Marlins working to improve fan experience next season.
MIAMI Discussing Miami’s vision to improve the fan experience at Marlins Park, Chip Bowers reflected on a problem he faced with the NBA’s preeminent franchise earlier this decade.
Miami’s new president of business operations was serving as the Golden State Warriors’ Chief Marketing Officer — just a few years before Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant turned Oakland into the epicenter of the basketball universe.
When Bowers arrived in 2012, he was frequently told the team couldn’t entice fans from San Francisco and the peninsula to cross the bridge to Oracle Arena, citing traffic and a host of problems.
“I said ‘We’re not giving them the right value proposition,’ ” Bowers said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to give people a reason to make this part of their daily experience. We invested a lot of money in the experience at Oracle Arena. The mentality should be the same, because when you invest in your fan and show them you’re trying to create a real connection with them — they’re more likely to invest with you.
“I think we’ve struggled with being a one-way transactional organization and that’s not what we should be.”
In its first year under the new ownership group of Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter, the Marlins are taking that same approach as they attempt to improve the fan atmosphere.
So what changes can you expect at the ballpark next season?
Comunidad 305
Perhaps the most visible addition will be ‘Comunidad 305’ — a vibrant support section in right field where fans will be encouraged to bring musical instruments, flags and more to help celebrate their culture and enthusiastically root for the Marlins. Season tickets will start at $8.
“We really embrace the heritage around baseball and the heritage around people from Hispanic culture,” Bowers said. “So bringing that same mentality we saw around the World Baseball Classic, we’ve seen around EPL games, MLS games in and around the U.S. How do we get that engagement buy in where people can proudly support their love for the Marlins and also for their particular culture?”
“[They can] be a community of people that can come hang out, be a little different, bring bells, whistles, flags, [etc.] to create a really cool vibe.”
Focus on the weekends
Bowers also gleaned on his time in San Diego, where he served as a senior sales executive from 1996-2000.
At the time, he said the Padres were trying to revitalize their brand after missing out on the playoffs for years, operating under a new ownership group and being in a transient market where there’s a lot to do (Sound familiar?).
“[The question was] ‘How do you get people to come back out,’ ” Bowers said. “From my San Diego days, we take this peak on peak model, which is focusing on the weekend.”
The Marlins will focus on a number of incentives — DJ’s, giveaways, fireworks — in hopes of creating a lively atmosphere. They’ll also feature theme-centric days — Little Havana Nights (Friday), Party Before Dark (Saturday) and Sunday Funday.
Saturday’s home games will begin an hour earlier at 6:10 — a fan suggestion that came from the Dímelo [tell me] booths around the stadium.
“[You can come] out after a long week of work, blow off some steam, hang out. This is the place to be before you go out to Brickell, Wynwood, Miami Beach. It’s going to feel like the way you should end your week.”
New seating
Next season, Marlins Park will also offer standing room-only sections and high-top bars at a lower price. Bowers said these are part of an effort to reengage with the Miami and millennial audience, which he feels haven’t been properly served.
“We have not done a great job of marketing toward Miami,” Bowers said. “We haven’t paid enough attention to people a little bit closer to us — so Wynwood, Brickell. You see how Miami has evolved so much over the past five years. How do we embrace the millennial segment? How do we embrace Coconut Grove, Coral Gables? We feel there’s an opportunity to do something at a low price point.”
Watch parties
One item that’s being tested out is holding watch parties for away games. On Wednesday night, the Marlins are hosting a party at Tarpon Bend in Coral Gables for the Red Sox game. Bowers said over 400 people have already RSVP’d for the event. He said if the party goes well, they could have more in the future.
“[Wednesday] is a beta test,” Bowers said. “It’s the first one we’ve done. I’m a big believer if you’re going to do it, do it right … you want people to go and have a good time.
“If we can do more that make sense in that nature, absolutely we’ll do it.”