FanPost

MLB Opening Day Marketing Plan....

I started writing this last week, on the first day of the NCAA tournament.  Sorry for its length.  

I am glued to the television, watching the NCAA Tournament on what I believe to be the two "must watch" days of the sports calendar.  However, my enthusiasm for the great television is dampened a bit as I think how baseball fails to generate similar interest in opening day.  Baseball caters to the already dedicated fan, though the recent Direct TV deal makes me question that, and fails to attract the casual fan.  In short, they are squandering a perfect opportunity to build the fan base.  

Before I outline my proposal, let me address a few of the critiques immediately.  First, I am not foolish enough to believe that opening day can acquire the cache and the viewers that the tournament generates.  The NCAA tournament is something special and it has a couple of key advantages:  1) the tournament is one and done, which leads to increased drama.  2) The tournament is focused on college sports, which generate an intense loyalty by alumni and non-alumni that live in the team's market.  3) The tournament's egalitarian nature plays into America's myth that through hard work one can succeed.  Every team has an equal chance to win the tournament, but the odds are obviously longer for some than others.  Setting all those aside, baseball could better format opening day to generate more hype, and as a direct result more fans and increased ticket revenue.  

Programming

Any discussion of marketing must begin with media.  To facilitate the opening day event mentality, baseball needs to develop programming to broadcast all the games played on opening day.  CBS has turned this into an art form.  They have crews assigned to all of the tournaments opening day games, with the default game being either A) a regional match up or B) a national game of interest, i.e. one that will draw ratings.  During that broadcast, CBS cuts in with updates from other games, building viewer interest in that second game.  If your default game gets boring, or becomes a forgone conclusion, they cut to the back up game or another game that is close.  

Baseball could do something similar, with a broadcast on national free TV.  The first game on opening day starts at 1:05 Eastern time.  The broadcast could begin at 12:00, and could include season previews, interviews and special events, which I will discuss later.  MLB needs to create a package of personal interviews and player previews so that viewers can get to know other players outside of the Yankees and Red Sox.  My suggestions would be:  "Future Fish: The Young Florida Marlins" or "Alex Gordon: ROY Candidate" or "Vernon Wells: The Best Player You've Never Heard Of" or "The Chicago Cubs: Does Money Mean It Is Their Year."  The list is really endless.  

Once the games go live, MLB should adopt the primary game, and secondary game approach.  Each region should receive a local team, NO BLACK OUTS.  Assuming there is any fiscal cost in putting the game up for free, consider it an investment for the future, an effort to build the base.  When a game gets out of hand, or intense moment develops an another game, cut to that game.  Imagine, "Let's go out to Atlanta where John Smoltz has one out, two on, and Ryan Howard stepping to the dish.  Howard, the defending MVP is looking to tie this ball game."  Baseball has an inherent advantage because there is no half time, so no real time to fill.  In between the main games, go to a sports center type desk with analysts and interviews.  The guys who are good quotes, let them develop their star power through features or interviews.  

The national evening game should be the defending world champions.  I like that you book the defending champs against the team they beat in their league championship.  Keep that.  You've squandered good TV the past few years by not showing the victors receive their rings.  Granted, Boston went overboard and gave everyone in the greater Boston area a ring, but it was touching to see guys like Johnny Pesky come out and get a ring.  Chicago's ceremony was nice as well as they broke a streak LONGER than the Red Sox.  I know that the Cardinal fans will be equally appreciative and ruckus, show that.  Let people see that ball games are fun, that they are an event.  You do not do enough of that.  

The second component is the atmosphere at the stadium.  Football learned this along time a go.  You need to build a party atmosphere with cache to get more than the hardcore fans to watch and attend.  Somebody, I want to think it was on this blog, said "The NFL can build a stage during halftime of the Super Bowl, put Prince on it, but MLB cannot put a working mic in front of John Mellencamp for one acoustic song!"

Before the games even start, baseball should have the kickoff party like the NFL does each year.  Two cities, dueling concerts.  I would choose bands closely identified with their cities.  For example, let Aerosmith rock out from Landsdowne Street, right out in front of Fenway.  Also, baseball, for the love of everyone below forty, you need to expand out from the middle age rocker/ country artist demographic.  Here's an idea: hold a Fall Out Boy conference from one of the roof top decks across from Wrigley.  (Don't slam me, not a Fall Out Boy fan, but it was the first band I thought that met both the city and youngish requirement.)  In later years, you can expand the concept to other cities, so that perhaps each city has a concert before hand.  

I'm Bringing Cincy Back!    

One last thing I want to talk about is a dirty secret about which you refuse to talk.  In the name of making a couple extra bucks, you stole the right to hold the first game from Cincinnati.  For a sport that likes to bath itself in tradition as core tenant of its marketing plan, that's hypocritical.  Give Cincinnati back opening day, and do it in grand style.  Make opening day in Cincinnati the second most important event in your calendar after the World Series.  (Sorry, the All-Star game will never be that.)  I have generated a couple of ideas about this possibility.  

*    Embrace the baseball geeks.  We are your best advocates because no matter how hard you try to wring us, we come back.  To that end, embrace fantasy baseball and the sports memorabilia market.  There are companies that sponsor destination drafts; people travel many miles to put up serious money for serious fantasy baseball competition.  Join that market.  If you are afraid of the possible gambling aspects,  offer prizes that only you can offer:  after hours tours of the Hall of Fame with a Hall of Famer of the person's choice,  the chance to throw out the first pitch at the World Series,   whatever, but have those drafts opening weekend in Cincinnati.  
*    Sports Memorabilia conference.  In conjunction with the fantasy drafts, put together one of the largest sports memorabilia shows in the country.  Line up personal appearances and autograph sessions by a slew of legends.  I know that the MLBPA alumni group is active in fundraising for impoverished former players.  They did an autograph mail in fundraiser.  Work with them to set this up.  As a Cards fan, if I could go to one place and get Musial, Brock, Gibson, Sutter, and Red in one day, I would be there.  
*    International Futures Game:  I enjoy the Futures Game, but it gets less coverage than the Kenny Mayne softball game.  Move it to the Sunday before opening day, to take advantage of the focused attention on baseball.  The growing international aspect of the game should be showcased through a US vs. The World format.  Let each team send one squad member, but then take the players that excelled last year at their given level.  If a player has rookie eligibility, and they are not on the opening day roster, they are eligible to play in the game.  
*    Fan Fest:  I know this idea will get a lot of critics, but its become the event de jour.  I have addressed marketing to the baseball purists, but have not brought to the table anything for the casual fan.  Fan fests provides events and activities for the casual fan, and more importantly for kids.  The fan fest could be held at the newly renovated convention center, which I didn't even know about when I began this diary!  http://www.cincyusa.com/  Make it an all ages baseball party.  Oh, and those musicians that you invite to regularly do events, let them perform here so you can still rock out to those musicians you seem to like so much.
*    The first pitch of the season.  Cincinnati gets it.  No Sunday night game to start the season.  The season starts in Cincinnati.  Let the other stadiums get in on the action, and have them show the pitch on the jumbotron.  It will be baseball's equivalent of "Gentlemen start your engines!"  

I say all of this out of love.  Tough love maybe, but it hurts to see MLB taking short term gains and not developing anything that resembles a long term vision.  Hopefully, baseball will take these small steps towards developing and growing the fan base.