TO: Jacqueline Parkes, Sr.

Vice-President, Advertising and Marketing, Major League Baseball

FROM: Rebecca Sparenberg

DATE: March 3, 2011

SUBJECT: The MLB is Missing an Opportunity to Connect with Women Online

"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball."

- Jacques Barzun

I. Major League Baseball, A Far-Flung Empire

Baseball has long been known as America’s past time. Major League Baseball (MLB)
represents the highest level of professional baseball played in North America. MLB has faced its
share of controversies over the years, and since the league’s founding, there have been conflicts
between fans, players, owners and the commissioner. However, over past ten years, baseball has
been losing popularity. Ticket and apparel sales have seriously declined and the 2010 World
Series averaged just 14.3 million viewers, the second-lowest rating in the classic’s history.1
America’s icon is in trouble. The economic decline, steroid controversies, numerous
player scandals, ownership debacles and getting dropped from the 2012 Olympics have all taken
their toll. In the past, the MLB and baseball in general, has quickly bounced back from
controversy and scandal had little effect on the long term popularity of the sport. However, the
MLB’s image has also taken a hit, and it has yet to recover. Recently, sports columnist Brian
Ross likened the MLB to the mob, “an old-boy, backroom institution run by fiefdoms of power
brokers who do as they will.”2
Since the 1960s, the MLB has steadily expanded their operations creating a host of
smaller limited liability partnerships and corporations that control everything from merchandise
licensing and ticketing to money management and media; all under the main MLB framework.2

1
Romanell, Marco. Proud To Be an American? World Baseball Classic Could Help Heal MLB's Image. Bleacher
Report. <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/114250-proud-to-be-an-american-world-baseball-classic-could-help-
heal-mlbs-image>.
2
Ross, David. Mets Money Mishap May Make MLB a Monopoly After All. The Huffington Post. <
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-ross/mets-money-mishap-revives_b_828745.html?ir=New%20York>
Certainly, the MLB’s firm hold on any baseball related news and media supports Ross’ mob
analogy. Having dominated the television and radio markets, the media arm of MLB is now
staking out online real estate.
MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the league’s interactive media and Internet company,
manages the official league site, www.MLB.com, as well as, each of the 30 individual club sites.
Only large media outlets, such as ESPN and Fox, have access to MLB.com material, and these
companies pay hefty annual access fees for the privilege. Critics have denounced the MLB for
infringing on reporters First Amendment rights and strong arming small publications and media
outlets out of the market with fees.2
While sales are down in the major league, minor league sales and attendance have
reached new heights. In 2010, MLB acquired Minor League Baseball's official Website,
www.MiLB.com, as well as their television operations. By adding MiLB to their media empire,
MLB gained control over all of the sites previously managed by MiLB, contributing millions in
additional ticketing fees and gaining access to millions of new target fans.2

II: The Problem: It’s Not Enough to Just Show Up

In 2006, Major League Baseball (MLB) boasted the most gender balanced fan base of the
major sports leagues, with 46% of the league’s fans being female. Five years later, the league
leaders have toppled from their lofty throne. Last year, the National Football League (NFL)
passed both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and MLB to claim the largest percentage
of female viewers in major sports. Women purchase over 70% of all NBA and NFL apparel
online, while the MLB has flat lined at around 50%. 3
In the overall scheme of things, third place isn’t a terrible position. However, NBA and
NFL are on a roll, and the farther away they pull, the more difficult it will be for MLB to retake
the crown. Furthermore, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Association for
Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) viewership are improving. Both the NHL and NASCAR
want that third place spot, and they are doing a better job of marketing to women than the MLB.

3
Ivy Cohen Cooperation Communication.
<http://www.ivycohen.com/MarketingCoach/TargetingWomen.html>
 What MLB and individual clubs have done an excellent job of is creating female targeted
initiatives at games. The most successful being the "Going to Bat against Breast Cancer"
initiative. Pink bats on Mother's Day have become symbolic of the program and raises
awareness about breast cancer. Game-used pink bats, home plates, logo bases and lineup cards
are auctioned online at MLB.com and all proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the
Cure. One day a year players across the league bat for their mothers, sisters, daughters, wives
and all the women in their lives.4 But the other 364 days a year, 46% of the baseball fan base is
still women.
Teams such as the Dodgers, Phillies, Brewers, and Astros have started hosting “Baseball
101” events. They invite women for pre-game talks with members of coaching staff to discuss
how the game is played.3 Twenty-three clubs are also taking part in Stitch N’ Pitch. Together
with the National Needlearts Association (TNNA), clubs invite women to come to a ball game
and crochet, knit, or embroider, while sitting among friends and cheering on their favorite team.5
Several teams also offer wine-tasting and spa getaways as incentives to woo women to
stadiums. But 17 percent of women consider themselves avid fans, and that number is even
higher in larger markets. According to MLB, 75 percent of the women in the Boston area are
baseball fans and 39 percent are avid fans.6 However, while pink bats, wine and massages may
attract women to a single game, overall it’s shortsighted.
The MLB is missing a prime opportunity to connect with women. If baseball wants
women to come back game after games, they must show that they are invested in women.
Furthermore, the MLBAM already has all the tools in place to create online communities for
female baseball fans where they can connect with other female fans, educate themselves about
the game and learn about how the MLB is investing in women on and off the field.

