Order Description
Read the case study, Season Ticket Holder No-shows: An Attendance Dilemma at Mississippi State Baseball Games (Morse, 2013). The case study investigates the challenges at Mississippi State University’s baseball program, which has enjoyed strong fan support. The Bulldogs consistently play in front of sold out crowds each time they take the field, however, the rising number of season ticket holder no-shows is concerning.
Develop at least 3 strategies to move more fans up the marketing escalator related to the number of games they attend, with the goal of increasing the actual attendance in the grandstands.
Additionally, please detail how you would manage the following opportunities and challenges as outlined in the case study:
Game Day Promotions
Game Pace
Ticket Advance
Lifetime and Memorial Seating
This 4-6 page paper should include evidence from the Required Studies and your research. Cite and reference your sources in APA style.
Click here for information on course rubrics.
References
Morse, A. (2013). Season ticket holder no-shows: An attendance dilemma at Mississippi State baseball games. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
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Volume 2 Case Study 9
IN SPORT MANAGEMENT Case STUDIES
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Alan L. Morse is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Mississippi State University.
Season Ticket Holder No-shows: An Attendance Dilemma at Mississippi State Baseball Games
Alan L. Morse Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team has enjoyed strong fan support over the years as the Bulldogs play in front of sold out crowds each time they take the field. The problem is not the ability to sell tickets, but the high frequency of “no-shows.” Ticketing Director, John King, must consider the big picture when formulating a plan to solve this problem. There are many areas within the athletic department that contribute to this problem, and can help “right the ship” as John described it. The goal is to solve the problem with frequency of atten- dance at home baseball games from multiple aspects. Many areas within the athletic department factor into this process: 1) fundraising and development, 2) ticket office, 3) marketing department, and 4) promotions department.
It was a warm spring day in Starkville, Mississippi when newly hired ticket director John King was taking in the sights and sounds of his first Mississippi State baseball season opener. John was well aware of the culture of South- eastern Conference (SEC) baseball and was excited to have a job in such a prestigious conference. The game was sold out and John was anxious for the season to begin. Gates opened an hour before the first pitch and fans slowly began to trickle into the stadium. The third inning rolled around and, to his dismay, the stadium was not as full as he had hoped. John didn’t let the empty seats concern him as he was pleased with the revenue generated from all the season ticket sales. John did not begin to realize the issues created by the empty seats until he walked around the sta- dium and noticed the short concession lines and empty merchandise lines. Over the past few years, Mississippi State baseball has been sold out of chair back seating, also known as reserved seating, but the games have not been well attended. After seeing how deserted the concourse was, John quickly realized that despite the revenue from season ticket sales, Mississippi State University (MSU) was missing out on maximizing its profits. John knew it was time to find creative ways to fix this problem and wanted his staff to have the same urgency. Revenue was not his only concern, John wanted to reinstill the culture he expected from an SEC baseball game and he knew he could not do it alone. The next day, John called a meeting to discuss the attendance issue with his staff. As the meeting progressed, one of his staff members mentioned they had heard quite a few fans complaining about wanting to sit in the chair back seats, but there were no reserved seats left for purchase. Another staff member not only confirmed hearing similar com- ments about the empty chair back seats, but also mentioned multiple fans complaining about the empty parking lots they walked through to get to the stadium. These fans were not pleased and somewhat confused as to why they were not able to park in the nearly empty lots right outside the stadium. John knew it was time to take this feedback from the fans in attendance and fix these problems, before it was too late . . . but how?
Background
Traditionally, Mississippi State fans are proud of their team and support what has historically been a successful baseball program throughout the years. In fact, with a school record 37 home games scheduled in 2012, the Bulldogs increased
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their win total at Dudy Noble Field (DNF) at Polk Dement Stadium to 998 victories. The Bulldogs not only have a tradition of winning, but a tradition of impressive paid attendance figures. The largest NCAA on-campus crowd ever recorded is owned by the bulldogs (14,991), which occurred on April 22, 1989 versus the Florida Gators. The baseball team has eclipsed the 200,000 mark in paid attendance at DNF five times in the past 10 years, including a school record 233,015 in 2003. MSU has hosted two crowds in excess of 14,000 fans, and has played in front of 25 crowds of 10,000 or better. DNF has the prestige of claiming 15 of the top 25, including the entire top nine, on-campus crowds in college baseball history. This includes an impressive nine crowds that exceeded 12,000. However, despite the impressive paid attendance numbers, the actual attendance numbers have been alarming.
