The Power of Perception and a Movoto.com Clickbait Article

I shouldn't care about this. I really, really shouldn't. But here goes:

We've all seen hack articles circulate on Facebook. Most of them have clickbait titles such as "20 Things You Learn in Your 20s", "50 GIFs You Love To Love", or "62 Ways Your Best Friend is Really An Alien". They usually have few words, a lot of pictures, and take approximately 20 minutes to write. But they get shared. A lot.

A sub-genre of these hack articles are the Movoto.com geography posts. These articles usually have titles such as "31 Things People From Memphis Understand" or "5 Things People From Postage Stamp Countries Love" or "62 Ways People From Las Vegas are Really Aliens". They are also usually written by someone who has never visited those areas. But since these articles pay on page views, and they get shared thousands of times, the writer usually makes a few bucks for their 15 minutes of Wikipedia-based geographic research.

Carpetbagger click bait.

Yesterday, a Movoto.com post entitled "33 Words That Mean Something Entirely Different in Florida" was shared amongst my Facebook friends. I'm not linking to it, because that would give it credibility. It was written by a "Kristin Norton", who writes all of these types of articles, is often wrong, and may not even be a real person.

According to Ms. Norton, number 18 on this illustrious list is "Baseball". Par for the course, there is a picture of a baseball stadium in Florida. But not the Trop or Marlins Stadium, but Bright House Field in Clearwater. According to Movoto.com,

What it means everywhere else: The joy of hitting up a game or two every summer to see your favorite team play.
What it means in Florida: SPRING TRAINING!

Let me only point out the obvious. In 2014, the Grapefruit League drew 1,452,144 fans, a significant percentage of whom were tourists. In 2009, total out-of-state spring training tourists were estimated at 23%. That would mean 1,118,150 Floridians attended Spring Training if we use the 2009 percentage on 2014 attendance.

The Rays and Marlins drew significantly more than that. Almost 2 million more. There is no feasible way Spring Training is more popular than regular season baseball in Florida. None.

But however, if the amateur writers at Movoto.com think it might be true, then perhaps regular season baseball in Florida isn't sending the right message. The writers of these posts are the least hardcore fans of anything on the planet. They don't care about anything they write about. Whatever they find in their 15 minutes of research on Florida, they are going to include in their post.

I can almost guarantee "30 Things Chicago Folks Do For Fun" includes Wrigley Field. So Movoto.com doesn't have a bias against MLB. And they aren't trying to annoy Floridians. They want them to share the page. They are not trying to insult Florida baseball fans. They are just under the perception that Spring Training is more popular.

Hopefully, the Rays and Marlins can eventually grow their product recognition to the point where hack writers on clickbait sites like Movoto.com put them on the same level as other MLB teams.

Bradenton Marauders reaching out to female demographic with Baseball Basics

Women make up a growing segment of baseball fans. According to a May 2012 poll, 38% of women in Florida are either somewhat or very interested in baseball. For way too long, however, teams had no idea how to cater to this demographic. While some women (like some men) just go to the ballpark for the social experience, others want to be as into the game as possible. Teams' initial marketing efforts were clunky and awkward, usually based on stereotypes instead of fandom. Only in the last few years are teams such as the Mets reaching out to these hardcore fans and giving them events worth their time.

On March 23rd, the Bradenton Marauders will host their 6th Annual Baseball Basics for Women Clinic. Being that the Marauders started play in 2010, they have done the clinic every year of their existence. According to the press release,

Pirates Major League and minor league players and coaches will instruct participants in hitting, catching, running the bases, and fielding. Each of the women will also receive a free t-shirt, a goodie bag filled with great prizes, like a free massage at Elements Massage, and a ticket to the Saturday, March 28 Spring Training game against the Blue Jays.

This promotion also coincides with the Marauders' "Lady Marauders" program. This program provides benefits during the season, to include a t-shirt, drink specials, and admission to every Saturday night home game.

Good to see the Marauders reaching out to the female demographic. That's a great way to build a strong and diverse fanbase.

Attendance Review: 2010 Clearwater Threshers

Welcome to our fifth attendance review of the Clearwater Threshers. This post continues our series of looking back at trends in Tampa Bay area fan behavior since 2007. Today we look at the home attendance of the 2010 Clearwater Threshers.

Overview: The Clearwater Threshers began play in the Florida State League in 1985. The Threshers moved to Bright House Field in 2004. Bright House Field is also the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2013, the population of Clearwater was 109,703.

