HARTFORD YARD GOATS BRANDING AND REDEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Leigh Friedman, Jessica Maricich, Becca Riina, Morgan Sawitsky, Gabrielle Riggi and Allison Sicbaldi 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 MEET THE TEAM 4-5 BACKGROUND AND STAKEHOLDERS 6 BRAND AND PLATFORM 7 SWOT ANALYSIS 8-9 TARGET AUDIENCES 10 GOALS, OBJECTIVES + TACTICS 11-12 SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY 12-13 DIGITAL MEDIA STRATEGY 14-15 PROMOTIONAL EXAMPLES 16-17 SPECIAL EVENT SUCCESS METRICS 19 TOTAL BUDGET 20 LIKE A GIRL PR SALARIES 21 ACCOMODATIONS BUDGET 22 TRAVEL BUDGET 23 ADVERTISEMENTS BUDGET 24 PROMOTIONAL ITEMS BUDGET 25 SPECIAL EVENT BUDGET 26 CONTINGENCY FUND 27 EVENTS TIMELINE 28 GAME SCHEDULE 29 MEET THE TEAM Morgan Sawitsky Morgan Sawitsky is the President of Like A Girl PR. She is responsible for the project management of the pitch. Morgan is a graduate of Quinnipiac University, where she received a BA in Public Relations. After graduation, Morgan launched her career in Connecticut here she began her specializa- tion in communications and public affairs. She has a niche for keeping proj- ects organized and maintaining a high integrity for all work done within the company. Her strengths within the company include managing timelines of projects as well as managing other agency members to make sure their work is completed to the best ability. Gabrielle Riggi Gabrielle Riggi is the Research Director for Like A Girl PR. She is responsible for overseeing and delegating the research as well as composing the final re- sults. The final assessment includes the history, environment and challenges an organization is facing. Gabrielle graduated from Quinnipiac with a degree in journalism, but directed the passion for writing to provide expert composi- tional analysis and development to sports related organizations and athletic communications groups. Jessica Maricich Jessica Maricich is the Chief Financial Officer for Like A Girl PR. She is responsible for planning the budget for the different activities and events the organization would like to each and recording the financial progress throughout the project. The budget created includes billable time and out-of-pocket expenses. The financial plan correlates with the timeline for the required project and gives the company and the client and realistic estimation of the project cost. Maricich checks in with all of the different department to ensure everyone stays in budget. She works directly with the Special Event Director Leigh Friedman, to price out and document all event-related expenses. Allison Sicbaldi Allison is the Copywriter for Like a Girl PR. Her main responsibilities have been to complete a SWOT analysis of the Hartford Yard Goats organization as well as help come up with content for tactics and creating the branding platform. Allison received a Bachelor’s in Communications from Quinnipiac University. After Graduation, she launched her career in sports media and public relations. Her strengths within the company include being detail-ori- ented as well as being very organized. Becca Riina Becca Riina is the Art and Interactive Communications Director for Like a Girl PR. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Communications she began her career in web design and content management. The responsibilities in- cluded in this position involved the graphic designing of the agency logo as well as the rest of the design examples. Her creativity and communication skills have helped this company generate original ideas regarding interactive media and the visual brand of the Hartford Yard Goats. Leigh Friedman Leigh Friedman is the Special Events Director for Like a Girl PR. As Special Events Director for our PR Team, her responsibilities include planning events during the both the duration of the season and off- season. Her main goal aims to keep Yard Goats Fans coming back year after year by planning highly looked forward to events. Leigh received a Bachelor’s in Public Relations from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. Her plans after gradu- ation include establishing a career in the fast-paced and exhilarating world of Fashion PR at a boutique communications firm in NYC. She remains an asset to the PR team who has displayed great strengths in event planning and marketing. BACKGROUND AND STAKEHOLDERS The Hartford Yard Goats are a Double-A minor league baseball The list of stakeholders includes team in Hartford, Connecticut that plays out of the Eastern League. a varying group in the central The team started as the New Britain Rock Cats franchise, and moved Connecticut area that share to Hartford in 2016. Hartford remains as the Double-A affiliate of some mutual interest in the Yard MLB’s Colorado Rockies. The Yard Goats were expected to start Goats franchise: the