A friend of mine tweeted just the other day about brand loyalty and how everything she was currently wearing was from Nike. And this got the little marketing geek in me thinking...what brands am I loyal to? Of course brands I like come to mind but in many cases I'm not particularly loyal to them. I love Apple, but my phone is not an iPhone. Sperry Top-Sider makes a great shoe, but I only own two pairs and usually wear flip-flops in the summer. L.L. Bean has the best return policy in the books and I love my backpacks but my boots are Sperry Top-Siders. And then I began wondering... well there must be something in my life that I'm loyal to outside of my friends and family, so of course the Red Sox came to mind.
Duh, the Red Sox are a brand just as much as the Yankees, the Rays, the Angels, and even the Pirates, or the Bruins (shout out the the Eastern Conference Champs), the Saints, the Patriots, the Lakers, Manchester United, and Team USA. They're all brands. They're all being marketed and sold to us, in many cases even more cleverly than anything Apple and Google can do. We view things like Apple and Google as products, something at least semi-tangible that we have to physically use or purchase, but not a sports team. A sports team is an experience. We don't go out looking to buy a baseball game, we just want a relaxing evening at home. But every single team is a brand all it's own.
The thing about a sports team being a brand however is sometimes no matter how great a commercial, logo, website, or promotion night is, it won't matter. People want to see winning teams and in many cases if its not a winning team they just don't care. No matter how much we hate it bandwagoners and fair-weather fans, they are the ones that end up filling stadiums and buying t-shirts that sell the brand. But these pesky fans only show up when there's a winning team in town. Branding a team must work seamlessly with putting together a winning team.
A living breathing example right now in my native New England are the Boston Bruins. Back a few seasons ago when the team couldn't even find their way into the playoffs they were the last team on the minds of most New Englanders, but now that they are stringing together wins and have played their way to the Stanley Cup Finals I'm seeing Bruins Facebook statuses from people who have never seemed to care and old dusty hats and t-shirts being dug out of closets. All of a sudden people are running to their local Olympia Sports and Dicks Sporting Goods. The Bruins are the cool brand right now, just like the Sox in '04 and '07 and the Patriots for much of the early 2000's.
There are so many tools to work with when selling and marketing a team, you have the players, the personalities, the history, the great moments, the venues, and the experience/sport in general. When it comes down to it if your team has a decent GM and some talent you have all the ingredients for success on the field/court/ice and in the world of competing markets and brands.
I know I have bought into everything about the Red Sox brand. I own roughly 30 Sox shirts and jerseys. I sleep in pajamas printed with the logo with blankets and a pillow that match. My pens and pencils at school have the little Sox pattern all over them, declaring my love for the team many times over. And that's only scratching the surface, I could keep going and I know for a fact that there are certainly fans who are even more die-hard than me. So I'm thinking that's where my brand loyalty lies, with the Boston Red Sox. It's a little crazy how something that we call a pastime turns into a brand and somewhere in the middle there is a very blurred line separating the two.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
What Makes Red Sox Nation So Great Part III
The final part of my paper examines the one thing that ties in both the emotional appeal of the Red Sox and the commercialization of the team. Thus far I have examined how the team is used as a brand to sell and how the the fans feel connected to the team and the players on an emotional level. But really neither of these two things would exist without the media. The media is the platform that markets to us and tells us how we should feel emotionally connected to the team. So when it all comes down to it the reason Red Sox Nation stands out above other fan bases is because of the intensity of the Boston media. So here's another little chunk of my paper, enjoy!
"The business of sponsorships begins to blend the lines of commercialization and the grand encompassing matter of the media in baseball and New England. The media is what allows all commercialized aspects of the team to reach the fans and the media is who tells us what we should care about and why we should become emotionally invested. Newspapers like the Boston Globe and New York Post are the places fans look to for the major headlines and are the sources that fuel the rivalry between the two teams. The media tells us what players to love and hate from the opposing team and brings the message right into our homes. The Red Sox coverage never stops, regardless of the time of year. In 2003 the Boston Globe and Boston Herald ran at least one story on the team every single day from the beginning of spring training until Christmas Day.[i] Jerry Beach in his book, Fighting Words, also claims that a major factor in the media’s influence on Red Sox Nation is that many of the writers in Boston are also fans. Beach believes that this is unique to New England saying that baseball writers in the region are partial to the team and often write biased articles.[ii]
"The business of sponsorships begins to blend the lines of commercialization and the grand encompassing matter of the media in baseball and New England. The media is what allows all commercialized aspects of the team to reach the fans and the media is who tells us what we should care about and why we should become emotionally invested. Newspapers like the Boston Globe and New York Post are the places fans look to for the major headlines and are the sources that fuel the rivalry between the two teams. The media tells us what players to love and hate from the opposing team and brings the message right into our homes. The Red Sox coverage never stops, regardless of the time of year. In 2003 the Boston Globe and Boston Herald ran at least one story on the team every single day from the beginning of spring training until Christmas Day.[i] Jerry Beach in his book, Fighting Words, also claims that a major factor in the media’s influence on Red Sox Nation is that many of the writers in Boston are also fans. Beach believes that this is unique to New England saying that baseball writers in the region are partial to the team and often write biased articles.[ii]
Some teams have created their own television networks and the Red Sox are no different. The team owns the New England Sports Network (NESN) that is used for the soul purpose of broadcasting all games, pre and post game coverage, Sox themed game shows, and specials about the team. Every media platform has been used to its fullest and the team keeps adapting to the world of social media and technology including twitter contests and online video clips or web series.
