Now Is the Perfect Time to Reach Baseball's Passionate Fans

For me the excitement of the World Series conjures up memories of the Hammerin39 Hank The MampampM Boys Willie and the Duke and The Iron Horse It also takes me back to clever marketing tieins such as the Ballentine blast which was how sportscaster Mel Allen often referred to Yankees39 home runs Today those types of opportunities continue to be prevalent amp8212 perhaps more so than ever before Companies such as ATampampT and Verizon sponsor the Call to the Bullpen for example Local healthcare companies quotsponsorquot walks by having their name crawl across the scoreboards after a player takes ball fourRecently under the newest baseball commissioner Rob Manfred baseball has changed its legacy for the better You probably remember Tom Hanks39 immortal words in A League of Their Own quotThere39s no crying in baseballquot Well those words seemed emblematic of a different time and place The advent of new rules governing the game the chance to create special events and the ability to protect fans better have softened the game While having special hats and uniforms for Mother39s Day Father39s Day Fourth of July and Players39 Weekend are feelgood moments for fans they39re also marketing opportunitiesI do love that MLB has loosened up a bit The addition of a onegame wildcard playoff was brilliant Not for the one game itself but for the concept of keeping several teams39 playoffs chances relevant for much longer Advertisers benefit from these added playoff games through higher interest from fans and higher engagement for brands that advertise or sponsor during the extended playoff racesAs baseball has evolved so have the sponsorship opportunities MLB has taken its share of dollars via broadcast agreements This has been a boon for the sport overall helping to escalate player salaries to levels that would make Babe Ruth39s head spin It has also forced most of its major events into an evening window to attract more viewers and advertising dollarsAlthough I was part of this evolution amp8212 I bought MLB Playoffs for many clients while at BBDO now OMD Deutsch and Optimedia now Blue449 amp8212 I39ve lamented the fact that these great events might be alienating the key to the future of the sport children Kids often aren39t allowed to stay up late enough to watch many of the games including the World Series the AllStar Game or the playoffs I39m an advocate for starting the World Series on a Saturday afternoon so kids can at least watch one gameEven so baseball especially the playoffs and World Series provides several unique benefits for advertisers Overall the natural breaks at the middle and end of every inning are much easier to digest as a viewer than cutting into scripted content And since the finals are in October it39s an ideal time for brands to start their holiday push during passion programming That passion is what draws brands to partner with the MLB to highlight important issues as well MasterCard uses the AllStar Game and the playoffs for example to highlight its Stand Up to Cancer platformAnother benefit for advertisers looking to connect with baseball fans Minor league teams are seeing a resurgence quotThere has never been a more exciting time for baseball The game on the field possesses an alltime high in excitement talent and gamesmanship The strategy utilized by teams managers and players creates a can39t miss environment for fans both at the ballpark and those watching from homequot Ken Babby told me Babby is the founder of Fast Forward Sports Group which owns the Akron RubberDucks Cleveland Indians AA and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Miami Marlins AAquotIn today39s era of the game fans are able to follow their favorite team and players with a whole new suite of digital tools to keep them connected Whether it be on the big TV screen at home or following along on a phone with earbuds the connectivity to the game is a treat for baseball fans worldwidequot he said quotMinorleague baseball shares that same essence combined with an unbelievable love affair and experience at our ballparks Being at the ballpark on a perfect night with your family and friends has never been betterquotI39ve been to a JAX Shrimp game It was an amazing familyfriendly environment that took me back to my youth As the 2019 playoffs begin I become a kid again amp8212 feeling the enthusiasm of the days I spent clutching my baseball mitt at Shea and Yankee stadiums waiting for a foul ball to head my wayIt39s that passion and devotion that make baseball and its fans so appealing for brands that want to make a deeper connection with their consumersPhoto credit Chanan Greenblatt UnsplashClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Now Is the Perfect Time to Reach Baseball's Passionate Fans

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Larry Novenstern

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Now Is the Perfect Time to Reach Baseball's Passionate Fans

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