season after the move at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Downtown Hartford. • Current fans of the team The 2016 season never came to fruition because the park’s com- • Former fans of the New Brit- pletion was continually delayed, forcing the team to play the entire ain Rock Cats 2016 summer season on the road. The price of the project started • Fans who left after the 2016 at $63 million, with one estimate ballooning to $100 million when season didn’t happen Centerplan was unable to complete the project swiftly and correct- • First time fans of the Yard ly. This added to tensions with those in Hartford who did not want Goats or baseball the city to use public funds to pay for what was ultimately $71 mil- • Season ticket holders lion dollar stadium. • Fan club members The delay of the construction of the ballpark resulted in lawsuits, • Hartford citizens including one between Centerplan, the developer, and the city of • Hartford city government Hartford. The case was settled in mediation. After getting an insur- • Hartford business: both cor- ance bond from Arch Insurance to complete the project, the build- porations based in Hartford and ing was continued in October 2016 by Whiting-Turner. The ballpark small businesses around the city is expected to be ready for opening day on April 13, 2017. • Investors in the Hartford DoNo project • Potential businesses as part of the DoNo project • Downtown North developers • Corporate sponsors • Colorado Rockies (MLB) • Minor League Baseball (MiLB) • Team owners • Employees • Vendors • Members of the media BRAND AND PLATFORM When people hear our name through camp days including proving not only to the fans, but we want them to think of fami- boy scouts, girl scouts, YMCA, also to the surrounding commu- ly friendly fun in the heart of the PTA and school districts nity that Dunkin’ Donuts Park is city We want to portray that the the start of a new Hartford en- Dunkin’ Donuts Park is a key stadium and the team are going tertainment district component of the DoNo revit- to be spark plug for other devel- We got to this brand by taking ilization project in Hartford, and opments into account all of the aspects of we want to emphasize that our We want the fans to feel wel- a heart and relating it to the or- stadium is the heart of this new come and that their happiness is ganization community the #1 goal of the team The heart pumps- we want our We want to make families be- We also want them to feel like stadium to be an exciting atmo- lieve that our stadium is going the atmosphere at the stadium sphere that pumps some fun to be the heart of the city once is always pumping and exciting, The heart keeps the body more attractions get built around just like a heart is always pump- alive- we want to spark change it such as stores and restaurants ing and upbeat in the surrounding area, making We will make it every family’s The team can become the Hartford a safer and more family first choice for a night event by heart of the city and the focal friendly place. introducing kids to the team point of urban development by THE HEART OF HARTFORD SWOT ANALYSIS The team at Like A Girl PR re- To go off the community unity and spectators have used the term searched the niche audiences strength, opening day tickets for “frightening” to describe it, which of this Double-A baseball team. the 2017 baseball season are sell- definitely is a weakness for this Through this research, it was un- ing quickly, so it is safe to say the baseball team considering families derstood that the strengths, weak- team is already in high demand and children are a huge target au- nesses, opportunities and threats with its surrounding area. The rapid dience for them. of The Hartford Yard Goats include: sales are a result of community sup- Another weakness that comes port, popularity in the various pro- along with the New England team Strengths: motional events the team has held is that many families throughout The Hartford Yard Goats imme- and the new stadium that will be in this area send their children to diately have an advantage in the use this season. Future strengths sleepaway camp or sports camps sports industry because baseball include the strong stadium spon- during baseball season. Therefore, is known as America’s pastime, sor, Dunkin’ Donuts, and the mul- much of the target audience is not making the game a well-known tiple game day events happening available to attend season games. and popular sport throughout the throughout the season. With the Dunkin’ Donuts Park country. The sport itself is associat- With an established name in the stadium being in the city of Hart- ed with core American family val- greater Hartford and central Con- ford, parking for fans becomes a bit ues, and therefore families become necticut region, The Hartford Yard of a bad situation.