In an effort to boost ticket sales and create hype around the 2008 opening of the new baseball stadium, Herndon-based White & Partners has been tapped to lead the marketing and advertising efforts for The Washington Nationals, team officials announced this week.
Ticket sales for the 45,000-seat RFK Stadium were disappointing last season, with average game attendance at about 26,000. Although low, that level of attendance is not uncommon for a new team. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays, for example, had an average attendance of about 17,000 last season in a 41,000-seat stadium.
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The new campaign, titled Pledge Your Allegiance will target potential season ticket holders, who will have priority seat selection in the new ballpark. Last season, the team sold 16,300 season tickets.
“Of course, we always want to increase our season ticket base because that’s your bread and butter and your most loyal fans,” said Chartese Burnett, a spokeswoman for the Nationals.
This is the first time the Nationals have used an outside firm for a full-fledged, integrated marketing campaign since the Lerner family bought the team. The team previously worked with the Olson advertising agency out of Minneapolis on more limited projects.
“With the Lerner family on board, it’s time to engage the fans and launch an exciting era in the new ballpark,” said Matt White, chairman and chief executive officer of White & Partners, in a statement. “This is a great win for us and extends our history of building marquee entertainment and consumer brands.”
Filling the stadium is a priority for the city, said Bob Sweeney, president of the Greater Washington Sports Alliance. In addition to ticket sales, revenue from food and souvenirs is also pumped into the District.
Ticket sales were up when the team was winning, he said, and dropped off when they weren’t.
“You start winning games, you start building fans,” said Sweeney.
Excitement over the new stadium could also boost sales, he said. “I imagine this coming year season tickets will shoot back up at RFK because people will want to be first in line [for the new stadium].”
While winning games has an impact on ticket sales, the marketing strategy will also be an important component, said Lisa Delpy Neirotti, professor of sports management at The George Washington University.
“It is very important to always keep in the mind of the fans or the potential fans,” Neirotti said. “The Redskins are so popular because every time you turn around, even in the off-season, someone’s talking about them.”
