There has been a huge spike in the use of 50/50 raffles to draw both interest and philanthropy dollars in stadia and arenas across the country. What was once a sleepy, clunky, raffle ticket based fundraising tool that was only successful as the hawkers pushing tickets has grown into a must do for many, be they in arenas in Philly or small minor league ballparks in places like Rockland County, New York. Companies like Pointstreak have invested in technology that not only makes such programs fast and effective, but are able to capture data and then promote a rising donation number in real time to various key points of engagement, like message boards. It is a great use of philanthropic and marketing dollars tied to data that will keep growing.
So while the pull for philanthropy at the ballpark can be a bit overwhelming at times with many causes competing with brands for discretionary dollars, the little things, like automation and extra special promotions can go a long way to boost awareness and engagement.
Case in point is the Stockton Ports, the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Oakland A’s.
This season they found a way to get the cause dollars up and fans involved not in a raffle, but in a real time engagement tied to giving. It’s called Pick the Song, and for $5, a fan can pick a song as a random opposing player’s walk-up music for the entire game. For $10, a fan can assign a song to a player of his or her choosing. Fans who prefer messing with hurlers’ heads can chip in $20 and pick a couple songs to play during opposing pitching changes.
The money goes to the Anchor Fund, the Ports’ 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, which supports local youth sports with equipment, field repairs, and uniforms.
The Ports announced the promo on March 28 and it went into effect for Opening Night on April 4. Pick the Song has been a focal point for fans. The community table features a suggested song list, which is two-sided with an alternate side facing forward each game. It’s categorized with sections like “Group dances” (think “Cha Cha Slide”), “Show tunes” (“Mamma Mia”) and “Children’s” (“It’s a Small World”‘). The suggestions help fans make picks quickly, but the system also lends itself to a fair amount of repeats during a homestand. There is also room for creativity that can also make the promo a little more edgy and fun, and avoid repeats.
What’s made it even more engaging, in addition to the media coverage, is the back and forth they have gotten from visiting teams and players as well. None of it has been over the top, but it has made for some fun in a nontraditional way for such a traditional sport.
The Ports have opened up a nice musical opportunity with the program which can be replicated for other sports…walk out music in hoops, pregame tunes in football, and could even be duplicated up the ladder into MLB from time to time, with a music sponsor matching the dollars for cause. No downside, no cost to do, only creative fun in a space which is always looking for a little reboot.
Well played Ports, new promos are music to one’s ears!
