It’s a Swing and a Miss
Elizabeth Rector
Recently, my sister Sarah and I attended the Rockies v. Reds ball game at Coors Field. It was a chilly 44° at first pitch, a light drizzle began around the 4th inning and fans mustered up an enthusiastic “Take me out to the ball game” during the 7th inning stretch. The final score was 7-1, in favor of the Reds.
Throughout all this excitement, I was also bombarded with hundreds of marketing messages, but there were only three I consciously took note of:
1) Coors
Below is an actual conversation from the game:
Sarah: I love Coors Field! What other stadium in the US has an arboretum in center field?
Elizabeth: Perhaps none, but Chase Stadium in Arizona does have a pool in center field.
Sarah: Oh really? That’s cool. You want to grab a beer?
Insight: It doesn’t really work to say, “You want to take a dip in the pool? And after that, let’s find the Chase credit card street team, fill out applications, and if we’re lucky, get a free, oversized, worthless Chase t-shirt.”
It just doesn’t have the same ring as, “Let’s grab a beer.”
Way to go Coors. Instant gratification - it works. Cheers!
2) Shane Co.
I can’t be sure, but I think Shane Co. http://www.shaneco.com sponsored the instant replays. I distinctly remember that the Shane Co. is the diamond dealer of the Rockies. That’s cute, because, you know, they play in a diamond. But at this point in my life, I feel like Shane Co. has sponsored everything from my first baby steps to my graduation from college. I doubt the needle would be pushed in a negative direction if the Shane Co. was not the official rock merchant of the Rockies.
Insight: Tom, you should have sat this one out.
3) Verizon
At one point in the game a player hit a pop-fly straight up from home plate which careened into the 10’ x 3’ Verizon http://www.verizonwireless.com billboard posted directly behind home plate. The impact from the ball shook the sign slightly off it’s frame.
Insight: I couldn’t recall if Verizon had the least dropped calls, the largest network, unlimited text messaging or great family plans. They should have told me something on the sign other than “Verizon” because in the end the most interesting thing about that billboard was the dent the ball made.
Points number 2 and 3 got me thinking: When did stadium advertising become so boring? Or was it always?
I did a Google search for “stadium advertising” and the first result was from a term paper website - www.academon.com. Paper #047104 on “Athletic Stadium Advertising and Signage” is 2,785 words long, sources 5 references in the MLA style and can be acquired for a mere $89.95. The term paper claims to review the “leading-edge signage” found in major league stadiums and to proffer insight on how signage offers marketing opportunities “beyond mere branding.”
Sounds thrilling, but honestly, stadium signage isn’t even in the same ballpark as leading-edge. For the price of the term paper you could also buy 2 Rock Pile seats, 4 Coors Lights, 1 Rockies dog, a nachos and a bag of peanuts. The experience of the game would be enough to tell you about the progress – or the lack thereof - of stadium signage.
Insight: Stadium marketers must not have received last year’s memo on integration. Why didn’t the Verizon sign ask Rockies Fans to send a text message for a Rockies-fan only special offer? Why didn’t Shane Co., in addition to being the official Diamond Dealer of the Rockies, showcase a quick montage on how landscapers keep the Rockies Diamond in such pristine order - followed up by an invitation to fans to come see how Tom keeps his diamonds pristine? I’m just spit-balling here, but if the signage I saw was supposed to represent anything “beyond mere branding” then it was a swing and a miss.