The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(10-29-2014 07:25 AM)The Flagship Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 08:53 PM)monarchman Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 08:05 PM)monarx Wrote:  I gave up hoping ODU would market itself well years ago. I saw a VCU billboard on 64 in Hampton the other day too. I dont know why ODU doesnt plaster the area from Williamsburg to VB to Suffolk out to Emporia with ODU marketing, billboards and the like. I know we have W&M nearby, but not too many kids without a 4.0 can get in there. There are a number of smaller schools, Weslyan, CNU, HU, NSU, but as far as large state research institutions, ODU has a big advantage in this area and does nothing to build upon that. Its such a shame and a missed opportunity. The worst part is with better marketing comes better applicants, which improves incoming test scores and graduation rates, which moves us up into tier one national rankings and the whole cycle snowballs. I truly wonder if the administration even wants to improve sometimes.

Totally agree. ODU has done a poor job marketing and branding, and it's an absolute shame for a school that offers so much.

What the hell is wrong with you guys? Don't you know why we now have football? It is marketing. It is for the recruitment of students. There is no other reason. You guys are looking at a damn billboard, while millions of people are looking at the ticker at the bottom of sports channels.

We have plenty of students from in-state. It's the out-of-state student that pays the higher tuition that we are seeking. And statistics have shown in the past that the average out-of-state student has better qualifications. The ODU administration has been thinking big, and it should be applauded. You guys are thinking small and can't see the big things that the administration has done. Billboards? Really?

Ever since their Final 4, VCU has gone in overdrive with marketing(especially if you live in Richmond). Athletics wise, the AD has done a great job in marketing the school. Institutionally, there is room for improvement.

(10-28-2014 03:25 PM)Oduniceguy Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 03:13 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  The only problem with putting an ODU billboard in Richmond is that some decent person would actually have to travel there to put it up.

Whoa buddy, we have 5k alum in the area.

All tongue in cheek buddy, from an ODU fan living in JMU country...

I deeply respect you for being able to put up with the smell.

(10-29-2014 07:50 AM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 03:25 PM)Oduniceguy Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 03:13 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  The only problem with putting an ODU billboard in Richmond is that some decent person would actually have to travel there to put it up.

Whoa buddy, we have 5k alum in the area.

All tongue in cheek buddy, from an ODU fan living in JMU country...

I deeply respect you for being able to put up with the smell.

Sometimes it's a bit too much.

That's usually around student check-in in the fall.

(10-29-2014 09:18 AM)Oduniceguy Wrote:  

(10-29-2014 07:50 AM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 03:25 PM)Oduniceguy Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 03:13 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  The only problem with putting an ODU billboard in Richmond is that some decent person would actually have to travel there to put it up.

Whoa buddy, we have 5k alum in the area.

All tongue in cheek buddy, from an ODU fan living in JMU country...

I deeply respect you for being able to put up with the smell.

Sometimes it's a bit too much.

That's usually around student check-in in the fall.

That smell also kicks into high gear from November to March around Fan bars, local businesses and that glorified high school gym on Broad Street. :-\

The source starts here...

(10-29-2014 10:49 AM)owynn Wrote:  

(10-29-2014 09:18 AM)Oduniceguy Wrote:  

(10-29-2014 07:50 AM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 03:25 PM)Oduniceguy Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 03:13 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  The only problem with putting an ODU billboard in Richmond is that some decent person would actually have to travel there to put it up.

Whoa buddy, we have 5k alum in the area.

All tongue in cheek buddy, from an ODU fan living in JMU country...

I deeply respect you for being able to put up with the smell.

Sometimes it's a bit too much.

That's usually around student check-in in the fall.

That smell also kicks into high gear from November to March around Fan bars, local businesses and that glorified high school gym on Broad Street. :-\

Unfortunately The Fan is where I spend most of my time. There and Carytown.

That building that ODU leased on Route 7 now has Mason's logo prominently displayed. I have also seen ODU ads frequently inside the DC Metro trains, which hit all parts of DC, MD and NOVA.

But I think someone hit the key point when they talked about the benefit of having football. It makes us a full and complete athletics school. The advertisement value from that is cannot be bought in a sign.

An ODU billboard on I64 near Richmond...

What's that I hear? Is that the sound of someone scratching their head? No, it's the sound of thousands of daily travelers scratching their head when reading the words "IDEA FUSION" in big, bold letters.

Nobody knows what that means in Hampton Roads. Dear god, let's not trumpet that across the state.

(10-28-2014 08:53 PM)monarchman Wrote:  Totally agree. ODU has done a poor job marketing and branding, and it's an absolute shame for a school that offers so much.

It's amazing that ODU is able to offer so much to so many but be so awful in so many areas. [/sarcasm]

We're talking about a BILLBOARD. The school has 25,000 students. Who really cares if VCU is +1 on the billboard count in the other school's area? At what point in anyone's decision about colleges would that matter?

Anything is better than that old commercial that had really bad audio and some cheesy classical music

(10-30-2014 08:00 AM)djnva Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 08:53 PM)monarchman Wrote:  Totally agree. ODU has done a poor job marketing and branding, and it's an absolute shame for a school that offers so much.

