Pep Rally Ideas for the 21st Century

​Today’s schools use trends and technology, like Watchfire virtual scoreboards, to spark pep rally ideas for the 21st century.

For decades, pep rallies have been used to spotlight athletes, highlight school rivalries and engage students. Like every other aspect of school sports, it’s time to give pep rallies a reboot. Host a community-wide event and spark school spirit while demonstrating inclusion. Celebrate the cheerleaders, marching band and athletes from all sports in the season. (A pep rally in the fall can include football, soccer, gymnastics and cross country.)

Using easy-to-program video displays, take advantage of today’s trends and technology to create a community pep rally that sparks new fan engagement and school loyalty.

FUNDRAISING
Typically, pep rallies aren’t revenue generators, but you can change that. There are countless ways for fans to have fun while financially supporting their team.

SEASON TICKETS: Give participants a special offer for season tickets purchased that day. Instead of a discount on the ticket price, give season ticket holders a coupon for 10% off souvenirs.

MERCHANDISE: Maximize income from souvenir and concession sales. Studies show that accepting credit cards will increase sales. Extra good news – Watchfire displays are FCC compliant and will not disrupt your wi-fi credit card operations.

FOOD TRUCKS: Food trucks at events are not only trendy, but many will negotiate with you for a portion of the profits. Many food trucks have loyal social media followers. Expand your game time reach by partnering with them and use your video boards to advertise their involvement.

RALLY SPONSOR: Watchfire Ignite Sports game day software makes it easy to divide your video scoreboard into regions, allowing you to sell additional sponsorship ads for the rally.

SCOREBOARD ADS: Invite the local business community to your rally and sell season-long video board ads with “your logo here” promotions. Have prices and contracts available so you can close the deal that day.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Sports events and social media go hand in hand. Fans who post and share their experiences feel more connected to the team and inspire others to join the fun.  

HASHTAG: Remind fans to add hashtags on social media posts. Choose a hashtag that is unique and easy to remember (six to ten characters in length.) Add your hashtag to every aspect of your rally, like painted banners and the video scoreboard.

SELFIE STATION: Establish a location for selfies. Maybe its next to the bell that is rung with each score or in front of a backdrop made of jerseys. Whatever you choose, make it an identifiable part of your game experience.

SNAPCHAT LOCATION FILTER: Snapchatters can add a graphics, called filters, to their photos, which signify they are at or near a certain landmark. Create a free filter for your facility.

LIVE POSTS: Use the Ignite Sports live video input to connect your PC or cell phone. Display social media posts as they happen.

Video Scoreboard
Build big excitement on the big screen. Your Watchfire video display or virtual scoreboard is a fantastic way to boost school spirit during a rally.

HYPE VIDEO: Kick off your rally with a highlight reel, full of slow motion, close ups and heart-pumping music. Watchfire is the only LED manufacture to calibrate for both color and brightness, ensuring your fans will enjoy rich contrasts and vivid colors.

PLAYER PROFILES: Create player profiles with photos, jersey numbers, and class. For players not in the starting lineup, this may be the only time they get to see themselves on the jumbo screen. Place the profiles in a slow-moving Ignite Sports playlist. This will give families enough time to take photos of it. Watchfire’s video boards have a faster refresh rate, which photographs beautifully even with a cell phone.

SENIOR GIFTS: Need senior gift ideas? Photograph seniors with the video board profile in the background.  

SENIOR VIDEOS: Create 30-60 second videos of each senior and play them on the scoreboard. Don’t have a production crew? You can find easy and impressive editing apps for your phone.

FIGHT SONG LYRICS: End your rally on a high note with your school fight song. Display the lyrics on the big screen so everyone can part of an honored tradition. Continue this practice throughout the season.

No matter if it is indoor sports or outdoor sports played at the high school or college level, a pep rally can motivate fans to actively participate. Use social media trends, your Watchfire video board, and out-of-the-box thinking to energize athletes, students, parents and boosters.

 

Scoreboard Pays for Itself

Read this guide to learn about revenue-generating opportunities that position a new video display or virtual scoreboard to pay for itself.