II. The Plan: Translate Previous Success into the Digital Realm

4
Bollinger, Rhett. MLB teams up with Komen on Mother's Day. Major League Baseball.
<http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100504&content_id=9783792>.
5
The National Needlearts Association. Stitch N’Pitch. <http://stitchnpitch.com/>.
6
Stern, Bob. Diamonds are this girl's best friend. Patriot Ledger.
<http://www.patriotledger.com/sports/x144143350#axzz1FVmud7JX>.
 The objective is to translate the on-field successes MLB has had marketing to the world
into the digital world. Over the course of a year, MLBMA will introduce a series of official
online websites for female fans. Starting in the first quarter the league will launch its official site,
www.MLBDiamonds.com, operating under the theme “The Best Diamonds in the World Can Be
Found in Baseball.”
MLBDiamonds will serve as an online site for women interested in understanding and
embracing the game. It will offer a section on Baseball 101 with explanations of positions,
definitions, lingos, plays and video tutorials, as well as, a section for experienced fans interested
in learning more complicated theories. The site will also showcase women centric initiatives
such as “Going to Bat against Breast Cancer” and profile players who have invested in charities
and causes that are supporting women and children in the community. The message is that
baseball cares for women and not just women who buy pink apparel; because if more women
believe this they will invest in baseball.
Lastly, the site will feature baseball from a woman’s perspective, or more precisely, a
multitude of different women with different fields. It will host regular blogs, articles and tweets
from the female reporters, executives, workers and even players’ wives that have made baseball
their lives. Baseball explained and reported on by women, for women.
In the second quarter of the same year, MLBDiamonds will launch a corresponding
phone app. Finally, in the fourth (third ?) quarter, MLBAM will launch team sites that target
women in specific markets. These sites will be focused on the individual organizations and
showcase what the teams, players and wives’ club are doing in the region. It will list club events
such as wine tasting and spa getaways that are exclusive to members. Exclusive team events for
“members” will offer chances for women to socialize with other female fans in the region. The
team sites will offer more intimate profiles on players than the generic MLB player profiles;
much of this information has already been gathered for gameday programs.

IV. Implementation: Create Buzzing, MLB Has the Tools

Before MLBDiamond.com launches, we will begin by creating buzz with affiliate
organizations about the site and pushing the first promotional offer, free MLBDiamonds hats to
the first 1,000 women. With MLB’s control of radio and television, it will be easy to promote
the new site with quick 30 second commercials and announcer promos on these mediums.
MLB.com will also offer a teaser on its main page before the launch, and a blur and link after the
site goes live. One month before the site launches, press releases will be sent to all the major
media outlets.
Though the information on all sites will be available for free, users will be prompted to
join the “Diamond’s Club” for exclusive e-mails, news and offers, such as deals on women’s
apparel and tickets. The first way to measure success will be by the number of views for the
sites and the number of “members” each site generates. Eventually, ticket and merchandise sales
by women should increase as well.

V. Conclusion: Educate, Entertain and Engage Women

Despite the fact that MLB has started to reach out to women, in less than five years the
MLB has already lost ground to the NBA and NFL. If MLB is not careful, they will end up in the
middle of the pack; surpassed by the NHL, NASCAR and major collegiate teams. However,
there is more than one way to market to women. Even with the well-documented impact of the
Internet on sports and fan engagement, major sports organizations have largely failed to use Web
2.0 technology to target female audiences.
The MLB has the opportunity to set a positive trend and strike before their competition.
Women must believe that the MLB is invested in them and an online forum is the perfect
channel to engage the modern, technologically savvy woman. MLBDiamonds is part of a long-
term plan to educate, entertain and engage women and peak their interest in baseball beyond a
single game. Women buy or influence at least 83% of all household spending. They are not a
niche market for baseball, they are half the market. If MLB wants women to invest in baseball,
they must be willing to invest in women.