Grabbing the Boston Globe and watching “NESN Daily” in the morning, then staying up late to watch post game coverage is just the daily routine for Red Sox fans. No one questions seeing a cardboard cut out of Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox closer, when they order coffee. If anything fans enjoy these things because they have a personal connection with the ball club. The Red Sox have a unique appeal, created by their historical roots, that they have kept strong by commercializing the team and providing the media platforms necessary. Many teams have elements of Red Sox Nation to them, but only Boston has put them all together to generate such a strong fan base. Red Sox Nation is an ever-growing phenomenon that will continue this way as long as fans maintain traditions while connecting with the team and the game."
Friday, May 20, 2011
What Makes Red Sox Nation So Great Part II
The next part of Red Sox Nation that I want to examine is the marketing aspect, which is possibly the key to it all. From a marketing student's perspective this would seem like the most obvious element of Red Sox Nation...although this next part of the paper that I'm presenting sucks a little of the magic from the first part that already presented. Still though the marketing element goes to prove why the fans are so loyal just by looking at some of the statistics. So here's why the Sox market their team and the Nation better than other sports franchises.
Marketing in Sox Nation:
Marketing in Sox Nation:
"The community of Red Sox Nation has reached far and wide outside of Fenway and even the United States and into the global market. In most cases the Red Sox parallel only the New York Yankees in their reach of fans in terms of being a worldwide phenomenon. In 2004, when Red Sox Nation gained most of its momentum, the team had three all-star caliber players on their team from the Dominican Republic and gained a following from the entire island. Then in 2007 the team picked up superstar, Japanese pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, along with relief pitcher, Hideki Okajima, and gained attention from the Japanese media. They went on to open their 2008 season playing in Japan. This along with the rest of “Red Sox Nation living abroad” has built a fan base that leaves the borders of the Red Sox homeland.[i] Other teams have struggled to receive this global recognition. The Mariners for example have a large Japanese following because of their right fielder, Ichiro Suzuki. However the Mariners have failed to put together many winning seasons and struggle to gain fans within their region. The Red Sox on the other hand have kept their place as a leader in the global baseball market.
The Red Sox have capitalized on the more recent pride in the team by commercializing every aspect and creating a brand. This helps to solidify a concrete form of Red Sox Nation. The most literal and direct translation of the Nation into a commercialized platform is the “Red Sox Nation” membership card. This is a plastic card that offers fans different benefits as a paying “official member of Red Sox Nation.” [ii] This program began in 2005, the same season that the Red Sox made up for 21% of all MLB merchandise sales.[iii] This means that people are paying to advertise for the team by wearing and blatantly displaying the logo on everyday items.
The commercialization of the team is essentially selling an experience to consumers. This is a concept known as Disneyization, which is a direct reference to the way Disney has built a brand around an experience.[iv] This idea has been applied to Red Sox Nation. When all boiled down the team is about the game experience but everything that goes along with the team creates the elements of Disneyization. At the very core fans are simply consumers of a brand, The Boston Red Sox Brand. Being a fan means buying into merchandise, products, and logos, while associating this all with the atmosphere of going to and watching games.
The use of sponsorships also plays a major role in the commercialization of the Red Sox. A study published in the Journal of Promotional Management examined how sports marketing has become a prominent part of society.[v] One clear finding was the effectiveness of using athletes as spokes people for products and teams. This is prominent in New England, especially during baseball season. Dunkin Donuts is notorious for sponsoring the team and using players in their out of home media, such as posters and billboards, as well as in commercials and radio spots during the games.[vi] Along with the sponsorships, companies have the rights to use the team logo on their cups, packaging, and trucks. Everyday consumers are essentially told that the Red Sox are their team. The logo and image of the Red Sox within New England is almost inescapable when so many of our everyday products sponsor the team."
