Season ticket sales can be positioned concomitantly with new merchandising in order to draw the Hispanic market.
Positioning
The Hispanic market can also be used as a target for positioning Dodgers tickets and merchandising. Positioning refers to the image that the company creates for its product in the mind of consumers. The two target markets are therefore used in creating a favorable image for the Dodgers and their tickets
Market positioning is fluid and evolves with the product itself. Fernando's inclusion and subsequent success within the Dodgers is therefore a catalyst for positioning evolution for the ticket selling company.
Positioning refers to the position of a product within the marketplace. Dodgers tickets are important to the high-end market and particularly to the Hispanic market. Dodgers tickets should therefore be identified as specifically targeted towards such individuals. One strategy of positioning is merchandising. T-shirts and caps can for example be used to boost ticket sales on various platforms. Sales marketing can for example be done together with merchandising, offering free merchandise for specific tickets or a determined number of purchases, for example. During the game, merchandise can also be offered for sale or provided as a prize in competitions.
For the tickets themselves, strategies that can be followed include pricing, quality, service, distribution, and packaging.
Ticket pricing depends upon the season and the position of the seat within the stadium. Higher priced seats would also include a higher level of service. These are targeted towards the high-end market. Lower-priced seats would be in the majority, catering to the larger Hispanic market. In establishing these prices, the income level of patrons are taken into account, as well as the likelihood of purchasing merchandise. The merchandise itself can also be priced according to the market segments involved. Lower-priced items can for example be t-shirts and caps with Dodgers emblems, while higher-priced items could be collector's merchandise such as t-shirts, caps and bats used by team members themselves.
Quality is consistently applied by providing specific products and services in keeping with the position...
Elite services and products are offered to high-end patrons, while the lower-paying patrons are provided with products and services estimated to be affordable to them.
Services include services during ticket sales and also that offered during the game itself. Online sales can for example be optimized by immediate response and ticket availability. The customer's convenience can be taken into account by offering a choice of ticket collection either by printing or by physically collecting the purchased ticket at a determine location. Online services can also include a Web site with information on the Dodgers team, and the option of buying general merchandise and collectors items online.
As mentioned above, tickets can be distributed either in online format or via collection at a physical location. Similarly, merchandise can be ordered online, purchased with tickets, or purchased at the location where games are attended. In terms of packaging, a variety of creative options are open to the company. Tickets that are collected can for example be presented in envelopes printed with emblems of the team. High-priced tickets can be packaged in envelopes with team members' autographs. For merchandise, packaging depends upon the distribution method. Mail order merchandise would for example be packaged in printed wrap and boxed for durability.
The ticket sales company has many avenues available for positioning itself favorably within their targeted market segments. It is also however important to recognize the fluidity of positioning according to the evolution of the game and the team. The ethnic makeup of the team should furthermore be taken into account in market segmentation. The pricing of tickets should be concomitant with the income level of the market segments.
In conclusion, the Dodgers is positioned very well within the world of baseball, particularly with players such as Fernando. The presence of this player should then integrate with the entire marketing strategy in order to optimize ticket sales. It should be recognized that ticket sales is an integrated process with the market and the availability of other merchandise. Merchandise can be an important catalyst for ticket sales and vice versa.