Problem
Decades ago, short-term thinking created lasting negative effects. The decision to maximize ticket revenues has stifled current surpluses. Theoretically, a sold out crowd equates to the maximization of ticket sales and in turn, overall revenues. However, this specific situation has many variables that factor into the equation, most notably, the issue of no-shows. In the 2011 season, only 23% of season pass account holders had their tickets scanned for over 50% of the games, while 11% of ticket holders never attended a single game. Obviously, revenue from tickets sold is important, but when those ticket holders are not attending games it is impossible for MSU to generate ancillary revenues and maximize overall profits. This is because tickets to the game represent not only entry to the game itself, but also access to concession and merchandise stands (Marburger, 1997). If fans holding the tickets are not attending, they are unable to purchase ancillary products at the game and are preventing others from doing so as well (assuming the tickets go unused). Thus, the need to solve the core problem: no-shows. Currently, John King acknowledges the profit maximization quandary created by no-shows and understands the following circumstances also factor into the problem of no-shows in the grandstand. The four issues associated with no-shows are: 1) Left Field Lounge, 2) Lack of quality game day promotions, 3) Issues with Ticket Advance, and 4) Lifetime/Memorial seating. While investigating each of these areas, John comprehends the broader picture—dona- tions into the Bulldog Club from season ticket holders. The donation variable strongly impacts the number of options John has to solve this problem. Donors’ wants and needs are of utmost importance to the athletic department and the university. In all four issues, the donors have strong opinions and are reluctant to change. While donor opinions weigh heavily on the situation, so do the wants and needs of the coaching staff. The coach- ing staff identified issues they felt caused the problem of no-shows which includes: 1) lack of home field advantage, 2) poor atmosphere in the grandstand, and 3) overall game pace. While the coaching staff understands revenue provides them with the necessary resources to win, they also want opponents to face an intimidating atmosphere at DNF, just like the Bulldogs experience at other ballparks around the SEC. To accomplish this, it is important to fill the seats closest to the infield with spectators who are enthusiastic. With a capacity of 15,000, DNF has the potential to fulfill what the coaching staff envision. The seating area capacity is approximately 7,200 (4,316 chair back seats; 180 skybox seats; 2,700 bleacher seats) and has been at full capacity for regional and super regional games in the recent past. Beyond the outfield fence there are nearly 75 renewable season parking passes for three rows of “rigs” which are predominantly trucks, motor homes, and trailers. This area is affectionately known by MSU faithful as the Left Field Lounge. While administrators have proposed many ideas to improve the seating in Left Field Lounge, the fans known as “Lounge Lizards,” insist the setup and culture remain the same. Due to the high volume of donors in Left Field Lounge, admin- istrators have decided to respect the wishes of the Lounge Lizards.
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Left Field Lounge
Mississippi State faithful have enjoyed Bulldog baseball games from the Left Field Lounge since the 1960s. During this time, Left Field Lounge has evolved into one of the best traditions in all of collegiate sports. This tradition has been recognized by Sports Illustrated (2003), when the magazine rated Left Field Lounge the “#1 place to watch col- lege baseball” and included Left Field Lounge among the 100 Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate. In 2009, the Left Field Lounge earned the title The Country’s Best Tailgating Experience in All of Sports (ESPN Magazine, 2009). John King states the most unique aspect of Left Field Lounge is that, “it is the only venue in collegiate or professional sport where you can bring in your own food and grill it yourself” (personal communication, July 26, 2012). To tailgate during the game, fans purchase a parking spot from the athletic department that gives them the right to park a rig, with bleachers attached to the top, for the entire season. Activity in Left Field Lounge begins a full week before baseball season begins. “Dudy Gras,” a time honored tradition in Starkville, is a parade of rigs that will be parked in Left Field Lounge. Owners of these rigs throw out Mardi Gras beads and candy during the parade through downtown and the Cotton District on their way to park at DNF for the season (Eddlemon, 2012; Hudson, 2010). Anyone who has ever played at DNF, or attended a game in Left Field Lounge, can attest to the impact the passionate fans in Left Field Lounge have on the game.
