CINCINNATI REDS MARKETING PLAN

Presented by: Josh Wolf Drew Dunlay Compiled by: Alicia DelCupp

-Executive SummaryThe Reds organization offers a number of programs aimed at youth and schools, and these programs have the potential to build relationships between fans and the organization that will last for years to come. Kids interests play a major role in what their families chooses to do for entertainment, and we want the Reds to become a regular entertainment option for families that live further away from Cincinnati. Based on the target market of 25-49 year olds living outside the I-275 loop but no more than 90 minutes away from Cincinnati, we have created two events to increase ticket sales and give fans an opportunity to learn about the programs the Reds offer to the community. The first event is an End of the School Year Supply Donation game on June 16th, 2013. At this game, fans will bring new or gently used school supplies to donate before going into the stadium. Everyone that donates will receive a raffle ticket and be entered into a drawing to win tickets to a future Reds game. The collected supplies will be donated to the event charity partner, The Boys and Girls club of Greater Cincinnati. There are 10 clubs in the target market that will benefit from the donations. This event is relatable to any promotional game, and we expect that it would have more in season ticket purchases rather than pre-sale tickets due to the nature of the event. This event will take place right after the school year ends, and our hope is that people will see it as a way to celebrate the beginning of summer with family, friends, and the Reds. The second event is The Reds Back 2 School Stadium Hunt. This event will take place on August 11, 2013, right before the school year starts. The stadium hunt is a five station scavenger hunt around Great American Ball Park for the first 1,000 kids and their families with tickets to the game. Each station will be sponsored by one of the Reds partners, and each one will have a school supply for the kids to collect. Participants will also receive a Reds drawstring bag to collect the supplies in. Since the event is about preparing for the new school year, there will be a promotional offer of a Reds bobble head to the first 5,000 people wearing their school apparel. While initially this event will probably impact in season ticket purchases more than pre-sale tickets, if successful, it may become an event that families look forward to year after year. The purpose of the two events is to keep fans engaged throughout the summer. The second event can be marketed and promoted at the first, and there are potential opportunities to work with schools and their local communities to increase exposure for the games. Given the target market, we feel a larger number of these targeted individuals have their own children or younger family members and friends. Also, there are strong followings by alumni of many schools in the target market area and many people who do not have kids still have a connection to their local school communities. If successful, these events will not only increase ticket sales for the Reds, but also increase fan awareness of the programs the Reds offer to get families and the community more involved with the organization.
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-Internal Environment Organization Background The Cincinnati Reds are baseballs first professional franchise, established in 1881 Member of the National League Central Division The current owner, Bob Castellini, has owned the team since 2006 Most recently, the Reds won the 2012 National League Central Division Title Products Cincinnati Reds Baseball Team Strive to produce a successful team on the field season after season Provide a team that is exciting and engages the community, both on the field and off Overall baseball experience Game atmosphere Smells of hotdogs Mascots Fly balls and homeruns Great American Ball Park Opened March 31st , 2003 on the banks of the Ohio River Seating capacity of 42,271 Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Established in 1958 Pays homage to the teams past and offers a unique look into the organization Community outreach programs Reds Community fund- allocates funds to aid in community programs, such as youth baseball and softball programs in the greater Cincinnati area Reducation- offers multiple educational programs aimed at children and schools Urban Youth Academy- training academy that provides free, year round baseball and softball instruction to youth ages 8-18 -External Environment Markets Tristate Area- Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana Baseball fans Individuals of all ages Competitive Environment Sporting events that are more cost effective for families Cheaper/ free entertainment for children Other activities and events closer to an individuals residence
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Other sporting events (ie. Bengals games) due to the long baseball season Other local entertainment options that may draw people from out of town Newport on the Levee Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens Kings Island Minor League baseball teams Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, Dayton, Lexington and Florence all have Minor League teams Economic Environment Ohios unemployment rate is currently 6.9% slightly lower than the national average of 7.9% Economic growth in 2011 and 2012 has created jobs and is aiding in locals feeling more comfortable spending money on entertainment options Cincinnati is home to a variety of large corporations, many of which already have established relationships with the Reds Demographic Environment 296,945 residents in Cincinnati 48.1% White, 44.6% African America, 2.08% Hispanic/ Latino Median family income: $37,543 Social and cultural Environment Sports at every level play a big role in the citys culture Reds are integrated into the history of the city and play a major role in the culture around Cincinnati Technological Environment Reds Webpage Social Media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pintrest, tumblr) MLB At the Ballpark- allows individual to personalize trip with exclusive content available only on a mobile device