Clearwater Threshers 2010:

Home Games: 71

Total attendance: 172,716 (up 1.86% from 2009: 169,559)

Per Game Average: 2,540 (up 1.84% from 2009: 2,494)

Highest attended game: 7,947 on Friday, April 30th vs Daytona

Lowest attended game: 1,105 on Sunday, July 11 vs Daytona

Double headers: 2 (Aug 16, Sept 1)

Cancellations: 1 (Aug 23)

Notable rehab assignments: Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Brad Lidge, Placido Polanco

Other notable appearances: None

Breakdown:

(red shading = below annual average of 2,540)

Overall:

By Month:

The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.

By Day of the Week:

Threshers attendance increased 62.5% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.

• Mon-Thurs average attendance: 1,957
• Fri-Sun average attendance: 3,180
• Increase: 62.5%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.

The following chart shows how often each day outdrew the day prior.

By Opponent:

By Starting Pitcher:

This chart depicts how attendance reacted from one starter to the next. If a pitcher is a great draw, the percentage between he and the prior starter should be higher.

Attendance Review: 2009 Clearwater Threshers

Welcome to our fourth attendance review of the Clearwater Threshers. This post continues our series of looking back at trends in Tampa Bay area fan behavior since 2007. Today we look at the home attendance of the 2009 Clearwater Threshers.

Overview: The Clearwater Threshers began play in the Florida State League in 1985. The Threshers moved to Bright House Field in 2004. Bright House Field is also the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2013, the population of Clearwater was 109,703.

Clearwater Threshers 2009:

Home Games: 71

Total attendance: 169,559 (up 0.55% from 2008: 168,637)

Per Game Average: 2,494 (up 0.56% from 2008: 2,480)

Highest attended game: 9,844 on Friday, July 3rd vs Dunedin

Lowest attended game: 1,067 on Tuesday, Sept 1 vs Brevard County

Double headers: 2 (April 16, May 27)

Cancellations: 0

Notable rehab assignments: Pedro Martinez, Brad Lidge, Brett Myers

Other notable appearances: None

Breakdown:

(red shading = below annual average of 2,494)

Overall:

By Month:

The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.

By Day of the Week:

Threshers attendance increased 79% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.

• Mon-Thurs average attendance: 1,831
• Fri-Sun average attendance: 3,284
• Increase: 79%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.

The following chart shows how often each day outdrew the day prior.

By Opponent:

By Starting Pitcher:

This chart depicts how attendance reacted from one starter to the next. If a pitcher is a great draw, the percentage between he and the prior starter should be higher.

No One Wins When Local Bloggers Insult Tampa Bay Baseball

One thing I have done on this blog is call out people who take cheap shots at Tampa Bay baseball fans. Yes, the Rays struggle with attendance. This is a fact. But it is how, when, and why people mention Rays attendance that I often have a problem with.

In context, there is nothing wrong with saying the Rays attendance stinks. I'll agree and maybe even offer some research on where the Rays struggle the most (hint: Monday through Thursday). But what I will not abide is when people throw the Rays fanbase under the bus for no other reason than to run them over.

Since I started this blog, I have taken umbrage with Dick Vitale, an employee of the Daytona Cubs, a Durham Bulls beat writer, and political writer Dan Drezner. Each time I countered weak claims with facts, in an attempt to not only defend the fanbase, but also to inform and educate. Like most arguments, proper use and interpretation of data makes for a better discussion.

I expect to have to defend, inform, and educate media people who are not from Tampa Bay. They don't have the facts and they are not from the area. What I do not expect, however, is to set straight other local sports bloggers. These are peers who should know better. They should be working with sites like mine to increase the knowledge level of the Tampa Bay sports community. But alas, I shouldn't assume.

On Saturday, dozens of college football stars gathered at Tropicana Field for the annual East-West Shrine Game. This game was a showcase of players seeking to improve their draft status and play among the best competition in college football.

Attendance for the 2015 East-West Shrine Game went up 14.33% compared to the 2014 game, from 19,500 to 22,296. That's great and something people should write about and celebrate.

But instead of accentuating the positive, two local sports bloggers used the opportunity to belittle Rays attendance. According to Bucs bloggers Gil Arcia of TheBayCave.com and Luke Easterling of DraftReport.com and BleacherReport.com,

More than the #Rays RT @Shrine_Game: Official attendance from the #ShrineGame - 22,296 at @TheTrop.

