A Leader in Public Relations

Minor League Baseball: A Leader in Public Relations

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Renée Crown University Honors Program at Syracuse University

Alexa DeVito

Candidate for Bachelor of Science and Renée Crown University Honors Spring 2020

Honors Thesis in Public Relations

Thesis Advisor: Brad Horn, Professor

Thesis Reader: Dennis Deninger, Professor

Honors Director: Dr. Danielle Smith, Director

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2

Abstract

The 2000s have been dominated by multiple technological advancements that have made professional sports more easily accessible to the public via the electronic media than ever before. Nonetheless, Minor League Baseball has remained successful in attracting community members to its ballparks for unwavering, affordable family fun. As such, MiLB is a quintessential example of effective public relations.

To learn more about MiLB’s success, extensive secondary research was conducted, followed by a survey distributed to MiLB fans nationwide and an interview with MiLB’s Senior Director of Communications, Jeff Lantz.

MiLB’s public relations best practices are transferrable to industries beyond sports. No matter the industry, diversity initiatives and inclusion are essential to appeal to younger demographics, and, wherever possible, industry subsidiaries should be allowed autonomy to optimize creativity and maximize effectiveness.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 3

Executive Summary

With the emergence of Generation Z into adulthood, and because of the advanced technological changes that have followed its aging, families are increasingly able to remotely watch their favorite professional sports teams. In fact, today, online streaming services and cable and satellite subscriptions have enabled professional teams to earn just as much, if not more, revenue than before their existence, without having to rely as heavily on ticket sales.

Compared to most professional sports leagues, such as Major League Baseball and National

Football League, for Minor League Baseball teams, there is less demand from their hyper-local fanbases for online streaming services, and most teams do not offer them. Instead, MiLB teams rely on public relations tactics, like fireworks, giveaways, mascots and theme nights, to attract fans and earn revenue. MiLB exemplifies effective public relations because it successfully cultivates long-term relationships with its communities through promotions, customer service and diversity initiatives, and it should serve as a model for other organizations aspiring to improve their public relations functions.

To learn more, both secondary and primary research, including internet sources, a survey and an interview, were utilized to understand MiLB’s position as a public relations leader. Secondary research provided a basic understanding of MiLB and its fanbase. An online survey was distributed nationally to MiLB fans to gauge their attitudes and perceptions about MiLB and evaluate factors purposed to incentivize them to attend games. Lastly, an interview with Jeff

Lantz, MiLB’s Senior Director of Communications, provided insight to MiLB’s perceptions of its role in achieving success. MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 4

The study resulted in four key findings: diversity initiatives are important to motivate community members to attend MiLB games, especially for younger age demographics; promotions are perceived as equally effective by all age categories, excluding fireworks, which are favored by younger demographics; MiLB’s primary target audience is families; and MiLB allows its 160 teams free reign concerning its public relations promotions, within reason.

Overall, the study shows how MiLB’s best public relations practices are transferrable to other industries, even beyond sports. No matter the industry, diversity initiatives are essential to improve public perception among younger demographics, and, wherever possible, industries must grant their subsidiaries autonomy and encourage collaboration to optimize creativity.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………………… 6

I. Introduction …………………………….……………………………………………………. 8

II. Bill Veeck …………………………………………………………………………………… 10

III. Major League Baseball Attendance Drop ………………………………………………. 13

IV. Cable and Satellite Subscriptions and Streaming Services ………………...………………. 15

V. Implications of Cable and Satellite Subscriptions and Streaming Services on Minor

League Baseball ………………………………………………….……………………………. 17

VI. Minor League Baseball Promotions ……………………………………….………………. 18

VII. Minor League Baseball Diversity Initiatives …………………………………………... 26

o Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing …………………………… 27

o Copa de la Diversión ……………………………………………………………… 29

o MiLB Pride ..………………………………………………………………………. 34

VIII. Research Methodology…………………………………………………………………… 35

IX. Research Results and Analysis ...………………………………………………………… 38

X. Industry Recommendations ……………….………………………………………………… 43

XI. Conclusion ….…….….………………………………………………….………………… 45

References ……………………………………………………………………………………… 46

Appendices .……………………………………………………………………………………. 48

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 6

Acknowledgements

The completion of my Honors Thesis was facilitated by several people.

I first approached Professor Brad Horn just over a year ago, as I sought advice about how I might combine my academic interest in public relations with my personal interest in baseball to develop a sound Thesis topic. From our first encounter, I recognized he would be an invaluable resource to me. Professor Horn’s passion for teaching and knowledge about baseball was apparent as I finalized my topic, completed and analyzed secondary and primary research, and wrote and revised several Thesis drafts. I have spent countless hours seeking advice from

Professor Horn via in-person meetings, email exchanges and phone calls. I sincerely thank him for all the help he provided me, for challenging me to dig deeper and for the effort he expended in assisting and guiding me from beginning to end.

I would like to thank Professor Dennis Deninger for enthusiastically discussing my Thesis with me and for willingly agreeing to read my final draft several weeks before its submission. In addition to his general guidance, Professor Deninger offered many insights related to sports television and the emergence of new digital platforms and viewing alternatives. Professor

Deninger’s feedback was instrumental in improving my final Thesis project.

I was also very fortunate to have the opportunity to discuss the research component of my Thesis with Minor League Baseball’s Senior Director of Communications, Jeff Lantz. I would like to thank Mr. Lantz for engaging with me on my Thesis and for sharing his personal experiences and perspectives on MiLB’s public relations function. Our conversation shaped many of the MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 7 conclusions I present in my Thesis. I am appreciative to have been able to speak with Mr. Lantz; someone integral to MiLB’s communications success.

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I. Introduction

In 2019, Minor League Baseball amassed attendance numbers of more than 41 million fans, marking the fifteenth consecutive season its attendance recorded upward of 40 million (Minor

League Baseball, 2019a). MiLB was established in 1901 and is the governing body for all professional baseball teams affiliated with Major League Baseball franchises in the U.S., Canada and the Dominican Republic (Minor League Baseball, 2019b). Comprised of 160 teams across

43 states, MiLB is the second-most-attended professional sports league in North America after

MLB (Sutton, 2018).

Moreover, public relations, best defined by industry pioneer Rex Harlow, is “the distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its publics” (Russell, personal communication, 2017). MiLB exemplifies effective public relations because it successfully cultivates long-term relationships with its communities through promotions, customer service and diversity initiatives, and it should serve as a model for other organizations aspiring to improve their public relations functions.

Like all national professional sports leagues, MiLB’s success depends on its teams’ abilities to offer fans quality experiences that result in long-term relationships; however, unlike in most professional sports leagues, MiLB’s fans’ experiences are not dictated by players’ abilities or teams’ records (Sutton, 2018). In fact, most MiLB fans are community members seeking affordable entertainment beyond the on-field action; diehards, who are exceptionally loyal fans, rarely comprise more than 20 to 35 percent of attendees at any MiLB game (Mittica, 2017). MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 9

Recognizing its distinction from other sports leagues, MiLB utilizes effective public relations tactics, ranging from player autographs and community engagement to fireworks, giveaways, mascots and theme nights, to continuously fill its ballparks and achieve success (Sutton, 2018).

The research for this thesis was conducted prior to the global coronavirus pandemic, which will surely transform how MiLB engages with its teams and communities.

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II. Bill Veeck

Baseball Hall of Fame owner Bill Veeck is credited with introducing multiple promotional tactics that are still utilized in both MLB and MiLB. Veeck valued public relations principles and understood the necessity of enticing community members to visit his teams’ stadiums to boost attendance. He once said, “If I was dependent upon baseball fans to generate attendance, I would be out of business by Memorial Day” (Sutton, 2018, par. 18). A public relations pioneer and creative thinker, Veeck spent most of his life transforming the business of baseball (Dickson,

2017).

