Dolphins marketing changes course -- again

You might recall a couple of months back the Dolphins sort of unveiled a 2008 marketing campaign that, really, no one but the high-priced genius who came up with it understood.

The campaign boldly insisted Dolphins fans should "Respect the Code." Problem was that no one respected the idea behind the campaign. Ticket sales early this offseason were not great even though the team's internal optimism was soaring with the arrival of Bill Parcells.

Well, the code campaign has apparently passed on to marketing heaven and now the team's new campaign is "A New Beginning." If you live in South Florida, you probably have seen the billboards featuring GM Jeff Ireland, Parcells and coach Tony Sparano lining the highways and byways.

The campaign uses the novel approach of not promoting any player -- you know, the guys most folks pay to see -- because apparently the Dolphins don't think any of their players would sell tickets. Even Jason Taylor is not a candidate because the Dolphins were 1-15 with him last year and his status for 2008 is, shall we say, uncertain.

A Dolphins spokesman tried to convince me recently that rather than bill this new campaign as a complete departure from the code failure, I should portray the change as the result of an "evolving" strategy. Yeah, right. And Barack Obama is not flip-flopping on Iraq and campaign financing and his ties to that "church" he attended for 20 years but now disavows.

Anyway, the Dolphins change in marketing course is nothing that should surprise as they have been "evolving" on other fronts also, not the least of which is ticket pricing. Remember that January news release from the team that boldly stated ticket prices would not be raised through the spring?

Well it is summer. And ticket prices have risen from last year.

On a season-ticket basis, which is the only thing we can go by right now as single-game tickets are not yet available, the Dolphins raised prices across the board with the lone exception of upper prime seats which remain at $81.

Lower sideline seats went from $92 last year to $98 this year. Lower corner and endzone seats went from $77 to $82. Upper sideline seats went from $65 to $70. Upper corner and upper endzone (rows 1-4) went from $55 to $59. Upper corner and endzones went from $39 to $42. And economy section seats went from $29 to $31.

We shall see in the coming months if the new campaign can overcome the fact Miami was the worst team in the NFL last season. We shall see if the team can keep from losing season-ticket buyers from the previous year for the fourth time in five years (2006 it went up.)

But mostly we shall see if South Florida Dolfans and Dolfans in general believe this latest "new beginning" is worth the higher price of admission.

Comments

[PT]

LOL that was awesome. Greg I have to agree with you 100%.

[Dave Gray]

Way to undermine your points by using hot-button issues as bad analogies.

What's next, are you going to parallel the Jason Taylor / Bill Parcells saga with Roe v. Wade?

[Zim]

Lay off the political comments, Armando. This is a sports blog and nobody cares what you think about Barack Obama. It just makes you sound more stupid than usual.

[Dat RoRo Kid]

You guys are all idiots and Armando is the Pied Piper.

How's that, f*ckbags?

[tinshaker]

Phinatic - reading your comment can I safely assume you need the Kool-aid as a mixer?

Dave Gray - It seems we've already heard the opening and closing statements, but the evidence seems circumstantial....

[Elian Gonzalez]

South Florida is still a swamp. I'm so glad I left to go back with real Cubans. Remember that time when I weewee'ed my pants when that dude with the gun opened the closet door where I was hiding? Good times.

[Phinatic]

I prefer gator-aid with my vodka, I was more joking about how many times I read kool-aid.

but yeah fairweather fans how many people here have season tickets? and these are some of the most knowledgable dolphins fans I talk to.

[FZB]

WOW...I did not think you liberal yahoo's were so dumb, your boy Obama is a flip-flopper, everybody knows that... and the last time I checked armando lives in america and can say what he wants.....so stop drinking the kool-aid
Obama is not what he appears to be..
as far as the dolphins only winning will bring the fans to the stadium...

[John]

Thanks Anthony for your wise words. Armando please keep politics out of football especially in an election year. If you must use examples use them from both sides. I'm sure you could come up with many examples of flip flops from McCain as so many people have written.

[Tommya]

Mando might have set a record for blog hits on a football blog when nothing is going on in the football world!! LOL

His bosses might actually read this blog now..... which means Mando better put on his flame resistant undies..... as he did the ONE thing that is totally unacceptable: he told the truth!

[Phinatic]

I just spoke with my black manager and and he was suprised how many people would use racial slurs when discussing politics. The whole time I wasn't getting that kool-aid drinkers was a refrence to the fact that he's black and black people are poor and can only drink kool-aid. grow up keep your politcal views to your self or go to cnbc blog or something. bigots

[Treasure Coast]

Two things I know: I can now count Salguero as the one lone journalistic voice that has not been hypnotised by Obama. Secondly, this blog is always entertaining and chock full of surprises.

[tinshaker]

Phinatic, kool-aid drinkers is a reference to brainwashed followers...surely you know that.

Then again you obviously have a better job than me where you can discuss with your manager that you're spending your work hours blogging about football. Not that anyone here seems to be blogging about FOOTBALL!

[trenton]

Excellent blog today boy. You told me some things about Obama I didn't know. You told me some things about the Dolphins I already knew -- namely that they raised my ticket prices again. $%^&*(+=@en Dolphins.

[Robert]

Has anyone noticed that Armando has not come back on here to defend his stupid, right-wing crap he spewed about Obama from earlier? Maybe he finally got s@#t-canned. Bring back Jason Cole!!

[trenton]

Actually, robbert what we've noticed is that his blog is on fire today not that he got fired. We also noticed you are a moron.

[rudy guilianni]

Thank you, Armando. Someone finally told the truth.

[Tommya]

Phinatic,
you're the racist here. I've never heard of you're interpretation of kool aid drinkers...... definitely something your racist mind made up.

