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Click the image above to check out the American Cancer Society Day at the Ballpark website!
Dear Faithful Readers,
I don’t know about you, but the holiday season really snuck up on me this year! It could be the fact that in San Diego, I’m still slathering on sunscreen for our 70 and sunny “winter” weather… but with Thanksgiving tomorrow and Christmas music finally playing on my Pandora, it’s a great time to focus on a program that’s giving back.
In sports business, revenue is the constant driving factor. This week, we’re bringing you a program from the St. Louis Cardinals who’ve found a way to bring in previously unseen revenue while teaming up and raising money for the American Cancer Society… giving both parties a lot to be thankful for!
Enjoy the feature and have a Happy Thanksgiving,
Erin
[email protected]
P.S. - Feeling creative? Send in your best marketing and advertising campaign from 2013 and your team could be the next feature in "Selling It"!
PROGRAM TITLE
St. Louis Cardinals
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OBJECTIVES
Every year, teams see games that go with seats un-filled. Unless you are fortunate enough to be part of a team with such a solid fan base that filling the stands is not an issue, there will always be un-sold seats. Marketing campaigns, ticket sales initiatives and fan engagement are all ways teams are trying to get fans into seats. But a unique and innovative partnership in St. Louis has generated a new revenue stream that is filling thousands of seats in a profitable and socially responsible way.
The St. Louis Cardinals have teamed up with a non-profit for a partnership, turning ROI. Looking to increase their involvement in the non-profit realm and tap into a large new market, the Cardinals started a campaign that has seen 37% growth after its first year. Who is this non-profit helping to sell over 15,000 tickets?
Enter the American Cancer Society
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
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Three years ago, the American Cancer Society (ACS) had no affiliation with the Cardinals, now their partnership has sold over 26,000 tickets. It all started with a roundtable discussion between the Cardinals and the ACS about how they can better penetrate into the sports market. The discussion moved in many ways, but its eventual direction led toward a special day at Busch Stadium; “The American Cancer Society Awareness Day at the Ballpark.” In conjunction with their Relay For Life events, the idea was served up by Jason McClelland, Senior Director of Partner Relationships at the American Cancer Society; “We have two extremely strong brands between the Cardinals and [The ACS]. Our thought was how can we capitalize on the strength of both organizations?”
Capitalization came in the form of a day specifically designed around the ACS volunteers and those affected by cancer. The Cardinals picked two games with historically low attendance, September 8th and 15th against the Pirates and Mariners respectively, and sold thousands of tickets to the ACS to then sell to their volunteers. There was no money due upfront from the ACS, the idea being for them to sell to their constituents for an increased margin depending on how many they sold.
The ACS used 64 different relays/walks to roll out the promotion. For every ticket a team leader sold, a pre-determined amount of money went back to their specific Relay For Life event. So each team had a heavy hand in the success of their event and the money generated to help fight cancer. Along with every ticket came an all-inclusive experience package offered by the Cardinals as well. The team opened up the gates two hours early for the volunteers and they received hot dog and soda vouchers, were granted autograph signings and pictures with the players, viewed the World Series trophies on display and more. The experience was truly worthwhile for the volunteers and showed the Cardinals dedication to the partnership.
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Volunteers could also compete for prizes. For example, the number one seller – selling over 500 tickets – got to throw out the first pitch. Along the way, benchmarking at certain levels entered them into drawings for tangible rewards like autographs, pictures and other memorabilia. This gave the ticket sellers a unique selling proposition and gave the fans a more specialized experience while incentivizing to sell more.
Click above to see the promotion with Adam Wainwright on Youtube!
PARTNERSHIP
The Cardinals and the American Cancer Society worked together flawlessly. Considering there was never a total ticket goal or value set from the beginning, it was essential to have a working conversation throughout the whole process. “Partnering with the ACS was a no brainer for us. What non-profit isn’t looking to increase their donations and have fun while doing it? They have such a large following - largest in the world for non-profits - and such a good cause, we were more than pleased to have the opportunity,” said Justen Meyer, Group Sales Manager at the Cardinals. They went all-out for this campaign as one of their largest in the non-profit sector, and stand strong by the American Cancer Society.
RESULTS
The results of this program are eye opening. Being able to bring in revenue on these low attendance games was a win for the Cardinals. In its first run in 2012, the ACS sold over 11,00 tickets. This year, that number jumped 37% to over 15,000 tickets! And that’s only in its second year. Meyer commented on the success of the program and its future, “We are extremely happy with the results so far. Our goal is 20,000 tickets eventually, but we are thinking 17,000 next year and it will continue to grow.”
The monetary value associated with 15,000 tickets is big for both parties involved. The ACS raised over $140,000 for research into cancer solutions and treatment. The Cardinals also saw big revenue, over $230,000 tax-free dollars from previously un-sold ticket sales. “Sure, I’d like to think those tickets would eventually be sold, but this is undoubtedly a new revenue stream and previously un-tapped market,” said Meyer.
LOOKING AHEAD
After its first few years, the program is definitely blossoming and in another few years, it will be in full bloom. As of now, the only ACS partnership is with the Cardinals, but there are many teams jumping on board and expansion is on the table. After seeing the programs success, talks have started with teams like the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers. Connecting the group sales departments at each team with their local ACS offices, they are getting the conversation going and starting the process of walking through the program. You can look forward to seeing more American Cancer Society days at ballparks near you!
CONTACT
For more Information, contact:
Justen Meyer, Group Sales Manager, St. Louis Cardinals
Jason McClelland, Senior Director of Partner Relationships, American Cancer Society
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