mlb communication brief

8/6/2019 MLB Communication Brief

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TO:Jacqueline Parkes, Sr. Vice-President, Advertising and Marketing, Major League Baseball

FROM: Rebecca Sparenberg

DATE: March 3, 2011

SUBJECT: The MLB is Missing an Opportunity to Connect with Women Online

"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball."

- Jacques BarzunI. Major League Baseball, AFar-Flung Empire

Baseball has long been known as Americas past time. Major League Baseball (MLB)

represents the highest level of professional baseball played in North America. MLB has faced its

share of controversies over the years, and since the leagues founding, there have been conflicts

between fans, players, owners and the commissioner. However, over past ten years, baseball has

been losing popularity. Ticket and apparel sales have seriously declined and the 2010 World

Series averaged just 14.3 million viewers, the second-lowest rating in the classics history.1

Americas icon is in trouble. The economic decline, steroid controversies, numerous

player scandals, ownership debacles and getting dropped from the 2012 Olympics have all taken

their toll. In the past, the MLB and baseball in general, has quickly bounced back fromcontroversy and scandal had little effect on the long term popularity of the sport. However, the

MLBs image has also taken a hit, and it has yet to recover. Recently, sports columnist Brian

Ross likened the MLB to the mob, an old-boy, backroom institution run by fiefdoms of power

brokers who do as they will.2

Since the 1960s, the MLB has steadily expanded their operations creating a host of

smaller limited liability partnerships and corporations that control everything from merchandise

licensing andticketing to money management and media; all under the main MLB framework.2

Certainly,the MLBs firm hold on any baseball related newsand media supports Ross mob

1Romanell, Marco.Proud To Be an American? World Baseball Classic Could Help Heal MLB's Image. Bleacher

Report. .

2 Ross, David. Mets Money Mishap May Make MLB a Monopoly After All. The Huffington Post.


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analogy. Having dominated the television and radio markets, themedia arm of MLB is now

staking out online real estate.

MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the leagues interactive media and Internetcompany,

manages the official league site, www.MLB.com, as well as, each of the 30 individual club sites.

Only large media outlets, such as ESPN and Fox, have access to MLB.com material, and these

companies pay hefty annual access fees for the privilege. Critics have denounced the MLB for

infringing on reporters First Amendment rights and strong arming small publications and media

outlets out of the market with fees.2

While sales are down in the major league, minor league sales and attendance have

reached new heights. In 2010, MLB acquired Minor League Baseball's official Website,

www.MiLB.com, as well as their television operations. By adding MiLB to their media empire,

MLB gained control over all of the sites previously managed by MiLB, contributing millions in

additional ticketing fees and gaining access to millions of new target fans.2

II: The Problem:Its Not Enough to Just Show Up

In 2006, Major League Baseball (MLB) boasted the most gender balanced fan base of the

major sports leagues, with 46% of the leagues fans being female. Five years later, the league

leaders have toppled from their lofty throne. Last year, the National Football League (NFL)

passed both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and MLB to claim the largest percentage

of female viewers in major sports. Women purchase over 70% of all NBA and NFL apparel

online, while the MLB has flat lined at around 50%.3

In the overall scheme of things, third place isnt a terrible position. However, NBA and

NFL are on a roll, and the farther away they pull, the more difficult it will be for MLB to retake

the crown. Furthermore, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Association for

Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) viewership are improving.Both the NHL and NASCAR want

that third place spot, and they are doing a better job of marketing to women than the MLB.

WhatMLB and individual clubs have done an excellent job of is creating female targeted

initiatives at games. The most successful being the "Going to Bat against Breast Cancer"

3Ivy Cohen Cooperation Communication.


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initiative. Pink bats on Mother's Day have become symbolic of the program and raises awareness

about breast cancer. Game-used pink bats, home plates, logo bases and lineup cards are

auctioned online at MLB.com and all proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the

Cure. One day a year players across the league bat for their mothers, sisters, daughters, wives

and all the women in their lives.4 But the other 364 days a year, 46% of the baseball fan base is

still women.

