Cal Baptist University
“CBU Athletics Shatter Attendance Records,” is the title of a recent press release from California Baptist University.
In the release, CBU announced it had surpassed 50,000 attendees for student athletics – making them No. 2 in the nation for total student attendance. It is no coincidence that CBU broke their attendance record within 6 months of utilizing the SuperFan platform, CBU Crazie Rewards. Micah Fuller, the Associate Director of Athletics, credits the Crazie Rewards platform as the launchpad for their success. So much so, that the CBU Athletics program has released a new campaign, “The Rise To DI.” This campaign is a celebration of their rise to NCAA Division I status in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) – a feat rarely, and not easily, accomplished – and a call to students and fans to “be a part of history, be a part of “THE RISE.”
We had over 92% of the freshmen sign up for the app in the first week. We doubled our student attendance by partnering with SuperFan.
“Working with SuperFan was one of the best decisions I made with our student marketing. The ROI was tangible, the sponsor integration was plentiful and the buy-in from the students was measurable in helping us break our attendance records.”
This success did not come without a team of individuals dedicated to promoting the Crazie Rewards platform. Not only was the SuperFan team always there for any needs that arose, but the Associate Director of Athletics, the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan Engagement, and the Director of Ticketing were all dedicated to seeing the success of the platform. Total campus buy-in was critical for progress – CBU had to align with ASCBU, Community Life, the athletic department, and other university stakeholders in order to promote the platform successfully. Having a team solely focused on spearheading, promoting, and managing the rewards platform is key to prosperity.
The effort of the department did not go unnoticed, as the platform saw over 300,000 engagements in its first 6 months.
Flash back to one year ago, and the results of the CBU athletic department’s annual survey showed a significant disconnect in reaching students. Although social media promotion is often an excellent way to reach a target demographic, it works best in tandem with the SuperFan fan engagement platform – social media alone simply wasn’t showing results for CBU. They needed something more interactive, something the fans could engage with and be encouraged to attend more student events. Fast forward one year, and CBU has seen a huge spike in attendance, especially in women’s volleyball. The platform provided the best way to communicate the game day promotions with the students, such as Star Wars night and the “White-Out.”
To delve into the details, the athletic department dedicated to promoting the Crazie Rewards platform capitalized on Welcome Week and incentivized potential users to download the app on the spot by giving out free swag. Any student who registered on the platform was eligible for a grand prize – such as an opening night VIP experience, carrying the flag at games, running out on the field with the team, sitting on the bench, etc. CBU also gained better direction for their social media use – they posted several entertaining Instagram posts about the Crazie Rewards platform. Along with this, CBU plastered advertisements all over campus, and student ambassadors, the “Crazies,” roamed campus while promoting the platform.
Needless to say, the CBU Athletic Department and the SuperFan rewards platform, CRAZIE Rewards, can be attributed for the 300% increase in attendance for men’s basketball, 200% increase in attendance for CBU home games, and 20% increase in women’s basketball attendance. The current student body at California Baptist University is a part of history, a part of the “RISE.”
