JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
  • About K
  • Academics
  • Admission
  • Alumni Relations
  • Giving to K
  • News & Events
  • Student Life
  • HORNET HIVE
  • ATHLETICS
  • SITEMAP
  • WEBMAIL
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   CACHE Homepage
    • Academic Departments, Programs, and SIPs
    • Economics and Business
    • Economics and Business Senior Integrated Projects
    • View Item
    •   CACHE Homepage
    • Academic Departments, Programs, and SIPs
    • Economics and Business
    • Economics and Business Senior Integrated Projects
    • View Item

    Big League Talent, Major League Fun : Kalamazoo Growlers Grass-Roots Marketing Strategy

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Searchable PDF / Kalamazoo College Only (14.28Mb)
    Date
    2014
    Author
    Chandler, Carter
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    This paper represents a grass-roots marketing plan for start-up sports organizations looking to enter into a new market segment, while understanding both the personnel and financial restrictions of a small sports organization. The Kalamazoo Growlers are a new collegiate summer baseball team located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and are a member of the Northwoods League. This organization currently only focuses on one market segment, adults 25-34 with children, but would also like to expand to include a new market segment of adults 18-24. This plan will address this market expansion. The paper begins with a review of the current literature about several marketing strategies for start-up sports organizations. The literature review finds four main focuses for start-up sports organizations: 1.) consumer preference, 2.) product differentiation, 3.) sports marketing, and 4.) guerrilla marketing. These four focuses are essential when mentioned by several studies pertaining to start-up sports organizations. The data, reveals that through a mix of both theories of marketing, sports marketing, and guerrilla marketing techniques these organizations should be able to implement a successful grass-roots marketing plan to obtain the most promotion as possible while keeping to the organizations financial restrictions. The literature review is followed by a marketing plan, which includes both a situational analysis and marketing tactic recommendations. This plan displays both the macroeconomic environment as well as microeconomic environmental factors that affect the Kalamazoo Growlers, their main competition, several business aspects through a SWOT analysis, and a profile of the consumers of the Kalamazoo Growlers. The objectives of the marketing plan are to increase total revenue through ticket sales and increase the Growlers presence within the new target market segment. The marketing strategies utilized in this plan are strictly guerrilla marketing techniques to help increase the connection with new market segments. The two different strategies used in this plan are updating current social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and implementing new guerrilla marketing techniques such as: posterizing, flash mobs, event-based promotional events, and QR codes. The plan will span one year, to be re-evaluated and improved before Year Two. This plan will require minimal financial capital and time commitment from each staff member of the Kalamazoo Growlers. This plan proves that through the use of guerilla marketing techniques, it is possible for a start-up sports organization to enter into a new market segment without the use of additional assets.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10920/30012
    Collections
    • Economics and Business Senior Integrated Projects [1198]

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Thumbnail

      Are National Hockey League Players Being Paid According to their Productivity? An Empirical Study of National Hockey League Players from 2013-2015 

      Marsh, Nicholas A. (2016)
      This paper seeks to address the following questions. First, are NHL players being paid based on their productivity? Second, which statistics are relevant to determining a player's salary? Through analysis of 1,325 hockey ...
    • Thumbnail

      How are National Football League Players’ Salaries Determined Based on Contract Year Performance? An Empirical Study of National Football League Contracts from 2014-2019 

      Wallace, Kareem (2020-12-01)
      This project will help cover the answer to the following question: Which statistics are used to determine an NFL player’s salary? Through a regression analysis of 205 NFL players from their signing contract years of ...
    • Thumbnail

      Pennants & Profits : An Economic Analysis of Major League Baseball 

      Tremain, Thaleon (1994)
      This paper addresses the economic and labor relations issues that face Major League Baseball. Part II discusses the evolution of baseball’s unique legal institutions and practices to provide a context for understanding its ...

    Browse

    All of DSpaceCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    Login

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2023  DuraSpace
    DSpace Express is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV
    Logo

    Kalamazoo College
    1200 Academy Street
    Kalamazoo Michigan 49006-3295
    USA
    Info 269-337-7000
    Admission 1-800-253-3602

    About K
    Academics
    Admission
    Alumni Relations
    Giving to K
    News & Events
    Student Life
    Sitemap
    Map & Directions
    Contacts
    Directories
    Nondiscrimination Policy
    Consumer Information
    Official disclaimer
    Search this site


    Academic Calendars
    Apply
    Bookstore
    Crisis Response
    Employment
    Library
    Registrar
    DSpace Express is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV