Everybody loves bobbleheads
Bobbleheads have bounced back.
A bobble bounce, of course, is never that dramatic, but 2012 is the first time since at least 2005 that MLB clubs used bobblehead giveaways more than any other promotional handout. That top spot, according to SportsBusiness Journal’s seventh annual review of team promotional calendars, normally goes to T-shirts or headwear. Bobbleheads have ranked from second to fifth in recent years.
Faces in the crowd: Pablo Sandoval and Felix Hernandez. |
The Los Angeles Dodgers led the way among clubs with 11 nodders, culminating with a Farmer John-sponsored Vin Scully figure on Thursday, Aug. 30, when Arizona visited Chavez Ravine.
For 2013, the Dodgers already plan to bring back a 10-game ticket plan introduced this year that included a bobble for each of those 10 games. “The bobblehead mini-plan was hands down the most successful plan we offered in 2012,” said Dave Siegel, the club’s senior director of ticket sales. “That plan sold more than all our other mini-plans combined.”
■ Most giveaway dates: Yankees (44)
■ Fewest giveaway dates: Braves (8)
■ The Yankees, with sponsor W.B. Mason, distributed a branded collectible die-cast truck for the eighth consecutive year.
■ The Diamondbacks on Saturday, May 12, handed out 20,000 Ryan Roberts tattoo sleeves, sponsored by local car dealer Sanderson Ford.
■ The Rays on Sunday, May 6, gave away 10,000 Joe Madden sunglasses, sponsored by Fort Myers, Fla.-based Match-Up Promotions.
“Bobbleheads are an attendance driver and a key brand identifier,” Schlesinger said. “They have a high perceived value, high collectibility, and they appeal to every demographic. And sponsors know that people keep these things on their desks at work and next to their beds for years — so that their logo might be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see at night.”
In addition to bobbleheads, nostalgia played a big part in MLB clubs’ promotional efforts in 2012. The St. Louis Cardinals held 13 promotions honoring their past world championship clubs. The Houston Astros marked their 50th anniversary as a franchise with 25 related promotions, while the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox hosted events to mark the 50th and 100th anniversaries of Dodger Stadium and Fenway Park, respectively.
2012 MLB Game-day Promotional Wrap-up
Top giveaways
Rank | Category (# of teams) | # of dates |
1 | Bobbleheads (26) | 94 |
2 | T-shirt (24) | 79 |
3 | Headwear (28) | 69 |
4 | Backpack/bag (26) | 50 |
5 | Magnet schedule (29) | 46 |
6 | Photo (12) | 43 |
7 | Toy (22) | 37 |
8 | Poster (15) | 33 |
9 (tie) | Jersey (17) | 31 |
9 (tie) | Retail coupon (7) | 31 |
Top promotions/events
Rank | Category (# of teams) | # of dates |
1 | Fireworks (22) | 186 |
2 | Festival (16) | 166 |
3 | Ticket discount (9) | 164 |
4 | Concessions discount (13) | 127 |
5 | Autographs (6) | 125 |
6 | Family day (10) | 103 |
7 | Run the bases (16) | 100 |
8 | College night (10) | 76 |
9 | Team history tribute (21) | 73 |
10 | Kids day (16) | 67 |
Source: MLB clubs
Compiled by David Broughton and Brandon McClung
Overall in 2012, MLB clubs hosted 767 giveaways, a 4 percent drop from 2011 but up 2 percent over 2010. Much of the decline owes to coupon giveaways falling from the No. 4 slot for frequency in 2011 to No. 9 in 2012. These efforts call for team employees to hand out discount coupons to fans that they can redeem with an off-site sponsor. In addition, advertised concessions-discount promotions were down 25 percent.
Fireworks were the most common non-giveaway promotion, as has been the case every year since at least 2005, with 22 clubs hosting a total of 186 shows. In all, there were 1,505 non-giveaway promotions, such as fireworks, college nights and family days, down 20 percent from 2011 but up 5 percent over 2010.
Most active sponsors
Four of the busiest game-day sponsors were also league-level corporate partners in 2012. Among others, top-ranked Coca-Cola and No. 4 MillerCoors both have seven team-level deals. Following are sponsors involved in giveaway/promotional efforts, ranked by total number of 2012 activation dates.
Rank | Brand | No. of dates, 2012 (2011) | No. of teams, 2012 (2011) |
1 | Coca-Cola | 69 (78) | 7 (10) |
2 | Chevrolet* | 47 (46) | 11 (11) |
3 | Pepsi* | 44 (72) | 9 (10) |
4 | MillerCoors | 38 (33) | 7 (7) |
5 | Anheuser Busch* | 28 (30) | 8 (9) |
6 (tie) | AT&T | 23 (30) | 5 (7) |
6 (tie) | MLB Network | 23 (0) | 23 (0) |
8 (tie) | KeyBank | 19 (18) | 2 (2) |
8 (tie) | State Farm* | 19 (16) | 2 (1) |
10 (tie) | Xfinity by Comcast | 18 (17) | 4 (3) |
10 (tie) | Meijer | 18 (16) | 2 (2) |
Note: Among sponsors that activated with two or more clubs.
* Official MLB sponsor
Source: MLB clubs
Compiled by David Broughton and Brandon McClung
Changing tastes: What’s hot, what’s not
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
Backpacks/tote bags | 17 | 32 | 29 | 48 | 34 | 45 | 50 |
Military appreciation | 6 | 6 | 22 | 28 | 18 | 30 | 46 |
Baseball card(s) | 52 | 40 | 36 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 6 |
Source: MLB clubs
Compiled by David Broughton and Brandon McClung
SportsBusiness Journal, for this annual research effort, downloads each team’s promotional schedule once spring training begins and updates each squad’s list monthly. In the case of games that are postponed, teams are then consulted for the status of the promotions, and counts are updated accordingly.