Marketing Strategies / Strategic Marketing Case Study

Fenway Park, the Baseball Stadium's Decision to Stay on- A Wise Move?

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Abstract:

Fenway Park was the home ballpark of the famous Boston Red Sox baseball team. Red Sox team had built a passionate fan following, despite not having won the World Series title in a span of 86 years. The fans' obsession was also associated with the Fenway Park.

Built in 1912, it was not only the smallest park among the Major leagues, with a capacity of around 36000 spectators, but it was also the oldest. Moreover, the amenities at the park were the barest minimal and in some cases, insufficient. To address this issue, the previous owners had talks about moving to a bigger and better ballpark. But this angered the fans who considered the experiences at Fenway as their birthright and felt that a new park could not create the same environment. However in 2005, the new management decided to be a preservationist of Fenway rather than looking out for a new park.

Analysts felt this decision of renovating the park was also bleak as the structure was very old. By staying at the Fenway Park, expansion would not be possible on a large scale and the team would lose out on the benefits of shifting to a new park.

The case allows for discussion on brand management associated with a sports franchise and strategies to be adopted to enhance fan experience.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To discuss strategies on brand management associated with a sports franchise
• To discuss strategies to be adopted to enhance fan experience.

Keywords : Fenway Park, Red Sox, Baseball franchise, Renovation, fans, brand management, franchise management, cost-benefit analysis, stadium revenues, Marketing Strategies Case Study, Yankees, World Series Victory, Major League Baseball, ticket sales, fan experience, branding on emotions, emotional marketing

Contents:

• Introduction
• Background of the case
• New Park Vs Renovation
• Road Ahead & Challenges