MLB: Your Average Fan Can Fill The Seats (if you let them)

In today’s Wall Street Journal there is an article on what Major League Baseball is doing to fill seats.  It mentions all the different programs teams are implementing to reward season ticket holders.   It’s about time!

The article discusses all the perks and upgrades that teams are giving season ticket holders.  For example they are offering special entrances, early entrance, meet-n-greets, seat upgrades, and exclusive ticket buying opportunities.

Is it just me or does it seem that MLB is now scrambling to fill seats? In the past few weeks I have read about more teams and their empty seats then I ever have.  It’s not like they didn’t know there might be a problem this season.  Why does it seem they are now rushing out these programs?  Selling for the next season begins in the fall as soon as the previous season ends.  Shouldn’t teams have been offering these programs during the winter?

The New York Yankees finally woke up and announced that they were discounting those overpriced premium seats that are right behind home plate.  They have cut the price in half.  What’s sad is that half price is still huge money.  They are also giving some of the season ticket holders a few of these great seats.  I wondered how long the Yankees could handle the embarrassment of empty seats behind home plate. 

My uncle recently went to a Yankees game in the new stadium.  He told me that a regular beer is $9.00.  He also felt obligated to give the seller a tip.  So the final cost of a beer was $10.00.  What is the non-recession price of a beer?

So, MLB is addressing the season ticket holder issue.  Season tickets represent about 40% to 50% of all seats.  What are they doing to fill the other 50%?

The article mentions that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has rolled out a league wide program offering discounted tickets.  Some of these tickets will go for $5.50 or less.  I think this is a good thing.  Baseball has become out of reach for the average fan. 

The game was called “America’s Pastime” because everybody at one time could see a live game.  But in recent years that has not been true.  The league needs to market back to its roots.  Get fans excited to go to a game.  Make it affordable to buy tickets.  Give them a reasonable price for a hot dog and a beer. Remember: each team has 80 regular season home games in stadiums that have 30,000 to 50,000+ capacities.  With average baseball fans counting every penny they have, who is going to fill all those seats?

Are You Marketing Ready For The Next Ticket Crisis?

So here is a good question:  How will the swine flu outbreak affect our ticket sales?  Think about it.  In Mexico they have cancelled all kinds of events, concerts, and other places where crowds gather.  They have even cancelled Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

How is the live event and entertainment business preparing for this potential business disaster?  So far, I have not heard much of anything.  We are now entering the very busy summer season.  If our plan is to not talk about it and hope for the best, then we are setting ourselves up for failure.  All of us in the industry need to discuss and plan our marketing efforts for this potential crisis. 

We always seem to plan and market our events based on “wishful thinking”.  Do you ever plan your marketing around “what if”?   Everyone who knows me knows that I am a very positive person.  I am not trying to be negative.  I am trying to get all of us to be prepared. There is nothing wrong with being prepared.  I have discussed before having a “fire drill” plan.  This is a marketing plan ready to go when the original plan is not working.  Even if you don’t need it now, it could be useful in the future.

Seth Godin’s blog post today is called “Might as well panic”.  He discusses how we all love to panic.  We want our leaders to show panic as a way of helping to overcome a crisis.   I am not asking us in the live event marketing business to panic. I am asking us to be marketing ready if our customers start to panic.  When the recession started affecting our ticket sales, we were not ready for it.  Let’s be ready this time.  Remember that in our business, perception is reality.

 

If Fast Food Can Do It, Why Not Us?

Fast food brands seem to really understand the power of non-traditional marketing.   I wrote several months back about the Burger King Facebook kill off friends’ campaign.  Now Subway is making a non-traditional splash.  They are part of a campaign to save the TV show “Chuck”.  See the AdAge Online story.

The sandwich maker claims it all started with a TV blogger and product placement.  Subway had product placement on an episode of “Chuck” along with a brand mention from the lead character.  When the word went out that NBC was thinking of pulling the plug on the show, a blogger started a campaign.  She asked her readers to buy Subway foot-long sandwiches and watch the season finale.  She wanted the network to see the power of the viewers. 

Subway claims they didn’t start this but has jumped on the bandwagon.  I don’t believe that for a second.  There are lots of product placements in that show and many other shows.  Like any type of marketing, what can you do to rise above the clutter?  Don’t get me wrong I love this campaign!  Think about how much exposure Subway is getting for that initial product placement?  The campaign even has a viral video showing Zack Levi (Chuck) taking 600 fans into a Subway in England. 

