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Attendance for Major League Baseball games has been in decline, so the Los Angeles Dodgers is reaching out to connect with what they deem to be their prime marketing opportunity: Women.
The Dodgers’ Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) has launched to minor fanfare (and mixed reviews on the Internet). The team is offering a series of radio broadcasts “for women,” with play-by-plays announced by FOX sportscaster Jeanne Zelasko, and has an on-site tent at home games for WIN merchandise and events.
An article by Caitlin Moscatello on Salon.com says that the broadcasts aren’t overly feminized, but are instead fairly straightforward sports broadcasts with good analysis. There seems to be a question of what makes these broadcasts so different, then. If women love baseball, wouldn’t they just listen to the regular broadcasts?
And how about that girlie merchandise? My favorite quote in the article comes from Marti Barletta:
Things can be pink,” says Barletta. “But you also need to have red, and blue, and black and white options. If you just say, ‘Here’s a pink phone for women, or a pink shirt for women,’ women will shoot you in the face.”
What do YOU think? Is the WIN campaign going to be effective in the long run? What could the Dodgers do to ensure the success of their efforts?
Michele Miller is a writer, speaker, and consultant on ways to capture the heart of the female customer. The co-author of The Soccer Mom Myth, she consults with businesses of all sizes across North America
Not use Jeanne Zelasko, for one.
But seriously: how to do this in a way that women and women baseball fans won’t find truly offensive? I’d take a cue from ABC’s “The Contender,” which from my understanding–and personal experience–did one hell of a job getting women interested boxing, of all things.
How? Not by selling it as “boxing for women” or by turning it into a reality show–when ABC gave it up and turned it over to ESPN, the “game show” aspects were the first to go–but by providing deeper context to the boxers themselves through character development like that you’d see on a scripted series: who are these men? why are they doing this? what do they care about? what will success in this effort mean?
There was no pandering “here’s what boxing is about” blather. The show assumed, rightly, that the uninitiated would figure it out if they cared.
And women did, in droves. (Just not enough of them, unfortunately to keep the show on the air.)
Excellent insight, Tamsen. I remember in reading the Salon.com article, the mention of not focusing on “teaching” women about baseball, but focusing more on the “stories” behind the game, the team, etc.
It would be great if the Dodgers took a page from “The Contender” playbook. And I’ll have to check out the series myself!
Tamsen’s observation about athlete back-stories being an excellent way to build a sport’s interest among women is right on.
I had mentioned to the journalist that if I were queen of the Dodgers, the very first thing I’d do would be to put some player personality on the website, in the press and into “meet the players” events – include some interview content on their family backgrounds, how they were originally drawn to the sport, some of their most memorable life triumphs and challenges, what they like to do in the off-season, etc.
As for the “pink” thing – I’ve come around to thinking it’s more the “perception of pinking and shrinking” that women have a problem with, rather than the pink itself. I can’t help noticing a lot of women carry powder pink cellphones or a new, designer laptop cover or briefcase. To tell the truth, after five decades of energetically rejecting pink, I find myself more comfortable and confident carrying the color these days.
Where I and other women would get bent out of shape would be if pink were my only color option, because that feels pretty ignorant and condescending. It’s like saying, “Fine, if good old black plastic or stainless steel isn’t enough for you girls, and you want some aesthetics in your purchase, you can have a pink one.” But if, like iPods, several color options are offered – aqua, white, red and pink – then it feels like I’m choosing pink because that’s what I want, not because it’s being forced on me. And then I’m fine with it. And I don’t have to punch anybody in the face. Whew.
LOL, Marti. You gave me my second laugh over this topic. Glad you got that out of your system!
Seriously, I’m in complete agreement with you. I always smile when people say, “Wow, is that a PINK cover on your iPhone? I thought you HATED pink!” Well, no, not necessarily. Every once in awhile I like a dash of pink when it fits my style. The key is CHOICE, not to assume that pink is the thing.
I’m just glad we prevented you from going all Zena on product developers, Marti.
Thought I DO save bail money for just such occasions. So call me if you need me.
Thanks for commenting!