For example, Veeck was first hired by the Chicago Cubs in 1933 and was tasked with increasing attendance and retention at Wrigley Field (Dickson, 2017). Under his direction, the Cubs transformed their stadium and increased their appeal by installing redesigned bleachers, wider seats and more concession stands, planting the distinctive ivy that has since covered the brick outfield walls, and building a manually operated scoreboard that was equipped with a system of lights and flags to signal the games’ outcomes to people outside the stadium; all of Veeck’s innovations are still present at Wrigley Field today (Dickson, 2017).

In 1941, Veeck left the Cubs and purchased his first team, the Triple-A Milwaukee Brewers, with former Cubs player Charlie Grimm (Baseball Hall of Fame, 2019). Veeck only operated the

Brewers franchise for five years but is credited with turning the team into a success, both on the field and at the box office (Dickson, 2017). Determined to develop community relations, he introduced numerous fan-pleasing extras like pig races and tightrope walkers, devised memorable giveaways and staged weddings at home plate (Baseball Hall of Fame, 2019). MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 11

Moreover, despite the objections of Grimm and then-baseball commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain

Landis, Veeck was able to expand the Brewers’ fanbase by scheduling morning games for night workers in war factories and even served the fans cereal himself (Dickson, 2017). Not only was

Veeck successful in cultivating relationships with fans, but also, he was embraced by national media and sports writers, who called him the man who was changing baseball (Dickson, 2017).

After selling the Brewers in 1946, Veeck continued to work in baseball until 1980, just six years before he passed away (Dickson, 2017). He owned several MLB teams, including the Cleveland

Indians, the Chicago White Sox and the St. Louis Browns, which later became the Baltimore

Orioles; yet, his formula for success stayed consistent: “Create a great team and pack the stadium with loyal, happy fans” (Dickson, 2017, par. 12).

Veeck’s creativity was the first of its kind in the history of sports, and he repeatedly added value to fans’ experiences (Dickson, 2017). One of his most famous innovations included the first exploding scoreboard in MLB at Comiskey Park when he owned the White Sox (Baseball Hall of Fame, 2019). The scoreboard emitted fireworks, sound effects and 10 electric pinwheels whenever a White Sox batter hit a homerun (Dickson, 2017). Veeck also encouraged announcer

Harry Caray to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” to White Sox fans, thereby introducing the national ritual of singing the song during every seventh inning stretch (Baseball Hall of Fame,

2019).

Veeck further incentivized community members to visit his teams’ ballparks as the first owner to sell tickets over the phone, sell season-ticket plans and put players’ names on the backs of their MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 12 uniforms (Dickson, 2017). He was also the first to stage group appreciation nights like Fan

Appreciation Night and Bat Day, which are both still regularly employed by MLB and MiLB teams today (Baseball Hall of Fame, 2019).

Also, Veeck strived to broaden baseball’s fan base by marketing it to women and children, in addition to its traditional male target audience (Dickson, 2017). For every team Veeck owned, one of his first measures was always to renovate the women’s restrooms to be clean, carpeted and softly lit (Dickson, 2017). Additionally, he organized Mother’s Day promotions with free orchids given to every woman with a child and built professionally staffed nurseries to attract women with infants (Dickson, 2017). Furthermore, after World War II, when he owned the

Indians, Veeck used nylon stockings as a giveaway promotion to women because they were in short supply (Dickson, 2017). In combination, Veeck’s actions to support and expand his female fanbase exemplify an essential element of public relations, per Harlow, to serve the public interest (Russell, personal communication, 2017). Moreover, they were successful in attracting new audiences to his teams’ stadiums.

In 1991, Veeck was formally recognized and inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for his unconventional methods of team ownership and for his efforts that helped even losing teams break attendance records (Baseball Hall of Fame, 2019). Today, almost all his public relations innovations are ever-present in professional sports leagues, but, especially, in MiLB.

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III. Major League Baseball Attendance Drop

Historically, attendance has always been the driving indicator determining professional sports teams’ financial success (Leitch, 2018). Teams relied largely on star players, current events and winning records to drive ticket sales and attendance (Wojtowicz, 2018). Once teams started to lose or if their players got in trouble or became irrelevant, it became harder to attract fans, who would often choose alternate entertainment options (Wojtowicz, 2018).

Professional sports teams experienced constant pressure to increase attendance, and their profitability was contingent on their ability to maximize ticket sales (Leitch, 2018). Teams that could not attract crowds were at a disadvantage. For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers were originally located in Brooklyn, New York, and the San Francisco Giants in Manhattan; however, both teams were forced to relocate from New York because they each averaged only about

15,000 fans in stadiums that held more than 30,000 (Leitch, 2018). To be sustainable, it was imperative they entice people to visit their stadiums.

Today, baseball is the second-most-popular sport in the U.S., yet, despite its popularity, MLB is challenged to maintain attendance numbers (Leitch, 2018). In fact, the 2019 MLB season recorded declining attendance for the fourth consecutive year (Blum, 2019). Whereas, in 2007, close to 80 million fans attended MLB games, in 2019, MLB attracted only about 68.5 million fans, an approximate 15 percent attendance decline (Love, 2019). Considering the dramatic drop in MLB attendance, how does baseball maintain its position as one of the most popular sports in the U.S.?

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 14

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred addressed MLB’s uncharacteristically low attendance at an

MLB Owners Meeting in 2018, attributing it, in part, to an unusually cold and rainy season

(Leitch, 2018). Following Manfred’s acknowledgement, many people have voiced potential resolutions, including changing teams’ schedules and decreasing ticket prices (Leitch, 2018).

Nonetheless, even while concerned, Manfred never appeared too alarmed about MLB’s predicament, perhaps because attendance is no longer as important a factor to MLB’s ultimate goal, revenue generation (Leitch, 2018).

Even while MLB attendance in recent seasons has been steadily declining, MLB revenue has been inversely increasing (Leitch, 2018). For example, MLB’s 2017 season marked the sixth consecutive year attendance was less than the previous season, yet it earned record-breaking revenue, upward of $10 billion (Leitch, 2018). Since 2017, MLB has continued to experience record revenue growth, and, in 2019, its gross revenues amounted to $10.7 billion, marking its seventeenth consecutive year of growth (Brown, 2019).

Referencing MLB’s declining attendance, evidently a smaller percentage of its revenue stems from ticket sales. Instead, expanded partnerships, local TV ratings – Nielsen recorded a 10 percent increase in ratings of ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” – and MLB’s media-rights deals comprise more of its revenue (Wojtowicz, 2018). In fact, according to the SportBusiness

Consulting Global Report, in 2019, MLB earned approximately $3.6 billion, more than one third of its total revenue, in media-rights alone (Arrigoni, 2019).

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IV. Cable and Satellite Subscriptions and Streaming Services

In 2015, Americans spent 31 billion hours watching sports on their televisions (James, 2016).

Thirty-one billion hours marked a 40 percent increase from the number of hours watched a decade earlier (James, 2016). Since then, the amount of time Americans spend watching sports on their televisions, laptops and cellphones has unquestionably risen, especially given recent technological advancements in the multiple platforms of distribution.

The emergence of cable and satellite subscriptions and, especially, streaming services have permitted sports fans to stream games live or record them to their cloud DVRs, and professional sports teams no longer need to focus all their efforts on increasing ticket sales to boost revenue

(Elliot & Katzmaier, 2019). In fact, streaming services have become a profitable revenue driver for teams and enable them to earn just as much, if not more, revenue than before their existence

(Leitch, 2018). According to a Price Waterhouse Coopers report, in 2019, sports leagues and teams earned an estimated $20.1 billion in media rights fees from television, radio and internet outlets, exceeding any other separate source of revenue, including gate receipts (PwC, 2019).

Of course, while professional sports teams still welcome revenue in the form of ticket sales, they no longer depend on it primarily to make money (Leitch, 2018). Today, fans are just as valuable, if not more, as subscribers to teams and leagues’ internet packages or as basic cable subscribers to ESPN or their in-house network than as physical stadium attendees (Leitch, 2018). In many ways, television deals and streaming services, like MLB.tv, Sling TV and YouTube TV, have alleviated pressure on MLB, but they have simultaneously heightened pressures in MiLB (Elliot MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 16

& Katzmaier, 2019). All sports marketing is about selling an entertaining experience, but in

MiLB, it is especially important (Williams, 2015).