Home Field Advantage From Dudy Gras to Left Field Lounge, the culture of Mississippi State Baseball has a profound impact on the game day experience. Over the years, opposing outfielders have found DNF to be an intimidating place to play as MSU has enjoyed a respectable amount of success, in terms of attendance, in the outfield seating area. The fans in the outfield tend to get rowdy with an adult beverage, known as “baseball water” or “lounge water,” in hand and enjoy razzing the opposition. In recent years, the culture of Left Field Lounge has flourished while interest in sitting in the grandstand area has faded.
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The Dudes The coaching staff wants to revive the atmosphere in the grandstand area, as they believe increasing fan density in the grandstands will have a similar impact in the infield. The coaches expect an increase in enthusiastic stu- dents in the grandstands will help contribute to the game day experience, thus improving the fan experience and creating a home field advantage. Previous research supports the coaches’ theory as Smith (2005) identified numerous reasons to expect the home crowd to have an effect on game outcomes, even an influence on officials’ or umpires’ decisions. The benefits of these potential advantages are so appealing to the coaching staff that they take matters into their own hands. The coaches elected to target the student body of over 20,000 to become potential seat fillers with the intention of increasing actual attendance at home games. The baseball coaches created a student organization called the “Dudes,” which is named after former MSU legend Dudy Noble. This specific student organization was introduced in the spring of 2012; over 1,000 students attended one of two meetings and received a free Dudes t-shirt. During this meeting the importance of student’s enthusiasm at games was stressed, as the purpose of the Dudes was to get more students into reserved seating and improve the atmosphere in the grandstand. Despite having every reserved seat sold out each year, the grandstand is rarely close to full capacity. John King believes this is due to various reasons which include:: 1) travel distance, 2) hotel cost, and 3) time for season ticket holders (STH). Most STH’s purchase their seats to have them for Super Bulldog Weekend, various SEC weekend series, and potential regional and super regional games hosted at DNF. Unfortunately, only 20% of season ticket hold- ers participate in the Dudes program. Currently, the majority of the student body views games from Left Field Lounge, which is detrimental to creating the desired noise level around the grandstand area. One of the challenges with creating the Dudes was not to upset the heavy user STH’s. More than likely, the STH’s who attend on a frequent basis are also valued donors to the Bulldog Club. With that in mind, there are sev- eral different chair back seats located throughout the grandstand seating area marked specifically for the Dudes. The marked seats signify STH’s who allow members of the Dudes to occupy their empty seat, when the STH’s are not in attendance. If the STH were to show up, the student sitting in the seat is expected to greet the STH by thanking them for participating in the Dudes program and move to another seat with the appropriate sticker on the back of the chair. Loyalty to the STH’s and their commitment to the program remains paramount along with respecting the culture of Left Field Lounge. The difficulty is finding a balance, as the purpose of the Dudes is not to move all of the students from the outfield into the grandstand, but to implement The Frequency Escalator Theory (Mullin, Hardy & Sutton, 2007).
The Frequency Escalator Theory Adapted from Bill Giles’ “staircase” model, Mullin et al. (2007) adjusted the staircase into an escalator to illustrate a smoother progression of involvement and commitment from fans. The intent is to move consumers up the escalator, from the lowest level (nonaware, nonconsumers) to the highest level (heavy users) by increasing their attendance and participation. Consumers may have a slow progression up the escalator with stops on various levels, or they could quickly ride to the top and be a heavy user. While attracting new customers is important, this theory emphasizes the importance of increasing fan involvement and commitment. Customer retention is highly valued in this model for a variety of reasons, from word-of-mouth marketing to defraying the cost of recruiting new customers. This theory allows the athletic department to focus not only on finding new users but to increase the frequency of attendance of current users. The 2011 Baseball Attendance Recap data file helps indicate where users are on the escalator and methods, such as game day promotions, help fans become more involved in the game.
