Analysis by Forrest Lodge in SRM 435 (section 1)
Chris and I found an article that talked about a certain promotion that our former employer, the Richmond Flying Squirrels, put on during the 2013 season. The article talked about how the promotion was centered on certain celebrity/politician scandals that had occurred over the past few years and they were meant to poke fun at the people who were involved. First was Anthony Weiner, a New York City mayoral candidate who has acknowledged that he had sent lewd photos and messages to women online. The Flying Squirrels decided to have one-dollar hotdogs (Weiners) for the whole night! Another promotion that was going on that night during the game was a Brett Favre Football Toss that involved chosen fans attempting to throw footballs through a circular target. Favre has also had his own lewd photo scandal with a woman who was the Jets’ Gameday Host while Favre was playing for them. Finally, there was a Tiger Woods Closest To The Pin Challenge that also involved the fans as contestants, need I say more. Although involving scandals into the promotional approach as a professional organization can be risky, I believe that the Flying Squirrels chose their activities wisely and didn’t go too far with them whatsoever. Through my work experience with them I was able to see many different types of promotions come through the ballpark and was even able to be a part of a few myself, and there are always guidelines as to what can and cannot happen. I think this is very relevant to this course because we discussed the different types of giveaways and promotions that were most effective at Major League ballparks, as well as the different days of the week that promotions can affect the attendance of a game.
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Analysis by Chris Moffett in SRM 435 (section 1)
On August 1st 2013, the AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giant made ESPN news. The Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League held a promotion during a Thursday night game to poke fun at former mayoral candidate and controversial politician Anthony Weiner. The promotion included $1 hotdogs all night, and there was also a Twitter contest where fans could win a prize for tweeting a picture of themselves enjoying their hotdogs “in the most creative way”. Along with the Weiner promotion, there were also on the field contests such as the “Brett Favre football throw” and the “Tiger Woods closest to the pin challenge”. Each of those two men was involved with similar cases to which landed Weiner in hot water.
In the ever-changing world of sports, it’s very important to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to reaching fans. Minor League baseball teams are well known for their wacky promotions, premium giveaways, and celebrity appearance nights. This past season, Flying Squirrels had appearances by Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, VCU head coach Shaka Smart, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, WWE wrestling legend Kevin Nash and David “The Bullet” Smith, the Human Cannonball. Promotions also included fireworks nights every Thursday, Princess and Knight Night, and 80s movie night. This season also saw the Squirrels hit new record in attendance, averaging just under 6,500 fans per game.
One may wonder whether the benefits of these promotions exceed the work it takes to put them into place and make sure they run smoothly. The average baseball fan should not be counted on to come to the game for just baseball alone. It’s important to have promotions and nights that will entice fans to come, and remember the entire experience of the game, and not just what the final score was. Flying Squirrels COO Todd “Parney” Parnell says it best – “We’re not in the baseball business, we’re in the memory making business”.