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V. Implications of Cable and Satellite Subscriptions and Streaming Services on Minor

League Baseball

Compared to MLB, there is less interest among people to watch MiLB games from home and, thus, most teams do not offer streaming services (Williams, 2015). The emergence of cable and satellite subscriptions and streaming services is challenging MiLB because it has increased the allure of watching professional sports games from home, especially for families with limited disposable income (Williams, 2015). Moreover, independent of advanced technology, MiLB ballparks constantly compete for fans with community attractions like festivals, museums and movie theaters (Wojtowicz, 2018).

Despite its challenges, MiLB combats community members’ indifference to on-field activity by relying on cultivating in-person, engaging fan experiences to achieve mutual, long-term relationships with its fans that are unachievable by MLB because, ultimately, lifelong dedication to a team or sport is created through in-person experience (Leitch, 2018).

In a “Forbes” article, author of “Sport Marketing: A Strategic Perspective” and Kent State professor, Mark Lyberger, says the most successful MiLB teams focus on community engagement, another essential element of public relations: “One of the things that makes Minor

League Baseball unique is that [teams] actually need to develop a presence or an identity within the community to be able to cultivate interest” (Williams, 2015, par. 6).

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VI. Minor League Baseball Promotions

MiLB strives to create affordable, family-friendly entertainment where fans can enjoy an enticing experience while watching up-and-coming athletes compete (Minor League Baseball,

2019b). Its atmosphere is designed not only to attract fans, but also to generate social media buzz and garner national exposure year-round (Mittica, 2017).

Repeatedly, MiLB has been recognized by “Sports Business Journal” as the most fan-friendly league (Sutton, 2018). Compared to MLB, Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Public

Communications professor, Brad Horn, says, “Minor League Baseball seems to have a much stronger plus on community engagement, based on the ability to have single-game variation spikes with promotions. They’re thinking innovatively about experiential activations” (Evans,

2019c, par. 18).

Influential, innovative ownership enables MiLB franchises to elevate fans’ experiences (Sutton,

2018). MiLB’s goal is always ultimately to boost ticket sales, and it accomplishes its goal by organizing game-date promotions that optimize fan engagement, amplify fans’ experiences and result in positive memories that incline fans to return for future games (Sutton, 2018). MiLB’s promotional strategy is based on the logic that if something like a post-game concert draws thousands of fans to a stadium, at least a few hundred will return in succeeding weeks for another game (Mittica, 2017).

Likewise, MiLB incorporates community members in many team decisions. Even the selection of many MiLB franchises’ team names are a result of fan-driven contests (Gayle, 2019). Some of MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 19 the most unique fan picked MiLB team names include the Amarillo Sod Poodles, the

Binghamton Rumble Ponies and the Columbia Fireflies (Gayle, 2019).

It is also common for MiLB franchises to change their team names for a night or create special uniforms with colorful or outlandish jerseys (Mittica, 2017). These one-off jerseys are usually auctioned off for charity, and, when done regularly, can be sold in major merchandise sales

(Mittica, 2017). As an example, in a two-game-series against the Rochester Red Wings in 2019, the Syracuse Mets rebranded themselves as the Syracuse Salt Potatoes, in tribute to Syracuse,

New York’s, famed local dish (Kramer, 2019). Besides donning new Salt Potato jerseys, which were auctioned off after the series, the Mets gave 1,000 fans replica Salt Potatoes jerseys ahead of the series’ first game. Likewise, Ms. Salt Potato bobbleheads were given to the first 1,000 fans in attendance at the second game (Kramer, 2019). Furthermore, the Mets’ concession stands sold a range of salty snacks, too (Kramer, 2019).

Besides enticing team names, MiLB employs a variety of irreverent public relations tactics to incentivize community members to support their local MiLB team (Mittica, 2017). Especially, giveaways remain a constant and successful promotional tool (Mittica, 2017). MiLB teams know they can attract fans with giveaways, and, even more significant, giveaways are a surefire way to impress positive, lasting memories (Mittica, 2017).

Bobbleheads are one of the oldest and most popular giveaways (Mittica, 2017). They have been exceptionally popular, especially because of their collector’s appeal and recent advances in quality and ingenuity (Mittica, 2017). Bobbleheads are known to feature athletes in their MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 20 uniforms or demonstrating an iconic pose, however, MiLB franchises often use more intuitive designs (Mittica, 2017). For example, the Fresno Grizzlies once gave away bobbleheads of San

Francisco Giants’ star pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, arm wrestling a grizzly bear (Mittica, 2017).

Moreover, besides bobbleheads, other giveaways, particularly usable items like fleece blankets, t-shirts, hats, replica jerseys and cooler bags, are known to appeal to fans (Mittica, 2017). An especially creative example, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp once gave away shrimp-shaped neck pillows (Mittica, 2017).

Regularly, MiLB teams work with their vendors and distributors to implement creative promotions that utilize age- and gender-neutral promotions and easily distributable giveaways

(Mittica, 2017). For example, the Spokane Indians, located in Spokane Valley, Washington, implemented the “Redband Rally Campaign” with the sports design company, Brandiose, to raise awareness about the dwindling number of redband trout in their region (Mittica, 2017).

During a mid-season home game, the Indians sported new, distinctive uniforms patterned like redband trout and revealed a new redband trout mascot (Mittica, 2017). Also, the Indians distributed “Redband Headbands,” which featured redband trout’s distinctive red and blue spots and stripes and matched players’ uniforms; inside the headbands were a message about redband trout and the “Redband Rally Campaign” (Mittica, 2017).

Implementing promotions requires hard work, even while they are ultimately fun for both MiLB franchises and fans (Mittica, 2017). Most MiLB teams begin a promotional calendar in-season for the next year and welcome news ideas from anybody, internally and externally (Mittica, MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 21

2017). It is not uncommon for them to watch each other and share ideas, especially considering they generally do not compete for fans geographically (Mittica, 2017).

Of MiLB franchises’ promotional ideas generation, former MiLB Director of Diversity and

Inclusion, Vincent Pierson, said, “When teams start talking to each other, that’s when we hit the jackpot. We want to make sure [MiLB teams] know how to [organize promotions] effectively and create an ecosystem to know that other teams are doing [the same]” (Evans, 2019b, par. 12).

Likewise, MiLB’s Head of Licensing and Consumer Products, Brian Earle, said of MiLB teams’ public relations campaigns, “…In Minor League Baseball, [teams] certainly have to tailor [their promotions] to [their] own community. One of the areas that [MiLB] excels at is connecting with the community and support in those community initiatives” (Moran, 2019, par. 4). A quintessential example, in 2015, the Altoona Curve, based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, had “A

Night in the Neighborhood” promotion to celebrate the children’s show “Mister Rogers’

Neighborhood” and its current animated successor, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” (Mittica,

2017). The Curve held a sweater drive, gave out books and prizes to children and wore jerseys designed to look like Mr. Rogers’ signature red cardigan (Mittica, 2017). The show’s main character, Fred Rogers, was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and he worked in Pittsburgh; Trey

Wilson, Director of Communications and Broadcasting for the Curve, credited the night’s success to its local ties (Mittica, 2017).

Group sales comprise much of MiLB’s revenue, and their success is a result of teams’ ability to connect with their community members, whether by tapping into popular culture with Star Wars, MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 22

Harry Potter and Superhero Nights, or organizing theme nights, such as Military Night or Little

League Night, to recognize outstanding groups in their communities (Mittica, 2017).

MiLB teams that offer a variety of promotions garner the highest attendance numbers, such as the Indians, which average more than 8,500 fans per game, just behind some MLB teams that play in ballparks double their size (Wojtowicz, 2018). The Indians regularly organize promotions like Friday Night Fireworks, Dollar Menu Nights, Thursday Craft Beer Night and even Yoga in the Outfield, which allows fans to participate in a yoga class preceding a day-time game

(Wojtowicz, 2018).

