National Sports Forum: Newsletter Archive

D-Backs Strike with Fan Program

To view this as a web page, click here.

June 23, 2004

Volume 3, Issue 11

D-Backs Strike with Fan Program

Diamondbacks use fan loyalty program to activate partnership

SELLING IT...

Subscription Drive
(if you're not already a subscriber, please read)

You are receiving the first of three editions of SELLING IT..., a FREE, bi-weekly e-zine dedicated to showcasing the sports industry's best sales/marketing practices.

You will only receive two more editions unless you subscribe. Click here to subscribe...it's FREE.

SELLING IT... is brought to you by the National Sports Forum.

Contact: Jessica Balistreri, Fan Program Manager, Arizona Diamondbacks, 602.462.6629, [email protected]; Bob Bartholomew, Smart Button Associates, 770.683.4900, [email protected]

Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

Program Title: DiamondBackers Program

Objective: There were three main objectives with this promotion:

Encourage DiamondBackers Club members to participate in offsite events
Offer DiamondBackers Club members incentives and reward for participation
Drive traffic and increase revenue for Fox Sports Grill

Program Description: While road games are traditionally a lonely time for Diamondback fans, the team has found a way for the members of their DiamondBackers Club to participate in road games with other fans without ever leaving Phoenix!

The program encourages members of the DiamondBackers Club to visit the Fox Sports Grill in Scottsdale, Arizona, to watch the D-Backs play on the road. The event is specifically catered to the DiamondBackers Club which consists of 31,000 active fans.

While at the Fox Sports Grill, DiamondBackers Club members not only took in the game, but they also received a number of different incentives to add value to their membership. Benefits like food & drink specials as well as drawings for team merchandise & tickets. Participating members were also rewarded by earning points for their attendance, just like they would be at a normal D-Backs home game.

Media: To gain awareness of these events, Diamondbacks distributed incentive coupons at kiosks during home games. Also, other forms of promotion were used such as broadcast and radio.

Partner: The Diamondbacks selected Delaware-based Smart Button as their fan loyalty provider at the beginning of their season. Smart Button's innovative hosted web-based loyalty and rewards application enabled the Diamondbacks to take their DiamondBackers program outside of their venue and experience the same flexibility, ease and convenience that the system provides at the partner location. SportTrak gave the Diamondbacks the ability to track their fans at this location with the help of a laptop and a scanner. Members simply had their cards scanned and received points for attendance.

Sponsor: Fox Sports Grill was the official sponsor of this DiamondBackers event. They helped by hosting the event and providing the club members with discounted drinks and food specials. They successfully activated their partnership with this by exposing a different clientele to their restaurant - as well as increased revenue on a usually slow weeknight. Budweiser and KTAR also stepped up to help sponsor this amazing event.

Results: Driving fans to an off-site location achieved, above and beyond, the three objectives the team was aiming to accomplish. With over 90 attendance scans tracked at the off-site event, incremental revenue was generated by Fox Sports Grill on a traditionally slow night of the week. Also, the initiative raised awareness of the DiamondBackers program among non-club members and gave existing members additional value for the program.

Looking Ahead: The DiamondBackers Club is still an active part of the Diamondback's roster of promotions. It is an integral part of maintaining loyalty among fans and is currently being used in conjunction with other off-site activities to offer more value to Arizona Diamondback fans.

Take Advantage of our

"Super Summer Special Offer"...