBC)

Agostino says Swift's songs will be played, friendship bracelets will be made available in the concourse, and fans are encouraged to wear their favourite Eras Tour outfits.

"When people come in, they're really going to get that feeling that they're at not just a hockey game, they're being entertained with something else as well," he said.

The team's themed night comes as Swift has been seen at NFL games supporting Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. The Chiefs, the National Football League (NFL) and the league's broadcasters have been making the most of their rumoured relationship.

"We can see that the NFL/Chiefs/broadcasters are using a technique called influencer marketing, which relates to using star power to gain attention/attraction to a product," said Nick Welsh, the Spitfires' manager of communications, media and community relations, in an email.

A woman cheers at a football game. — Swift, centre, attended a Kansas City Chiefs football game in September. The Chiefs, National Football League and the league's broadcasters have been capitalizing on Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce, a tight end for the team. (Reed Hoffmann/The Associated Press)

"It's good for them to leverage that on that level of resources. However, we don't have that kind of resources at our level."

Marketing expert applauds Spits' strategy

At least one marketing expert thinks what the OHL team is doing is a viable strategy.

"It is a means of communicating with the consumer," said Peter Voyer, associate professor of marketing with the University of Windsor.

Voyer said the current economic situation facing Canadians could also be playing a role in local sports attendance and revenues.

A man wearing a brown suit sitting at a desk typing something on his computer — Peter Voyer, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Windsor, says the Spitfires' strategy of giving away two tickets to a Swift concert is a good way of communicating with local consumers. (TJ Dhir/CBC)

"We see that consumers have considerably lower disposable income, largely as a result of inflationary trends that we've experienced now," he said. "There's less discretionary spending on the part of consumers."

Voyer said that for Windsor-based Swifties looking to attend one of her shows in Toronto next year, it is worth spending a fraction of the value of tickets on an event where attendees have a chance to win seats to the concert.

The cheapest ticket available on StubHub for the Nov. 23, 2024 show is $1,814. The most expensive ticket available for the Spitfires' game on Saturday is $42.80.

Swiftie fan to miss Spits' theme night

Marcie Demmans was ready to celebrate with other Swift fans Saturday night and potentially win tickets to see her live again in a year's time. The Windsor woman was able to get tickets for one of Swift's shows in Detroit this summer.

Demmans bought tickets to the Spitfires' game, but when she fell sick this week, she knew she wouldn't be able to attend and passed the tickets on to a friend.

For Swifties like Demmans, who are not big hockey fans, "the appeal to go to a game when there is an opportunity to win tickets makes you want to go to the game a little bit more."

A woman wearing a purple dress with homemade butterfly wings strapped to her arms — Marcie Demmans, left, is seen at one of Swift's shows in Detroit earlier this year. Despite having tickets for the Spitfires' game against the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday night, she caught COVID-19 and had to give her tickets away. (Marcie Paige/Facebook)

She says being forced to give away her tickets was "a little heartbreaking," but she has made her peace with it.

"I'd rather not spread my germs to people, and whoever wins, good for them.

"That's going to be a great time for them."

Two other Swifties who will be going to Saturday's game are already hockey fans. They saw the Spitfires' promotion as a win-win.

"When we saw that, we [said], 'Perfect. We get to go to a Spitfires game. We get to go to Taylor Swift night and try to win tickets for the concert,'" said Amy Vidican, accompanied by her nine-year-old daughter, Everly.