Additionally, some of MiLB’s franchises’ most successful promotional gimmicks have earned media coverage and improved their standing in their community by going viral (Mittica, 2017).

For example, in May 2018, while NBA star LeBron James was in free agency, the Lehigh Valley

IronPigs exploited a promising public relations campaign opportunity and launched a billboard advertisement to “land” the former Cleveland Cavalier (Moran, 2019). The IronPigs organized a campaign around the hashtag #LVWantsLeBron that culminated in a LeBron Theme Night, complete with a live goat present at the game, attributed to LeBron’s nickname “the G.O.A.T,” which stands for “the greatest of all time” (Moran, 2018). While LeBron ultimately chose the

Los Angeles Lakers as his next team, the campaign was popular among MiLB and spectators, and, for the campaign, the IronPigs won a pair of “Golden Bobbleheads” for “Best Digital

Campaign or Activation” and “Best Overall Promotion” during MiLB’s annual Promotional

Seminar (Moran, 2019).

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 23

IronPigs’ Director of Merchandise, Mike Luciano, attributed his team’s improvements to its creative freedom in elevating the fan experience, saying, “Most times people will leave the game. They don’t even know what the score is, but they know they had a really great time, they had some great food, ticket prices are great. They just had a great time overall, [and] that’s really what we try to focus on” (Moran, 2019, par. 20).

Besides stellar promotions, MiLB teams succeed in adding value to their on-field entertainment and maintaining long-term fan relationships because of superior customer service, personal fan appreciation, easily accessible parking and mobile ticket options or easy box office access

(Wojtowicz, 2018). Community members’ emotional attachment to a team, its stadium and its employees is enhanced when, for example, season ticket representatives remember fans’ birthdays, when the team mascot greets their children or when employees notice they are regulars and offer them a seat upgrade (Wojtowicz, 2018).

Ultimately, the success of any public relations strategy depends on its relevance to the desired fanbase. With MiLB, family fun packs that bundle tickets with food, character nights, movie screenings or dog-friendly events are effective in incentivizing families to attend games

(Wojtowicz, 2018).

Craft beer partnerships are another example and illustrate how MiLB helps anticipate trends, an integral aspect of public relations, according to Harlow. Over the last decade, the craft beer industry has grown exponentially, from 1,521 breweries in 2008 to 7,346 in 2018 (Evans,

2019a). In fact, the craft beer industry comprises 13.2 percent of today’s beer market by volume MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 24

(Evans, 2019a). Even so, as its popularity has increased, competition has increased, as well, and breweries are seeking new opportunities to differentiate themselves from their competitors

(Evans, 2019a). MiLB recognized an opportunity to foster a new, mutually beneficial relationship with the craft beer industry and capitalized on it.

According to the Chief Economist of the Brewers Association, Bart Watson, “The size of the smaller markets match[es] better with the marketing budgets of Minor League Baseball. It makes sense from a marketing perspective since teams are always trying to find a deeper local connection and the same goes for breweries” (Evans, 2019a, par. 4).

As such, there has been a growing trend of MiLB franchises serving branded beers and permanently and temporarily brandishing beer-related logos and nicknames, from Oregon’s

Hillsboro Hops to the Carolina Micro Brews, based in Zebulon, North Carolina, and the Beer

City Bung Hammers, from Comstock Park, Michigan (Evans, 2019a).

Another example, in 2019, the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers grew its existing relationship with the brewery Fox River Brewing Company by releasing a Timber Rattlers beer called

Snaketail Ale, with a taste distinct from commonplace branded beers, and which, today can be found on tap at local and pubs and in package stores (Evans, 2019a). Timber Rattlers’ President and General Manager Rob Zerjav described their partnership with Fox River Brewing Company as being mutually beneficial, saying, “Everyone is looking for something unique and the breweries themselves, too, stand out if they can jump on with a local team. It’s a win-win”

(Evans, 2019a, par. 21). MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 25

Seeking out brewery partnerships, MiLB exemplifies effective public relations because it demonstrates an understanding of its fanbase and embraces relevant trends, not only to appeal to its current audience, but also to attract new fans. Its partnerships are successful because they pose mutual benefits for MiLB franchises and participating breweries. According to Watson,

“Baseball teams are trying to bring in a new audience and brewers are too. There’s likely some percentage of people who will want to try the beer because it’s there who wouldn’t try it otherwise” (Evans, 2019a, par. 19).

MiLB clearly understands its fanbase and taps into opportunities it is confident will appeal to its fans and incentivize community members to visit its ballparks (Front Office Sports, 2019).

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 26

VII. Minor League Baseball Diversity Initiatives

In 2019, MiLB declared two key initiatives to show its commitment to connect diverse communities in all 160 MiLB markets nationwide (Minor League Baseball, 2019b). First, Copa de la Diversión is a season-long event series specifically designed to embrace the culture and values that resonate most with participating teams’ local Latinx communities; Latinx is a gender- neutral alternative to Latino or Latina (Minor League Baseball, 2019b). Also, MiLB announced a new national fan engagement platform, MiLB Pride, geared towards embracing the LGBT community through grassroots fan engagement, community relations and diversity and inclusion efforts (Minor League Baseball, 2019b). MiLB’s diversity and inclusion initiatives have been successful in celebrating multiculturalism and continue to grow with every season, connecting its teams with their publics.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 27

Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing

On February 25, 2019, MiLB announced its membership in the Association of National

Advertisers’ multicultural marketing initiative the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural

Marketing (Minor League Baseball, 2019b). MiLB was the first sports property to join 75 member companies participating in the initiative, including Google and the Coca-Cola Company

(Minor League Baseball, 2019b). Joining AIMM helped position MiLB as an inclusive industry leader, boosting its reputation among diverse audiences nationwide.

ANA was founded in 1910 and serves the marketing community with leadership that shapes the future of the industry (Minor League Baseball, 2019b). It is comprised of more than 1,850 member companies with 20,000 brands that engage almost 100,000 industry professionals, and it annually spends or supports more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising (Minor League

Baseball, 2019b).

In 2016, ANA created AIMM to give a voice to the advancement of multicultural marketing and align brands with demographic opportunities to maximize growth (Minor League Baseball,

2019b). AIMM brings together senior thought leaders from the black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBT and general market communities to provide viable solutions for corporations looking to target various multicultural and inclusive market segments to achieve growth (Minor League Baseball,

2019b).

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 28

Joining AIMM helps MiLB advance in its goal to increase diversity in its ballparks and front offices and enables it to prioritize the diverse market segments it wants to better serve (Minor

League Baseball, 2019b).

Of its AIMM membership, MiLB’s Vice President of Marketing Strategy and Research, Kurt

Hunzeker, said, “MiLB’s commitment to multicultural inclusiveness mirrors AIMM’s mission to create a powerful voice in today’s increasingly diverse marketplace. Joining AIMM and its membership of influential leaders as the first sports property is an honor and responsibility MiLB welcomes as we authentically embrace, connect and celebrate with our 160 teams' diverse communities nationwide" (Minor League Baseball, 2019b, par. 4).

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 29

Copa de la Diversión

Copa de la Diversión, which means “Fun Cup,” is “a season-long competition aimed at engaging, embracing and honoring Hispanic and Latinx communities across the baseball landscape” (Maun, 2019, par. 1). Participating teams compete to become Copa’s inaugural champions (Maun, 2019). The program was initially implemented in 2018, with 33 participating teams, following a small run of teams trying to implement a similar initiative towards the end of

2017 (Maun, 2019).

In 2018, Copa de la Diversión consisted of 167 games where MiLB teams adopted Spanish- language identities, and it resulted in upward of 85,000 more fans than the participating teams amassed on the same game dates in 2017, a 12 percent increase (Minor League Baseball, 2018).

Furthermore, attendance at Copa de la Diversión games was 24.4 percent higher than regular games during the same season (Maun, 2019). Following a season marked by dramatic increases in attendance, merchandise sales and commercial partnership revenue, in 2019, interested MiLB teams had to complete a “request-for-proposal” process, and Copa de la Diversión grew to 72 participating teams (Moran, 2019).

