Montreal Stars

1. What are the issues facing Hewings? How would you prioritize them?

2. The case describes the communication strategy of 2011-12. What is your evaluation of this strategy?

3. What recommendations would you make to Hewings for 2012-13 and beyond?

IVEY Publishing This dismal prospect mobilized the league's players. During the summer of 2007, players from various teams held meetings to discuss the creation of several strong teams. How to fund each W13664 team, however, without any owners or any of the previous staff, remained unanswered. The solution came in the guise of a street hockey game. Mandy Cronin, a goaltender with the THE MONTREAL STARS Brampton Thunder, a women's hockey team, had been invited to play in a charity ball-hockey tournament with a group from Birch Hill Equity Partners, an investment firm. Her goaltending led the Birch Hill men to victory. When she told them about the plight of women's hockey in North America, they were inspired to help. Christopher A. Ross and Dave A. Mckenzie wrote this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to Mustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names Michael J. Salamon of Birch Hill Equity Partners not only provided financial backing but also and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. laid the groundwork for a sustainable business model. The CWHL and Mr. Salamon held weekly This publication may not be transmitted, photocopied, digitized or otherwise reproduced in any form or by any means without the meetings and eventually established a board of directors. With the assistance of the Ontario permission of the copyright holder. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights Women's Hockey Association (OWHA), one of the first associations that had advocated for girls organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Business School, Westem hockey, the board drafted a constitution that cemented the league as a legitimate business entity." University, London, Ontario, Canada, NG ON1; (1) 519.661.3208; (e) cases@ivey.ca; www.iveycases.com. Copyright @ 2014. Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation Version: 2014-04-10 In 2008, the board of directors under the new commissioner, Brenda Andress, a former elite female referee, unfolded its mandate to become a professional league with a new structure that included the hiring of general managers for each club and holding the first ever women's hockey draft. After summit In September 2012, Meg Hewings, the general manager of the Montreal Stars (Stars), one of the top meetings with player representatives from each region, the players and commissioner reached a consensus female hockey teams in North America, was reviewing the club's recent activities while preparing for the about a new structure for the league and agreed to have teams in Toronto, Brampton, Burlington, upcoming season and the years ahead. The team was one of six in the Canadian Women's Hockey League Montreal and Boston. Unlike other leagues, the CWHL paid for basic travel, meals, ice rental, insurance, CWHL), which included five teams in Canada - in Montreal, Toronto, Brampton, Burlington and uniforms and some equipment costs for all its teams, including the latest expansion team, Alberta. Alberta - and one team in Boston. The next five years were critical if the team and the league were to achieve the strategic goals set out in the CWHL's five-year strategic plan and succeed at becoming the The CWHL was the only North American hockey league dedicated to providing a place for the top world's first professional hockey league for women. Each club faced similar challenges while some had female hockey players in the world to train, compete and prepare for world championships, specific problems in their respective local markets. international tournaments and the Olympics. Since its inception in 2008, the league had supported its teams in a full season of home and away games, as well as in outreach and charity matches All of the players and members of the Stars were committed to growing the popularity of women's within various communities. Games in the league highlighted speed, finesse and skill, and each hockey, but the club faced several challenges. The only salaried member of the league was the season culminated in an exciting tournament where the top teams played for the Clarkson Cup, commissioner; although the league covered the basic operating costs of each club, only the coaches named after the former governor general of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson, who had donated the received a small stipend. Hewings wanted to strengthen the club's autonomy within the CWHL, but her trophy. Like the Stanley Cup in men's hockey, the Clarkson Cup was the highest distinction immediate challenge was how to raise the profile of the league, engage and increase the local fan base and available for a female hockey club in North America. It was first presented in March 2009 to the put the Stars on a solid financial footing so that the club could contribute to the league's financial stability Stars, who had won the championship that year in Kingston, Ontario in front of thousands of fans. and