Our image

[preacher_dawg]

I have lived in Western New York and now Pennsylvania. When people find out that I am from Mississippi, they think I cheer for OM and of course, I very nicely let them know that, No I am a State fan, but my point is that we just don't have great name recognition nationwide.

My other observation is that I have heard that while we might not be at the top of the NIL food chain, we are not at the bottom either, and yet, there is so much reaction that we cannot compete in NIL money to keep K1.

My point is that maybe a very real reason why we cannot recruit very well is that nationally, we are seen as a doormat? Hopefully, over the next few years, that can be turned around.

 

[BossDawg78]

Delete. Double post.

 

[BossDawg78]

I've often wondered this myself, but I think in the grand scheme of things the image doesn't matter. There are quite a few teams who could've been considered perennial "doormats" at one time and they turned it around. If NIL money truly isn't as issue, buying talent shouldn't be a problem. We just need a head coach and a few assistant coaches who know how to use that money, evaluate talent, get the RIGHT talent, develop that talent and use that talent to win games. Hell even Croom cranked out a winning season at State and Mullen had us at the top at one point. Winning isn't impossible at State, we just have a lot of people in high places making boneheaded decisions more often than not.

 

[CascillaCountryClub]

MSU sucks at marketing, Ole Miss excels at marketing.

 

[Maroon13]

The national perception being, Mississippi people = Ole Miss people, is NOT a Mississippi State marketing problem.

Nationally, people know about OM because of KIffin, their recent success at football and their Greek system.

Recruiting......how do you view Auburn and Bama? TN Or Vandy? OU Or Oklahoma State? Iowa Or Iowa State? UGA or Georgia Tech? Michigan v Michigan State? I am sure recruits have the similar perceptions of programs as well.

 

[615dawg]

MSU sucks at marketing, Ole Miss excels at marketing.

That's all it is. Ole Miss is really good at promoting their brand on a national scale. I noticed this from their sorority rush. 81% of the girls rushing at Ole Miss were from out of state.

When I was in college, you couldn't get a Mississippi State phone cover for a Nokia 5160. We were the only SEC college that would not license a phone cover. We eventually did, but everyone had moved on to a new phone by then. We really suck at trend marketing.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

My point is that maybe a very real reason why we cannot recruit very well is that nationally, we are seen as a doormat? Hopefully, over the next few years, that can be turned around.

Football culture still matters. And we don't have a very good one, never have. Takes a very strong-willed coach to overcome that.

The national perception being, Mississippi people = Ole Miss people, is NOT a Mississippi State marketing problem.

Nationally, people know about OM because of KIffin, their recent success at football and their Greek system.

Recruiting......how do you view Auburn and Bama? TN Or Vandy? OU Or Oklahoma State? Iowa Or Iowa State? UGA or Georgia Tech? Michigan v Michigan State? I am sure recruits have the similar perceptions of programs as well.

Well, football success is a part of marketing. Nationally, Auburn is very well known, as they have had football success. Not as much as Bama, but enough. Plus, they are 'Auburn' rather than a 5 syllable 2-word phrase like Mississippi State. "Ole Miss" understands this, as does "Clemson".

Not sure what we can do about it though. I like the idea of trying to be State (outside the terrible script) and obviously winning in football helps. And not killing your 30-year old official university logo that is actually starting to be well known.

 

[GloryDawg]

A lot of Ole Miss image is not good either. People who don't follow college football, when they hear name Ole Miss, they think segregation and Jim Crow. So don't think it's all good for Ole Miss.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

My one trip to NY, I concluded, they could care less about any of this,

 

[gtowndawg]

They've been winning big in football, pretty simple. Football is what grabs attention around the country (with men's basketball a runner up). If you're not a top tier program in one or the other than you're a nobody.

 

[Dawgzilla2]

My experience has been people know there is a college in Mississippi with the nickname "Ole Miss", but little else. They don't know what school it is or anything about it.

When I tell people I went to State, many people ask "is that Ole Miss?" So their nickname is known, but it is not effective marketing.

