Hartford Yard Goats Campaign
The Yard Goats serve as a prominent sports and entertainment institution in Hartford, contributing to the cultural fabric of the city. Their purpose extends beyond baseball, aiming to provide a dynamic and interactive experience for fans while fostering community engagement.
Team members
Farrah Chernov, Katie Densen, Haktan Ceylan, Kelly Crowe, Jacob Biren
Problem
The goals for the Hartford Yard Goats were to increase attendance by promoting the teams exciting play, family-friendly atmosphere, and special events. They also wanted to increase community engagement and strengthen their social media presence.
Research
SWOT
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The Hartford Yard Goats boast unique strengths, including their status as the only baseball team based in Hartford, a passionate fan base, and a modern stadium, Dunkin' Donuts Park, that offers a great fan experience. They actively engage with the local community, organize creative promotions and marketing campaigns, and have affiliations with the Colorado Rockies for player development.
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The Yard Goats face challenges, such as a losing record and weak social media presence. They are distant from their professional team, which is also struggling, and parking is across the street. Their merchandise and branding efforts need improvement.
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Located in a big city near colleges, the Yard Goats have ample room for branding improvement and expansion. Opportunities lie in corporate partnerships, promotions with companies like Dunkin', and further player development. Strengthening community involvement and partnerships is another avenue for growth.
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Competition from other Minor League Baseball teams and summer collegiate baseball teams, changing fan preferences, economic downturns, potential labor disputes, and weather-related issues pose threats. Additionally, maintaining stadium infrastructure and high standards can be costly.
One of our first steps when beginning our campaign was to complete a SWOT analysis of the Hartford Yard Goats. We looked for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. You can read further about this to the left.
Primary Research
Our team conducted an online survey targeted towards college students to help with the goal of increasing attendance. 74 responses were recorded.
Based on our data, we have found promotions have a multifaceted impact on sporting events, influencing attendance, engagement, revenue, and overall brand perception. They create opportunities for increased fan engagement. Contests, giveaways, and interactive activities build anticipation and excitement around the event, making it more memorable for attendees. Promotions contribute to creating a festive and vibrant atmosphere while also fostering a sense of community.
Solution
Based on our findings, we decided to hold an event where the first 1,500 people that attend the games on May 15th and September 5th will recieve a specialized goat bobblehead with the Hartford Yard Goats alternative jersey, The Bouncing Pickles.
A bobblehead promotion is important for the Hartford Yard Goats because this dynamic marketing tactic is meant to attract fans and increase game attendance. These promotions, which usually feature the likeness of a well-known player, coach, or team mascot, are greatly sought after by fans because of their collecting quality. In addition to boosting game attendance, the promotion deepens the bond between the team and its fans. This is great for the Yard Goats to use this tactic to improve their branding. The bouncing pickle night that was held for the Yard Goats last year was a great success and this bobblehead continues that success.
Impact
The plan of work that we have created and presented here for the Hartford Yard Goats is one that was thought out and organized methodically, with the hopes of growing success for the organization. With the analysis that has been completed, along with new ideas that have been recommended to implement, K.O. Agency has provided the Hartford Yard Goats with the plan that is suited best to them and aspirations they may have of growing the organization. Enriching the community and loyal fanbase around this beloved franchise is something that is absolutely vital to grow in terms of success and build off of what has already been achieved. Based on research completed here in this yearly plan, improving social media presence, doing work within the community, enhancing sponsorships, and leaning into giveaway and theme nights are all strategies that the Hartford Yard Goats should utilize to the best of their ability in order to see a real change and growth. 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.