How would you market the Orioles?

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Mar 31, 2008

Lisa A. Shenkle

President, VERB! Communications

Annapolis

Cheering for a team is a unifying experience, it is both personal and very public, and something you can't capture with a slogan or free foam finger. It's not about a campaign, it's about coming home.

The PR focus needs to build on the hometown community where Orioles players represent a "team" -- at one with each other and the fans -- less a singling out of select players. The Orioles need to take advantage of the neighborhood feeling that is Baltimore. A town where players interact with fans, have more autograph sessions, spontaneous "Cheers" moments where players are seen as regular guys hoisting a few, surprise team member visits to the Inner Harbor, senior centers or junior league baseball games. Personal interaction through more meet-and-greets, less stardust, more charm.

We need that old baseball feeling of our collective childhoods where the peanuts smell better and there is no such thing as a fair- weather fan -- just neighborhood folks coming out to cheer the hometown team.

David Burnett

Senior vice president, The Pincus Group

Silver Spring

Tell the truth!: It will be another ugly season. Don't insult the fans by saying otherwise. No amount of lipstick will pretty up this pig. But that doesn't mean you can't re-engage fans who might become fond of their lovable losers; much like the love Chicago has for the luckless Cubs. Here's how:

Make Camden Yards an event again: Drastically lower ticket prices so regular sellouts are again possible. Help fans remember that there simply is no better place to enjoy a game. Camden Yards remains baseball's modern jewel.

Honor the past -- talk up the future: Many Orioles greats are still around. Recognize and cherish them as often as possible. Showcase the farm system. Let the fans know who the successful O's will one day be.

Give the fans what they want!: Have Peter Angelos dunked in water by prize-winning fans -- a sure way to guarantee a packed house.

Sandy Hillman

President, Sandy Hillman Communications

Towson

The team has smartly been focusing on the series of trades it executed during the off-season. Most of these moves were well received by fans and industry experts and therefore represent a credible basis for optimism about the future. While the franchise can't afford to overpromise, it should incorporate a "future is now" message in its marketing. The team should communicate to its fans that this season is an opportunity to introduce themselves to the spirited players who will serve as the nucleus of the franchise -- and, hopefully, its success -- for many years to come.

Beyond what happens on the field, the organization should be sensitive to its role as a good corporate citizen. It's important for players to be actively engaged in the community, and that's something management can promote and support.

Gary Matthews

President, ETC Information Inc.

Gwynn Oak

Peter Angelos and the organization need to go back to the days when they were on 33rd Street where the old stadium was. That whole community was saturated with events planned around the retail and small businesses there, and the team really got involved with them. We don't have that now. When I go to a game, I don't see that representation of small business owners -- about 62 percent of which are women -- in the ballpark. This is a down year for the Orioles, and now is the time to have a grass roots plan to get Baltimoreans from all the city's sectors back inside the ballpark.

I would advise they reach out and invite small business owners to a stadium reception, give them a tour and let them ask questions. Build a dialogue back and forth between two successful business groups and get them involved and invested again.