Menu
Research and Ratings

Anheuser-Busch retains its MLB crown

For the third consecutive season, Anheuser-Busch InBev was the most-recognized MLB sponsor among the league’s fans this year, according to the results of the eighth annual SportsBusiness Journal/Daily MLB sponsor loyalty survey, conducted by Turnkey Sports & Entertainment.

Forty-five percent of the fans surveyed correctly identified the beermaker as an MLB sponsor. That awareness level is more than 7 percentage points higher than it was in 2010 and up 3 percentage points from last year.

A-B ran a print campaign featuring a toast to the local team.
The identification rate was even higher among casual fans in particular, with nearly 47 percent of those survey respondents correctly identifying the company as an MLB sponsor. That mark fell just 1 percentage point below A-B’s all-time high, which came in 2012.

A-B has been a league sponsor since 1980. Its flagship Budweiser brand additionally has official sponsorships with 23 MLB teams.

In terms of activation, A-B/Budweiser kicked off the season with a high-profile campaign that featured placing a petition on WhiteHouse.gov asking the federal government to formally declare MLB’s Opening Day a national holiday. During the season, A-B ran a local print ad campaign in several markets with a “Here’s to Baseball” toast specific to each team’s history. And when the playoffs came around, Fox signed A-B as the presenting sponsor of its National League Division Series broadcasts.

An increase in media exposure of the brand’s in-stadium assets may have helped Budweiser’s visibility, as well. For example, the Budweiser Brew House outside Busch Stadium in St. Louis is a three-level, 26,000-square-foot venue that received exposure during 18 nationally televised Cardinals games this year on Fox, Fox Sports 1, ESPN, MLB Network and TBS. The building — which anchors the Cardinals’ $100 million Ballpark Village development adjacent to the stadium — was shown and mentioned numerous times as networks cut to and returned from commercials. Other Budweiser-themed areas christened over the past 18 months that got air time in 2014 include spaces at Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium and Great American Ball Park.

A-B and Gatorade were the only two MLB sponsor brands measured in this year’s survey that received an increase in awareness level among both avid and casual fans compared to last year, and they were the only two official MLB partners to show improvement among casual fans specifically.

Gatorade, which finished No. 2 to A-B in the survey among all fans for the third consecutive year, has been an MLB partner since 1990. It had 17 club-level deals in 2014 and also wrapped up its fourth season as an official sponsor of MLB Advanced Media.

The brand’s most memorable activation of the season may have been its 90-second commercial paying homage to retiring New York Yankees star Derek Jeter that broke late in the year. In the ad, Jeter walks through New York City and mingles with residents on his way to play in a Yankees home game. Jeter has been a Gatorade spokesman since 2000.

As for MLB’s other sponsors that were measured in the survey, their results were mixed.

T-Mobile, for example, saw the survey’s biggest improvement among avid fans — a year-over-year bump of 5 percentage points — but it also saw its recognition rate among casual fans drop by nearly twice that, down 9.5 points.

Overall, T-Mobile still leads the wireless category in terms of fans’ mindshare, and its overall recognition rate among MLB fans is 9 percentage points higher than it was in 2011. (T-Mobile’s first season as an MLB partner was 2013.) The fact that T-Mobile leads the category among baseball fans is further notable because in the general U.S. marketplace, the company is the No. 4-ranked wireless provider, with an 8.5 percent market share among consumers with service contracts, according to a quarterly report issued last month by industry analyst Cowen & Co. In that report, Verizon boasted a 43.3 percent market share, AT&T had 32.2 percent and Sprint garnered 9.1 percent.

Pepsi and MasterCard, each an MLB partner since 1997, saw mixed results in the survey as well, as did Bank of America (a partner since 2004).

Methodology

For this project, Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, through its Turnkey Intelligence operation, conducted national consumer research surveys among a sample of 400 members of the Toluna online panel who were at least 18 years old.

The 2014 survey was conducted Oct. 20-26, a period that coincided with the World Series. The 2012 survey similarly was fielded during a period that included the World Series, while last year’s survey was fielded leading up to the World Series, during league championship series play.

Respondents were analyzed based on their avidity levels. Fans categorized as “avid” were those who responded “4” or “5” to the question “How big a fan are you of MLB?” and claimed to “look up news, scores and standings several times a week or more often,” “watch/listen/attend at least 11 games per season,” and “have a favorite team.” Fans categorized as “casual” responded “3” to the same initial question, then claimed to “look up news, scores and standings several times a month or more often,” “watch/listen/attend at least 3 games per season,” and “have a favorite team.”

When asked to identify official sponsors, respondents selected from a field of companies and brands that was provided to them for each business sector. Only the top-scoring companies and brands are listed in the results published here. The percentage responses listed have been rounded. The margin of error for each survey is +/- 4.9 percentage points.

Turnkey Intelligence performs research work for more than 70 North American major league teams, league offices and brands. MLB and several of its teams are among the company’s clients.