MiLB wants fans to perceive Copa de la Diversión as genuine rather than as merely a “money- grab” and strives to convey authenticity with names like the Mariachis de Nuevo México and the

Flying Chanclas de San Antonio (Moran, 2019). Even so, diversity is one of MiLB’s efforts to increase merchandise sales, and the initiative has successfully boosted revenue for participating

MiLB franchises, especially in ticket sales and merchandise (Moran, 2019).

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 30

MiLB’s Head of Licensing and Consumer Products, Brian Earle, said of Copa de la Diversión’s effect on retail growth, “[The MiLB marketing group] really wanted to make sure [the Copa

Cup] was authentic in the way that it happened. Part of the authenticity was creating these unique names and identities and then integrating that to on-field. When that obviously had translated out beyond on-field use, the popularity of some of those marks really drove some of that retail growth” (Moran, 2019, par. 7).

Hartford Yard Goats

The Double-A Hartford Yard Goats is a quintessential example of a MiLB team that embraced

Copa de la Diversión. The Yard Goats have always had an established and authentic relationship with their Latinx community, which comprises approximately 45 percent of the total population in Hartford, Connecticut (U.S. Census, 2018). They are one of the few MiLB teams with Spanish language radio broadcasts and social media channels, and they broadcast all their games in

Spanish on the radio, with players’ families being the primary audience (Maun, 2019).

In 2018, the Yard Goats evoked excitement among community members when they became Los

Chivos de Hartford and recorded 47 sellouts (Minor League Baseball, 2018). In 2019, the Yard

Goats increased the number of games they played as their Copa de la Diversión brand (Maun,

2019). They played Latin music, held performances that delivered announcements in English and

Spanish and showed video board messages from their Latino players (Maun, 2019). They also organized a home-and-home setup series with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, with Hartford playing as Los Chivos and Richmond playing as Ardillas Voladores (Maun, 2019).

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 31

Of the Yard Goats’ participation in the Copa de la Diversión initiative, General Manager Mike

Abramson said, “We want people to feel a unique pride in what we're doing, but at the same time, I do think it's important to have people know that Minor League Baseball is so proactive in what they're doing culturally that this is a multi-team thing and I think well on its way to being every team. To me, I think the statement is as important as the [Copa] program itself becoming more notable." (Maun, 2019, par. 20)

Abramson described the success of Copa de la Diversión, noting he regularly sees Los Chivos hats in public (Maun, 2019). In fact, many Copa de la Diversión participating MiLB franchises experienced a surge in revenue related to merchandise that featured their new logos, most of which were unlike anything they had ever attempted before (Maun, 2019).

Abramson also explained that on Opening Day and Media Day, Spanish-speaking players often do more interviews than the English-speaking players because they generate more interest from the community, especially from Spanish-speaking and Latinx media outlets (Maun, 2019).

Likewise, player involvement is a key element of Copa de la Diversión, and most players want to be active participants in the storytelling and fan outreach (Maun, 2019).

Tri-City Dust Devils

The Class-A Short Season Tri-City Dust Devils, from Pasco, Washington, were one of the 39 new participant MiLB teams selected to participate in Copa de la Diversión in 2019, after they had observed the Copa de la Diversión program’s success in 2018 and received input from trusted members of the MiLB community about how they could join (Maun, 2019). MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 32

Pasco has a large Hispanic population comprised primarily of second- and third-generation families of Mexican migrants, who moved to “the heart of wine country” in Washington because of its agricultural appeal, and, upon their inclusion into the program, the Dust Devils immediately got to work crafting their Copa de la Diversión brand (Maun, 2019).

Derrell Ebert, Dust Devils’ General Manager, spoke with other teams that participated in Copa de la Diversión and learned what strategies and promotions were most likely to spur successful results (Maun, 2019). The Dust Devils decided to create a committee comprised of local

Hispanic community members and business leaders to conceptualize a relevant brand that would honor the Tri-Cities’ Hispanic community and excite both Hispanic and non-Hispanic fans

(Maun, 2019). Ultimately, also in collaboration with Tri-Cities’ Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Visit Tri-Cities, the Dust Devils turned themselves into the Viñeros, which means vintager and describes those community members who work and harvest grapes for wine production, for select dates in the 2019 season (Maun, 2019). The team sported purple and green uniforms, inspired by Tri-Cities’ signature grapes and vines, and used a Brandiose-designed logo featuring a vineyard worker (Maun, 2019).

Of the Dust Devils’ participation in the Copa de la Diversión initiative, Ebert said, “We're not doing this for some sort of win for the Dust Devils. We are doing this because we want to reach out to that community and bring them in to what a lot of our community here in the Tri-Cities is already experiencing and give them something to be proud of and know that we are honoring and are appreciative of what they do for our community" (Maun, 2019, par. 32).

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 33

Minor League Baseball Vice President of Marketing Strategy and Research, Kurt Hunzeker said,

“We [MiLB and participating teams] knew that if we built an authentic, culturally relevant campaign, our entire fan base – not just Latinx fans – would embrace it" (Maun, 2019, par. 2).

Copa de la Diversión is exemplar of an effective public relations campaign. It resonates with

MiLB’s external and internal publics, from employees and players to community members, and it grows exponentially every year. Copa de la Diversión is one of MiLB’s biggest successes to date (Moran, 2019).

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 34

MiLB Pride

In 2012, the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted baseball’s first LGBT Night, despite a fear it would alienate fans (Evans, 2019b). Fast forward to the present, and, on May 31, 2019, the Dodgers welcomed 54,307 fans, and more than 12,000 tickets were sold for their LGBT Night, their largest crowd since 2012 (Evans, 2019b).

MiLB teams have exponentially, actively embraced MiLB Pride, with an intent to build a more inclusive fan base (Evans, 2019b). Beginning with 19 participating teams in 2017 and 40 teams in 2018, in 2019, 69 MiLB teams participated in 71 league-wide MiLB Pride events like LGBT

Nights and amassed 12 percent larger than average crowds (Evans, 2019c).

All the teams participating in MiLB Pride organize their own events, however teams are keen to share promotional tactics, and MiLB helps facilitate discussions and logistics (Evans, 2019b).

For example, to further grow its Pride campaign, MiLB partnered with You Can Play, an organization focused on equality within sports and that has partnerships with a variety of professional sports leagues like National Hockey League and Major League Soccer (Evans,

2019b). You Can Play helped MiLB put together a report with specific details of promotions teams could implement, from LGBT Nights to more in-depth programming (Evans, 2019b).

Ultimately, MiLB Pride Nights target a specific audience but supports its reputation as an industry example of inclusivity.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 35

VIII. Research Methodology

Methodology

In addition to extensive secondary research, primary research was conducted to better understand

MiLB and its fanbase.

To measure the attitudes, behaviors and opinions of MiLB fans, an online survey was used to collect quantitative data and answer three research questions:

1. What incentivizes community members to attend MiLB games?

2. What are the most effective MiLB marketing promotions?

3. How important are diversity initiatives to community members?

Second, to evaluate MiLB’s understanding of its fanbase, a phone interview was used to collect qualitative data and answer similar research questions from MiLB’s point of view:

1. What incentivizes community members to attend MiLB games?

2. What are the most effective MiLB marketing promotions?

3. What factors are considered when developing league-wide initiatives?

Online Survey

Sampling Frame: Community members who had attended either an MiLB or MLB game in the past two years were encouraged to complete the survey, however, ultimately, only survey data collected from those who reported attending an MiLB game was analyzed to learn about MiLB fans’ perceptions of MiLB and discern what motivates them to attend MiLB ballparks.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 36

Rationale: An online survey allowed for the collection of primary quantitative data from MiLB fans nationwide and resulted in a holistic understanding of MiLB fans, their attitudes toward

MiLB and their motivations for attending MiLB games.

Execution:

• Recruiting Method: The survey, created using the online-program Qualtrics, was shared

using Amazon Mechanical Turk to ensure results would capture the behaviors, attitudes and

opinions of a diverse group of respondents across the nation. Additionally, the online survey

was distributed to family and friends to maximize the number of respondents.