[i] Sennott, Charles M. "Global Attraction; It's Not Just Red Sox 'Nation'- Fans Are Worldwide." Boston Globe 28 Oct. 2004, Third ed.: C.15. Print.
[ii] Hiestand, Michael. "Red Sox Nation Buys Into Team's Success." USA Today. Gannett Co. Inc., 20 Jan. 2005. Web. 02 Apr. 2011.
[iii] Rovell, Darren. "Yankees, Red Sox Driving More than Half of Sales - MLB - ESPN." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. 31 Mar. 2005. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.
[iv] Bryman, Alan. "The Disneyization of Society." The Sociological Review 47.1 (2001): 25-47. Print.
[v] Coleman, Linda Jane, Mayuresh Kelkar, and David Goodof. "Contemporary Sports Marketing: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities." Journal of Promotion Management 7.1 (2002): 195-214. Print.
[vi] Goodinson, Donna. "Dunkin' Donuts Pitches Baseball-themed Promo." Boston Herald 27 June 2008: 23. Print.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
What Makes Red Sox Nation So Great, Part I
About a month ago I wrote a paper for my pop culture class about why Red Sox Nation is so unique. It only needed to be a 5 page paper, mine pushed seven pages and I had already cut a lot out. And this was all written without doing research, I had to go back through the paper and find places to do research and find sources. Being an avid Sox fan makes writing baseball and Red Sox papers or speeches (another frequent assignment of mine during freshman year) very easy simply because I'm passionate. I figured I would turn the paper into a two to four part blog series and cover the different aspects and parts of Red Sox Nation. First I want to take a look at the emotional appeal of the team and what makes us all so passionate about the Red Sox. This excerpt really plays to the fan in me more than any other part of the paper.
I used several different sources throughout the essay, and if you have any concerns as to what I am quoting I have a full bibliography and footnotes (this was a research paper after all). So here goes Part 1....
"During the early years of the team a group of fans established themselves as the “Royal Rooters.” This was a group of men who would parade through the streets of Boston playing songs and music as they left bars and headed to all the Red Sox home games.[i] This group was established in 1903 and became one of the original groups of die-hard sports fans in American sports. This became the very foundation of Red Sox Nation. Traditions from the early 20th century fans continue to be a part of Red Sox Nation. This can be seen in looking at the song “Tessie,” originally played by the Royal Rooters, and more recently recorded by The Dropkick Murphys and still associated with the Red Sox today.[ii] Traditions like this are what have helped to keep the fan base connected.
The Red Sox have embraced their historical roots in more recent years, now that they have won a couple World Series. There is less shame and certainly more pride in the fact that these fans have stayed with the team and followed them through all their ups and downs. Other teams such as the Yankees have attracted masses of fans through their success, while Red Sox Nation has proven their fan-hood by watching the team even during losing seasons. Red Sox fans tend to feel more personally invested in their roles because they never gave up during the difficult years and always “kept the faith,” as the 2004 phrase went.[iii]
Another factor in the emotional attachment and involvement of the fans is the generational appeal. Trish Saintelus, moderator of an online Red Sox chat room, spoke of his childhood saying, “I have great memories of sitting with my grandfather [who was] 80 years old, listening to the Red Sox on a hot summer night.”[iv] He also went on to point out that he did not have these same memories and connections with any other sports team. This is just one of thousands of small anecdotes that demonstrate the connection fans feel with older and younger generations based on traditions surrounding the Red Sox, not necessarily other teams.
The Red Sox have existed since the beginning of the 20th century and played at Fenway Park for 99 years.[v] This means that several generations within one family have all been to the same ballpark to watch the same team play. No other fan base can claim this same thing; only Cubs fans can come close to saying the same for Wrigley Field, which was built in 1914.[vi] Another stadium which saw many historical moments in baseball was Yankee Stadium built in 1923 and was known as “the house that Ruth built” until the team opened a new stadium in 2009.[vii] Many fans felt that this left Fenway Park as the soul archives for baseball history. Fenway has also maintained the longest sell-out streak in baseball, filling the ballpark for every game since May 2003.[viii] This demonstrates the clear understanding that fans have of the history and great moments that have taken place at Fenway Park."[i] "The History of the Royal Rooters." Royal Rooters Baseball League. Home Teams Online. Web. 20 Apr. 2011.
[ii] “The History of the Royal Rooters.” Hometeamonline.com
[iii] Borer, Michael Ian. "Believe in the Nation: Red Sox Nation and the Cultural Power of Place." Faithful to Fenway. New York: New York UP, 2008. 180. Print.