success. Hewings knew that her decisions would have a major impact on her team's success in The Sports Network (TSN) had aired the league championship game that year, as it has done every Montreal, as well as on the league's overall sustainability. The hockey season usually began in October, year since." so Hewings had approximately six weeks to develop and implement a plan of action. The CWHL, whose board of directors was business professionals and community leaders, was organized and operated by a not-for-profit corporation, the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Amateur THE CANADIAN WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE' Women's Hockey (CAAWH) (see Exhibit 1). As a registered Canadian amateur athletic association, it had the authority to issue tax receipts to donors but could not accept donations that were directed to any The Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) was created in May 2007 following the one team or player. The league worked closely with Hockey Canada, Hockey USA and the OWHA, the dissolution of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). The NWHL had been losing sanctioning body that had two representatives on the board who offered advice and counsel. Although the money, and the owners and board of governors had decided to take a year off while trying to league had held numerous talks with the National Hockey League (NHL), there was no official design a strategy to make women's hockey in Canada more profitable. This decision left the partnership between the two; the CWHL had a distinct mission and vision for hockey. The CWHL, country's elite female hockey players with no place to play.however, had been active in its partnership with the NHL Alumni and had played in numerous charity Hewings, the general manager of the Stars, was herself a volunteer who devoted many hours per week to games hosted by the NHL Alumni. the club. She had a bachelor's degree from McGill University and a graduate diploma in communications from Concordia University. She had worked for eight years at Hour Magazine, a weekly Montreal According to the new five-year strategic plan of September 2012, the mission of the CWHL was to newspaper, as writer and editor. She had played for both the McGill University Martlets" and the Stars and was appointed the team's general manager in 2010. She had also done extensive research on hockey Enable the elite female hockey player to pursue their dreams of playing hockey professionally and had published numerous in-depth articles about female hockey for various media. and enhance the lives of the others through exceptional entertainment and inspiration. Private donations, fundraisers and corporate sponsors of the CAAWH were the source of the CWHL's Vision Statement: 2012 global operating budget of $700,000." The budget for each club was approximately $100,000 annually. This amount was earmarked for expenses such as ice time, officials, therapists, league expenses, To be the world's most successful professional women's hockey league by becoming: website, transportation and hotels, and was overseen by the league commissioner. Each club was also A viable career choice for the elite female hockey player, allowed to raise funds to a maximum of $25,000 to cover stipends for the coaches. A popular choice for entertainment in our local communities, A world class operation. Over the years, the CWHL had partnered with several major sponsors, including founding sponsor Scotiabank, Winsport, Bauer Hockey, Gatorade, Blackstone, Tuff-n-Lite, Molsons and the Ladies First Finally, the position statement (the brand) of the CWHL was the following: Foundation. These organizations also sponsored different activities within the league. The CWHL's financial year began in August and ended in July. In 2009, ticket sales were 2.6 per cent of annual The CWHL is for the female amateur hockey player and their supporters who have limited revenues, which were $356,457, and advertising and promotion were 1 per cent of annual expenses, professional female athletic role models, have limited opportunity to watch their game (hockey) which were $360,591. For 2010, ticket sales were 3.65 per cent of annual revenues, which were $397,635, played at the most elite level, have almost no opportunity to interact with and be inspired by those and advertising and promotion were 1.9 per cent of annual expenses, which were $379,983. Between elite players and are not able to play or aspire to play hockey professionally. August 2010 and July 2011, the CWHL generated $264,300 worth of sponsorship and donation dollars out of a total cash revenue of $333,365. In addition, the league secured $254,000 worth of in-kind The CWHL's professional women's hockey league (the product) provides professional aspiration donations (see Exhibit 2). In the 2009-10 season, attendance at games was 1,630 fans, and in the for the female hockey player, access to unrivaled quality of hockey, interaction with the elite following season (2010-11) attendance was 8,874 fans. player and an opportunity to identify with female role models that have leveraged hockey to enhance their lives. GROWTH OF WOMEN'S HOCKEY10 Uniquely different from the