Gameops.com: So
it's okay to fail?
Spoelstra: You
have to. I tell my people that I hope some of their ideas
turn out to be turds on a table. How interesting and inviting
is that? But you run into those things when you try new
ideas.
You may
say "I am not sure how the fans will react." But
that means you just try it and watch the fan reaction.
If it works, you keep doing it. If it doesn't you learn
from it and pretend you never did it.
For example
we just did a mascot skit where our mascot was in a water
gun dual with our on-the-field MC. When they turned around
the MC has one of those big squirt guns and the mascot
has a little toy squirt gun....so he's going to get clobbered.
The mascot then grabs a bucket of water (spilling some
to show the water). He then gives chase to the MC around
the field.
If
it doesn't work, you learn from it and pretend
you never did it.
-Jon Spoelstra |
Over
on the other side of the field we have an umpire (plant)
standing there with his back turned. Just as the mascot
throws the water at the MC, he ducks and the umpire gets
the water. It's an old Globetrotter's schick. Then the
mascot tosses the empty bucket to the MC as the umpire
turns around...of course he sees the MC with the empty
bucket and tosses him out of the game.
I wasn't
sure how the fans would respond. But the fans really liked
it, so we are going to try it again tonight. But if you
don't try it and be aware it may not work out.
Gameops.com: Here
is a multiple choice question for you...and it's a tough
one.
What's
more important?
- Blowing
up bad ideas.
- Pleasing
your fans, or
- Not
taking yourself too seriously?
This
is tough ...because all 3 of those are good [laughs].
Spoelstra: I'd
say pleasing your fans. But that might mean blowing up
the ramp and not taking yourself too seriously.
Gameops.com: I
said it was a trick question, but not a hard one.
What's
better today about minor league sports than say 10 years
ago?
Spoelstra: The
stadiums are clearly much better. But I think the same
ingredients were here 10 years ago, but the marketers have
gotten much better. Meaning 10 years ago, this was more
about ma' and pa' baseball put on for the purist. When
I go to the baseball meetings and I see the purists, they
think guys like me are the devil incarnate. But in Dayton
Ohio we have done something that no one did in the 100
year history of minor league baseball...that is, we sold
every ticket to every game for an entire year. And we did
that in our first year.
We have
now done that for four straight years. The sports sellout
record was set by the Portland Trailblazers. We have about
3 more years in Dayton to approach that.
Some
minor league baseball teams have 3 or 4 employees. Well
we want to sell out the stadium that seats 7,200. We are
averaging about 8,400 with some burm seating. So we need
a lot of marketing people, we have like 25 employees in
Dayton.
Gameops.com: Is
that team winning? Has that helped?
Spoelstra: We
break the seasons in half. Sometimes we are in first, other
halves we are in last.
Gameops.com: So
it's not like the team is on a 4 year rampage of winning?
Spoelstra: In
fact I was there last week and I asked Bob Murphy, one
of the lead guys there. We do really detailed analysis
of the numbers. I asked if they have any connection between
winning and concessions or no-shows....but they have found
no correlation whatsoever.
Our whole
focus is on families. We think of families, families, families,
and then we think of families some more. Its all about
the entertainment at a baseball game.
Gameops.com: What's
your thought on national touring entertainment acts? Any
that stand out?
Spoelstra: I
love them.
The Chicken,
we hire him every chance we get. The Zooperstars are fabulous.
Reggy is great.
The Zooperstars,
no one knows who they are when you bring them in the first
time. I think in Dayton we bring them in 2 or 3 times a
year. They almost branded products. We love it when they
build an identity of their own.
Gameops.com: If
you had a airline ticket and a game pass for any team in
the country and you had to go watch just one team for an
entire year, where would you go?
Spoelstra: No
question. The Dayton Dragons. I have so much fun going
to those games. A couple months ago I told my wife, you
know we are gonna have to move to Dayton. She said "Really,
why?" And I told her because I want to see more games.
I love to sit in different spots and watch the fans. They
are all just having so much fun....and I do too.
This
year we even added a second and third mascot, and the fans
love those mascots.
Gameops.com: Thank
you for your time. Great to speak with you.
Spoelstra: Your
welcome.
In part
one of the Gameops.com Interview with Jon Spoelstra, Jon
explains why it's so important to entertain, tells how
he alomst gave a jockstrap to every man, woman and child
coming to New Jersey Net games and turns down the volume. Click
to read Part One.
In part
two of the Gameops.com Interview with Jon Spoelstra, Jon
tells us the only people who matter in entertainment and
describes how he loaded a failing on-court promotion with
pyro and blew it up in front of his fans. Click
to read Part Two.
Thanks
to Jon Spoelstra for sharing his time for this month's
interview. It was an enjoyable 45 minutes talking to a
legend in sports marketing, and he did not disappoint.
Thanks also to David Raymond for helping to arrange the
interview.
- Books
by Jon Spoelstra
- Marketing
Outrageously
by Jon Spoelstra, Mark Cuban
Ice
To The Eskimos by Jon Spoelstra
Jon Spoelstra, who pushed sponsorship and fan revenue to unprecedented
heights for the lowly New Jersey Nets basketball franchise, shows
how to put big-league marketing expertise to use off the court
in Ice to the Eskimos: How To Market a Product Nobody Wants.
- Books
by George Lois
- Portland
Trailblazers website
- Dayton
Dragons - The Dragons began play in the 2000 baseball
season as the Class "A" affiliate of the
Cincinnati Reds organization. This team plays in a
state-of-the-art stadium that is a part of a $30 million
complex located in the heart of downtown Dayton. The
stadium has been designed unlike a minor league stadium
and will include amenities such as premium and club
level seating, 30 luxury suites and the first upper-deck
in Class A baseball.
- Las
Vegas 51s - The 51s are the Triple A affiliate
of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Las Vegas 51s, formerly
the Las Vegas Stars, are the longest standing professional
sports franchise in the city as they are entering their
18th season of baseball in Las Vegas. These unique
properties lend credibility, standing in the industry
and the ability to leverage these properties to avail
new opportunities and businesses.
- Frisco
Rough Riders - Professional baseball in Frisco,
Texas.
- The
Famous Chicken - Official website
- Read
The two-part Gameops.com Interview with the Famous
Chicken
- The
Zooperstars! -
Official website
- Reggy -
Official website
Other
Notes
- Update: We have been emailed by Gameops.com friend former head coach of the OSU Women's basketball team Judy Spoelstra. According to geneology insight provided by Judy's mom, the two Spoelstras are indeed related (which we had earlier claimed they were not).
- Raymond
Entertainment Group: Thanks David, for connecting
us with Jon Spoelstra
