Objectives: Minor League Baseball
promotions inspire MiLB Executives to react with sentiments such as “Why didn’t
I think of that?” Then there was the event staged by the Charleston RiverDogs
on June 18th, where MiLB Executives reacted along the lines of “I never would
have thought of that!” Minor League Baseball has long been praised for doing
non-traditional things surrounding the game to fill seats and increase revenue.
When the RiverDogs announced that they would host the 53rd annual
South Atlantic League All-Star Game they sought to do something creative to
excite fans and increase ticket sales for the event. When the team announced
that they would be holding the Home Run Derby on the flight deck of the USS
Yorktown, something which has never been done before, the world took notice of
this event.
Program Description:The idea to stage
the Home Run derby on the USS Yorktown came from Dan Migala. Migala was brought
aboard by RiverDogs General Manager Dave Echols and Mike Veeck of the Goldklang
Group which owns the RiverDogs. They sought to generate excitement and increase
ticket sales for the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. That is when they
came up with a promotion that went beyond the ballpark and brought a
traditional baseball event to a non-traditional venue.
Where most people see an aircraft carrier, Dan Migala saw an opportunity. “When I first saw [the USS Yorktown], it was like the scene in Field of Dreams. But instead of seeing a baseball field in the cornfield, in this case it was an aircraft carrier.”The group then met with the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum to secure the ship for the event and the museum was eager to play host and highlight the uniqueness of the ship in addition to increasing the exposure of Yorktown.
It was important to find a sponsorship partner who had values aligned with this unique event. When Migala pitched his unique Home Run competition to Miller High Life, they saw it as an opportunity to celebrate baseball, the military, and the summer. The Sally Home Run Competition was the perfect opportunity for Miller to promote their “Welcome Back to the High Life” campaign which seeks to provide veterans with memorable ‘High Life’ experiences, such as tickets to sporting events and concerts. This iconic brand was eager to sign on as the presenting sponsor of the event and provide fans with a once in a lifetime experience.
The Miller High Life Home Run Derby was held on the USS Yorktown on June 18th, the 10 All-Star contestant’s from the Sally League swung away in an inflatable batting cage set up on the ship’s flight deck to hit as may home runs as they could in 10 swings. Approximately 400 fans attended the free event provided they entered with the not so secret password “The Home Run Derby.” Bill Murray, a co-owner of the Charleston RiverDogs and the famed Miller Life delivery man Windell Middlebrooks, were in attendance and took some swings during the event. To increase fan engagement military veterans and fans in attendance were able to try to belt home runs off of the carrier.
Securing permission to hit baseballs into the ocean was a concern for the event. Environmentalists were concerned with the prospect of balls dropping to the bottom of the ocean as it could endanger animals and the environment. Volunteers on jet skis took care of this potential problem; they scooped balls from the ocean while the US Coast Guard was on hand to supervise and assist as well as measure the distance of the longest home runs of the day.
Partner:
Miller High Life gave this event a national
brand and media attention. This allowed Miller High Life to advertize their
goodwill and their product. Through acquiring a national sponsor, the Sally league
was able to enhance their franchise vales and encourage sponsorship platforms for
future events.
Media:
The RiverDogs’
aquatic transformation of a traditional event garnered the admiration of both local
and national media outlets. Miller High Life customized their promotional
campaign by partnering with local bars, producing online videos, and by having
their commercial spokesman attend. Even though most MLB player go through the
minors, it is difficult for minor league teams to get national media attention.
Through a creative idea, the RiverDogs and the Sally League were able to reach
a broad fan base and gain awareness for their professional sports franchise.
Results:
The Miller High Life Home Run Derby was a huge
success. The RiverDogs were able to unlock national sponsorship dollars by
having a ‘one of a kind’ idea. “In order to think outside of the box, we
removed the batter’s box,” said Migala. By doing so the RiverDogs were able to
create buzz for this event through social media and other digital mediums which
spread the news of this event viral across the web. In doing so they saw over
6,000 fans in attendance at the All-Star Game and added community awareness to
the uniqueness of attending a RiverDogs game.
Written By Thomas Breslin
Written By Thomas Breslin
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