It's amazing that ODU is able to offer so much to so many but be so awful in so many areas. [/sarcasm]

We're talking about a BILLBOARD. The school has 25,000 students. Who really cares if VCU is +1 on the billboard count in the other school's area? At what point in anyone's decision about colleges would that matter?

Its about perception. VCU is trying to establish itself across the state, and not just be a central VA commuter school. ODU has the same aspirations, but is doing a poor job of presenting itself outside of Hampton Roads. The signs on the metro in DC for example are for an online program, look very juvenile and make us look like Strafford U or Phoenix. Think bigger Monarchs. Aim High. Act like we belong. If you look at the rankings in USNWR, we are better than many of our peers in most of the criteria. All ODU needs to do to see its reputation take a quantum leap is increase the incoming students SAT scores, increase our 5 year graduation rate substantially (i.e.: more traditional aged, academically qualified students). Making the campus safer and more attractive and increasing the selectivity would go a long way to making this happen. For goodness sake, CNU is more well thought of academically than ODU is these days. Thats embarrassing. Radford is knocking on our door. 20 years ago ODU was better regarded than VCU, GMU and CNU. So thats off topic a bit, but advertising plays a big role in perception. Perception plays a huge role in reality.

(10-30-2014 11:51 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 08:00 AM)djnva Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 08:53 PM)monarchman Wrote:  Totally agree. ODU has done a poor job marketing and branding, and it's an absolute shame for a school that offers so much.

It's amazing that ODU is able to offer so much to so many but be so awful in so many areas. [/sarcasm]

We're talking about a BILLBOARD. The school has 25,000 students. Who really cares if VCU is +1 on the billboard count in the other school's area? At what point in anyone's decision about colleges would that matter?

Its about perception. VCU is trying to establish itself across the state, and not just be a central VA commuter school. ODU has the same aspirations, but is doing a poor job of presenting itself outside of Hampton Roads. The signs on the metro in DC for example are for an online program, look very juvenile and make us look like Strafford U or Phoenix. Think bigger Monarchs. Aim High. Act like we belong. If you look at the rankings in USNWR, we are better than many of our peers in most of the criteria. All ODU needs to do to see its reputation take a quantum leap is increase the incoming students SAT scores, increase our 5 year graduation rate substantially (i.e.: more traditional aged, academically qualified students). Making the campus safer and more attractive and increasing the selectivity would go a long way to making this happen. For goodness sake, CNU is more well thought of academically than ODU is these days. Thats embarrassing. Radford is knocking on our door. 20 years ago ODU was better regarded than VCU, GMU and CNU. So thats off topic a bit, but advertising plays a big role in perception. Perception plays a huge role in reality.

Give me one reason why any graduate of CNU, that lives at least 50 miles from campus, would ever go back to campus.

It's a matter of Return on Investment. If you have no involvement with the school after graduation, there is zero return in that aspect.

(10-30-2014 12:50 PM)The Flagship Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 11:51 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 08:00 AM)djnva Wrote:  

(10-28-2014 08:53 PM)monarchman Wrote:  Totally agree. ODU has done a poor job marketing and branding, and it's an absolute shame for a school that offers so much.

It's amazing that ODU is able to offer so much to so many but be so awful in so many areas. [/sarcasm]

We're talking about a BILLBOARD. The school has 25,000 students. Who really cares if VCU is +1 on the billboard count in the other school's area? At what point in anyone's decision about colleges would that matter?

Its about perception. VCU is trying to establish itself across the state, and not just be a central VA commuter school. ODU has the same aspirations, but is doing a poor job of presenting itself outside of Hampton Roads. The signs on the metro in DC for example are for an online program, look very juvenile and make us look like Strafford U or Phoenix. Think bigger Monarchs. Aim High. Act like we belong. If you look at the rankings in USNWR, we are better than many of our peers in most of the criteria. All ODU needs to do to see its reputation take a quantum leap is increase the incoming students SAT scores, increase our 5 year graduation rate substantially (i.e.: more traditional aged, academically qualified students). Making the campus safer and more attractive and increasing the selectivity would go a long way to making this happen. For goodness sake, CNU is more well thought of academically than ODU is these days. Thats embarrassing. Radford is knocking on our door. 20 years ago ODU was better regarded than VCU, GMU and CNU. So thats off topic a bit, but advertising plays a big role in perception. Perception plays a huge role in reality.

Give me one reason why any graduate of CNU, that lives at least 50 miles from campus, would ever go back to campus.

It's a matter of Return on Investment. If you have no involvement with the school after graduation, there is zero return in that aspect.

Same reason as ODU. Homecoming... and maybe a concert or event at the Ted (for ODU) or the Ferguson Center. And I would say that their newer graduates seem to have more affinity for the school than ODU grads these days, and the smaller classes and student body create closer bonds between alums.

Don't know if anyone ealse noticed it or not but today on ESPN the show around lunch SVP and Russillo had our ODU blue helmet with the map of Virginia on it positioned right in the front of them during the whole program.

(10-30-2014 04:55 PM)odu83alumni Wrote:  Don't know if anyone ealse noticed it or not but today on ESPN the show around lunch SVP and Russillo had our ODU blue helmet with the map of Virginia on it positioned right in the front of them during the whole program.

I saw that. That helment was on that show last year as well...