A Leader in Public Relations
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Running Head: MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 1 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. MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 5 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. MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 8 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. MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 10 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’