Someone at NBC must really like “Chuck”.  The promotional and PR events around this TV show have been very different from their other programming.  Remember this past Super Bowl?  We all used our 3-D glasses for a “Chuck” commercial and then saved them to watch the 3-D episode later that week.

All of this non-traditional marketing is very “out of the box” thinking.  Think about how we can make this type of marketing work for us in the live event & entertainment business.  We all understand how buzz works.  We can tell if a show is going to take off by the buzz.  Why not help create the buzz?  Long before you go on sale with the show or event start the buzz campaign.  Work with bloggers, fan clubs, and social network sites.  It shouldn’t cost you any of the marketing budget and if it does, so what?  This is all part of the marketing campaign.   

As stated in the book Pyro Marketing by Greg Stielstra:

1) Gather the driest tinder

2) Touch it with a match

3) Fan the flames

4) Save the coals 

Cable Ads Take “Targeting” To A New Level

Back in January I wrote a post called “Marketing in 2009 is cool”. In this post I discussed the cool new ways we will be marketing our shows and events in 2009 and the future.  Today, I found a cable marketing/advertising advancement.

There is an Associated Press story today on cable companies taking a page out of online marketing.  The writer gives an example that you are watching a show on Comedy Central.  The show goes to a break and a Ford Mustang spot comes on.  Ford knows that you have been shopping for a new Mustang.  At the end of the spot a button pops up and asks if you would like more info.  If you say yes, they send you out a packet or have someone call you. 

Does this sound like science fiction?  Well, it’s real.  Several cable companies are going to “test drive” it this summer. 

As soon as I read this I thought this idea would be great for sports teams.  Think about this:  Someone watching your sports team on TV has an interest in your team, right?  Well, why not run a ticket package spot during the break.  Then have a button pop up and ask if they are interested.  If they say yes, then someone in the ticket office calls them.  You don’t get any closer to “direct ask” marketing then that. Think about the great lead list you will get.

Cable already has an advantage with targeting.  They have network choices that are targeted to one group or another.  For example women are more apt to watch Lifetime and Hallmark.  Cable companies are now going to take this “targeting” even closer.  The article said that cable companies are going to try targeting ads to demographic profiles.  For example, neighborhoods with larger youth populations might get spots for summer concerts.  While neighborhoods with high-end income levels might get spots for exotic travel.  Two different people in the same town, watching the same program, on the same cable company might see two different commercials. 

What if you saw an ad on ESPN for Thomas & Friends Live?  In the past you might say “wrong demo”.  But the reason you saw the spot was because they know you bought tickets in the past year for Sesame Street Live.   Some might think big brother is going too far.  As a marketer I am always interested in how to reach my target demo. With marketing budgets thin and TV ratings spread even thinner, this might just be a solution.

Do Sports Teams Need A Bailout?

I have had sports on my mind this week.  Not only with the exciting playoff action in the NHL and NBA but with the business of sports tickets.

The other day I discussed how the Red Sox may be having an issue with selling tickets.  Well, they are not the only MLB team concerned.  The most famous of all baseball teams has issues too.  My friend Doak forwarded me a story that was on the Fox Sports website about the Yankees are having problems selling their new premium seats. The headline of the story says it all “Pricey Seats at New Yankee Stadium Bomb”.  The article mentions how many of the prime infield seats in the Legends Suite sections have been empty.  Of course these seats are in camera view all the time.  These seats go from $500 to $2,500 per seat, per game for season ticket holders.  The article says that individual seats can cost as much as $2,675 per game.  I have one big question for the Yankees:  WTF? 

Instead of media talking about how the team is playing or which player is going to get caught on steroids next, they are all talking about the empty seats.  In typical bad PR form the President of the team, Randy Levine said “We’re done talking about seats”. “We’re not talking about seats.”

Has anybody informed professional sports teams that we are in a recession?

What’s up with this?

My son is a big fan of the Boston Bruins.  They just swept the Montreal Canadians in the first round of the playoffs.  He asked about going to see them live in the second round.  Tickets went on sale yesterday at 11:00 AM.  He was on my computer and on the Ticketmaster website at exactly 11:00 AM.  The only seats available for any of the home games were a few $250 premium seats.  He clicked again and they were gone.  However plenty of $150 upper level seats (normally $35) popped up immediately on TicketsNow.  How was this possible?  Did anyone learn anything yet from the Bruce Springsteen ticket mess?  Ironically, The Boss played in the same arena the night before.