OHL & NHL, the CWHL is a female league that offers player/fan/community interaction in a financially accessible manner. Uniquely different from the Women's hockey had seen remarkable growth in both audience and participation rates over the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) & Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), the past few decades. Over 11 million people watched some part of the 2010 Olympic Gold medal CWHL is a professional league made up of elite talent providing the highest quality game and women's hockey game. Participation in Canada had also increased steadily since 1990. In 2012, entertainment opportunity." girls were taking up the sport three times faster than boys. About 150,000 women and girls played hockey in North America. In fact, the proportion of active Canadians participating in tournaments "The CWHL was a player-driven, centrally funded league, which meant that every club received equal and competitions continued to grow, from 36 per cent in 1998 to 39 per cent in 2005. While more access to funds and the same opportunities to succeed. Every dollar donated to the league went towards active males participated in competitive sports than active females, the gap between them had providing a place for the best female hockey players to train and compete and for raising the profile of narrowed from a 12 percentage point spread in 1998 to 10 percentage points in 2005. In 1998, 29 women's hockey." The league operated approximately 65 regular season games' in Ontario, Quebec, per cent of active females participated in competitive sports. By 2005, the proportion had reached Alberta and Boston, culminating in the year-end Clarkson Cup finale. 33 per cent. (Exhibit 3 shows the growth of female hockey participation rates in Canada.) Each CWHL club had a general manager, a head coach and game staff. In addition, some clubs, including the Stars, had a marketing and press staff. The coaches received a stipend while the administrative THE MONTREAL STARS/LES STARS DE MONTREAL personnel were volunteers. The responsibilities of each club included dealing with matters related to Mission and Vision operating the team under the CWHL by-laws; organizing games and practices; and dealing with issues regarding the scheduling of ice time, travel, referees, game day protocols and fans. The clubs also The Montreal Stars club aims to lead the league, both on and off the ice. We strive to inspire each depended on volunteers for the issuing of press releases and providing promotion and marketing. other, our youth, and our fans, by successfully drawing together the most sophisticated and model players in the game today and fostering a club with the chemistry and tenacity to winchampionships. We want to give back to our community both through our philanthropic efforts The Stars offered audiences a thrilling style of play, with sophisticated passing and goal-scoring. and by playing hockey artfully. We envision a hockey league for women players that inspires The Stars and the overall CWHL emphasized skill and speed minus any hitting and fighting, girls to believe they can do anything and proves the integral importance of health, well-being, which made their style of hockey especially family-friendly. Attending a Stars match offered sport and teamwork in the lives of all people." hockey lovers great value with a high level of play at affordable ticket prices Amateur and semi-professional women's hockey in Montreal had a storied history. The first semi-pro In 2011-12, children under five years old and those wearing the team's jersey were allowed free entry, leagues for women actually began in Montreal in the early 1960s. The Stars club first began as Wingstar individual tickets were $8.00 and a book of 30 tickets (group pack) was $150.00, while season tickets in the 1990s and then morphed into the Montreal Axion. "The current incarnation as the Montreal Stars were $60.00. The revenue in the 2011-12 season for each category of tickets (not counting charity games) began in 2007 with the founding of the CWHL. The Stars' captain, Lisa-Marie Breton-Lebreux, was one was as follows: individual tickets brought in $7,680, group packs brought in $3,750 and season tickets of the enterprising players who helped women's hockey rebound from the demise of the NWHL." The brought in $2,000. Stars wore the Habs" colours to reference their brotherly kin but were also committed to developing their own style and fare. The entire Stars organization was committed to bringing Montreal a team that was recognized and respected for its outstanding play and tenacity - a team that the fans loved to watch, that continued to Les Tricolore- red, white and blue -were Quebec's primary colours and were worn by the legendary build on Montreal's rich and winning sports traditions, that hockey youth looked to for its modern-day sports clubs in Montreal and Quebec City, including the NHL's Canadiens, the Nordiques" and the heroes and role models, that gave back to its community through its philanthropic efforts and that Alouettes" (see Exhibit 4). The Stars logo was a stylized "M" for Montreal outlined in blue, white and corporate and business partners were honoured to