[iv] Beach, Fighting Words. 3.
[v] Borer, Faithful to Fenway. 179-84.
[vi] "Wrigley Field History." The Official Site of The Chicago Cubs. Chicago Cubs. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.
[vii] "Yankee Stadium History | Yankees.com: Ballpark." The Official Site of Major League Baseball | MLB.com: Homepage. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Reasons to Watch Any Series Between Boston and New York
It's been a while since I last posted anything but now that I've made the push through finals and settled into summer it's time to get back to business. As I type this I'm watching some great Sunday Night Baseball between the Red Sox and the Yankees and started thinking about some of the reasons why this is the greatest rivalry in sports. I thought of a million reasons but figured I'd highlight the three that seem most relevant this weekend and make some bullet points of a few more good reasons to catch an inning or two of Sox-Yanks baseball in the future.
Why You Should Be Watching
Drama, drama, drama
Just in this series alone we're all freaking out over Posada's little episode where he pulled himself from the lineup after being put in the number 9 spot in the lineup for game 2. The media attacked it like it was the biggest thing to hit baseball since the steroid era. But we all know the last series and the next series and every other Boston-New York series will have a storyline for us to obsess over for a good 3 or 4 days. The drama of these games acts as a great substitution for those of us who tend to ignore tabloid magazines and focus on sports instead.
Some of the best baseball you'll ever see
Regardless of how great or how poor either team is playing during the season when they meet its like their win percentage is irrelevant. These teams play great ball no matter what when they face each other. Anyone who may be doubting the greatness of the game of baseball should tune into NESN or YES on a Friday night, they're doubts will soon vanish when they watch the back-and-forth score and late game comebacks. I'm a little biased but these are some of the greatest games you can watch in a season when it comes to just appreciating the game.
Biggest stage in baseball
Everyone watches these games so closely. The media is relentless and the fans are passionate. Nothing slips through the cracks during a Sox-Yanks series. And if anyone does anything stupid in a series its guaranteed that for years to come there will be jokes and amusing photoshopped pictures all over the blogging world. These 18 games a year are where baseball history happens.
example: Bringing it back to '04
Honorable mention:
-An excuse to stay up late and not be productive
-Showing your little leaguer why baseball is so great
-Perfect for inducing heart attacks
-Getting a glimpse of that playoff feel
-Enjoying the painful commentary of FOX and ESPN
-Trash talking the other team and all their fans that you personally know...or don't know
-Never being disappointed about the outrageous price you paid for tickets
-The only time you can be this passionate about anything without having people question you
-Knowing that most likely something historical will happen within the next 9 innings
So I hope you all tune in to the last couple innings of this game and watch in the future. Please tweet at me with more reasons at @kelseyedoherty
Why You Should Be Watching
Drama, drama, drama
Just in this series alone we're all freaking out over Posada's little episode where he pulled himself from the lineup after being put in the number 9 spot in the lineup for game 2. The media attacked it like it was the biggest thing to hit baseball since the steroid era. But we all know the last series and the next series and every other Boston-New York series will have a storyline for us to obsess over for a good 3 or 4 days. The drama of these games acts as a great substitution for those of us who tend to ignore tabloid magazines and focus on sports instead.
Some of the best baseball you'll ever see
Regardless of how great or how poor either team is playing during the season when they meet its like their win percentage is irrelevant. These teams play great ball no matter what when they face each other. Anyone who may be doubting the greatness of the game of baseball should tune into NESN or YES on a Friday night, they're doubts will soon vanish when they watch the back-and-forth score and late game comebacks. I'm a little biased but these are some of the greatest games you can watch in a season when it comes to just appreciating the game.
Biggest stage in baseball
Everyone watches these games so closely. The media is relentless and the fans are passionate. Nothing slips through the cracks during a Sox-Yanks series. And if anyone does anything stupid in a series its guaranteed that for years to come there will be jokes and amusing photoshopped pictures all over the blogging world. These 18 games a year are where baseball history happens.
example: Bringing it back to '04
Honorable mention:
-An excuse to stay up late and not be productive
-Showing your little leaguer why baseball is so great
-Perfect for inducing heart attacks
-Getting a glimpse of that playoff feel
-Enjoying the painful commentary of FOX and ESPN
-Trash talking the other team and all their fans that you personally know...or don't know
-Never being disappointed about the outrageous price you paid for tickets
-The only time you can be this passionate about anything without having people question you
-Knowing that most likely something historical will happen within the next 9 innings
So I hope you all tune in to the last couple innings of this game and watch in the future. Please tweet at me with more reasons at @kelseyedoherty
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