• Location: Qualtrics (Online)

• Length: 12-question survey (see Appendix A)

• Incentive: Respondents who completed the survey using Amazon MTurk received $0.10.

• Number of Participants: Of the 242 respondents who completed the online survey, data was

analyzed from 179 respondents who reported going to an MiLB game in the past two years.

Data Analysis Method: Qualtrics Data Analysis, SPSS

Phone Interview

Sampling Frame: The interview was with MiLB’s Senior Director of Communications, Jeff

Lantz.

Rationale: Interviewing Lantz allowed for the collection of qualitative data to better understand the role of MiLB’s communication department in enhancing fans’ experiences. Additionally, MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 37 analyzation of the interview facilitated the discernment of MiLB’s attitudes about diversity and opinions about factors motivating community members to attend MiLB games.

Execution:

• Recruiting Method: The interview was set up via email and conducted over the phone.

• Location: Remote

• Length: 25 minutes (See Appendix B)

• Incentive: None

• Number of Participants: One

Data Analysis Method: Content Analysis

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 38

IX. Research Results and Analysis

Finding One: Diversity initiatives are important to motivate community members to attend

MiLB games, especially for younger age demographics.

Diversity and inclusion initiatives are important to all MiLB fans, as illustrated in Appendix C.

Even so, a t-test tested the differences in the mean level of agreement for the three statements:

“Diversity and inclusion initiatives are important to me in cultivating a fan-friendly environment,” “I am more likely to visit a ballpark that has implemented diversity and inclusion initiatives” and “I will not visit a ballpark that has not implemented diversity and inclusion initiatives,” for male and female respondents.

As shown in Appendix D, at a 95 percent confidence interval, the difference in the mean level of agreement with the statement, “Diversity and inclusion initiatives are important to me in cultivating a fan-friendly environment,” was statistically significant for males and females, with female respondents indicating diversity and inclusion initiatives were more important to them.

However, the differences in the mean level of agreement for the statements, “I am more likely to visit a ballpark that has implemented diversity and inclusion initiatives,” and “I will not visit a ballpark that has not implemented diversity and inclusion initiatives,” for males and females was not statistically significant.

Overall, while more females than males perceive diversity and inclusion initiatives as important to cultivating a fan-friendly atmosphere, MiLB teams’ diversity and inclusion initiatives are not likely to influence one gender more than the other to attend an MiLB ballpark. MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 39

Instead, depicted in Appendix E, correlation testing of respondents across all age categories revealed people’s responses to the statements, “I am more likely to visit a ballpark that has implemented diversity and inclusion initiatives,” and “I will not visit a ballpark that has not implemented diversity and inclusion initiatives,” are inversely related to age. Thus, teams’ diversity and inclusion initiatives are more likely to influence younger people’s decisions to attend ballparks compared to older people.

Independent of gender, diversity initiatives are important, especially to younger people. The online survey results support MiLB’s diversity initiatives, such as Copa de la Diversión and

MiLB Pride. MiLB effectively utilizes its inclusion programs to connect its diverse communities and motivate community members to attend MiLB games.

Finding Two: Promotions are perceived as equally effective by all age categories, excluding fireworks, which are favored by younger demographics.

The online survey asked respondents, “Rank the following promotions on their level of effectiveness in generating audience engagement and interest from your perspective, with one being the most effective and four being the least effective: giveaways, concession deals, theme nights and fireworks.”

Aligning with the secondary research that highlighted giveaways as a perpetually successful promotional tool that impresses lasting memories upon its fans, the majority of the online survey respondents indicated they perceive giveaways to be the most effective promotion, confirmed in MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 40

Appendix F. Also, per Appendix F, the online survey results did not show an obvious most or least effective promotion.

A correlation test analyzed the relationship between respondents’ age and their ratings of the effectiveness of giveaways, concession deals, theme nights and fireworks as promotions at a 95 percent confidence interval. Shown in Appendix G, the correlation test revealed respondents’ age is negatively correlated with their favorable ratings of fireworks as an effective promotion used by MiLB. However, there is not a statistically significant relationship between respondents’ age and their ratings of giveaways, concession deals and theme nights.

ANOVA and descriptive statistics were used to further analyze the relationship between respondents’ age and their perceptions of fireworks to be an effective promotion. Depicted in

Appendix H, the Sig. value is less than 0.05 at a 95 percent confidence interval, indicating the difference between the mean scores of each age category is statistically significant. Shown in

Appendix I, respondents’ favorable ratings of fireworks as an effective promotion is inversely related to age.

Overall, confirmed through the online survey results, MiLB fans perceive the majority of common MiLB promotions, including giveaways, concession deals and theme nights, to be equally effective, although, there is a statistically significant relationship between respondents’ perceptions of fireworks as an effective MiLB promotion and age, with younger people perceiving them more favorably. Data from the online survey supports MiLB’s use of a wide array of promotional tools to motivate community members to attend MiLB games. The majority MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 41 of MiLB teams incorporate giveaways, concession deals, theme nights and fireworks regularly into their schedules.

Finding Three: MiLB’s primary target audience is families.

MiLB is comprised of 160 teams nationwide, yet, according to Lantz, it markets to a specific audience: families. Of MiLB’s atmosphere, Lantz said, “It’s a fun, safe and clean place for families to go. [MiLB] likes to call [its ballparks] the front porch of each of our communities, where people go to visit with each other outdoors” (Lantz, personal communication, October 28,

2019). According to Lantz, geography does not inhibit its ability to reach a unanimous target market. He says, “If [a promotion] is effective in Seattle, it’s probably going to work well in

Chicago, too” (Lantz, personal communication, October 28, 2019).

Families nationwide attend MiLB games to be entertained and have fun. In most instances, their attendance is motivated, not by the actual game, but by teams’ creative events like a Fort Night or Star Wars theme night (Lantz, personal communication, October 28, 2019). MiLB depends on ticket sales, and, typically, teams with superior public relations strategies are the most attended.

Making sure fans have a good time and return for future games is crucial to MiLB teams’ success (Lantz, personal communication, October 28, 2019).

Lantz’s identification of families as MiLB’s primary target audience is supported by the online survey results. Appendix J illustrates the majority of respondents indicated they most recently attended an MiLB game with their family. MiLB clearly understands its target market, which helps it be successful in achieving and maintaining high attendance records. MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 42

Finding Four: MiLB allows its 160 teams free reign concerning its public relations promotions, within reason.

MiLB is tasked with overseeing its 160 teams from its headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Recognizing its size, Lantz acknowledged, while MiLB may advocate for collective public relations campaigns, such as Pride initiatives or a Copa de la Diversión Hispanic heritage program, teams ultimately choose which league-wide programs to participate in and which promotions to implement at their ballparks (Lantz, personal communication, October 28, 2019).

Lantz said, “[MiLB] doesn’t force any team into doing any program. It’s all voluntary because teams know their market better than [MiLB] does” (Lantz, personal communication, October 28,

2019). He referenced MiLB teams’ creativity as “the beauty of MiLB,” and said, within reason, they can do just about anything they want (Lantz, personal communication, October 28, 2019).

Moreover, at a seminar that occurs at the end of every season, all 160 MiLB teams disseminate their most effective promotions (Lantz, personal communication, October 28, 2019). Their willingness to collaborate maximizes their creativity and ensures MiLB’s success as the epitome of public relations.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 43

X. Industry Recommendations

Annually, MiLB attracts about 42 million fans to its ballparks, and, by 2026, it expects to increase its attendance numbers to 50 million (Sutton, 2018). In a hyper-competitive entertainment landscape, MiLB franchises continuously add value to their fans’ experience through creative promotions to foster mutual, long-term relationships that exponentially drive ticket sales (Wojtowicz, 2018). MiLB embodies successful public relations, and its best practices are transferrable to other industries beyond sports. Within any industry, subsidiaries can improve their public relations functions to cultivate lasting relationships with internal and external publics by heeding the following recommendations.

Recommendation One: Promote inclusivity to appeal to younger demographics by implementing diversity initiatives.