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-S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths Strong presence in the greater Cincinnati area A rich and well respected history among baseball fans and sports fans in general Provides a less expensive entertainment option compared to other professional sports in the area A long season provides numerous opportunities to target new markets and increase revenue Weaknesses No control over how entertaining the game will be Not enough activities to keep children/ families engaged Cost/ time necessary to attend game Opportunities Events targeted at families and providing more than just a baseball game (overall Reds experience) Utilizing the Hall of Fame Reducation program and the Red Heads Kids Club as ways to engage a younger audience Increase fan knowledge of additional entertainment within the stadium (fan zone, wiffle ball field, etc.) Threats Length of games can be a deterrent to individuals and families interested in purchasing tickets The ability to access games though the internet, mobile devices and television Distance for individuals outside the I-275 loop Events taking place in the area on the same day as scheduled promotions for the Reds Weather in the Spring and Fall Lack of interest even with additional promotions

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-Marketing ObjectiveIncrease pre-sale and in season ticket purchases by people between the ages of 25-49 living outside of the I-275 loop, but no more than 90 minutes away from downtown Cincinnati. With such a large objective, we attempted to narrow our focus while still trying to reach the maximum number of people possible in the target market. By aiming our efforts towards the parts of the community involved with their local schools, we feel we can reach the largest number of people with common interests in the 25-49 age category. While our main event is targeted at people between the ages of 25-49 with families, it has the potential to appeal to families without children, or people who are single. Even though someone may not have their own kids, a vast majority of people have nieces, nephews, younger cousins, or even close family friends with kids. This event is an opportunity to not only increase ticket sales among families, it potentially can increase ticket sales for the entire target market as an opportunity to spend time with a younger family member or friend. In addition, the collaboration with schools will give the Reds the opportunity to gain more involvement in the programs they offer that are aimed at kids such as Reducation and the Red Heads Kids Club. It was apparent during our visit that the Reds are dedicated to offering a number of opportunities for kids and families to be involved with the organization, and we feel that it is important to get the word out about these programs so they can be utilized by the community. Kids lifestyles play a big role in the lifestyle of their families, and being able to integrate the Reds into that lifestyle is not only an immediate benefit to the organization, it will also help to build future fans at an earlier age.

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-Marketing Strategies Target Market Individuals between the ages of 25-49 Families and individuals with children Individuals living outside of the I-275 loop, but no more than 90 minutes away from Cincinnati

The following table displays demographic information for eight of the largest counties in the target market (2010 census data) % OF HOUSEHOLDS COUNTY # OF HOUSEHOLDS W/ CHILDREN MEDIAN AGE UNDER 18 Butler (OH) 135,960 35.9% 36 Warren (OH) 76,424 40.1% 37.8 Clermont (OH) 74,828 35.9% 38.5 Boone (KY) 43,216 40.5% 35.7 Kenton (KY) 62,768 33.7% 36 Campbell (KY) 36,069 30.6% 37 Dearborn (IN) 18,743 35.1% 40 Franklin (IN) 8,579 35.9% 40 Total: 456,587 Avg.: 35.96% 164,188 Households Avg.: 37.65 years