Whichof the following is an official sponsor of the MLB?

  Avid Casual
BEER 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
Anheuser-Busch* 42.5% 40.6% 51.7% 46.5% 42.9% 47.4%
Coors 7.0% 7.4% 10.0% 9.0% 8.7% 8.8%
Miller 7.5% 7.9% 9.0% 8.5% 12.2% 9.8%
I’m not sure 28.0% 36.6% 23.4% 30.5% 23.5% 29.4%
As part of Anheuser-Busch’s advertising campaign to formally declare Opening Day a national holiday, the company produced more than 6 million cases of Budweiser that featured the marks of MLB and the 23 teams it sponsors, including displays for the Boston Red Sox’s 2013 World Series championship and the Minnesota Twins’ hosting of the 2014 All-Star Game. A-B also sponsored a postseason launch concert at the MLB Fan Cave in New York, with DJ Steve Aoki performing. A-B product sampling was offered at the concert, and the company distributed free sunglasses and 300 copies of Aoki’s newest CD to fans as well.
  Avid Casual
SPORTS DRINK 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
Gatorade* 43.0% 42.1% 50.2% 38.0% 34.7% 38.1%
Red Bull 8.0% 5.4% 5.5% 6.5% 13.3% 9.8%
Powerade 5.5% 5.4% 9.5% 5.0% 9.7% 8.2%
I’m not sure 38.0% 43.1% 27.9% 45.0% 32.1% 36.6%
In addition to a national commercial celebrating the career of New York Yankees star Derek Jeter, Gatorade placed customized cups, coolers and towels featuring Jeter’s No. 2 in the Yankees’ dugout for his last game at Yankee Stadium. In another ad campaign that ran throughout the season, Washington Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper was featured in spots for Gatorade’s Fierce brand, and on the Gatorade website, fans could take a digital tour of Harper’s locker. The PepsiCo brand also sponsored the Gatorade All-Star Workout Day.
  Avid Casual
SOFT DRINK 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
Pepsi* 30.0% 26.7% 40.3% 25.5% 36.7% 39.2%
Coca-Cola 25.0% 24.8% 24.9% 18.5% 23.0% 19.6%
Dr Pepper 1.5% 1.5% 2.0% 5.0% 6.1% 1.0%
I’m not sure 36.5% 42.6% 27.4% 45.0% 27.0% 34.0%
PepsiCo in April extended its sponsorship of MLB with a multiyear deal, continuing the sponsor standing for the Pepsi brand that began in 1997. During this year’s All-Star festivities in Minnesota, Pepsi sponsored the first MLB All-Star Summer Block Party, which featured celebrity chefs and food tastings from a PepsiCo-branded kitchen. During the All-Star Game itself, four fans received upgraded seats to Pepsi’s “Big Blue Seats” in the ballpark’s lower level, as well as a VIP experience from Pepsi’s “Real. Big. Summer.” promotion. PepsiCo brands sponsor more than half of MLB’s teams and have more than a dozen MLB players as endorsers.
  Avid Casual
WIRELESS 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
T-Mobile* 17.5% 12.4% NA 13.5% 23.0% NA
AT&T 18.0% 13.4% NA 10.0% 15.3% NA
Verizon 12.0% 16.8% NA 14.0% 12.2% NA
Sprint 6.0% 4.5% NA 5.5% 7.1% NA
I’m not sure 42.5% 51.0% NA 53.5% 37.2% NA
T-Mobile this year renewed its partnerships with all-stars Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen and featured the pair throughout the season in national ads. During the postseason, fans were encouraged to post video selfies singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” to be used in a 60-second TV spot that ran in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the World Series. In addition, as part of their wireless plans, new and existing T-Mobile customers in the United States and Puerto Rico were given free access to the MLB.com At Bat app for the 2014 season. T-Mobile was presenting sponsor of the American League Championship Series coverage on TBS and of the seasonlong Game Changer Award, where fans could vote daily via Twitter or Facebook on the season’s most game-changing moments.
  Avid Casual
CREDIT CARD 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
Visa 24.0% 25.7% 24.9% 16.0% 20.4% 20.1%
MasterCard* 18.0% 15.8% 24.4% 18.0% 23.5% 22.2%
American Express 9.5% 7.4% 11.4% 11.0% 9.2% 6.2%
Discover Card 5.0% 4.0% 4.5% 3.5% 7.1% 6.2%
I’m not sure 40.5% 46.5% 33.8% 51.0% 36.7% 45.4%
MasterCard has been an official MLB sponsor since 1997 and boasts 15 MLB club-level deals. MasterCard cardholders had access to an exclusive window to purchase 2014 MLB All-Star Week ticket strips this year. Also, when cardholders used their MasterCard between March 1 and May 1, they were automatically entered for a chance to win a trip to All-Star Week. During the first game of the World Series, the company promoted the new Apple Pay service with a pair of baseball-themed ads for the launch of the iPhone 6-based system.