be affiliated with. red and led by a rising star. In 2010-11, the theme song for the team was "Give Me a Sign" by the singer Manu-1. The team's geographical rivals were Brampton, Boston and Toronto, and their home arena was The top team in the CWHL, the Stars, was the only team in history to win the Clarkson Cup two seasons the Etienne-Desmarteau (E-D) Arena in Rosemont in Montreal's East End, where the ice surface was in a row (2010-11 and 2011-12). The Stars won a number of awards in the 2010-11 season, including the named after assistant team captain Caroline Ouellette. The capacity of that arena was 1,200. The team's President's Trophy, rookie of the year, most points by a single player, top goalie, coach of the year and bilingual motto on promotional materials was "GO!" This signified action, hard work, problem solving, player of the year. The Stars beat Brampton 4-2 in the championship match in 2011-12 to secure their overcoming challenges, leadership and a commitment to performance excellence. third victory in four years. On their team website (www.montreal.cwhi.ca/view/montrealstars/home), they featured player profiles, live tweets from games and posts written by players. Behind-the-scenes photos The recipient of three Clarkson Cups, the Stars were known for their formidable roster of players and videos also invited fans to experience the lives and seasons of the top players, following them as they that consisted of Olympians, national team hopefuls and ex-college stars. Team members such as tried to win the Clarkson Cup and create a professional league of their own. Visibility, however, remained Kim St-Pierre, Caroline Ouellette and Catherine Ward had become household names through the a challenge. Most people were unaware that elite-level women's hockey existed in the city, and spectator Olympic gold medals that they helped Team Canada win in Salt Lake City (2002), Turin (2006) attendance at these games, while growing, averaged 300 to 500 per game. and Vancouver (2010). Fresh off their championship-winning 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, in which they topped the league's standings and featured 10 of the league's top 15 leading scorers, the Stars were currently the top female team in North America (see Exhibit 5). The Players As the league headed into its fifth season, the Stars were looking not only to defend their title but As the team continued to build a top-level female hockey club to support their elite players in to continue their steadfast promotion of women's hockey. They aimed to lead in the standings but Quebec, its mission was also to promote the women's game, active lifestyles and athletic also aspired to be a model and visionary hockey club in the CWHL and the world. Their mandate excellence in the greater Montreal and Quebec region. Over the past five years, more fans, sponsors was to foster and showcase the talents of the most original and respected players, both locally and community associations had joined the team to support the continued pursuits of women and, over time, internationally. They focused their daily efforts on playing high quality, smart, players and to inspire the dreams of young Quebecers. sophisticated hockey that won championships. Off the ice, they worked diligently towards attracting more fans and becoming a financially profitable club with a professional structure. The The players were accessible after each game to sign autographs and meet fans. The elite players did club fostered an open and inviting environment for work and play, encouraging rewarding not make money playing but served as role models and trailblazers, promoting sport, well-being exchanges between players, staff and the public. Girls and women had energized the sport and and health to youth and their community. The players were driven by a sheer love of the sport and participated in hockey in growing numbers throughout Canada. The collective goal of the Stars dedicated countless hours to participating in hockey. Parallel to their careers in hockey, they led was to fuel this enthusiasm in Quebec by supporting youth in their dreams, being role models in other lives as teachers, police officers, journalists and business leaders and still found time for hockey, making the game more accessible to everyone and expressing their passion for the game. charities and foundations such as the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and Right to Play." They inspired not only young girls with big hockey dreams but also passionate people everywhere. They ""History of the CWHL and Stars: Montreal Stars, " internal document. were some of the finest ambassadors the sport could wish for. " CWHL Montreal Stars internal document, PDF. 13Page 7 9813A043 Page 8 9813A043 The Staff Hewings and the Stars' staff hoped to increase the fan base and enhance the visibility of elite women's hockey in Montreal. More specifically, they had established the following communication objectives: The players were the most visible part of the organization, but there was also a dedicated staff that ensured that everything ran as smoothly as possible. Leading double lives, much like the To increase awareness of the Stars in the greater