Game Day Promotions
One way to increase fan involvement at the ballpark is through game day promotions and other attractions. Small portions of marketing and promotional strategies have begun to focus on entertaining fans at the game. Use of the new high definition video board, new sound system, and on-field promotions need to improve along with the quality
Ticket Holder No-shows 5
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of nonconference opponents to create an exciting and appealing environment for spectators. While previous research on game promotions has shown a positive effect on attendance when implemented (Boyd & Krehbiel, 1999, 2003), McDonald and Rascher (2000) identified an issue in Major League Baseball (MLB) where too many promotions potentially have a negative impact on attendance. More recently, Boyd and Krehbiel (2003) alluded that promotions have a negative effect during rival competitions. It would be good idea for the marketing and promotions staff to consider implementing more interactive promotions throughout the game to keep fans occupied, especially during lulls in the game (e.g., pitching changes and minor rain delays). While promotions do not speed up the game, they may have a positive effect on how people view the pace of the game and have an overall impact on the game day experience.
Ground level
Heavy users20
8
7
Medium users
6
5
4
3
2
1
Light users
Consumers
Nonconsumers
Indirect consumers
Media consumer Aware nonconsumer Misinformed nonconsumer Nonaware nonconsumer
Desired direction of movement in frequency
Reprinted, with permission, from B.J. Mullin, S. Hardy, and W.A. Sutton, 2007, Sport Marketing, 3rd ed. (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics), 43.
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Game Pace
The coaching staff strongly believes the slow pace of the game is another challenge they face. With only spurts of action at a time, the coaches feel it is important to create a social, yet energetic, atmosphere at games. Most baseball games can last from three to four hours and college baseball teams will play between 30 and 40 home games a season in the SEC. The high amount of home games potentially influences (positively and negatively) the number of times a fan will be tempted to attend a game. In the sport of football, fans only have four to seven opportunities to watch their team play at home each year. While the length of football season is comparable to baseball, the MSU baseball-coaching staff strongly believes the game of football itself is full of action and entertainment for fans. However, studies indicate an average football game only has 11-min of actual play (Biderman, 2010). The coaching staff also believes most fans can watch MSU baseball games on the Internet or on television, which decreases the chance of fans attending the game. Once again, it is important to note, extant research does not coincide with the coaching staff’s beliefs.
Ticket Advance
As the Director of Ticketing, John King does not have much control over marketing and promotions or the pace of the game. What he does have control over is the seldom-used Ticket Advance system. Ticket Advance is designed for season ticket holders to sell their tickets to fans interested in reserved seats. However, this system has failed to gain traction with MSU fans as many have found the system to be frustrating. To use Ticket Advance, a fan is required to have a “Dog Tag” number. The Dog Tag is an identification number linked to every ticket/donation account. To obtain a Dog Tag number, a person must be a current Bulldog Club member, season ticket holder, Maroon to the Max subscriber, or someone who has registered for a camp. Only season ticket holders can sell their seats on Ticket Advance. People who purchase the tickets on Ticket Advance are not permitted to then resell the tickets again on the system. In an attempt for the athletic department to track customers, they are alienating many potential customers. New customers are not able to use Ticket Advance without registering for a Dog Tag number. The other issues with Ticket Advance are the complexity of the system and lack of marketing by the athletic department. Many fans are unaware of Ticket Advance and many, who are aware, do not know how to use it and claim the system is not user-friendly. The most common issue is with the portable document file (PDF) print out of the tickets itself. When fans are not careful, they may close down the window before printing their ticket. If this happens, they are not able to print the PDF tickets they just purchased without calling the ticket office and having the seats reauthorized. John King is aware of the Ticket Advance issues fans experience along with the technology gap that exists between the older generation of fans and the younger generation. These gaps play a role in the success and shortcomings of the Ticket Advance system. Despite this technology gap, it is important to note that 80% of MSU baseball STH’s have an e-mail account.
Lifetime and Memorial Seating
It is also believed that the generation and technology gaps carry over into the “Lifetime” STH’s. Lifetime STH’s have played a significant role (positively and negatively) in season ticket sales at MSU. In the past, “Lifetime Season Ticket” plans were created to increase capital through donations and ticket sales. Lifetime seating, which has also become known as “Memorial” seating, was created as a form of a Personal Seat License (PSL), to allow fans to have name plates on their seats. According to John King, the memorial seating aspect of lifetime seating has become detrimental to actual attendance at baseball games. As STH’s pass away, their survivors have continued to purchase the seats as a memorial to their loved ones, since Lifetime season tickets can be passed down one-time to a family member. However, despite communication from the athletic department, most of those people appear to be unaware the nameplates were removed years ago when the stadium was renovated and new chair back seats were installed.