  Avid Casual
BANK 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
Bank of America* 24.5% 24.3% 35.8% 24.0% 30.1% 31.4%
Wells Fargo 6.0% 4.0% 4.0% 5.5% 6.6% 4.1%
Citibank 5.5% 8.4% 9.5% 5.5% 7.1% 12.9%
I’m not sure 47.5% 55.4% 39.3% 55.0% 39.8% 44.9%
On Memorial Day, MLB and Bank of America released a Vine-related campaign thanking members of the U.S. armed forces for their service. The bank also gave fans mini-American flags at Game 1 of the World Series, to be used as part of an “Express Your Thanks” military appreciation moment.
  Avid Casual
AUTOMOBILE 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
GM (Chevrolet)* 19.5% 19.8% 34.3% 20.0% 21.9% 39.7%
Ford 21.0% 19.3% 11.9% 13.5% 18.4% 7.7%
Toyota 9.0% 6.0% 8.5% 5.0% 10.7% 3.6%
Chrysler 3.5% 3.0% 5.5% 6.0% 2.6% 2.6%
I’m not sure 38.5% 47.0% 33.8% 51.0% 40.3% 43.8%
During All-Star Week, Chevrolet showcased its Silverado, Corvette and Camaro models while transporting players, managers, coaches and families for the 10th annual MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Chevrolet. The show aired on MLB Network and was simulcast on MLB.com. Fans also could sample the vehicles through the Catch A Chevy program set up outside the Minneapolis Convention Center. The GM brand additionally sponsors the World Series MVP award and the Roberto Clemente Award for sportsmanship and community involvement. Rival automaker Ford, meanwhile, is a sponsor of MLB Advanced Media and the popular mobile game MLB.com Home Run Derby.
  Avid Casual
TIRE 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
Goodyear 17.0% 16.3% 9.9% 15.5% 17.3% 16.0%
Firestone* 14.0% 15.8% 25.4% 10.5% 26.0% 25.8%
Michelin 9.0% 8.9% 7.0% 8.5% 5.1% 6.7%
Bridgestone 7.0% 5.4% 8.0% 4.5% 9.2% 4.6%
I’m not sure 46.5% 52.5% 38.3% 58.5% 36.7% 45.4%
The 2014 season was Firestone’s fifth season as MLB’s official tire, and the company was an active sponsor leading up to and through the All-Star Game. At FanFest, the MLB-branded Bigfoot truck was on display, featuring 5-foot-tall Firestone tires, and company-branded lanyards were given out to all fans at the All-Star Game. Firestone also was the presenting sponsor for “MLB Tonight” on MLB Network during the all-star festivities, and it sponsored the fireworks show that followed the Target All-Star Concert presented by Budweiser on the Saturday before the game. Goodyear, meanwhile, while not an official MLB sponsor, gained exposure with its aerial coverage of 15 nationally televised games during the season, including five on Opening Day.
  Avid Casual
QUICK-SERVICE RESTAURANT 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
McDonald’s 17.0% 16.8% 16.9% 14.0% 10.7% 10.8%
Taco Bell* 13.0% 14.4% 21.9% 12.0% 17.9% 24.2%
Subway 14.0% 9.9% 12.4% 7.5% 19.4% 10.8%
Burger King 5.0% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 3.1% 4.1%
I’m not sure 44.5% 50.0% 35.8% 56.0% 36.7% 45.4%
Taco Bell has been an official league partner since 2004. The company is title sponsor of Taco Bell All-Star Sunday and the Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game, which airs on ESPN after the Home Run Derby the following day. Taco Bell this year also received national exposure each Sunday night as presenting sponsor for ESPN’s 25th season of “Sunday Night Baseball.” Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, meanwhile, are spokesmen for category competitor Subway and were shown in ads throughout the season. As for McDonald’s, it drew exposure through 10 team-level deals, including one with the World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
  Avid Casual
INSURANCE 2014 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012
State Farm 15.5% 13.4% 28.9% 11.0% 10.7% 28.9%
Geico 13.0% 8.9% 9.0% 9.5% 16.3% 9.3%
Allstate 9.0% 11.9% 9.0% 7.5% 7.1% 6.2%
I’m not sure 50.0% 56.9% 38.2% 58.0% 49.0% 44.8%
Now an open category for MLB, State Farm was the league’s most recent insurance partner and also title sponsor of the annual Home Run Derby, from 2007 through 2012. The company does, however, still have more than 20 team-level deals, including with both of this year’s World Series clubs (San Francisco and Kansas City).

* Official MLB sponsor
NA: Not available; the category was not measured in that year’s survey.


SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2014/11/24/Research-and-Ratings/MLB-sponsor-loyalty.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2014/11/24/Research-and-Ratings/MLB-sponsor-loyalty.aspx

CLOSE