¶ … optimal blend of promotion options can provide minor league sport teams with an enormous return on their investment (Cabula & Coombs, 2013). These efforts are especially needed today in an increasingly competitive sporting marketplace where minor league teams have a wide array of marketing platforms available. In order to identify an optimal blend of promotion options, a qualitative evaluation of ten promotion options that have recently been used or are currently being used by minor league sport teams in the United States is provided in Table 1 below, followed by a review of the literature concerning the justification for the weighted scores that were assigned to each promotion option. A recommendation concerning the best seven of these ten promotion options concludes each presentation.
Key:
Highly ineffective
Ineffective
Effective
Highly effective
Table
Summary of evaluation of ten promotion events used by minor-league sport teams in the United States
Team
Promotion Option
Evaluation
Score
The Tulsa Drillers (www/mlb.com)
Adopt a mascot:
Highly effective
Tulsa Roughnecks Football Club (soccer)
(http://www.tulsarough necks fc.com/plan-to-stand.html)
"Plan to Stand!"
Highly ineffective
Wichita Wingnuts Baseball Team (http://www.wichita wingnuts.com/
Twitter promotion: "The Nuts invite you to help us choose the '15 team slogan for a chance to win great prizes!"
Highly effective
4
(Dallas) Frisco RoughRiders Baseball Team (www.mlb.com)
"Grand Slam Sundays"
Highly effective
4
Grand Prairie Airhogs Baseball Team (http://airhogsbase ball.com/
Cyber Monday Sale
Effective
3
(Denver) Colorado Rockies Baseball Team (http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=col)
Holiday Ticket Packs
Effective
3
(Little Rock) Arkansas Travelers (www.mlb.com)
Birthday Packages
Moderately effective
2
Rancho Cucamonga (California) Quakes (www.mlb.com)
Family RV Family Feasts
Moderately effective
2
Durham (North Carolina) Bulls (www.mlb.com)
2015 Durham Bulls Pepsi Baseball Camps
Highly effective
4
(Richmond, Virginia) Flying Squirrels Baseball Team
(www.mlb.com)
PFG Picnic Zone
Effective:
3
A narrative evaluation of the foregoing promotion options is provided below:
The Tulsa Drillers (www/mlb.com): Adopt a mascot:
School visits and field appearances by "Hornsby," the Tulsa Drillers' mascot, are enormously popular among Green Country residents. The mascot has performed for more than 15 years. The team's promotional literature states that: Hornsby first migrated from the plains of western Oklahoma to old Drillers Stadium in 1996. After 14 seasons there, Hornsby now calls downtown Tulsa home at ONEOK Field. Always a stubborn bull, Hornsby has been trained and retrained by the best, David Raymond of Philly Phanatic fame. Fans at ONEOK Field can look forward to Hornsby bringing down the house every night! Whether it's the melodrama of 'Bulled & The Bluetiful,' one of his dozens of dance routines and races, or the kids' favorite, 'Running With the Bull' every weekend." In addition, Hornsby also throws Driller tee-shirts to the crowd and sponsors a Kids' Club. Team mascots have been shown to be highly effective in attracting families to sporting events (Mathieson, 2013) and generating fan loyalty (Kuntzman, 2003). Score: 4-Highly effective.
Tulsa Roughnecks Football Club (soccer) (http://www.tulsarough necks fc.com/plan-to-stand.html)
In 2015, the Tulsa Roughnecks Football Club will play its inaugural game at ONEOK Field and is sponsoring a "Plan to Stand!" event to signify the team's connection to the community. The lackluster promotional literature states: "We plan to be a community of players and fans who join together in a love for 'The Beautiful Game.' We plan to be a force to be reckoned with. We invite you to stand with us. In 2015 and for the next hundred years. Tulsa Roughnecks. Plan to stand."
Score: 1-Highly Ineffective.
Wichita Wingnuts Baseball Team (http://www.wichita wingnuts.com/Twitter promotion: "The Nuts invite you to help us choose the '15 team slogan for a chance to win great prizes!"
This is a cost effective promotional option that is kept current through regular Twitter updates. For instance, a recent update noted: "If your slogan is chosen you will receive a Kevin Hooper autographed championship picture, a night in a suite, and a team signed jersey." Score: 3-Effective.
The (Dallas) Frisco RoughRiders Baseball Team (www.mlb.com) "Grand Slam Sundays" promotion.
The team's promotional literature states that, "This great package is available for EVERY RoughRiders Sunday home game throughout the season!" Each Raising Cane's Grand Slam Sundays Package four a family of four includes the following:
* 4 'Riders Tickets
* 4 Vouchers for Raising Cane's 3 Finger Combos (redeemable at any DFW Raising Cane's)
* 4 'Riders Souvenir Items
The team's promotional literature also emphasizes that, "The total value is $150. That's right, you get $150 in value for just $39.50. But, it's not just value - it's an evening with...
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