In recent years, MiLB has proactively sought to foster an inclusive atmosphere in all its ballparks, and, every season, it continues to amplify its diversity efforts. Besides recognizing players from diverse backgrounds, promoting inclusivity through diversity initiatives like Copa de la Diversión and MiLB Pride has enabled MiLB to build relationships with and expand its fanbase to diverse audiences, as well as connect its players with its fans. MiLB’s rising attendance records undoubtedly can be attributed, in part, to its focus on annually growing its diversity programs.

Online survey results illustrated diversity initiatives are important to MiLB fans. Specifically, respondents from younger age categories indicated they would be more likely to attend MiLB MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 44 ballparks that have implemented diversity initiatives, while they may be deterred from attending ballparks that have not.

Diversity initiatives are valued by the majority, but younger generations demand them. Industries that promote inclusivity and celebrate diversity are more likely not only to expand their consumer base, but also to become more attractive to incoming talent, such as potential employees and partners. Industries recognizing and respecting their diverse publics is essential to fostering and maintaining long-term, mutual relationships, which is the core function of public relations that MiLB has mastered.

Recommendation Two: Wherever possible, grant autonomy to enhance creativity.

The interview with Lantz revealed each of MiLB’s 160 teams has autonomy to organize and implement promotions, and teams’ freedom is crucial to MiLB’s creative success. With autonomy, MiLB teams are able to tailor their promotions and initiatives to their unique communities. Moreover, teams are encouraged to share their most effective ideas, which often inspires entirely new promotions and campaign ideas.

Overall, MiLB’s structure works to maximize creativity across the league and helps make it a public relations powerhouse. Any industry can incorporate MiLB’s public relations best practice by encouraging its subsidiaries to think creatively, implement their own ideas and collaborate.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 45

XI. Conclusion

Since its establishment, MiLB has succeeded in garnering long-term relationships with its teams’ communities by implementing effective promotions, accentuating excellent customer service and organizing diversity and inclusion initiatives. Even in a time period dominated by the emergence of cable and satellite subscriptions and streaming services, MiLB has been able to successfully differentiate its value from other professional sports leagues to annually accumulate and maintain exponentially increasing attendance levels.

Its ability to identify its target audience and motivate community members to attend MiLB games embodies superior public relations. Secondary research, in the form of online sources, and primary research, in the form of an online survey and phone interview, were utilized to identify four key findings that all supported MiLB is an industry leader in public relations.

Moreover, MiLB’s best public relations practices are transferable to all industries, even those unrelated to sports. All industries can improve their public relations functions to better appeal to their publics by implementing diversity initiatives and highlighting inclusivity to attract younger demographics and, wherever possible, granting their subsidiaries autonomy to optimize creativity and maximize effectiveness.

Fostering mutually beneficial, long-term relationships is the core function of public relations, as identified by Harlow, and MiLB has mastered it. All industries can learn from MiLB and should mimic its best practices to more effectively communicate with their current and desired publics and, ultimately, derive long-term growth. MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 46

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Arrigoni, L. (2019, December 3). MLB data report, 2019. Retrieved from https://media.sportbusiness.com/2019/12/mlb-data-report-2019/ Baseball Hall of Fame. (2019). Bill Veeck. Retrieved from https://baseballhall.org/hall-of- famers/veeck-bill Blum, R. (2019, October 3). MLB average attendance down 1.7% in 2019, marking fourth straight year of decline. Retrieved from https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/mlb/bs-sp- mlb-attendance-decline-20191003-ewkrfrpaajfpzkkx7mzhicc5i4-story.html Brown, M. (2019, December 21). MLB sees record $10.7 billion in revenues for 2019. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2019/12/21/mlb-sees-record-107-billion- in-revenues-for-2019/#e11e2815d781 Dickson, P. (2017). Bill Veeck: the maverick who changed baseball. American Heritage, 62(3). Retrieved from https://www.americanheritage.com/bill-veeck-maverick-who-changed- baseball Elliott, M., & Katzmaier, D. (2019, July 12). How to watch baseball without cable for the 2019 MLB season. Retrieved July 27, 2019, from https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-watch- baseball-without-cable-for-the-2019-mlb-season-yankees-cubs-astros-phillies/ Evans, P. (2019a, August 19). Baseball's beer boom: why Minor League Baseball embraced craft beer. Retrieved from https://frntofficesport.com/baseball-craft-beer/ Evans, P. (2019b, July 26). LGBT promotions gain steam, but success requires more than one night. Retrieved from https://frntofficesport.com/lgbt-night-promotions/ Evans, P. (2019c, September 18). MiLB attendance growth driven by outliers, community approach. Retrieved from https://frntofficesport.com/milb-attendance-growth/ Front Office Sports. (2019, August 8). Minor League Baseball teams partner with StellarAlgo on ticket sales strategy. Retrieved from https://frntofficesport.com/minor-league-baseball- stellaralgo/ Gayle, N. P. (2019, August 22). A baker's dozen of offbeat Minor League Baseball team names of 2019. Retrieved from https://newschannel9.com/news/offbeat/a-bakers-dozen-of- offbeat-minor-league-baseball-team-names-of-2019 James, M. (2016, December 5). The rise of sports TV costs and why your cable bill keeps going up. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-sports-channels- 20161128-story.html Kramer, L. (2019, August 23). Syracuse Mets get ‘Salty’ for last homestand of the season. Retrieved from https://www.syracuse.com/sports/2019/08/syracuse-mets-get-salty-for- last-homestand-of-season.html Leitch, W. (2018, July 11). Nobody's going to sports in person anymore. And no one seems to care. Retrieved from http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/07/nobodys-going-to-sports-in- person-and-no-one-seems-to-care.html Love, J. (2019, October 22). How popular is baseball, really? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/22/sports/baseball/baseball-popularity- world-series.html Maun, T. (2019, March 18). Copa de la Diversión bigger, bolder in 2019. Retrieved from https://www.milb.com/milb/news/copa-de-la-diversion-bigger-bolder-in-2019/c- 305354674 MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 47

Minor League Baseball. (2018, September 19). Minors attendance reaches nearly 40.5 million in 2018. Retrieved from https://www.milb.com/milb/news/minor-league-baseball- attendance-reaches-nearly-405-million-in-2018/c-295081672 Minor League Baseball. (2019a, September 10). Minor League Baseball posts attendance increase of over one million fans in 2019. Retrieved from https://www.milb.com/milb/news/minor-league-baseball-posts-attendance-increase-of- over-one-million-fans-in-2019/c-310645838 Minor League Baseball. (2019b, February 25). Minor League Baseball becomes first sports property to join Alliance for Inclusive & Multicultural Marketing. Retrieved from https://www.milb.com/milb/news/minor-league-baseball-becomes-first-sports-property- to-join-alliance-for-inclusive--multicultural-marketing/c-304312284 Mittica, C. J. (2017, August 7). Minor League Baseball: bastion of promotional creativity. Retrieved from https://www.asicentral.com/news/web-exclusive/august-2017/minor- league-baseball-bastion-of-promotional-creativity/ Moran, E. (2019, July 16). Increased focus on diversity, theme nights instrumental in MiLB merchandise sales growth. Retrieved from https://frntofficesport.com/milb-merchandise- sales/ PwC. (2019). At the gate and beyond: PwC Outlook for the sports market in North America through 2023. Retrieved from https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/tmt/assets/pwc- sports-outlook-2019.pdf Sutton, B. (2018, April 16). Minor leagues continue to crack code on fan engagement. Retrieved from https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2018/04/16/Opinion/SuttonImpact.a spx U.S. Census. (2018). Quick facts: Hartford City, CT. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/hartfordcityconnecticut/PST045218 Williams, B. (2015, August 11). The unique sports marketing challenges facing Minor League Baseball. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakewilliams3012/2015/08/11/the-unique-sports- marketing-challenges-facing-minor-league-baseball/#2fc626ef9353 Wojtowicz, J. (2018, October 30). Major Leagues can learn from Minor League marketing. Retrieved from https://borshoff.biz/major-leagues-can-learn-from-minor-league- marketing/

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Appendices

Appendix A: Qualtrics Survey Questions

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 49

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 50

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 51

Appendix B: Interview Questions

1. What does a typical day in your role look like? What are your primary responsibilities? What

decisions do you make on a day-to-day basis?

