The Suns this season will be the first team to employ Dropit, a reverse-auction app designed to increase fan engagement at venues. Fans downloading the app -- which will be encouraged by messages on Suns' social media feeds, ads on the Suns' home page and a pregame LED takeover inside Talking Stick Resort Arena -- can participate in a 60-second “reverse auction,” in which prices go steadily downward. Dropit debuts Monday for the Suns' game against the Kings. It will be deployed at halftime to bid on a VIP Suns game experience, valued at $3,000. The Suns and Dropit hope to sell programs to sponsors and will use it at a minimum of 10 games. “Many fans are holding their (mobile) devices while watching games, so we see this as a way to get them more involved,” said Suns Chief Commercial Officer & Senior VP/Business Innovation Dan Costello. Other than fan engagement, the app collects demographic data from fans opting in, along with their email addresses and phone numbers. “We learn a lot about each user: teams and sponsors want that,” said Dropit COO Brendan Howell. The app, developed in New Zealand, has been tested with the 49ers in preseason and during some Cactus League Spring Training games.
