Marketing The Marlins

This is the ultimate place to discuss anything & everything related to sports and non-sports.

TSU WANTS YOU!!!

There are plenty of topics here to discuss. We cover all the major professional sports, which you see here. We also have a section for NCAA Sports, as well. For those that might be fans of racing, soccer, golf, or even wrestling, we have a place for you, too.

For all the gamers out there, you are free to chat about everything from the systems of the past to the consoles of the future. We deal with sports and non-sports gaming, alike.

Speaking of non-sports, don't be afraid to have a discussion concerning other things going on in the world today, including current events, the entertainment biz, and the ever-changing world of technology. If you have an artistic touch, check out 'GRAFIX WORLD' to request, discuss, and even show-off your own computer graphics. Plus, we have our official off-topic forum, 'The Outpost Lounge', to talk about anything you want.

So, if you would like to see more, come explore the 'Universe'!
Registering is quick, easy, and most of all, FREE!!
Start your journey today!!!
Remember...

...ACTIVITY STARTS WITH YOU!!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board (meaning that all forums are not visible) and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls.)

Click HERE to join & be an active part of our community today!!

If you're already a registered 'explorer', please log in to your account to access all of our features:

(If you have forgotten your password, please click HERE.)

Marketing The Marlins; New stadium - a hoax? some new ideas
Topic Started: Jun 25 2009, 10:26 PM (45 Views)
sabredance	Jun 25 2009, 10:26 PM Post #1
Posts: 4 Group: Rookies Member #1,649 Joined: June 25, 2009	Hi baseball fans, for an introduction post, would like to talk a bit about the Florida Marlins, 1997 and 2003 World Series Champions. I am sabredancesong(mother's favorite classical piece of music, and Buffalo Sabres fan to boot). Marlins spent the weekend taking two of three from the New York Yankees in interleague play (not bad, although I don't think the NYY are that good a team this year). Board adm says to express yourself in here, so here are some ideas about marketing the Florida Marlins, whose low attendance reflects Miami's general lack of interest in MLB. The Marlins are on their third owner, were dismantled after the 1997 championship season. Their initial 1993 attendance figures were around 38,000 per game I think - but dropped significantly after that. The Marlins have been dismantled two more times, and that leaves the fans with little to believe in, as they maintain the lowest payroll in the major leagues, and continue to bring up AA ballplayers to the bigs. Thank goodness for their GM Larry Bienfest, one of the best in the business, Marlins minor leagues are usually loaded, and they have been voted organization of the year a few times. But lets look at some facts. The current ownership of the team has only one marketing method they constantly push to the low turnout fans (3000 most nights). "If you build it, they will come." The comment from the baseball movie with Kevin Costner refers to the $350 million retractable roof stadium that is supposed to be constructed on the site of the old Orange Bowl Stadium in Little Havana, downtown Miami. UM had trouble drawing football fans to that site even though they were only 10-minutes away by car. Who is going to drive the 28 miles to downtown from Ft.Lauderdale, or the 80 some miles from West Palm Beach to watch MLB there? So - stadium location is a problem. I will believe it when a steamshovel goes into the ground and stands go up. Speaking of marketing, current ownership has given us the unique Mermaids cheerleading squad at the game - but also (and I would have liked to be sitting in the strategy meeting that came up with the idea) - the performing Manatees (huge WWE size men who go out on the field and supposedly dance for the crowds entertainment)? Personally - it is embarrassing just to see these guys out on the field. "That's Entertainment?" Whatever.....What the Florida Marlins need is a dose of common sense. They have constantly performed above expectations, with the lowest payroll in MLB, to the lowest attendance in MLB, and have two World Series titles to show for it. The weekend Marlins-Yankee series showed that it isn't the humidity that keeps people away from MLB in Miami, it's no ideas. If the stadium put up misting tents - like the kind used at concerts, it would go a long way toward fan comfort on hot Miami afternoons. Fan disinterest? 35,000 - 40,000 and 44,000 showed up for the three Yankee games and we never got a drop of rain with a heat index those three days of 100 degrees plus. It is the competition that brings out the fans, loyalty and keeping a team together so the fans can make it theirs, instead of breaking it up every 2-3 years. Finally, what the Florida Marlins management doesn't seem to realize, is that MLB doesn't belong in Miami, or Tampa either for that matter. Miami got a NL expansion team, along with Denver, in 1993 because the three counties of South Florida have a population of 5.2 million people. That's advertising revenue heaven.The Rays are stuck in Yankee country over there, with the second worst attendance in MLB after Miami's. Both cities are Spring Training towns, and something has to be done if Bud Selig and Don DuPay of MLB are going to maintain MLB in South Florida. If the Marlins get a new retractable roof stadium, and still show 3,000 a game, what's that prove? They could play in 12,000 seat Ft.Lauderdale Stadium and do better than they are in the football park on the Broward-Miami Dade County line, which is home for the Marlins and the NFL Dolphins. In fact, FTL could put any Baltimore AAA, or AA team in that stadium, and easily outdraw the Marlins, only 18 miles away. Any stadium right now will do for the Marlins but not for their ownership, who, despite all evidence to the contrary, is pushing through (along with the financially unstable City of Miami), a new ballpark in a very bad location. A new open-air 32,000 seat stadium at Aventura, on the county line - where the Florida East Coast Railroad would allow passenger Tri-Rail to run their trains right into the parking lot of the stadium would work fine. A stadium there has Gulfstream horse racing tracks parking lots to use, all they really would have to do is purchase the Hollywood Dog Racing track, and they would have half the stands up, and a field in place? Also what MLB should do is switch the Marlins and Rays to the AL-East and NL-East, then switch them back every third year. That way, the Marlins get the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles (whose Spring Training location is Ft.Lauderdale Stadium). Tampa gets the Braves, Mets, defending World Champion Phillies and Nationals. Neither team loses their rivalry with New York City, neither loses a big city, and we get our old rivals back every three years. If MLB doesn't see that, 115,000 fans, who sat out last weekend in 100 degree heat and humidity, proved that Miami-Ft.Lauderdale and West Palm Beach fans WILL turn out, providing they have the right rivals and conditions. Those conditions are interesting rivals - not fan comfort. And while we are at it, wouldn't a Florida Marlins tour of Latin America, Puerto Rico, Mexico City and even Havana, Cuba during Spring Training be a natural? A little bit of imagination on the part of Marlins' ownership for once would really be appreciated down here.Thanx for allowing me to take up some of your time.........Sabre



