The Devil Rays announced that "Raysball" will be the
team's slogan in their new advertising and marketing
campaign designed to boost attendance for next season,
according to Gary Haber of the TAMPA TRIBUNE. Last year,
the team used the tagline "Hit Show" as it built their
marketing efforts around hitters Fred McGriff, Greg Vaughn,
Vinny Castilla and Jose Canseco. But Vaughn, Castilla and
Canseco had "disappointing seasons," and Canseco was waived
at midseason. Next season, "instead of building their
campaign around marquee players," the Rays "are selling
themselves as affordable family fun." A sample ad features
a "cute" fan wearing a team batting helmet and holding
popcorn. Haber adds that the new Rays campaign took note of
an 18-month, six-city MLB study showing that women "could be
a good source of new fans" (see THE DAILY, 7/27). The idea,
created by The Leffler Agency, is "to broaden the Rays'
appeal to include more mothers looking for a place to bond
with their school-age children" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 10/24). New
ads will begin next month, with billboards following in
January (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 10/24).
