May 2002
MAINE MEDIA & MARKETING
Good family entertainment
Copyright © 2002 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
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Seinfeld aficionados will remember when George Costanza decided his instincts were so inept, he'd be better off doing everything the exact opposite. The 180° strategy worked so well he ended up dating a hot woman, moving out of his parents' home, and getting his dream job - with the New York Yankees.
Just a heavy hitter's home run away from the Bronx, Jim Beaudoin has his dream job working with the Portland Sea Dogs. The minor league baseball team has been playing about 70 games each year at Hadlock Field, a gem of a ball park, since 1994. Maine fans are so supportive of the team, the Dogs boast an attendance record that's in the all-time top ten for the eastern league.
Managing the marketing efforts for the team, Jim Beaudoin (who bears no resemblance to George Costanza), works as assistant general manager for sales, marketing and stadium operation. I asked Beaudoin about his cool job, the challenges of marketing a baseball team and how much snow he's had to contend with on opening day.
Kimberly McCall: Sea Dogs games average more than 5,000 fans per home game. How do you keep attracting fans year after year?
Jim Beaudoin: We believe three things keep people coming back year after year:
- Keep things clean
- Keep things safe
- Keep things affordable
The Sea Dogs are geared towards families, and all of these things are geared towards families. People come up to me and say, "the ballpark is always so clean...it's a pleasure to come here." I take special pride in that because in addition to my sales and marketing duties, I'm also the director of stadium operations. Making sure the ballpark is friendly and inviting is my responsibility.
We can't rely on the success of the team on the field because players are being developed and could leave on a day's notice. This prevents us from promoting the players too much and we have to focus on the off-the-field aspects such as cleanliness, security, enjoyment, etc.
McCall: The Sea Dogs have been around since 1994. Does marketing get easier or harder with each year?
Beaudoin: I think ease of marketing doesn't depend on how long we've been here, rather whether or not there's anything going on in a given year. Your first year, you don't have to worry about marketing because it's inaugural season. But your second and third years are a little different. As you get down the line, you come up with things like your three millionth fan, coming off a successful playoff season, etc. The tough times are when there's nothing going on. That's when you have to get creative. Take this season for example. We didn't make the playoffs last season, we're not scheduled to draw our four millionth fan until, (maybe) next season, so we had to come up with something. The impending labor disputes at the major league level seemed like a possibility, so we market ourselves as "good entertainment by guys who want to play," in our tag line "for the love of it." It's working, because we're ahead of our attendance pace for last year already.
McCall: Who is the "typical" Sea Dogs fan?
Beaudoin: There's no typical Sea Dogs fan. The demographic of our fan base is vast and ranges from the very young to the very old. If there's any group we target, I would have to say it's families. The beauty of minor league baseball is that we haven't priced anyone out of the game. A child can still get in for $3, and an adult can get the best seat in the house for $7. We're less expensive than the movies, both for the ticket and the food.
McCall: What media do you use to promote the Dogs? Why have you selected particular media?
Beaudoin: We use a lot of print and radio. We have a very good relationship with many newspapers and radio stations in the area. Television advertising can get expensive. Plus, people who want to come see us are probably people who like to be outdoors, rather than inside watching television. We like to be in the paper first thing in the morning, or on the radio when you drive into work. We can target many different demos by advertising on different station formats, from easy listening (WHOM) to sports talk (WJAB) to youth (WCYY). A lot of our other "marketing" we rely on is strictly word of mouth. We try to do a great job and say "thank you, please come again" to everyone so they will spread the word about the Sea Dogs. The effectiveness of word of mouth is amazing, and it's free!
McCall: What's the best part about marketing baseball, instead of, say, office supplies?
Beaudoin: I'm marketing something that's considered "fun." I go to the office every day like everyone else, but my office is at the ballpark, and that's cool. The worst part is the hours. Once March hits, I'm working 14 hour days through September. But that's fine, you do it because you love it.
McCall: Opening day is always in April, in Maine. What's the most snow you've ever had to contend with on the field?
Beaudoin: The most snow I've ever had to deal with was last year. About three days before opening day, we still had six inches of snow on the field, and three inches of ice below the snow. We tried everything - including Bobcats (snowblowers) to get the snow off in the middle of the night and helicopters to dry the field off once the snow was gone. We had to push opening day back three days. That's what you get for having a team in Maine, though.
McCall: Any last thoughts on marketing the Sea Dogs?
Beaudoin: I want people to know that a Sea Dogs game is great entertainment at a low cost. The area is clean, and it's a joy to come to the ballpark. If you have a spare afternoon, and about $20, take yourself and a couple of friends to the ballpark!
Kimberly McCall is a writer and the president of McCall Media & Marketing, Inc., a business communications company in Freeport, Maine. The monthly "Sales Force" columnist and frequent contributor for Entrepreneur magazine, McCall also contributes to inc.com and The Wall Street Journal’s StartupJournal.com. Sign up for her free marketing bulletin at www.MarketingAngel.com or contact McCall at 207-865-0055.