— Gil Arcia (@GilArciaTBC) January 18, 2015

As @GilArciaTBC points out, today's Shrine Game attendance is well above Rays' average at the Trop. *sigh*

— Luke Easterling (@LukeEasterling) January 18, 2015

There is absolutely no reason to bring Rays attendance into a conversation about the East-West Shrine Game. None. The only thing they have in common is the venue in which they are played.

Here are a few ways Rays baseball and the East-West Shrine Game differ:

• Different sports
• Different fan bases
• The East-West Shrine Game is a once-a-year event, Rays play 81 games
• The East-West Shrine Game is an all-star game, Rays games are regular season contests
• The East-West Shrine Game is a national level event, Rays games are marketed to the local fanbase

Comparing the two makes as much sense as comparing attendance to a music festival at Raymond James Stadium to the Bucs average attendance. They take place in the same venue. As a matter of fact, the Super Bowl has been played at Raymond James Stadium, why not compare that to a regular season Bucs game?

Because it makes as much sense as Wookies on Endor.

That local sports bloggers cater to the lowest common denominator and take pot shots at local baseball attendance feeds into the self-fulfilling prophesy that the Rays have a weak fanbase and that is the reason the team struggles with attendance. Noah Pransky of Shadow of the Stadium often writes about self-fulfilling prophesy in regards to the consistent bashing of Tropicana Field subconsciously driving people from the ballpark.

As I pointed out to Mr. Arcia and Mr. Easterling, even if we want to compare a college football all-star game to an average regular season baseball game, and use the only thing the events have in common, day of the week, the Rays don't look bad at all.

In their 13 Saturday games in 2014, Rays attendance was 24,320.

1,934 more fans than the East-West Shrine Game.

If you are going to critique your own neighbors, you should make sure you have your facts straight. Otherwise, you make our entire sports community look bad.

Then again, maybe that was the intent.

Notes from the Tampa Bay Business Journal "Business of Sports" Huddle

On Thursday, January 15, I attended the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Business of Sports Huddle at Amalie Arena. The event was a discussion about sports and the Tampa Bay community. Hosted by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, guests included several prominent executives from Tampa Bay sports teams.

• Jeff Vinik, Owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning
• Farrukh Quraishi, Rowdies President and GM
• Brian Ford, Bucs Chief Operating Officer
• Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the Women's Tennis Association
• Tracy West, Tournament Director, The Valspar Championship (golf)
• Sean Brown, VP of Finance, Minor League Baseball
• Chris Stadler, Chief Marketing Officer, Ironman
• Rob Higgins, Executive Director, Tampa Sports Commission

No one mentioned, but the Rays were conspicuously absent. As far as I could tell, they were the only regional professional sports organization not present. I would be very curious as to why they chose not to attend. Were they invited?

If they were invited, someone should have been there. The discussions were not only about Tampa, but about the Tampa Bay region. The Rowdies, for example, play in downtown St. Petersburg. If the Rays want regional support, they should be more regionally proactive.

The Rays absence was a major missed opportunity on their part. If Jeff Vinik showed up and chief execs of the Rowdies and Bucs were there, the Rays had to be there. Or someone should have mentioned why they weren't there. Several questions and issues involved the Rays, leaving people who had no knowledge to make their best guesses.

Now, about those who were there:

The seminar started with opening words by Abraham Madkour, Executive Editor of the SportsBusiness Journal. Madkour listed several issues he is watching in the next few years:

• Bud Selig stepping down and Rob Manfred taking over as MLB Commissioner
  
  • Pace of game
  • How Manfred handles the Rays situation
• How Roger Goodell and the NFL can bounce back from publicly embarrassing 2014
• Impact of the College Football Playoffs
• TV rights dollars and whether streaming packages will cut cable revenue
• Evolution of technology in the fan experience
• Growth of gaming and gambling
• How the wall between fans and players and fans and coaches is changing
• Rays situation (yes, again)
• Bill Simmons's relationship with ESPN
• Teams as regional developers beyond the walls of the stadiums (Vinikville, etc)
• Change from large venues to intimate sports venues and the fear that sports will be "just for television"

Next to the stage was Farrukh Quraishi, President and GM of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Mr. Quraishi discussed the change of Al Lang Stadium from baseball to a permanent soccer facility, how the Rowdies are building their audience, differences between their league and Major League Soccer, and the impact of owner Bill Edwards.

After Mr. Quraishi was Mr. Vinik. As the most high-profile speaker, Mr. Vinik was definitely the star of the event. It was after all, in his building. Not only did I gain insight into his local project, but I felt like I learned a little bit about his mindset as a leader and businessman.

