The Insider Q3 2011

1. During your years at Major League Baseball you have seen the game evolve and rise in popularity…what is the biggest change in the game from your perspective?

The game has evolved a great deal and the good news is that its popularity has risen dramatically as well. I would have to say that Interleague play, the new round of the Division Series, and the concept of the All-Star winner determining home field advantage for the World Series are the biggest changes. Another thing that has had great impact for all sports, not just ours is all of the new ballparks. They provide great comforts for the fans and terrific revenue generation for the teams through corporate partnership opportunities.

2. The FanFest at the MLB All-Star Game has become an enormous part of the All-Star draw…how far in advance does planning for the FanFest begin and how much has it grown since you became involved?

It is hard to believe but we will be celebrating our 21st FanFest in Phoenix this year. FanFest has grown to become the largest baseball show of its kind.

It includes over 400,000 square feet or space, over 40 attractions and has become a focal point for fans attending the game.

We begin negotiating FanFest and the location prior to any announcement that the Commissioner has awarded a host club & host market an All-Star Summer. So this is well in advance and years before the event actually takes place.

3. How much has the recession impacted what you do at MLB and the dollars committed to the game and events by fans and corporate partners?

All of our partners participate but some have chosen to spend less than in previous years. All-Star Events & FanFest remain an important activation tool for our partners. MLB continues to spend wisely and we make great efforts to include the community and surrounding areas hosting All-Star Events and make it special. The dollars have not defined how much we commit or the impact. Keep in mind that an All-Star Summer comes around once every 20 years or once in a lifetime for a City.

4. How much has social media played a role in raising awareness and promoting MLB jewel events?

Years ago it did not exist now there is never a conversation that does not include all the social media platforms to promote All-Star Summer events and activities. MLB and MLB.com have been, I believe, ahead of the curve when it comes to new technology and it has made a great difference in all areas of our industry.

5. OK, let us in on your favorite MLB All-Star Game story?

There have been quite a few things at the All-Star Game that I have had the honor to work on and are very memorable. Top of the list has to be the naming of the All-Century Team in 1999 with one of your clients, Cal Ripken. Some other great memories include the All-Star Game in 2008 at old Yankee Stadium and the ceremonial first pitch by President Obama in St. Louis in 2009. That said, the really interesting stories are NOT quotable!

This quarter, we'll be speaking with Mike McMearty, media professional from WTOP Radio. McMearty has served 18 years at WTOP. For the last 10 years, he has worked as the News Director for the top billing station in America. As of last year, WTOP won 44 major awards in journalism and awarded 4 National Edward R. Murrow awards -- including accolades for Best Newscast.

By Gerry Sandusky

I attended a training seminar recently that dealt with some fairly technical information. The presenter knew his material. He had also delivered the training three other times earlier in the day. As my group settled into seats, I saw the presenter chomping on gum. Shortly after he began the program, the presenter paused and cracked his knuckles. I did a double take. The presenter got so caught up in his familiarity with the material, the room, and the session that he overlooked his unfamiliarity with my group. We didn’t know this guy and he didn’t make a very professional first impression. It’s hard to recover from that mistake.

If you have to make the same presentation or conduct the same meeting a few different times with different groups, avoid getting too casual with each group before you build some report. I wouldn’t recommend chewing gum or cracking your knuckles at any point. Strive to make your audience comfortable, but don’t think your familiarity with the program immediately makes the audience comfortable with you. If you lose the room in the first few minutes by getting too casual too quickly, then a lot of the people in the room will miss some of your agenda while they try to get over the shock of your inappropriateness.

Start with party manners, not with a party. Bring your audience along from there.

By Chris Daley
Senior Account Executive

Creating a brand is not easy. It takes time, and in most cases, years to develop. With Sagamore Farm, Maroon PR was hired to bring a brand back to life and rejuvenate a fan base for a horse training farm with a deep and respected history in the thoroughbred racing world.

Founded in 1925 by Issac Emerson, the inventor of Bromo-Seltzer, the farm was bequeathed to Alfred G. Vanderbilt II for his 21st birthday in 1933 by his mother Margaret, who was Emerson’s daughter. Under Vanderbilt’s legendary guidance the farm was internationally recognized as a premier training and breeding facility for the next half century.

Since founded, Sagamore Farm has held international recognition as a premier breeding and training ground in the thoroughbred industry. The farm’s most famous equine resident was Native Dancer. Known to the public at large as the Galloping Grey Ghost, Native Dancer went 21 for 22 during his racing career which spanned from 1952 to 1954. In 1953 Native Dancer won both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. In 1954, Native Dancer became the first animal ever to appear on the cover of TIME Magazine.

Under Armour founder and CEO, Kevin Plank purchased the farm in 2007 from a developer who had owned the property since 1986. Along with his team, Plank has assembled a long-term plan for a major restoration to the property. In 2008, two stables were rehabbed with state-of-the-art design that now house their broodmare, foaling and training divisions. Over 14 miles of Sagamore’s signature white fences have been rebuilt and 2009, the farm’s six-furlong (3/4 mile) training track was refurbished with new rails and a synthetic Tapeta surface which incorporates recycled Under Armour fabric as a base component.

