Harvard Business School’s Springfield Nor’easters Case
1.
2. Overview
0 Minor league baseball team
0 Single-game tickets at $6.00 a piece
0 Target Market:
0 Families
0 Population in Springfield- 55,000
0 Positioning:
0 Local, affordable entertainment for the whole family
0 Distribution:
0 Tickets sold at box office and team website
3. Marketing Plan
0 Promote team through various events throughout the
year
0 Get community involvement before the start of the
season
0 Events create unique and memorable experiences that
other IMC tools cannot
4. Opportunities/Threats
0 Threats:
0 Other affordable entertainment:
0 Movies, bowling, theatre, etc.
0 Professional sports teams
0 Opportunities:
0 Providing shuttle/transportation to games
0 Sponsorships from local businesses
0 Potential economic growth
0 External environmental factors:
0 Mainly low income
0 Lack of public transit
0 Restrictions on sales of alcohol at games
5. Review of Competition
0 Boston Red Sox
0 Tickets prices: $12 - $325
0 Minor League Baseball and hockey teams
0 Ticket prices: $6 - $26
0 Local Colleges
0 Ticket prices: $5 - $6, $3 for children
0 Other forms of entertainment:
0 Prices: $5 - $30
6. Objectives
0 Objectives:
0 Break even through sales of tickets and concessions
0 Build team’s brand awareness through events/experiences
7. Product Strategy
0 Selling affordable and convenient entertainment
0 Core offerings:
0 Baseball game tickets- entertainment (intangible)
0 Concession goods (food, souvenirs, beer)
0 Points of Parity:
0 Category- ticket sales, concessions, entertainment
0 Points of Differentiation:
0 Low ticket pricing, community-oriented environment
8. Pricing Strategy
0 Establishing price as reaction to information from
surveys
0 The most profitable price is $6 for single game tickets
0 Pricing position – affordable/low cost
0 Flanker brand of its major league team organization
0 Low price is consistent with brand’s positioning
9. Place Strategy
0 Distribution:
0 Relatively selective, solely through the box office at the
stadium and online
0 Consistency with positioning-
0Community based
0Convenience (online)
10. Integrated Marketing
Communications
0 $175,00 allocated towards advertising
0 PR plan:
0 To promote events
0 Build brand equity
0 Plan to create events and experiences for the
community
0 Help build awareness and support
11. Action Plans
0 Summer event
0 Fall event
0 Winter event
0 Spring events
0 Restaurant and local business sponsors events
12. Summer Event
0 Announced through official press release
0 Team will build float for town’s 4th of July Parade
0 Build awareness
13. Fall Event
0 Booth at local town’s fall carnival
0 Will include information about the team
0 Provide games
0 Dunk team members in water for prizes
14. Winter Event
0 Team will sponsor holiday event in the town’s center
square
0 Events will include:
0 Christmas tree lighting
0 Snowball fights against players
0 Sledding, snowman building, ice sculpting
15. Spring Events
0 Invite town to spring training
0 Meet and greets with the players
0 Q and A
0 Sponsor the local Little League organization
16. Restaurants and Businesses
0 Bi-monthly events at the various businesses that
sponsor the team
0 Restaurants and other local shops
0 Raffles and prize giveaways
0 Community members will be able to interact with
players in a casual environment
17. PR for events
0 Local radio ads for quarterly events
0 4 weeks prior
0 Local radio ads for bi-weekly events
0 Week prior
19. Event Promotions
0 Radio Cost: $40,000 (one week of radio ad = $1,000)
0 16 weeks of radio promo for the quarterly events
0 24 weeks of radio promo for the bi-weekly events
0 Remaining Budget:
Roughly $100,000
20.
21.
22.
23.
24. Price per ticket
Ticket
Type
Less
than
$4
$4 $6 $8 $10 $12 $14
Single
Ticket
0% 2% 5% 13% 37% 27% 22%
5 game
ticket
1% 2% 3% 19% 36% 34% 5%
20 game
Half
Season
1% 7% 23% 28% 25% 15% 1%
38 game
Full
Season
18% 26% 20% 14% 11% 10% 1%