Of course, there are plenty of local news sites that discuss the details of what he is doing, but here are my takeaways on Mr. Vinik:

• He talked to development experts and visited other cities to order to gain knowledge.
• He is sold on the potential and uniqueness of Tampa.
• Sometimes disappointments happen, but continue the vision.
• Build a good executive team, both in hockey and real estate.
• Explain projects well in order to gain credibility. If people don't understand your idea, that's because you didn't do a good enough job of explaining it.
• His early years were head-down in research, especially independent research. His knowledge of finance and money management paid off in his career.
• Celebrate learning new things. Now in his 50s, Vinik is moving into real estate and development.
• It takes time to be world class. Be patient.
• Be world class in customer service. How you treat people and guests is very important. Have world class customer service.
• Strive for sustained excellence. There are no short cuts. It takes time to build a brand. There is also no substitute for hard work. Build one-to-one with everyone you meet.
• Touch people. Be public. Build a brand.
• He is happy to break even with the Lightning. Real estate needs sustainable growth.
• He is 100% behind efforts to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay area, whether Hillsborough or Pinellas Counties. He believes in order for this region to be major league, Tampa Bay needs Major League Baseball.
• Tampa needs mass transit. This effort will start with emphasis on the street car trolley line expansion. From there, mass transit can grow.

Following Mr. Vinik was a panel moderated by Rob Higgins of the Tampa Sports Commission. The panel included

• Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the Women's Tennis Association
• Tracy West, Tournament Director, The Valspar Championship (golf)
• Sean Brown, VP of Finance, Minor League Baseball
• Chris Stadler, Chief Marketing Officer, Ironman

Each of the panel members talked about their role and the importance of Tampa Bay in their location. Each of these entities operates events throughout the nation, if not throughout the world. The allure of Tampa Bay and the access to the airport has allowed them to best control their operations.

A few points:

• Ms. Allaster discussed turning matches into global events as well as the growth of data - both for the sport and for fans.
• Mr. Brown talked about the impact of social media for Minor League Baseball.
  
  • (Note: There was no mention of the Florida State League or Spring Training. Although he was asked about Gary Sheffield's effort to get Spring Training in Wesley Chapel, Mr. Brown said he had no knowledge on the issue.)
• Ms. West talked about the importance of sponsorships in golf.
• Mr. Stadler discussed partnerships and the Ironman brand.

After the panel was a discussion with Brian Ford, COO of the Tampa Bay Bucs. Mr. Ford talked about the following:

• The excitement of having the first pick in the NFL Draft.
• How the Bucs attempt to monetize excitement - ticket sales, etc
• Offering exclusive value events to add value to the fan experience - upgrades, etc
• Adding local flair in experience and concessions
• Events need to be a good time - beyond just game play
• The pulse of social media - passion is a good thing.
• Use of customer data - strategy for attracting new fans/ keeping loyal fans/ bringing back fans who fell off the wagon.
• The importance of new Chief Marketing Officer Brian Killingsworth and his local knowledge.

Overall, I though The Business of Sports Huddle was a great event. I learned a lot about the vision of the local sports teams. I even learned about organizations I didn't know were in Tampa Bay, but play an important role in the Tampa Bay sports landscape. Of course, it would have been nice for the Rays to show up.

MLB Looking for Scene Creators

Yesterday, I talked about the idea of making baseball games a "social scene". I stated not all baseball games can be social events. But according to a recent MLB job posting, MLB Media is going to try.

MLB Advanced Media is looking for "Real-Time Correspondents" to capture the scene of every MLB game.

MLB is seeking a creative baseball enthusiast with a social media and editorial background to be our eyes and ears at the ballpark during the 2015 MLB season. This candidate will possess the ability to build compelling story lines at each game that captures behind-the-scenes content, memorable baseball moments, human-interest stories and anything that brings the excitement of the ballpark to life through video footage and photos, in real-time. The content provided must capture the essence and fun of the ballpark for those who may not there, while encouraging fan engagement.

The content will be used for MLB.com, Club.com MLB Social media platforms, Club social media platforms and cut4.com.

This would be a great position for a storyteller. While some might think lack of attendance would be a hindrance, it should foster creativity. Each game can be a different story, instead of the typical "look at all the people here" motif. A Rays correspondent could focus on Raymond for a game, for example. They could also create legends by focusing on individual fans and telling their story over months. Maybe once a week they could catch up with the same fan and get opinions and quotes.

