Ballpark Giveaways: Quality v. Quantity

[Crash Course]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/sportsbusiness/news/story?id=1743172

When it comes to getting goodies at the park, which would you prefer, a small chance to get something "good" or the 100% chance of getting something that is only worth a buck or two?

[Skip]

Depends on the thing. I like the cheapo hats I get each year, and there are other small things (pack of team cards, team rain poncho, etc.) that teams give to everyone that are good.

By 'small chance' at something good, do you mean a group of, say, 10 people or perhaps an entire section or two? I think things where an entire section gets something are pretty cool. More exclusive than that, and I'd be thrilled if I won, but I'd pay about as much attention as I do to the lottery. It wouldnt bring me to the park.

[sweaver]

Bill Veeck used to say, give 10,000 fans one beer each, and they will drink it, smack their lips, and sit back and watch the game. Give one fan 10,000 beers, and everyone will remember for a long time what fun they had at the ballpark.

I like the guaranteed giveaways, but from a team promotion standpoint the other way is probably better. For the same reason that lotteries and Las Vegas make money.

[rc3000]

I vote let everyone have something.
When I was living in Michigan (90-92) I use to love going to Tiger Stadium, not only was it cheap, and great seats always available, but every game seemed to have giveaways. I still have a Kool-aid Pitcher with the Tigers logo. I'll tell you the only negative was a Tiger Baseball glove giveaway. The first 10,000 kids would get a glove. There seemed to be about 6,000 people at the game but they wouldn't let my very obviously pregnant wife have a glove. Despite my arguement that I was accompanied by a child under 10 it just so happened he was negative two months old.

[Craig S.]

I couldn't care less about anything I get at the park. I'm there to watch the game, not to get a bobblehead or a magnet to put on my fridge.

I think the giveaways for kids are great, but the adult ones don't mean much to me.

[Crash Course]

Most of the stuff ends up on eBay these days anyway........

[KCBOOMER]

I guess it would depend, but I would probably opt for the big ticket item.

[TimmyB]

Either is fine -- I get to Fenway so infrequently each season that the nature of one particular promotion or the other is not the deciding factor in whether I go or what game(s) I attend.

(That said, the Cubs' idea is pretty cool...)

[hmrsf]

Last year the Expos did the scratch ticket thing. Everyone got one on (insert your favorite Expo) bobblehead night. Not everyone recieved a bobblehead, some lucky fans got free cokes. :etongue:

The Cubs seem to have a better idea, no? :cool:

[gyb13]

i'm both A and C on this one - i like the cubs' idea, but i'd be happy with either, i'm there to watch the game. anything else is just icing on the cake.

[Rajah]

I like the idea of the occasional lottery for something really cool, but all the losers should be able to turn in their lottery stub for a hot dog or a pepsi or something.

[rcartman28]

i'm both A and C on this one - i like the cubs' idea, but i'd be happy with either, i'm there to watch the game. anything else is just icing on the cake.

I agree with Gyb....I don't really plan going to games based on what they are giving away that night.

[Emmerson]

I like the idea of the occasional lottery for something really cool, but all the losers should be able to turn in their lottery stub for a hot dog or a pepsi or something.

That's an excellent idea.

I'm more for letting everyone have some mediocre giveaway. The Padres have a great floppy hat night, and I know a lot of people would be disappointed if they made a better quality hat, but only gave it to a percentage of fans. Ditto when they do replica jerseys on a T-Shirt. I would like to see maybe a few nights where they did exactly what Rajah laid out above. It would be interesting.

All this said, I'm in with I'm sure everyone in here that doesn't go for giveaways, but rather for the games. Otherwise we'd be on the baseball give-away message forum talking about bobble-heads and special ticket holders (which the Padres also did for Tony Gwynn's last game, and the last game at Quallcom).

[Joseph]

All this said, I'm in with I'm sure everyone in here that doesn't go for giveaways, but rather for the games. Otherwise we'd be on the baseball give-away message forum talking about bobble-heads and special ticket holders

How about it Steve, a new forum in the Concessions Concourse?

[Crash Course]

FWIW, we have had threads on bobbleheads! :D

[PianoMonkey]

I prefer items somewhere in between.

Example: this past season, if you went to a Royals game and they got 12 hits, everyone in the park was entitled to a dozen free donuts from Krispy Kreme. It was easily the greatest promotion ever offered at "the K." We went to maybe 7 games, and we got a total of 5 dozen free donuts. When we won it was icing on the cake, and when we lost it was a great comfort. Plus, the batter who got the 12th hit became an instant fan favorite. (it actually became a followed stat (I think Ibanez led the team))

They also had a trivia contest, wherein the selected fan had to answer a question and if they got it right everyone in his or her row won cookies.

I'm a sucker for food, I guess, but I can't recall better promotions than those.

[Joseph]

I prefer items somewhere in between.

Example: this past season, if you went to a Royals game and they got 12 hits, everyone in the park was entitled to a dozen free donuts from Krispy Kreme. It was easily the greatest promotion ever offered at "the K." We went to maybe 7 games, and we got a total of 5 dozen free donuts. When we won it was icing on the cake, and when we lost it was a great comfort. Plus, the batter who got the 12th hit became an instant fan favorite. (it actually became a followed stat (I think Ibanez led the team))

They also had a trivia contest, wherein the selected fan had to answer a question and if they got it right everyone in his or her row won cookies.

I'm a sucker for food, I guess, but I can't recall better promotions than those.

I remember that, IIRC KC area krsipy kremes lost a lot of money last season.