1. Case Study
How Major League Baseball Doubled Fan
Research Without Increasing Costs
As seen on www.marketingprofs.com
Quick Read: The Challenge:
Each year, when Major League Baseball's post- Only in the last decade or so has the MLB turned
season culminates with the World Series in Octo- to field research to validate and shape its business
ber, all eyes are on the MLB or are they? With decisions. Once it was initiated, its value was
most teams out of the running, do those teams' quickly realized. But the time and costs associated
fans actually continue to watch? Are the time with primary research restricted the organization
and resources invested in marketing such high- from performing the breadth of fieldwork it
profile events worthwhile, or even in tune with desired.
fans' true passion for the game?
"We wanted to be in touch with our consumers as
Such insight used to be financially infeasible for often as we could, but we were limited somewhat
the MLB's Senior Director of Research Dan Derian. by budgets and costs," recalled Dan Derian,
But the introduction of an online advisory panel senior director of research.
in late 2006—dubbed the "MLB Fans at Bat" and
made up of avid supporters from all over the The MLB had to find a more cost-effective
country—has allowed the organization to approach to research.
successfully double its research efforts.
Moreover, it helped make the 2007 postseason
far less ambiguous, answering not only which
fans tuned in but also whether
(1) Dane Cook was a good spokesperson;
2) the message was communicated clearly;
(3) and the overall creative material was
on target.
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2. Case Study
How Major League Baseball Doubled Fan Research Without Increasing Costs
The Campaign:
On the recommendation of his National Hockey "We can segment a sample of this size so that we
League counterpart, Derian contacted Vision can still do a survey every couple of days if we
Critical, a Canada-based firm that specializes in want to without inundating [the panelists] too
Web-based panel management tools. In August often, and the results are still representative," said
2006, the "MLB Fans at Bat" online customer advi- Derian. Responses tend to indicate a trend after
sory panel began to be implemented. the first several hundred replies, he said.
Close to 20,000 panelists were recruited from the Questions typically cover a range of topics, from
MLB.com registered user database via an intro- feedback about a particular ad or the fit of a
ductory email message: potential sponsor with the MLB brand, to which
team has improved most during the off-season or
"You have been selected to join a newly created whom they'd like to see participate in the Home
Major League Baseball advisory panel made up Run Derby. "We have to be conscious of the types
entirely of fans just like you. By signing up, you will of surveys we're sending out. We are often explor-
be asked to give us your opinion on a wide variety ing very specific business issues...but it is impor-
of topics important to MLB. Major League Baseball tant to balance our business objectives with the
fans are some of the smartest and most vocal fans issues [our panelists] find interesting from a fan
in all of professional sports, so here is your chance perspective," said Derian.
to talk to us and help make a difference. We are
listening." As part of its licensing agreement with Vision
Critical, MLB can send out as many surveys as it
Rather than rely on incentives to encourage desires, to the entire panel or any segment, at
participation, MLB decided it could leverage the any time, by independently copying and pasting
true passion of its fans and positioned the panel as its questions into Vision Critical's "Panel+" applica-
an "opportunity to share their thoughts, to stand tion. It allows such questions to be structured as
up and be counted," said Derian. single select, multi-select, rank, or open-ended,
and surveys can further include images and
Willing participants were asked to complete a video, which have been particularly effective for
lengthy profiling questionnaire that enabled the testing logos, uniforms, and television ads.
MLB to screen them according to demographics
and team affinity and easily determine subsets Reporting through the Panel+ system records
within the sample, as needed. This data was later every response and connects new data with all
appended to all supplemental surveys, drawing a previously generated findings. Data can then be
more complete picture each time research was manipulated in the online system and exported
performed. to MLB's own Excel, PowerPoint or PDF programs.
The first survey was conducted in November 2006,
and since then panelists have been sent a new
questionnaire once a month on average, creat-
ing an ongoing dialogue with the fans without
overwhelming them.
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3. Case Study
How Major League Baseball Doubled Fan Research Without Increasing Costs
The Results: Lessons Learned:
Great response rates: Whether because of the A direct link is preferable: Managing the panel
new medium, the perceived privilege of in-house has saved both time and money, given
participating, or simply the fervor of its fans, the MLB more control over its research, and devel-
MLB's surveys have had high response rates: on oped a dialogue with fans that allows the organi-
average, 50% for surveys completed to date—7% zation to keep tabs on market preferences.
higher than the average for Vision Critical client
panels. About 44% of the "MLB Fans at Bat" panel- Balance your sample's needs with your own:
ists participate at least 60% of the time. Panelists eager to participate can quickly
become alienated if not stimulated with ques-
More research: The ability to send out more tions they find interesting. Accordingly, MLB
surveys has permitted the MLB to double its field designs its surveys to include game-related topics
research efforts and cover a wider range of that speak to the passion of these fans and help
topics. "The value has been significant in terms of compensate for questions related to MLB
what we've gotten from replicating studies we've business objectives.
done in past, in addition to those we might not
have done due to the cost implications previ- Refrain from inundating your sample: To nurture
ously," said Derian. "We've done at least twice as ongoing participation, Derian suggests soliciting
many surveys as we would have done had we each panelist once a month at most. By recruit-
needed to go 'out of house,'" he added. More- ing a large sample up front, he enabled his orga-
over, MLB has used the technology internally, and nization to conduct considerable research and
found it to be a great tool for surveying staff and achieve representative results without over-
evaluating corporate initiatives. whelming panelists.
Faster turnaround: With the panel in-house, MLB
can initiate a new survey the very day it
decides to do so, and results arrive within hours
rather than weeks. On average, MLB receives
80-85% of its feedback within the first 36 hours.
A well-qualified and readily available sample: By
recruiting from the MLB.com database, MLB
saved the costs of purchasing samples without
forfeiting its requisite for devoted baseball fans.
And because these panelists opted in, they
appear more willing to participate. To "keep the by: Kimberly Smith
panel fresh" and make room for new participants, site: www.marketingprofs.com
MLB regularly purges "non-responders," who aver- published:1/8/2008
age 12% per survey.
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