Teams such as the Dodgers, Phillies, Brewers, and Astros have started hosting Baseball

101 events. They invite women for pre-game talks with members of coaching staff to discuss

how the game is played.3Twenty-three clubs are also taking part in Stitch NPitch. Together with

the National Needlearts Association (TNNA), clubs invite women to come to a ball game and

crochet, knit, or embroider,while sitting among friends and cheering on their favorite team.5

Several teams also offer wine-tasting and spa getaways as incentives to woo women to

stadiums. But 17 percent of women consider themselves avid fans, and that number is even

higher in larger markets. According to MLB, 75 percent of the women in the Boston area are

baseball fans and 39 percent are avid fans.6However, while pink bats, wine and massages may

attract women to a single game, overall its shortsighted.

The MLB is missing a prime opportunity to connect with women. If baseball wants

women to come back game after games, they must show that they are invested in women.

Furthermore, the MLBAM already has all the tools in place to create online communities for

female baseball fans where they can connect with other female fans, educate themselves about

the game and learn about how the MLB is investing in women on and off the field.

II. The Plan: Translate Previous Success into the Digital RealmThe objective is to translate the on-field successes MLB has had marketing to the world

into the digital world. Over the course of a year, MLBMA will introduce a series of official

online websites for female fans. Starting in the first quarter the league will launch its official site,

4Bollinger, Rhett. MLB teams up with Komen on Mother's Day. Major League Baseball.

.

5 The National Needlearts Association. Stitch NPitch. .

6Stern, Bob. Diamonds are this girl's best friend. Patriot Ledger.

.


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www.MLBDiamonds.com, operating under the theme The Best Diamonds in the World Can Be

Found in Baseball.

MLBDiamonds will serve as an online site for women interested in understanding and

embracing the game. It will offer a section on Baseball 101 with explanations of positions,

definitions, lingos, plays and video tutorials, as well as, a section for experienced fans interested

in learning more complicated theories. The site will also showcase women centricinitiatives such

as Going to Bat against Breast Cancer and profile players who have invested in charities and

causes that are supporting women and children in the community. The message is that baseball

cares for women and not just women who buy pink apparel; because if more women believe this

they will invest in baseball.

Lastly, the site will feature baseball from a womans perspective, or more precisely, a

multitude of different women with different fields. It will host regular blogs, articles and tweets

from the female reporters, executives, workers and even players wives that have made baseball

their lives. Baseball explained and reported on by women, for women.

In the second quarter of the same year, MLBDiamonds will launch a corresponding

phone app. Finally, in the fourth(third ?) quarter, MLBAM will launch team sites that target

women in specific markets. These sites will be focused on the individual organizations and

showcase what the teams, players and wives club are doing in the region. It will list club events

such as wine tasting and spa getaways that are exclusive to members. Exclusive team events for

members will offer chances for women to socialize with other female fans in the region. The

team sites will offer more intimate profiles on players than the generic MLB player profiles;

much of this information has already been gathered for gameday programs.

IV. Implementation:Create Buzzing, MLB Has the Tools

Before MLBDiamond.com launches, we will begin by creating buzz with affiliate

organizations about the siteand pushing the first promotional offer, free MLBDiamonds hats to

the first 1,000 women. With MLBs control of radio and television, it will be easy to promote the

new site with quick 30 second commercials and announcer promos on these mediums. MLB.com

will also offer a teaser on its main page before the launch, and a blur and link after the site goes

live.One month before the site launches, press releases will be sent to all the major media outlets.


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Though the information on all sites will be available for free, users will be prompted to

join the Diamonds Club for exclusive e-mails, news and offers, such as deals on womens

apparel and tickets. The first way to measure success will be by the number of views for the

sites and the number of members each site generates. Eventually, ticket and merchandise sales

by women should increase as well.

V. Conclusion: Educate, Entertain and Engage Women

Despite the fact that MLB has started to reach out to women, in less than five years the

MLB has already lost ground to the NBA and NFL. If MLB is not careful, they will end up in the

middle of the pack; surpassed by the NHL, NASCAR and major collegiate teams. However,

there is more than one way to market to women. Even with the well-documented impact of the

Internet on sports and fan engagement, major sports organizations have largely failed to use Web

2.0 technology to target female audiences.

The MLB has the opportunity to set a positive trend and strike before their competition.

Women must believe that the MLB is invested in them and an online forum is the perfect

channel to engage the modern, technologically savvy woman. MLBDiamonds is part of a long-

term plan to educate, entertain and engage women and peak their interest in baseball beyond a

single game. Women buy or influence at least 83% of all household spending. They are not a

niche market for baseball, they are half the market.If MLB wants women to invest in baseball,

they must be willing to invest in women.


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