The Arizona Diamondbacks and Smart Button Associates have agreed to terms on a one-year deal that makes the company the MLB team's new fan-loyalty systems provider, according to Mike Malo, senior director of marketing for the Diamondbacks.
The deal allows the Diamondbacks to integrate their ticketing, retail and concessions operations, thus giving fans the ability to earn credit on the purchase of virtually all products associated with the club. In turn, the team will be able to build a database of fans with information such as when and how often they go to games, where they like to sit, and what merchandise they buy.
"For us, there hasn't been a lot of technology options out there to integrate everything that's happening," Malo said.
Malo said he hopes to have the system fully implemented by the start of the 2004 season, at which point fans who obtain a free "SportTrak" card will be able to swipe the card everywhere they make a purchase at the stadium. Upon reaching certain point levels, fans will get a printout of a coupon that is redeemable at all points of sale, or at potential sponsors' locations.
"To learn who those people [in the seats] are, you have to entice them to raise their hands and volunteer the information," said Bob Bartholomew, Smart Button's director of sales. "That's exactly what a loyalty program does. Fans don't mind, because they're getting something in return."
Smart Button charges clients $5,000 to install and set up its SportTrak system, plus an annual license and support fee of about 80 cents for each fan who uses the system during the season, Bartholomew said. He said he anticipates the total licensing and support fees will be in the mid-five figures — which would represent more than 60,000 fans using the system.
The Diamondbacks have had a fan-loyalty system for the last five years courtesy of Ticketmaster's Essential Data Control Systems product. The EDCS offering, however, does not allow for integration with other companies' ticket-sales services. The Diamondbacks use Paciolan's ticketing program.
The Diamondbacks' contract with EDCS expired at the end of last year. Malo said that gave the club an opportunity to look for a fan-loyalty system provider that could unite ticketing, merchandising and concessions.
Smart Button's clients consist primarily of casinos and horse tracks, including Belmont Park and Aqueduct. Bartholomew said the company has been looking to expand into the major team sports for the past year.
