Blue Jays lead world series with game 5 win

Key Concepts

• Rogers' Business Impact: The Toronto Blue Jays' success in the World Series significantly benefits Rogers, their parent company, by boosting advertising revenue and creating new monetization opportunities.
• "Squeeze Up" Advertising: An innovative advertising technique where the game screen is slightly reduced to incorporate partner advertisements during live play, keeping fans engaged.
• TD's Sponsorship: TD Bank demonstrates a deep, long-standing commitment to the Blue Jays, leveraging player endorsements (George Springer) and premium fan experiences.
• Halo Effect and Brand Sentiment: Rogers is actively using the Blue Jays' success to create a positive "halo effect," aiming to improve consumer sentiment towards their core services by connecting with fans.
• Balancing Corporate and Fan Engagement: The Blue Jays aim to strike a balance between attracting a large number of corporate partners (60-70, potentially growing to 80-90) and maintaining accessibility for fans, with affordable regular-season tickets.
• "Playing in the Grays" for Partnerships: A strategy for non-official partners to find opportunities for impactful marketing by operating within the less defined areas of sponsorship rules, without infringing on official rights.
• Demographics of Baseball Fans: While the traditional core fan base is in their 40s and remembers the 1992-93 championships, the current success is attracting a broader and evolving audience.

Impact on Rogers and Business Opportunities

The Toronto Blue Jays' advancement to the World Series for the first time in over three decades is having a "massive" positive impact on Rogers, the team's parent company. This success directly benefits Rogers' core businesses, including cell phones, wireless, and streaming services, by significantly increasing their ability to advertise across all platforms. Rogers has reported sold-out advertising inventory through the ALCS, DS, and World Series.

Furthermore, Rogers has innovated with new advertising opportunities, such as the "squeeze up." This technique involves temporarily reducing the game screen's size during live play to insert advertisements from partners. This method is described as "very innovative" and aims to keep fans connected to the game while still providing advertising value to partners. The "squeeze up" is distinct from a split screen; the game remains the primary focus, but a smaller portion of the screen is dedicated to an advertiser, likened to a "suicide squeeze" in baseball.

TD's Sponsorship and Brand Connection

TD Bank is highlighted as a sponsor with a "true commitment" to the Toronto Blue Jays, having supported the team for years. Their logo is visible on player sleeves, signifying a deep partnership. TD holds numerous entitlements, including premium "TD lounge seats" located directly behind home plate. Their strategy involves a significant commitment to connecting Canadians with baseball, utilizing prominent figures like George Springer, who is described as a "wonderful asset for the brand" and a "local and fan favorite hero."

Rogers' Strategy for Brand Sentiment and Customer Engagement

Rogers, like other major telecommunication companies such as BCE, has faced consumer criticism regarding service issues. However, the Blue Jays' success is being leveraged to create a positive "halo effect" around the Rogers brand. Rogers has been "very intentional" in connecting fans to the brand, offering initiatives like opportunities to buy or secure seats for free, with a strong focus on their existing customer base.

A notable aspect of this strategy is the change in branding within the stadium, from Rogers' traditional red to the "boys in blue," further aligning the company with the team's identity. This effort aims to transform potentially negative sentiments associated with paying for cell phone and wireless bills into a more positive association through the emotional connection to the Blue Jays.

Navigating Corporate Influence and Fan Accessibility

Despite the potential hazards of "sky-high ticket prices" and the perception of the sport becoming "too corporate," the Blue Jays are seen as having struck a "real balance." While they have a substantial number of corporate partners, currently between 60 and 70, with projections to grow to 80 to 90 due to their success, they are also maintaining fan accessibility. Fans can still attend regular-season games for approximately $20, allowing them to "watch live baseball." This approach is credited with effectively connecting the sport with the fan base while also integrating the corporate sector.

Case Study: KFC Canada and "Playing in the Grays"

New Path Sports and Entertainment, represented by Sunonny Pac, was involved in a marketing stunt where a Colonel Sanders lookalike was present behind home plate during a game, in collaboration with KFC Canada. While not an official partner of the Blue Jays, New Path secured "intentional seats" for KFC at a "premium price."

Pac emphasizes a careful approach, stating they were "very intentional in knowing what the rules are" and that at "no point did we ever break the rules." The strategy involved "playing in the grays," meaning operating within the less defined areas of sponsorship rules to achieve impact. This approach is described as finding "opportunities to play in the gray" and being "very impactful" when done correctly. They explicitly state they do not condone actions that infringe on the rights and images of the Blue Jays beyond the field of play.

Demographics and Evolution of Baseball Fans

Regarding the demographic profile of baseball fans, the traditional core fan base is identified as being in their "40s spectrum," with a strong connection to the 1992 and 1993 World Series victories. However, the current success has "massively" changed the fan base, attracting a broader audience that wants to be part of this "traditional great run." The speaker expresses curiosity about the audience composition in the following year.

Conclusion

The Toronto Blue Jays' World Series run is a significant business boon for Rogers, driving advertising revenue and fostering innovative monetization strategies like the "squeeze up." This success is also being strategically used to enhance Rogers' brand perception and customer loyalty. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are successfully balancing a growing number of corporate partnerships with continued fan accessibility, exemplified by affordable regular-season tickets. The case of KFC Canada demonstrates how non-official partners can achieve impactful marketing by carefully navigating sponsorship rules. The fan base is evolving, with the current success attracting a wider demographic beyond the traditional core supporters.