Free Bobbleheads?
Introduction:
In my sports in public relations class, we were able to work with the Hartford Yard Goats, a Minor League Baseball team based in Hartford, Connecticut. Our main goal for them was to increase community engagement and game attendance through social media and by holding events. My team and I were able to build a full campaign that was presented to them.
History of the Yard Goats:
The Hartford Yard Goats are the Colorado Rockies Double-A team in the Eastern League. They play at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Downtown Hartford, Connecticut. The team’s history dates back to 1973 with the Boston Red Sox, and later they became part of the Minnesota Twins. They started as the New Britain Rock Cats and then moved in 2016 to become the Yard Goats.
When naming and branding the team, they made sure to incorporate the city of Hartford’s historical aspects. Hartford has a strong railroad history, and with Dunkin’ Donuts Park right across from the Hartford Yard, they chose the name “Yard Goats” for the team. The team chose their colors to be blue and green to pay tribute to the Hartford Whalers, a former team in the National Hockey League.
Research:
My team and I researched that The Yard Goats have some strengths of being the only baseball team based in Hartford, having a passionate fan base, and having a modern stadium that offers a great fan experience. They also actively engage with the local community, organize creative promotions and marketing campaigns, and have affiliations with the Colorado Rockies for player development. However, for some weaknesses, we found that the Yard Goats tend to have a losing record and a weak social media presence.
We also sent out a survey to college students to help with the goal of increasing attendance. From this survey, we found that 91.5% attend professional sporting events, 53.4% being baseball games. The data also showed that 80.5% find giveaways/freebies to be the most appealing promotions and 75% believe promotions enhance the overall experience during a professional sporting event.
Our plan of action:
So, as our target audiences for this campaign being college students, the youth, educational groups, and families, we decided it would be effective to hold an event at the stadium where the first 1,500 people at the game will receive a bobblehead. Since they had an event previously surrounded by their alternative jerseys, the bouncing pickles, that had great success, we decided to make the bobblehead a goat wearing the alternative jersey. We paired this with social media mockups that would tease the event and eventually launch the event.
Conclusion:
Overall, this campaign that my group and I designed would improve their social media presence, strengthen their relationship with the community, enhance sponsorships, and provide them with ideas for giveaways and theme nights. Our plan as a whole has best equipped the Yard Goats with the tools and ideas that they will put to use in order to achieve the objectives and ambitions that they possess for the future.
Hello! I’m Bridget Feldman
I am a graphic and interactive designer with an interest in public relations. I live around the Boston, Massachusetts area and would love to connect!