Sagamore Farm’s mission is to bring energy and winning back to Maryland thoroughbred racing. In November 2010, their first horse to arrive at the farm in 2007, Shared Account, won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup World Championship Fillies and Mare Turf-G1. A 46-1 shot, she defeated one of the best horses in the world, Midday. The win captured the essence of what the farm is looking to accomplish. Producing horses that run hard, defy the odds and win at the sport’s highest level.

Maroon PR began working with Sagamore Farm in February 2011. Since then the firm has worked closely with Sagamore Farm’s General Manager, Tom Mullikin and his team to begin building the new Sagamore Farm brand. SagamoreRacing.com was developed, which serves as a hub for all news related to Sagamore Farm including custom articles, profiles of the horses, media coverage and more. An online store featuring custom Sagamore Farm apparel and gear is currently in development and will launch later this year.

In addition, Maroon PR designed and manages the farm’s social media sites including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The horse racing media and community is very engaged in social media, so keeping fans/followers updated with general farm news and race day updates has been, and will continue to be a key component in maintaining brand awareness and connection.

Along with the online platforms, securing media opportunities and facilitating media requests will always play a critical role in establishing the new brand for Sagamore Farm. Prior to the Preakness, Maroon PR was able to secure national media attention for the farm including feature articles in the New York Times and Washington Post. In addition, garnering media opportunities for the Mullikin has been key to positioning him not only as an industry expert, but as the face of Sagamore Farm. Maroon PR has booked opportunities for Tom on Comcast SportsNet’s Washington Post Live, Fox 45 Morning News, and various sports radio shows.

The mind-set our firm is working under is that Sagamore Farm is a professional sports team. Plank is the team owner, Mullikin is the GM, Ignacio Correas IV is the head trainer and the horses are the athletes. Maroon PR is the public and community relations office.

It has been an exciting year thus far for Sagamore Farm’s thoroughbreds. Their three year-old gelding, Monzon became the first Triple Crown entry for Sagamore since Native Dancer, when he ran in the 143rd Belmont Stakes on June 11. Humble and Hungry finished third at the Opening Day of Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. on April 8, second in the James W. Murphy Stakes at Pimlico on Preakness Day and third in the Grade III Prince Hill Stakes at Belmont Park on June 11. Most recently, Sagamore’s promising two year-old filly, Millionreasonswhy, won the $150,000 Grade II Matron Stakes at Belmont Park on July 3.

There is much more work that needs to be done but we are starting to see people taking notice. Through our continued efforts to establish relationships with horse racing media, working with media in Maryland to consistently cover Sagamore Farm’s accomplishments on the track, and continuing to build the farm’s fan base through a variety of channels, the new Sagamore Farm brand is here to stay.

Maroon PR will feature a regular column by someone from our team, in an effort for our readers to get to know us and hear our opinions. This quarter, we’ll hear from Maroon PR's Manager of Social Media, Courtney Carey.

It is amazing to me how technology, specifically social media, has the ability to bring such an immense network of people together to interact and share ideas. It is also incredible to think about how fast technology evolves and changes. The ability to recognize and adapt to these changes in trends is essential for any business to succeed.

When Facebook originally launched in 2004, there were restrictions that allowed only those with a valid college email address to use the site. Beginning in September of 2006, anyone over the age of 13 could create an account with Facebook. In the five years since Facebook made itself accessible to everyone, it has become a worldwide phenomenon.

When Maroon PR opened it’s doors in 2006, no one really knew or paid any attention to Facebook. Now, five years later, the site has over 500 million active users. Approximately one out of every 13 people has a Facebook account and almost half of those users are logged on to the site on a given day.

Maroon PR first began to dabble in the world of social media marketing in 2009. As a company, we adapted and embraced the new trends in technology and we now manage the social media platforms or assist in the social media efforts of over 18 major nonprofits or organizations.

As a team, we believe that there is no longer such a thing as local media. This belief is largely due to the capabilities and growth of social media marketing. When we get a “local” placement, it is our responsibility to maximize the potential of the story. This is done by immediately sending a link to the story through all relevant social media channels, websites, blogs, etc. If done accurately, the story ceases to be local and immediately becomes international.

At Maroon PR, we create social media strategies for our clients that are designed to meet their individual needs and best utilize each social media platform. Social media marketing has opened up channels of communication to an extremely large audience that our clients may not have reached before.

As trends in technology and outlets of communication evolve, Maroon PR will be quick to adapt and embrace them. Our social media team is beginning to grow and I, for one, am excited to see what we can accomplish.

Prior to this year's Preakness Stakes, Maroon PR secured this feature story by Liz Clarke for the Washington Post that ran in early May. The placement captures the restoration story of Sagamore Farm and their mission to bring the farm back to prominence in the thoroughbred racing world. In addition to the print article, the online version included a beautiful photo gallery assembled by Washington Post photographer, John McDonnell who spent an entire day photographing the farm.

After two decades with various sports teams and leagues John Maroon opened Maroon PR in April of 2006. We opened our doors with two clients, Ripken Baseball and the Babe Ruth Museum, and we are proud to say that they are still with us. We now manage over two dozen active clients that include sports properties, non-profit organizations and small businesses. Our Vision Statement is "We Drive Growth Through Relationships" and it is so much more than a statement, it is the way we do business each and every day to help our clients. Visit the Capabilities section of our site to learn more.

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