Last year they got a lot of recognition for making the playoffs and the Kiffin saga. That won't last long, and I still don't know if people knew what school it was.

 

[Maroon13]

OMs sorority system is well known because they made their Greek system an important part of the school with chapter numbers and pledge class numbers a decade ago. There is far more opportunity there for OOS girls to get into a sorority.

State, at least when my kid went through, gave me the impression that they were interested in promoting the National Pan-Hellenic Counsel chapters rather than Panhellenic Counsel and IFC chapters. Also State limited the pledge classes numbers to well below OM numbers.

 

[Maroon13]

One more thing.... State alumni don't talk up Mississippi State. Anytime I've traveled and meet MSU alumni, 9 out of 10.... "I ain't been there since......". OM people, will relive their whole college years with you if you want to talk about it. They have a totally different culture.

Logos, I've been all over the U.S. and when people have seen my MState logo, they know it's Mississippi State, Dak Prescott etc.

 

[KaizenMuse]

I have lived in Western New York and now Pennsylvania. When people find out that I am from Mississippi, they think I cheer for OM and of course, I very nicely let them know that, No I am a State fan, but my point is that we just don't have great name recognition nationwide.

My other observation is that I have heard that while we might not be at the top of the NIL food chain, we are not at the bottom either, and yet, there is so much reaction that we cannot compete in NIL money to keep K1.

My point is that maybe a very real reason why we cannot recruit very well is that nationally, we are seen as a doormat? Hopefully, over the next few years, that can be turned around.

Well, one team has consistently achieved higher highs bc they are willing to do anything to win. Even before NIL their boosters were already spending the money it took to try to compete with the blue bloods. While they were wasting a lot of money back then bc they were getting HS players that had to be developed, and who also fizzled out/etc, nowadays they can just pay for good players who have already been developed by other programs. Anyone can.

We don't have that same mentality (or pocketbook) unfortunately

 

[615dawg]

People get upset when I say this, but State has always done a piss poor job at marketing. Its not athletic success, its not our color scheme, its the way we market ourselves. Gay &tate is a perfect example. It looks terrible and is non-recognizable outside our footprint.

If you dont believe me about our marketing, wait until you have kids in the college search season. Take your maroon glasses off and compare how we recruit to how others recruit normal kids, not athletes.

Starkville is way better about this than they used to be, but having decades of a city that hated the university did not help either.

 

[Chile]

I have lived in Western New York and now Pennsylvania. When people find out that I am from Mississippi, they think I cheer for OM and of course, I very nicely let them know that, No I am a State fan, but my point is that we just don't have great name recognition nationwide.

My other observation is that I have heard that while we might not be at the top of the NIL food chain, we are not at the bottom either, and yet, there is so much reaction that we cannot compete in NIL money to keep K1.

My point is that maybe a very real reason why we cannot recruit very well is that nationally, we are seen as a doormat? Hopefully, over the next few years, that can be turned around.

OM was in the CFP playoffs and almost in the championship game. That pretty much gives you the casual fan recognition.
Need to get the roster depth ready for next season.

 

[Chile]

Also, Ole Miss, has a 97% acceptance rate. That is another way you can differentiate from them if being asked by out of state people. The saying going around is "if your breath can fog a mirror, you can get accepted into ole miss".

 

[615dawg]

Also, Ole Miss, has a 97% acceptance rate. That is another way you can differentiate from them if being asked by out of state people. The saying going around is "if your breath can fog a mirror, you can get accepted into ole miss".

People think this is a knock on Ole Miss, but its really not. They are accepting wealthy out of state kids from Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and NY/NJ they could not sniff other Power 4 schools and they are getting families that are paying full sticker price to the university, buying condos in town for them to live in, shopping on the Square and donating to academic and athletic causes.

Anecdotical story, but I met a family from Charlotte whose daughter went to Ole Miss. She couldn't get into UNC or NC State. It was either App State, East Carolina or Ole Miss for her. One of those "She's smart but doesn't test well" students. She goes to Ole Miss, pledges a sorority, has the time of her life getting a business degree to go back home and work for her dad's company. They stroked a $1 million check to Ole Miss because they were so grateful for what Ole Miss did for their daughter.