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Conclusion
John King is not the only person within the athletic department watching this situation closely. The Director of the Bulldog Club and the Head Coach would like to see the situation improve. With the baseball team’s on field performance improving, it is important for MSU to recuperate the atmosphere of their home games by discovering ways to increase the number of spectators in the grandstand area. Increasing actual attendance in the grandstand area should not only improve the atmosphere for the team, but also for the fans. The athletic department believes that when fans enjoy the atmosphere, the frequency of fan attendance increases along with the likelihood of those fans spending more money at the ballpark. In turn, the Bulldog Club hopes that an increase in consumption and satisfaction will also equate to an increase in the level of donations.
References
Biderman, D. (2010). 11 minutes of action. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527487 04281204575002852055561406.html.Boyd, T. C. & Krehbiel, T. C. (1999). The effect of promotion timing on Major League Baseball attendance. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 8(4), 23-34. Boyd, T. C. & Krehbiel, T. C. (2003). Promotion timing in Major League Baseball and the stacking effects of factors that increase game attractiveness. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 12(3), 173-183. Eddlemon, H. (2012). Dudy Gras celebration ushers in bulldog baseball season. The Dispatch. Retrieved from http://www.cdispatch. com/news/article.asp?aid=15466&TRID=1. ESPN. (2009). The big bang for your bucks awards. ESPN Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=365 161852&prev=si&p=61&o=int&pg=seo. Hudson, J. (2010, February 3). Mississippi State baseball and Mardi Gras combine to provide fun for charity. VisitSouth. Retrieved from http://visitsouth.com/articles/article/dudy-gras starkville-ms/. Marburger, D. R. (1997). Optimal ticket pricing for performance goods. Managerial and Decision Economics, 18, 375-381. doi:10.1002/ (SICI)1099-1468(199708)18:5<375::AID-MDE833>3.0.CO;2-3. McDonald, M. M. & Rascher, D. D. (2000). Does bat day make cents? The effect of promotions on the demand for Major League Baseball. Journal of Sport Management, 14(1), 8-27. Mullin, B. J., Hardy, S. S., & Sutton, W. A. (2007). Sport marketing (3rd ed.). Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics. Smith, D. R. (2005). Disconnects between popular discourse and home advantage research: what can fans and media tell us about the home advantage phenomenon? Journal of Sports Sciences, 23(4), 351-364. Sports Illustrated. (2003). The 100 things you gotta do before you graduate (whatever the cost). Sports Illustrated. Retrieved from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/sioncampus/09/24/100_things0930/index.html.
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Appendix
Mississippi State University Stadium Seating Chart
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Figure 1— Close-up photo of Left Field Lounge during Super Bulldog Weekend (SBW). SBW is the same weekend as the spring football game. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
Left Field Lounge
Figure 3— The photo depicts how the grandstand seating area is rarely as full as Left Field Lounge. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
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Figure 4— Bulldog fan grilling in Left Field Lounge while there are many empty seats in the grandstand (see top right). Left Field Lounge is known as the only place in the nation where fans can cook their own food and enjoy their own beverages. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
Figure 2— Photo of the entire outfield area. Over the years, Left Field Lounge has spread to the entire outfield. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
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Figure 5— Photo of the “Left Field Lounge Lizards.” Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
Figure 6— The photo depicts the atmosphere of Left Field Lounge and the interaction between fans and players. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
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Figure 8— Side view of a front row rig in Left Field Lounge. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
Figure 7— An elevated rig in the back row of Left Field Lounge. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
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Figure 9— Creative rig in Left Field Lounge. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
Figure 10— Side view of front row rig seating in Left Field Lounge. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
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Figure 11— Backside view of front row rigs in Left Field Lounge. Photo courtesy of Bill Simmonds.
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2011 Mississippi State Baseball by Zip Codes