The man behind the talent

I am very sad to hear that Tim Holst died last week.  Tim was the VP for talent at Ringling Bros.  I understand he died after a short illness while on an overseas trip to sign up acts.  He was the Performance Director of the show when I first started at Ringling Bros. in the 1980′s.  I will always remember him as a very kind person who really cared for the performers.  He had a very tough job but always enjoyed what he did.  He died too soon at the age of 61.  There is one lonely spotlight in the Center Ring today.

 

Is Overall Success Worth 15%?

Last week I asked the question “should venue marketers pass the 15% media discounts on to the shows or should the venue get to keep it?  I did receive a few responses in favor of venues keeping the 15%. Here is my opinion on it.

The quick answer is: “No, they should not keep it”. 

A venue could make an argument based on the type of deal they have with the show.  If the deal is a rental, then the venue could claim they should keep the discount.  They are asked to provide a service above the rent for the building. However, is this revenue worth enough to the venue to keep it from the actual marketing of the show? If it’s a co-pro deal then the venue should never keep the discount.  With this type of deal, both sides are partners and will benefit directly from ticket sales. 

Advertising budgets for shows and events are so tight.  Every dollar is important.  If the venue is keeping the 15% discounts they receive from the media then this becomes less marketing for the show.  Show promoters want the entire budget to go into actual marketing of the show.  They don’t want part of the budget to be venue revenue. 

I had a venue who tried to increase the entire marketing settlement package by 15%. This included media that most likely had received a 15% discount.  They never showed this discount.  This means they probably tried to increase some of the media by 30%.  

As I have written before, no matter what type of deal is forged between the venue and the show they are still partners.  The overall success of the show is important to both sides.  If a show does not do well this will not help venue revenue. 

A marketing department at a venue is there to help with the overall success. They are not an advertising concession stand.

 

Twitter Is A Real Part Of The Marketing World

Yesterday I was reading an article about Twitter.  What blows me away is how so many people still don’t understand it.  Maybe it’s Twitter’s fault.  They still promote themselves as “what are you doing”? 

When Twitter first started it was common to see tweets about what people were doing throughout the day.  You would see “I just woke up”.  “I am eating breakfast”.  “I am brushing my teeth”.  To me that was and still is stupid.  I got into Twitter a little late because of this.  But when I finally broke down and joined I soon learned how this would be a great marketing tool. 

The “so called” experts who rip on Twitter just don’t get it.  I read where one college business professor called it a “fad”.  He went on to say he doesn’t see Twitter working for brand management.   He doesn’t believe you can get your message out with only 140 characters. He is so wrong.  Do you remember when TV stations started selling 10 & 15 second spots?  We used to think we couldn’t get the message out in that time frame. 

The reason that marketers are all jumping on the Twitter bandwagon is because it really is a great marketing and public relations tool.  Think about the fact that you can promote your brand for free with short little 140 character blogs.   I try to follow some of the bigger brands to see how they are using Twitter as a marketing tool.  Some use it very well.  Some still don’t get it. Some are just plain annoying.  I understand it’s a free marketing tool, but if you tweet non-stop all day I am going to tune you out.  Like any good marketing or PR tool you want to use it and not abuse it.  Remember how and what you tweet is a reflection of the brand.

All of us in the event and entertainment business should be all over Twitter.  It is the perfect tool for us.  If you run marketing for a venue you should have plenty to tweet about.  Every time a show goes on sale you can announce it to your followers.  If the word gets out that your followers will get the “scoop”, you will gain even more followers.  If a show is not doing well, put a positive spin on it and promote it on Twitter.  Why not offer a Twitter discount or a contest.  Be creative with Twitter.  It is very hot topic with mainstream media right now.  Do something with Twitter that will get you some good PR attention.  Some of the best marketing is when it creates other PR and marketing opportunities.  Why do you think celebrities are all going on Twitter? 

Twitter is not a fad.  Yes, I do think it will evolve and change as time goes on but it is not going away.  Remember when some “experts” didn’t think the internet would catch on?   Web 2.0 is where we are now in the internet world. Blogs, Facebook, My Space, Flickr, Skype, Linkedin and Twitter are all part of it.  I am sure they will help usher in web 3.0.

Yes, I am on Twitter and I am looking for more followers especially in the event & entertainment marketing world.  Please follow me at
http://twitter.com/eventpromoter
.