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 Based on this demographic data, an average of 36% of the households in the target market have children under the age of 18. With just these two events, we hope to target more than a third of the overall market. The median age in the market falls in between our target ages, and a majority of the people in households with children will fall in this age range as well. In addition to households with children, we hope to reach recent graduates and families that may not have children, but are involved in their local school communities. Product Game 1: End of the School Year Supplies Donation June 16th, 2013 Fans bring in unused or gently used school supplies to donate Partner with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati and promote organization as the recipient of the donated school supplies Donation stations set up at entrances One at season ticket holder entrance, two at front entrance and three at back entrance Stations will be right outside gates to eliminate complications Anyone who donates supplies is entered into a drawing to win one of two sets of four tickets to attend a future Reds game Volunteers at donation stations will give raffle tickets to individuals and two winners will be chosen during the 7th inning stretch Game 2: the Reds Back To School Stadium Hunt August 11th, 2013 A school supplies scavenger hunt available to the first 1,000 kids in attendance under 18 years of age Five stations set up around Great American Ballpark, each station is sponsored and supplies provided by that sponsor Station One o Suggested sponsor: Kroger o School supply: Notebooks Station Two o Suggested sponsor: UDF o School supply: markers/ crayons/ colored pencils Station Three o Suggested sponsor: Verizon o School supply: Rulers
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Station Four o Suggested sponsor: Coca Cola o School supply: Folders Station Five o Suggested sponsor: Cincinnati Bell o School supply: Pens/ Pencils Reds give away drawstring bags to kids participating in event to collect the supplies in Available at each starting station to give to kids as they begin Wear any school apparel (Elementary, Middle, High) to get a free bobble head for first 5,000 people in attendance Partner with the Hall of Fame Reducation program to create clues/questions to direct children and their families to the next station Provide future ticket discount incentive to parents who sign their children up for the Red Head Kids Club

Price The purchase of a game ticket makes one eligible to participate in the stadium hunt Cost to the Reds to produce signage/ flyers/ promotional material for both events Cost to produce 1,000 drawstring bags, unless existing inventory can be utilized Supplies provided by each sponsor as part of their annual sponsorship package Promotion Utilize schools outside the I-275 loop to market and promote to families and kids Promote group discounts (25+ tickets) to schools and/or sports teams as an incentive to purchase more tickets Flyers and marketing material in sponsor locations (Kroger, Cincinnati Bell, etc.) News stations in target market area Distribution (Place) A weekend game for both events makes them more accessible to everyone, especially people living outside of the greater Cincinnati area At both game one and game two, volunteers will be necessary to successfully produce the events Signage may be necessary within the stadium to help direct people participating in the scavenger hunt

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Example Stadium layouts

The stadium entrances will be utilized for game one to set up donation stations for fans to donate their left over school supplies to the Reds charity partner- The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati.

The Wiffle ball field will serve as one of the supply stations during the game two scavenger hunt. With the station off to the side, the field can still be used by fans.

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The Fan Zone stage will serve as the central location for the game two scavenger hunt, and will be used to relay information to fans during the event.

Statues and other stadium icons can be used to provide clues as to where the next station is located. For example, this statue could be used in a clue to direct people to the Hall of Fame/ gift shop supplies station.

Other locations around the stadium, such as the playground in the fan zone, can be utilized to provide fans with additional activity options during both events

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Stadium layout: Game one

Stadium layout: Game two

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-Timeline of Events January- March, 2013 Distribute sponsorship information and secure sponsors/ charity partner for events Determine what supplies will be given out during scavenger hunt and what each sponsor will be providing Choose supply station locations Plan drawings and secure prizes to be given away March- May, 2013 Promote end of school year supplies donation Begin collecting supplies for second game May- August, 2013 Promote Back to School Scavenger Hunt Secure volunteers and provide everyone involved with a run of show for the events

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-Sources-

www.cincinnatireds.com

http://www.cincinnatiusa.org/uploadedFiles/z_Econ/Homepage/2012EconOutlook.pdf http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39000.html

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