Marketing Plan
Charles Town Patriots Marketing Plan
Randy Ozbirn
Dr. Lisa Miller
SPMT609 D001 Fall 2020
December 20, 2020
This presentation is prepared for president and board of trustees
1
Overview of the Carolina League
| Team | Affiliation to MLB | Location |
| Ashville Tourists | Houston Astros | Ashville, NC |
| Greensboro Grasshoppers | Pittsburg Pirates | Greensboro, NC |
| Greenville Drive | Boston Red Sox | Greenville, SC |
| Hickory Crawdads | Texas Rangers | Hickory, NC |
| Rome Braves | Atlanta Braves | Rome, GA |
| Winston-Salem Dash | Chicago White Sox | Winston-Salem, NC |
There are currently six teams in the Carolina League with affiliations to Major League Baseball from different locations as shown in the table below
Front Office Staff
The front office staff positions that will be needed in this organization include:
Vice President and General Manager
Assistant General Manager
Assistant General Manager - Sales
Ticket Sales Manager
Box Office Coordinator
Marketing & Relations Director
Broadcasting & Multimedia Manager
Merchandise Manager
We need a total of 12 staff members
Each member plays a vital role in the organizatoin
3
Coaching Staff
Coaching staff that will be needed for this organization include:
Manager
Pitching Coach
Hitting Coach
Dugout Coach
Development Coach
Athletic Trainer
Strength & Conditioning Specialist
We need a total of 12 staff members
Each member plays a vital role in the organizatoin
4
Recommended Staff and Facilities
The recommended number of coaches that are allowed on a baseball team is limited to a maximum of six (Johnson 1995). Therefore, our team will also be staffed with the maximum number of coaches allowed. These coaches include the following: first base coach, third base coach, bench coach, pitching coach, hitting coach, and a bullpen coach
There are several facilities that will be needed as well. The team will need a 6,500-7,000 seating capacity stadium. Included in the stadium will be the administrative offices, concessions, box office, guest services, restrooms, suites, the team merchandise store, a strength/conditioning facility, home/visitor clubhouses, and a first aid facility. Parking outside the stadium will also be needed
The recommended number of coaches is sic
The facilities needed important for the game
Every coach has his or her own responsibility
5
Equipment Needed
Below is a listing of equipment that will be needed
Uniforms/Belts/Hats
Baseball gloves (Right and Left Handed)
Batting gloves (Right and Left Handed)
Batting helmets
Catchers equipment (Helmet, shin guards, facemask, catchers mitt, chest protector)
Baseball cleats
Baseballs
Hitting cage
The protective equipment are important for the players
6
History of the Carolina League
The Carolina League was officially announced on October 29, 1944. It began playing in 1945 with eight teams, all from North Carolina and Virginia(Wood et al. 2016)
The first president of the league was Thomas Wilson, who served for only two years from 1945-1947. John Hopkins served as president from 1984 until his retirement in 2017. In 2017 the current president, Geoff Lassiter, succeed John Hopkins
The league has played continuously since 1945. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, the Carolina League would extend as far north as Maryland. The league would expand during this time adding two expansion teams over a three year period
The Carolina League currently operates with ten teams, five of which are in the northern division and the remaining five in the southern division
The league was founded in 1945
Thomas Wilson was the first president, he served for 2 years
The current president is john Hopkins he has served for 36 years
The league has two division with five teams each
7
Benefits of a team in Charles Town
The addition of a team to the Carolina League means more money for the league
Generated revenue from ticket sales, suite sales, broadcast revenue, concessions, merchandise, and parking (Cebula et al.2009)
The Carolina league would greatly benefit, financial, by selecting to expand in to Charles Town, WV
Charles Town will also benefit financially from an expansion team by collecting taxes from ticket and suite sales, parking, concessions, and hotel sales
The economy of Charles Town will also increase due to visitors coming to the city to watch games. This means hotel revenue, restaurant revenue, and spending in the city as well as surrounding cities
The team will benefit both the league and the town financially.
8
Organizational Goals
Create a healthy and favorable environment for development of player skills
Develop a positive attitude in the players, both towards the game as well as the skill of good sportsmanship
Improve the technical skills of the players by giving each player a clear and decisive understanding of the game
Provide a solid platform for self-growth in the game of baseball, enhance the development of basis baseball skills, and prepare all players for promotion to Major Leagues Baseball
Set a high standard and be the model for player development, training, and discipline development among all players
The first goal is to provide a favorable environment
The second is developing a positive attitude in players
9
Mission Statement and Core Values
Mission Statement - To provide a platform for all player development by teaching a better skill set and techniques for the game of baseball and to provide each player with an equal opportunity to reach the Major Baseball League.
Core Values are as follows:
Honesty between the front office and players
Provide a commitment to our players and fans
Establish a trust with our players
Create the best service and quality for a family atmosphere
Always in the pursuit of excellence in everything we do
Endurance by being committed to not only our players but the community as well
Hard work to ensure our players and fans have the best experience possible
The mission statement is to provide a platform for player development
The major core value are honesty, commitment, trust, endurance and hard work
10
Community Relations and Outreach Opportunities
Taking part in charity events organized by the community
Joining the community in campaigns, for or against, and advance these campaigns through baseball events
Take part in events that aim at creating awareness in the community and educating members of the community
Organizing fundraisers and taking part in organized fundraisers meant for the good of the community.
Using baseball to promote unity and oneness in the community by involving diverse community members in the sport
Taking part in charity events and fundraising are the main opportunities
Also campaigns and public education are opprtunities
11
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
Generation revenue to the league and to Charles Town
Create employment opportunities for the community
Economic growth in not only Charles Town but surrounding communities
Weaknesses:
Expensive cost of a start-up baseball team
Insufficient funds for payroll due to the team being a start-up team
High cost of field maintenance and equipment
Generation of revenue, employment opportunities and economy growth are the stregths
High costs and insufficient money are the weaknesses
12
Proposed Timeline for Implementation
Sixth month, the field will be ready for use and inspection of the field complete
After completion of the field, the stadium offices will continue to be completed
Seventh month, all equipment will be purchased and tested for safety
Eighth month, interviews conducted for staff employment and coaches will be complete
Ninth month, players will be signed and the team roster will be complete
Tenth month, trainings will begin and games scheduled
This plan will be implemented over a ten to twelve month period
The proposed timeline is seven months maximum.
13
Cebula, R. J., Toma, M., & Carmichael, J. (2009). Attendance and promotions in minor league baseball: The Carolina League. Applied Economics, 41(25), 3209-3214.
Johnson, A. T. (1995). Minor league baseball and local economic development. University of Illinois Press.
Wood, M. B., & Jobber, L. (2016). The marketing plan handbook. Pearson.
References
14