 

[Denverdawg2]

A lot of Ole Miss image is not good either. People who don't follow college football, when they hear name Ole Miss, they think segregation and Jim Crow. So don't think it's all good for Ole Miss.

This might have been the case years ago, but definitely is not true now in my experience. As someone who has lived out of state for 30 years and visited numerous universities on college visits with my children, as well as travel around the country weekly, Ole Miss is brought up often and I have not had one person mention the issues of the past. They state how they want to visit the Grove or they know someone that goes/went there.

 

[Boosh]

MSU sucks at marketing, Ole Miss excels at marketing.

OM did a great job with their "Sip" advertising. As much as I hate that they did it, it was well done and a great catch phrase IMO.

 

[GloryDawg]

This might have been the case years ago, but definitely is not true now in my experience. As someone who has lived out of state for 30 years and visited numerous universities on college visits with my children, as well as travel around the country weekly, Ole Miss is brought up often and I have not had one person mention the issues of the past. They state how they want to visit the Grove or they know someone that goes/went there.

You might want to expand your experience. I am 62 years old. Spent five years active in the Marine Corps and been to every region of this country with my job. It is out there.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

OM did a great job with their "Sip" advertising. As much as I hate that they did it, it was well done and a great catch phrase IMO.

We had a good one with 'Our State' and Hail State but now we are actively pushing to get away from that

 

[615dawg]

This is Our State was incredible. I thought we had turned a page. This is one of the best national spots for any university I have ever seen. This was our 2011 campaign. Its been all downhill since.



We Ring True was good in 2019.



The 2026 Theme "Launch Your Future" isn't as bad as the last couple of years but it doesn't promote the entire university, so its weak in that sense.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

People get upset when I say this, but State has always done a piss poor job at marketing. Its not athletic success, its not our color scheme, its the way we market ourselves. Gay &tate is a perfect example. It looks terrible and is non-recognizable outside our footprint.

If you dont believe me about our marketing, wait until you have kids in the college search season. Take your maroon glasses off and compare how we recruit to how others recruit normal kids, not athletes.

Starkville is way better about this than they used to be, but having decades of a city that hated the university did not help either.

I think this may be due to the fact that our core support is so strongly rooted inside the state bubble, moreso than most other universities. So as a whole we don't value the branding. I mean you see it on this board, we have way too many people say it doesn't matter. So it just changes with the wind.

Some of it I get, I mean we haven't had that real 'thing' that stuck long enough. The closest thing is the baseball program.

 

[KaizenMuse]

MSU sucks at marketing, Ole Miss excels at marketing.

This sums it up pretty well in addition to my other message.

Our football social media marketing got REMARKABLY better after Selmon fired the last staff

 

[L4Dawg]

I've often wondered this myself, but I think in the grand scheme of things the image doesn't matter. There are quite a few teams who could've been considered perennial "doormats" at one time and they turned it around. If NIL money truly isn't as issue, buying talent shouldn't be a problem. We just need a head coach and a few assistant coaches who know how to use that money, evaluate talent, get the RIGHT talent, develop that talent and use that talent to win games. Hell even Croom cranked out a winning season at State and Mullen had us at the top at one point. Winning isn't impossible at State, we just have a lot of people in high places making boneheaded decisions more often than not.

We have money, quite a bit of it. We do not have the money of most of the people we actually compte against. That is just fact. In this new world of NIL AND the portal it's going to be very hard to replicate what we did in the past. The old model we used (especially Mullen) of finding diamonds in the rough and developing them won't work anymore. If we find one, unless there is some underlying loyalty, and in many cases even if there is, we will have to PAY to keep them. I think we can compte well enough to do at least ok when it comes to the starters. Quality depth is where we are always going to be behind, till we can come up with MORE money.

 

[PBRME]

Just my personal experience. They do a much better job of pushing their brand. I think having alum spread through out the media helps a lot.