Now go finish drinking your Jim Jones/Obama kool aid.....

[Joe]

Armando, stick to football, because when you write about politics not only do you sound like an idiot, but in this case you're factually wrong, which as a reporter you should make you ashamed.

[andyK]

I e-mailed Armando to complain about mixing football and politics--instead of saying, "Sorry i didnt mean to offend", his responses were so arrogant and sarcastic I called the Herald and got the name of his supervisor and sent in a formal complaint.

This guy is arrogant and shallow, even for a jock journalist. He's lost me as a reader.

[Willy Chirino]

Andy reading your post you sound like a snitch I once knew in grade school who would run to the teacher to complain and tell on the boys talking in class.

You need a lesson in having some b@lls. If you lived in my neighborhood you'd never be able to leave your house.

[andyK]

Willy i wonder how you can say that without seeing the e-mails Armando sent me...oh wait, you dont care about facts, you just like to talk about other people's b@lls...wonder what that says about you?

[Dem at heart]

Mr. Salguero I commend your timing today. Even as you are suggesting Barak Obama flip-flops today he votes in favor of the same FISA bill he promised he would fillibuster and vote against as late as December.

He has removed his mask as a well-spoken orator advocating change to reveal a flip-flopper who will give us more of the same old garbage. I know believe Hillary Clinton, who voted against the bill, should be recruited to run as a true democrat.

[Willy Chirino]

It says I have them and I know where they are and I know you have none you snitch.

[andyK]

the point here is (1) politics and football dont mix and (2) Salguero should have enough professional integrity to respond to customers e-mails without sarcasm and insult

[andyK]

Willy it strikes me as odd that you are fixated on other men's b@lls...

[flpd]

Seriously, this andy guy does seem to profile as a snitch. Not that being a snitch is bad. They help me on the job all the time. But they truly are sludge from the underside of rocks.

[andyK]

flpd...when a customer (which I am) sends several e-mails with feedback and each is responded to with sarcasm and insult, you take it up a level...by your logic anyone complaining in a store about poor service is a "snitch"

[willy chirino]

You're a pu$$y. You don't belong on a blog -- football or otherwise.

Meanwhile, for somebody who says he won't read Armando anymore, what are you doing on his blog you loser?

[andyK]

if Salguero had said "sorry didnt mean to offend my customers" that wouldve been the end of it...but he was sarastic and arrogant...so i took it to his boss, just like I would take a complaint in any store to a manager if a employee is rude

[willy chirino]

You probably don't even buy the paper you sap.

[andyK]

willy...why your your fascination with other mens b@lls...and now womens genitals as well...hmmmm

[flpd]

Sorry andyk, I'm with willy on this one. You have no business crying to someone's boss. I've emailed Armando a million times and although I know he's swamped with emails, he has always been a gentleman with me. So your complaint doesn't ring true.

You're just upset he ripped Obama. Tell the truth.

[willy chirino]

Mando ban this andy tool from this blog. The smell of coward is too much for me.

[Flint]

God bless America and Armando!

[Al Sharpton]

RACIST!! You brought up Barrack Obama in a SPORTS blog because you are RACIST, racist!

[jorgeeverlovinbanks]

mando you rock, totally dude, you duh man bro!

[andyK]

flpd..so you've NEVER complained to a manager in a store or restaurant? same principle...i think if I sent you his e-mails, I think you might agree with me

[andyK]

willy...if they ever ban posters who love to talk about other mens b@lls, you'll be the 1st to go!

[andyK]

flpd...one more thing...i follow sports to get away from politics...and as an FYI I voted for McCain in BOTH the 2000 AND 2008 primaries...

[Don Imus]

Armando,

Don't let these nappy-headed hoes get you down.. Keep up the good work!

[flpd]

Post them. And assuming Armando checks in on his own blog, he will either confirm they are legit or will show you to be a fraud.

If they are legit and offensive, I will concede you have a point. Otherwise you are every bit the tool Willy whatshisname thinks.

[anonymous]

Before anyone flips out and thinks the post above is really Armando, its not.. Its a parody post I made.. Felt a little bad in case anyone really thought it was him.

Anyway, the herald should really start requiring users to login before commenting in order to avoid things like this.

And also, I am sort've sick of "journalists" thinking they can write whatever the heck they want in their "blogs" just because its a blog and not a column.. I think the same rules should apply. I don't think a politically biased aside would fly real well in a published column, therefore, I don't think it has a place in a blog either.. Well, until the Herald changes their name to the "Miami Blog" that is..

[Armando Salguero]

I have deleted the comment made by the imposter who signed in and posted as me.

I wish to thank everyone who participated in the debate today. Watch for a new post tomorrow.

God bless you. (Oh-0h, that will rile all the atheists who say I should never say God in a football blog.)

[andyK]

Armando's post shows the same kind of sarcasm he used when replying to my e-mail...amazing that a shallow jock-journalist would be so arrogant...

[AndyP]

LETS TALK SOME FOOTBALL
CUT THE CRAP

[The Truth]

guess finally every one is starting to say what Ive been saying bout armando all along. looks like armando and his butt buddies can finally see that I am actually not alone.

[Tiger]

I take it you don't care for Obama?

[andyK]

Armando, I believe I need to apologize to you because I've been a total idiot. Please forgive me and don't ban me from this blog.

Also, FLPD, I cannot post the emails because the truth is Armando wasn't a jerk to me. I just had nothing better to say.

Sorry for wasting everyone's time.

[A Fan]

This was a good blog today, Armando. I enjoyed the political banter as a changeup and, as usual, the Dolphins stuff was good.

I will not be buying tickets this year.