Season ticket holders had declined almost 10 percent. No big-name free agents had been signed to generate fan interest. Negative press had arisen in the off-season over the team’s moving veteran Gold Glove shortstop Michael Young to third base in deference to untested 20-year-old rookie Elvis Andrus. And the dismal economy produced expectations that fans would be cutting their baseball-spending budgets.
In short, prospects for successfully marketing the Rangers four
months ago were somewhere south of dismal. Unbeknownst to most,
however, the organization had planted the seeds for a summer harvest.
Knowing
the economic downturn had to be addressed with its fan base, Ranger
management took several steps to give customers more bang for their
bucks, including:
Cutting ticket prices for most seats to many games
Creating a ticket discount package with next-door-neighbor Six Flags Over Texas
Expanding the availability of the all-you-can eat seats to all games, so fans have the opportunity every night to cap expenses on food and non-alcoholic drinks
Offering free tickets for kids on most Tuesdays
Selling $1 hot dogs and offering half-price tickets on most Wednesdays
Providing post-game fireworks shows to go along with $10 tickets (instead of the standard $25) and $5 parking (instead of the usual $12) on 13 Fridays (as opposed to five last year)
Booking seven pre-game and post-game concerts, two more than in 2008
Increasing the number of giveaway nights (bobbleheads, caps, etc.) to 16 games
Improving the fun quotient with the “Ring of Fire” ribbon-band video boards that encircle the ballpark and bring down the house with Johnny Cash singing while the opposing manager talks to his troubled pitcher on the mound.
Oh, and one other thing: To enhance the marketing initiatives, team president Nolan Ryan and general manager Jon Daniels improved their ballclub. In large part due to new pitching coach Mike Maddux, the 2009 Rangers have gelled into an elite team, now in the hunt to win their division.
How? They got better quickly through management’s new focus on improved pitching and defense. In the first 94 games this season, as compared to last year, they have reduced their opponents’ scoring by 1.3 runs per game, largely because more effective pitchers (thanks to Mr. Maddux) have allowed 69 fewer walks, while the defense (led by the amazingly rangy and graceful shortstop, Mr. Andrus) has committed 28 fewer errors. This has caused the team to compete in close games almost every night, which obviously provides heightened drama for the fan.
Put these factors together, and the Texas Rangers’ success this year is proven by the following facts:
Through 50 home games, they’ve sold 164,505 more tickets than last season, meaning they’ve sold more single game (i.e., non-season) tickets than any other team in baseball.
Because more fans are staying through the ninth inning at their more competitive games, food and beverage concession revenue has increased by more than 20 percent and merchandise sales have gone up more than 30 percent, in large part due to the reintroduction of the color red to the team’s uniform colors.
Television viewing of the games has surged, increasing 59 percent over last summer (the biggest increase in baseball), with recent games against the Red Sox and Angels drawing more than 100,000 local viewers.
In short, in a year of economic blues, this year’s Rangers have been THE success story of 2009 in North Texas, with prospects good that the buzz, sizzle, and good vibes coming out of Arlington will only continue, as more and more people in these parts hop aboard the gleaming, high-speed train appropriately named “The Ryan Express.”
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