2. When making league-wide decisions, what are examples of factors you consider?

3. What research does MiLB conduct before, during and after launching initiatives to gauge

their effectiveness and measure their success? Who is responsible for conducting research?

4. MiLB operates with teams spanning across the country. Who do you consider to be MiLB’s

target audience? Does it vary depending on geographic location?

5. Today, online streaming services have enabled professional teams to earn just as much, if not

more, revenue without having to rely heavily on ticket sales. As online streaming services’

popularity increases, what incentivizes community members to attend MiLB games, when

they could watch MLB games from their homes?

6. What do you believe is the most effective marketing tactic utilized by MiLB?

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 52

Appendix C: Chart, Finding One

Survey Question Seven: Rate your level of agreement with the following statements.

Diversity /inclusion efforts are important to me in cultivating a fan-friendly environment.

I am more likely to visit a ballpark that has implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives.

I will not visit a ballpark that has not implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 53

Appendix D: T-Test, Finding One

Group Statistics Indicate your gender. - Selected Choice N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean Rate your level of agreement Male 106 3.77 1.173 .114 with the following statements. Female 73 4.15 .908 .106 - Diversity / inclusion initiatives are important to me in cultivating a fan-friendly environment. Rate your level of agreement Male 106 3.78 1.187 .115 with the following statements. Female 73 3.99 .905 .106 - I am more likely to visit a ballpark that has implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives. Rate your level of agreement Male 106 3.41 1.358 .132 with the following statements. Female 73 3.15 1.221 .143 - I will not visit a ballpark that has not implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives.

Independent Samples Test t-test for Levene's Test for Equality of Equality of Variances Means

F Sig. t Rate your level of agreement Equal variances assumed 6.043 .015 -2.310 with the following statements. Equal variances not -2.420 - Diversity / inclusion assumed initiatives are important to me in cultivating a fan-friendly environment. Equal variances assumed 11.496 .001 -1.236 MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 54

Rate your level of agreement Equal variances not -1.298 with the following statements. assumed - I am more likely to visit a ballpark that has implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives. Rate your level of agreement Equal variances assumed 1.502 .222 1.286 with the following statements. Equal variances not 1.311 - I will not visit a ballpark that assumed has not implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives.

Independent Samples Test t-test for Equality of Means

df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference Rate your level of agreement Equal variances assumed 177 .022 -.377 with the following statements. - Equal variances not assumed 174.546 .017 -.377 Diversity / inclusion initiatives are important to me in cultivating a fan-friendly environment. Rate your level of agreement Equal variances assumed 177 .218 -.203 with the following statements. - Equal variances not assumed 175.120 .196 -.203 I am more likely to visit a ballpark that has implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives. Rate your level of agreement Equal variances assumed 177 .200 .255 with the following statements. - Equal variances not assumed 164.858 .192 .255 I will not visit a ballpark that has not implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives.

Independent Samples Test t-test for Equality of Means 95% Confidence Interval of the Std. Error Difference Difference Lower Upper Equal variances assumed .163 -.699 -.055 MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 55

Rate your level of agreement Equal variances not .156 -.685 -.070 with the following assumed statements. - Diversity / inclusion initiatives are important to me in cultivating a fan-friendly environment. Rate your level of agreement Equal variances assumed .164 -.528 .121 with the following Equal variances not .157 -.512 .106 statements. - I am more assumed likely to visit a ballpark that has implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives. Rate your level of agreement Equal variances assumed .198 -.136 .646 with the following Equal variances not .194 -.129 .639 statements. - I will not visit a assumed ballpark that has not implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives.

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Appendix E: Correlation Test, Finding One

Correlations Select the Rate your level of agreement with the category that following statements. - Diversity / includes your inclusion initiatives are important to me age. in cultivating a fan-friendly environment. Select the category that Pearson Correlation 1 .008 includes your age. Sig. (2-tailed) .920 N 179 179 Rate your level of agreement Pearson Correlation .008 1 with the following Sig. (2-tailed) .920 statements. - Diversity / N 179 179 inclusion initiatives are important to me in cultivating a fan-friendly environment.

Correlations Select the Rate your level of agreement with the category that following statements. - I am more likely to includes your visit a ballpark that has implemented age. diversity / inclusion initiatives. Select the category that Pearson Correlation 1 -.172* includes your age. Sig. (2-tailed) .021 N 179 179 Rate your level of agreement Pearson Correlation -.172* 1 with the following Sig. (2-tailed) .021 statements. - I am more N 179 179 likely to visit a ballpark that has implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives. *. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

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Correlations

Select the Rate your level of agreement with the category that following statements. - I will not visit a includes your ballpark that has not implemented age. diversity / inclusion initiatives. Select the category that Pearson Correlation 1 -.366** includes your age. Sig. (2-tailed) .000 N 179 179 Rate your level of agreement Pearson Correlation -.366** 1 with the following Sig. (2-tailed) .000 statements. - I will not visit a N 179 179 ballpark that has not implemented diversity / inclusion initiatives. **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

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Appendix F: Chart, Finding Two

Survey Question Six: Rank the following promotions on their level of effectiveness in generating audience engagement and interest from your perspective, with one being the most effective and four being the least effective.

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Appendix G: Correlation Test, Finding Two

Correlations Rank the following promotions on their level of Select the effectiveness in generating audience category that engagement and interest from your includes your perspective, with 1 being the most effective age. and 4 being the least effective. - Fireworks Select the category that Pearson Correlation 1 .256** includes your age. Sig. (2-tailed) .001 N 179 179 Rank Pearson Correlation .256** 1 the following promotions on Sig. (2-tailed) .001 their level of effectiveness in N 179 179 generating audience engagement and interest from your perspective, with 1 being the most effective and 4 being the least effective. - Fireworks **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Correlations Rank the following promotions on their level of Select the effectiveness in generating audience category that engagement and interest from your perspective, includes your with 1 being the most effective and 4 being the age. least effective. - Concession deals Select the category that Pearson Correlation 1 .058 includes your age. Sig. (2-tailed) .444 N 179 179 Rank Pearson Correlation .058 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .444 MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 60

the following promotions on N 179 179 their level of effectiveness in generating audience engagement and interest from your perspective, with 1 being the most effective and 4 being the least effective. - Concession deals

N 179 179 Rank Pearson Correlation -.115 1 the following promotions on Sig. (2-tailed) .126 their level of effectiveness in N 179 179 generating audience engagement and interest from your perspective, with 1 being the most effective and 4 being the least effective. - Giveaways

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Appendix H: ANOVA Test, Finding Two

ANOVA

Rank the following promotions on their level of effectiveness in generating audience engagement and interest from your perspective, with 1 being the most effective and 4 being the least effective. - Fireworks Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 18.494 5 3.699 2.732 .021 Within Groups 234.244 173 1.354 Total 252.737 178

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Appendix I: Descriptive Statistics, Finding Two

Descriptives Rank the following promotions on their level of effectiveness in generating audience engagement and interest from your perspective, with 1 being the most effective and 4 being the least effective. - Fireworks 95% Confidence Interval for Mean N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Lower Bound Upper Bound Minimum Maximum 18 - 24 44 2.11 1.146 .173 1.77 2.46 1 4 25 - 34 66 2.36 1.159 .143 2.08 2.65 1 4 35 - 44 30 2.73 1.112 .203 2.32 3.15 1 4 45 - 54 24 2.96 1.160 .237 2.47 3.45 1 4 55 - 64 14 2.86 1.351 .361 2.08 3.64 1 4 65 or above 1 4.00 . . . . 4 4 Total 179 2.49 1.192 .089 2.32 2.67 1 4

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Appendix J: Chart, Finding Three

Survey Question Three: Please base your responses to the next three questions on the game you most recently attended. With whom did you attend the game?