Montreal region. players themselves, the people who staffed the Stars were passionate about women's hockey and To increase interest in the highest caliber of women's hockey among media partners and essential to the team's functioning. Their work was currently unpaid, and the Stars were looking others interested in women's sports. to increase their core funding from the CWHL in order to grow the club's organizational capacity To position women's hockey as a top-notch sport within the local sports community as well and to begin paying a few key staff salaries. as the general public in the greater Montreal region. To showcase the great athletes on the team. Altogether, apart from the players, the Stars had a complement of approximately 10 staff, all of whom were volunteers (see Exhibit 6). Target Audiences The Fans The communications plan had identified primary and secondary target groups and partners as a priority in attaining the team's objectives (see Exhibit 8). In all cases, they represented underserved members of According to Hewings, the type of audience that regularly attended the games were youth, seniors, hockey and sporting communities. families, athletes, dads and daughters, diverse ethnicities and lesbians. These groups attended the games because of the quality of the play, easy access to players, the action, the intimacy and the players' engagement with the crowd. The audience tended to include both anglophones and francophones. Games Communication Tools and Strategies hat were designed to promote particular causes or raise funds for charities - for example, the fundraiser game benefitting the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation - tended to be the most popular and best Hewings, along with her staff and the players, had identified a number of tools and strategies to achieve attended. For this event, in the previous year, the team filled the stands at their arena (1,200 people in these objectives in the coming seasons. They used fundraising and partnership campaigns, which included attendance). In 2011-12, the games were held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday in order special events such as a charity game designed to raise funds for breast cancer research, small-scale silent to cater to a family-friendly audience (see Exhibit 7). Hewings noted, however, that in previous seasons auctions, 50-50 draws and the sale of team merchandise. In addition, they engaged with other charities when games were scheduled in the evenings at the same time as the Habs games, attendance at Stars such as Right to Play, Girls Action Foundation and the Montreal Roller Derby League with the goal of games suffered notably. increasing the visibility of the team among target audiences. The team also met with the local newspaper, the Journal de Rosemont. All press releases were bilingual. The Communication Plan 2011-12" The team created a visual identity to apply to all team branded material. The league provided team posters, programs, tickets and season passes both in French and English. Flyers and coupons were also For the 2011-12 season, the Stars had developed a comprehensive communication plan. This plan had created. identified a number of challenges including the following Hewings and the staff used e-mail campaigns, the web and social media. With the e-mail campaign, Women's hockey was not well-covered by the media and was overshadowed by the NHL or Hewings produced an introductory letter for potential partners that announced the team calendar and other men's hockey (or sports) leagues. special events. The team's website (www.montreal.cwhi.ca), team "insider" blog (www.montrealstars.ca) The characteristics and context of women's hockey were not well-known: agility, speed, and Twitter/Facebook accounts were key communication tools for the team. The website was the home of violence-free, affordable ticket prices, meager operational budgets, unpaid players and staff official information such as the roster, players' bios, statistics, official photos, calendar and formal league with regular day jobs and the league's non-profit status. announcements related to the Stars. Twitter and Facebook accounts were customized to be the place Girl's hockey was developing in Quebec but at a slower pace than other provinces. The where the team developed its fan base and provided closer access to the team and players by publishing province had seven times fewer participants than Ontario in 2008 09 (6,415 registered in a videos, off-game photos, players' stories, player blogs and social media access. There was also a league- Quebec girl hockey program versus 46,205 in Ontario). There was no overseeing provincial wide blog (CWHLinsider.ca), where fans accessed more information about the league and players. body like the Ontario Women's Hockey Association that nurtured the growth of female hockey in the province. Finally, Hewings arranged with the team's communication director, Helene Lapointe, to have media training and ongoing advice for team members as well as regular press releases, key messages and media Generally, hockey was an expensive sport to play. The professional version of the sport (NHL) had also become an increasingly