The Mariners found that playing in October is the key to
marketing baseball in the Northwest, according to the Tacoma NEWS
TRIBUNE. Mariners President Chuck Armstrong says the team, with
7,300 season-ticket holders last season, now has deposits for
10,000. And they believe they can sell 12,000. He added they
are yet to start their "serious ad campaign." Mariners VP/Sales
& Marketing Bob Gobrecht says corporate sponsorship could double
in '96, which could bring in an additional $2M in revenue. In
addition, the first season highlight video ever produced by the
team has sold more than 120,000 copies. Also, more than 1,200
spring training travel packages have been sold -- nearly 1,000
more than ever before (Larry LaRue, Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 1/16).
T-WOLVES MAKE GAINS: The T-Wolves announced yesterday the
addition of 20 new corporate partners for '95-96, marking their
best off-court effort since their first season in '89-90. The
list of new partners includes Hewlett-Packard, Pepsi, AFLAC,
Oscar Mayer, Direct TV, USSB, Sony, PIzza Hut, and the U.S.
Postal Service (T-Wolves).
MOTIVATIONAL SNEAKERS? In an attempt to bolster attendance
among members of the local business community for games with
"struggling rivals," the Nets are featuring pre-game
presentations by motivational speakers. According to CRAIN'S NEW
YORK BUSINESS, the Nets three-event "Captain Series" has already
sold $275,000 in tickets to businesses such as Enterprise Rent-A-
Car, American Express, and Prudential Securities. Nets Dir of
Business Development Howard Nuchow: "When you play in the shadow
of New York, and you have the Knicks with all the glamour and
tradition, you have to do something unique." Notre Dame's Lou
Holtz is scheduled to appear in February (CRAIN'S NY BUSINESS,
1/8).