Other ideas could include:

• Parents bring a child to their first game
• First dates
• Parties
• Focus on ushers
• Food
• Beer
• Grounds crew
• Rays tank folks

There are a lot of stories that happen at Tropicana Field every year. A good real-time correspondent could stay very busy. This stories happen in a scene. By exploring the untold stories, the MLB correspondent would give exposure to those who never had any. If you pull the right heartstring, people will relate. And the passion of the story may be contagious.

If I was a young anthropology or journalism student, I would jump on this. I wouldn't leave it to marketing or a mass communications student. I am curious who will apply and what stories will they tell.

Marlins Marketing and Baseball Social Scenes

I don't normally talk about other teams here, because I don't have any expertise on those teams or those markets. But a few days ago, Marlins blog Fish Stripes wrote a really fascinating post on the Marlins marketing efforts.

In the article, Michael Jong details the Marlins efforts to win over Miami's Hispanic community. He compares their success to the failed efforts of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

The Fish wanted to appeal to the Latin-American population, and particularly the Cuban population, in their move as well. The Taste of Miami local foods area is a great example of appealing to the local populace rather than going for broad appeal. The team has always attracted Latin-American acts for their concert series, and the inaugural representative of these concert attempts was Mr. 305 himself, Pitbull. The Marlins have set the bulls-eye squarely on the surrounding Hispanic population, much like the Hawks have targeted the younger and African-American groups of Atlanta.

Now I am not sure how Jung is measuring success here. Are there more Cuban baseball fans in the stands? Are they selling more season tickets to people from the Cuban part of Miami? Are the Marlins polling better in popularity and compared to the Heat, Dolphins, and Panthers?

Jung concludes the Marlins have done all they can in regards to turning the ballpark into an entertainment venue, although again he gives little support to his idea. Again, there is no polls or marketing data. But he asserts the Marlins now need to win.

But the winning ways need to follow. The Fish have done all the marketing that they could do to sell the games as worth attending. Assembling a winning product may very well be just the last step.

Although I am critical of posts that make assumptions of marketing success without supporting data, I liked Jung's article. It gave me a lot to think about.

In the Tampa Bay area, the Rays have attempted to make the Trop a social scene through efforts such as the Porch. One could argue the Clearwater Threshers have done just as good of a job turning Bright House Field into a social event, especially during their drink special promotions and happy hours.

Food and drink is a great way to create a social scene. The Dunedin Blue Jays and Tampa Yankees hosted Food Truck events and the Jays hosted local breweries. It might behoove the Rays to do the same, although concession contracts might get in the way.

Being that baseball is played almost every day from April to October, it is impossible to turn every game into a social event. But if good marketing/buzz can turn a basement into a scene, then it clearly can turn a baseball game into a scene. And the best baseball markets: the Busch Stadiums, Fenway Parks, and Wrigley Fields are a scene. People go not only to be popular, but because going is a popular thing to do.

Could Marlins Park or Tropicana Field ever be a scene?

Attendance Review: 2008 Clearwater Threshers

Welcome to our third attendance review of the Clearwater Threshers. This post continues our series of looking back at trends in Tampa Bay area fan behavior since 2007. Today we look at the home attendance of the 2008 Clearwater Threshers.

Overview: The Clearwater Threshers began play in the Florida State League in 1985. The Threshers moved to Bright House Field in 2004. Bright House Field is also the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2013, the population of Clearwater was 109,703.

Clearwater Threshers 2008:

Home Games: 70

Total attendance: 168,637 (up 1.37% from 2007: 166,359)

Per Game Average: 2,480 (down 0.12% from 2006: 2,483)

Highest attended game: 9,090 on Thurs, July 3rd vs Lakeland

Lowest attended game: 1,142 on Sun, June 22 vs Vero Beach

Double headers: 2 (July 8, August 4)

Cancellations: 0

Notable rehab assignments: Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, Antonio Bastardo, Tom Gordon, Kris Benson, Brad Lidge, Brett Myers

Other notable appearances: None

Breakdown:

(red shading = below annual average of 2,480)

Overall:

By Month:

The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.

By Day of the Week:

Threshers attendance increased 38% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.

• Mon-Thurs average attendance: 1,957
• Fri-Sun average attendance: 3,183
• Increase: 38%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.

The following chart shows how often each day outdrew the day prior.

By Opponent:

By Starting Pitcher:

This chart depicts how attendance reacted from one starter to the next. If a pitcher is a great draw, the percentage between he and the prior starter should be higher.