expensive sport to attend live as a spectator. information that described the players' bios, team stats and other relevant information. Community Outreach Initiatives Another initiative taken by the team in both 2010-11 and 2011-12 was to work with several minor girls "This section is based on "Communication Plan, Montreal Stars, Season 2011-2012," internal document hockey associations in the Montreal region to host local league games in the community. These outreachPage 9 9134043 Page 10 9B13A043 games raised awareness and support for the highest level of women's hockey available to young players marketing and promotions efforts and to start work on the first phase of a project to live stream games and provided an opportunity for interested communities to work with the club. Players also offered online. training and mentorship to youth programs within these associations and communities, building talent and strengthening relationships with local parents and young players. THE DECISION Ean Offerings As Hewings prepared to develop a marketing program for 2012-13, she wondered what more she could be doing. The team was the premier organization in the six-team CWHL, and its success played a key role In 2011-12, the team also started to offer fans the opportunity to buy more merchandise related to the in the long-term viability and sustainability of the league. Hewings was also very conscious of the advice team and women's hockey. There were very few merchandise offerings available to young girls or given by the founding president of the WNBA, Val Ackerman, in a 2011 article. Ackerman emphasized women who played hockey. At every home game, the team offered a "Fan Zone" in which Stars tee- that "women pro-sport organizers must think of themselves as product people - they must assess shirts, pucks and hockey towels were sold. The booth also featured photos of the team and player bio whether consumer interest and demand are there."Ackerman also emphasized the importance of booklets. understanding the audience and offering enticing services to engage loyal audiences. She pointed out that marketing and promotion are critical and identified the need to grow the capitalization base of women's sports. How could the Stars maximize their efforts under the current league structure and increase 2011-12 Accomplishments revenues by attracting more fans, donors and sponsors? While the general manager was aware of the slow progress of gaining fame for the Stars, she was also proud of the successes of the team over the last several seasons. She pointed out, for example, that the attendance at Stars home games had increased five times between the 2009-10 season and the 2010-11 season and stayed at that level during the 2011-12 season. The number of Facebook fans ("Likes") also doubled within the 2010-11 season and the 2011-12 season. In addition, the team was able to raise $15,000 for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and had been successful in raising $15,000 for coaching stipends during the 2011-12 season. A new logo and visual branding strategy was launched and used to unify promotional materials. A new local sponsorship offerings package was also developed called "GET IN THE GAME!" for both "Friends of the Stars" and "Friends of the CWHL" packages. The team had also managed to increase its visibility across all major media, and in 2011-12, the team and players had received more press for women's hockey in the province than in any previous year. Members of the team were also honoured: Julie Chu was inducted into the Connecticut Hockey Hall of Fame, Caroline Ouellette was invited by the NHL to appear as a spokesperson and honoured guest at the NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa, Meghan Agosta broke the CWHL all-time points record and won the League MVP award and the team won the President's Award as the regular season champions. After the team's second consecutive Clarkson Cup victory, the team held an impressive press event at the Canadiens' Hockey Hall of Fame in which every major Quebec media was in attendance. The team was also featured as La Presse's Personality of the Week, one of the highest media honours in the province. In spite of these growing accomplishments, the Stars had some specific goals entering the 2012-13 season. These included finding major sponsors and more community partners to support the team and having access to core funding to grow the organization. The new policy laid out by the league for the 2012-13 season allowed teams to raise their local fundraising envelope to $20,000 followed by an additional $5,000 for a team discretionary fund (to be used for local expenses, including marketing and promotions). Any excess monies beyond the $25,000 would be returned to the league so as to maintain parity among the league's five teams. Together with the players, Hewings had developed a team-specific sponsorship proposal (see Exhibit 9). Additionally, the funding was to be used for things such as the installation of a dedicated Internet line at the E-D arena to enter statistics live, printing materials, 2 Val Ackerman, "Four Keys to Advancing Women's Pro-Sports Leagues, " www.espn.go.co.commentary/7098933/print