RJINTAMPA	Jun 27 2009, 11:29 AM Post #2
Posts: 91 Group: Players Member #1,641 Joined: May 19, 2009	I am a Miami Native have being born in south Miami. Anyhow fans do not show up is because a lot of them lost their faith in the Marlins, after that fire sale after their first world series win in 97. The new stadium location is a joke, and with in a year, when the new dust is gone, attendance will go back to being what it is right now. Also the main reason why attendance was high for that series is because of the new york transplants in south Florida. I saw the game and the majority of fans were not rooting for the Marlins. The same could be said about the Rays but they have a totally different issues as they do not play in Tampa where the majority of their fan base lives they play in St pete which is across the bay and from my house a 45 minute trip
	Sportsaholic Forum


sabredance	Jul 5 2009, 07:22 AM Post #3
Posts: 4 Group: Rookies Member #1,649 Joined: June 25, 2009	I understand the Tampa-St.Pete situation, Rays were a sympathy addition to MLB after the Giants screwed them over to broker a new stadium in San Francisco with the threat to relocate. But you have to understand something about Miami, and South Florida in particular. On any given day, there are at least 70,000 tourists in Miami-Ft.Lauderdale. No matter what sport you go to, Marlins, Dolphins, Heat or Panthers, you will see a tremendous number of fans rooting for the opposition. Also, Miami is a nice destination for fans of any team. Good walkup and turnout yesterday for the July 4th game with the Pirates, and plenty of Bucs fans there. Teams always bring their family to the games in Miami also. If they had any sense, would advertise baseball excursions in local papers in places like Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Pittsburgh, and match them up to air fare and hotel accomodations, and market a package. Lots of people like baseball vacations. A 72-hour trip to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, and catching your home team playing here is a treat. Who cares who the fans are rooting for, as long as they are paying to get into the game? sAs for the Yankee fans, those I talked to were from NYC, plus a whole lot who relocated to Miami also. But, it's the NYY, anywhere you go, you will have Yankee fans. They sat through three games in 100 degrees, imagine what a decent Marlins team could do? As for the new stadium, all obstacles to its construction were ended during the Washington series last week, when Marlin owner Jeffrey Loria dug into his pocket and came up with the extra $6 million to close an expense gap. They already have started construction - official ground breaking day is July 18th, with a street party sponsored by the Marlins. So they finally will get their indoor stadium. Now - how many fans actually turn out at that old Orange Bowl Stadium site in downtown, is another story. The stadium, when it opens, will attract a lot of curious fans, but you are right. The 1997 sell off of a World Championship team, followed by two more sellouts of the team by the ownership, doesn't lead to good relations - fan loyalty or attendance figures. Also, that location, which even UM had trouble attracting college football fans to, and they are right down the street, is not a good one. Whether the stadium will improve the neighborhood, or the neighborhood will remain run-down, is the major question. The people who live in that neighborhood - they can't support current Marlin MLB ticket prices, let alone the parking or the concessions. A mixed alcohol drink at a Marlins game currently costs $16 each. Who will come? We don't know, but MLB is in Florida to stay, and if the new indoor stadium in downtown - for the Miami Marlins - name change was one of the conditions of building a stadium for Miami-Dade, turns into a "white elephant" it won't come as much of a surprise. Anyway you slice it, or cut it up, current ownership of the Marlins is totally committed to run the franchise at the lowest possible investment price, with little marketing efforts, and fan consideration. A $800 million, retractable roof stadium was their only investment and marketing strategy - an idea, BTW (fan comfort in an indoor stadium), that never was considered in the least in 1993 when the Marlins were created. Lowest payroll, lowest paid coaches and manager, highest ticket prices and concessions. Their idea all along has been "if you build it, they will come." Not so sure that is going to happen, this is the second time the Marlins are being dropped into a bad neighborhood, Miami Gardens where Landshark Stadium, home of the Dolphins is located, is no garden spot either..............Sabre



1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)


« Previous Topic · Florida Marlins · Next Topic »