 

No One In The Ticket Business Is Immune

I know that the economy is affecting ticket sales when today’s Boston Globe has an article saying the Boston Red Sox need help. This means we all need help with ticket sales. 

The Red Sox hold the MLB record for consecutive sellouts at 476.  That is an amazing statistic. Of course Red Sox fans are known for being among the most passionate and loyal fans in the world.  So hearing that Red Sox management is concerned with ticket sales is a big deal.  The Red Sox are going to run a TV campaign promoting the teams greatest moments.  These spots will run during game broadcasts.  The spots are not openly pitching tickets but they are using brand marketing.

The article also claims that the team has lost some corporate sponsors and has sold fewer premium seats this year.  This is not a surprise.  Companies are cutting back.  Even when they still have budget for these perks they are feeling the peer pressure to cut the perks.  If ticket sales and fewer sponsorships are affecting this team then what is the recession doing to the rest of the industry?  No team wants this kind of publicity.  People are like sheep, they follow the flock.  It is one thing for a team to slump; it is another thing when fewer fans are coming.  I am quite sure the Red Sox are not happy with the Globe article. They don’t want to market slower ticket sales to Red Sox Nation.  I am sure that other MLB teams are going through similar or even bigger ticket & sponsor issues. 

As a marketer, you still have to have market your event win or lose.  You still have to market your brand good times or bad times.  Some ticketed brands have been very lucky for the past several years.  They have pulled back on marketing efforts because they sellout.  My theory is you always have to market.  I always live by “what if”.  Well guess what, “what if” is here.  No one is immune from this recession.  No matter how good your brand is you still have to market it.  If you are lucky enough to sellout every game or show “great”.  Why not still market to keep the brand top of mind?  Why not start pushing tickets for next year.  This might give you fewer tickets you need to sell next season.

I truly believe that event & entertainment marketers are more important then ever.  We have the unique opportunity to really make a difference in our industry.  We just need to get off our butts and work to get the customer butts in the seats.

Event Logistics For 26 Miles, Wow!

The biggest annual live sporting event in Boston is today.  Today is Patriots Day which means its Boston Marathon Day.  Over 26,000 runners are running today. 

The organization and prep that goes into this race is mind boggling.  You think it’s tough to produce an event at a venue, how about a 26 mile venue?   Think about how many port-a-johns you need.  Think about how many bottles of “sponsored” water you need?  Think about the clean up after the event. For those of us that have to pay for police, fire, and first aid at our events, how about staffing these needed services for 26 miles?  I heard on the news that the Boston Marathon has the second most press credential requests in the United States.  This is second only to the Super Bowl.

I have been told that planning for next years marathon begins tomorrow.  I believe it.  My friend and fellow event and arena marketer Jim Delaney is working on this event.  I look forward to getting the scoop into what really goes into this fabulous event. 

Next time you are whining about your event logistics think about the Boston Marathon. I bet it will put your event into perspective.

The marathon route runs through my town.  It runs right down the street from my house. As a runner I have a lot of respect for all who run this race and will be cheering them on.

I will be tweeting on Twitter from my spot along the Boston Marathon today. You can follow me on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/eventpromoter
.

 

TM’s Mobile App Is Close But No Cigar

So I downloaded and tried the new Ticketmaster app for BlackBerry.  It does work.  In fact it might run faster then its computer, internet cousin.  The problem is that this 21st century ticketing tool is missing a very key ingredient. Why have a mobile ticketing device if you can’t finish the job. 

As with Ticketmaster.com you have four choices for receiving your tickets; 1) you can print at home, 2) have them mailed, 3) pick them up at a TM outlet, or 4) pick them up at the box office.  

A mobile device is just that, a mobile device.  You can take it with you.   So why can’t you use the BlackBerry as your mobile ticket?  The technology is there.  Other ticket companies such as Tickets.com are already using it.  Why can’t you purchase your Ticketmaster tickets with the phone, and then bring that phone to the event where the ticket taker scans the mobile device?  All Ticketmaster venues are going to scanners.  Why can’t they send a QR code (barcode) to the mobile device like they do for the print at home option? 

Make this mobile technology able to complete the ticketing process from start to finish and you will have one cool app.

Live event marketing question of the week?

Should venue marketers pass the 15% media discounts to the shows or should the venue get to keep it?  Look forward to your comments on this one.

Have a great weekend?