Twins, Angels Lead Off MLB Opening Week With Unique Promos…

We have often talked about how minor league baseball teams always find ways to create buzzworthy, fun promotions to engage their fans. However with the MLB season opening this week, it seems like the Majors, as many teams battle to move distressed inventory in the early season, may be giving their Minor League brethren a run for their dollars in the innovation category this year (check out Mike Benacchi's blog on the list of promotions at the MLB level this year). Two cases in point.

First is the Minnesota Twins. The Twins in recent years have found many ways to engage their fans with fun promotions, especially as their onfield product has improved and they made the transition from the Metrodome to brand new Target Field this year. However one of the best ideas any team has ha.addressing the green issue, the issue of broken bats, and the need for great community involvemen.was unveiled this week. The Twins and Minnesota State Parks and Trails announced a new partnership called.Break a Bat, Plant a Tree. Every time a Twins pitcher breaks the bat of an opposing player during the 2010 season, Minnesota State Parks and Trails will plant 100 trees in one of the 73 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas or along one of the 21 Minnesota state trails. The Twins claim that on average, a team breaks one bat every game. That would result in 16,200 new trees planted on Minnesota state parks and trails as a result of Break a Bat, Plant a Tree. Now maybe the team can expand it to also include the broken bats by Twins batters during the season, at least at home, but even without that move, the program is a homer on many levels. It is true that virtually every team has made some move toward a green initiative in the last few years, although some are just token sponsorship ties that come and go in the public consciousness. This move is a sustainable, and not cheap, program in a very environmentally conscious state that clearly sends the message that the team is a long term partner in the health and well being of the community. Great move.

Then there was the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who on Tuesday night, turned a fun promotion into a record setter. The Angels used a Hideki Matsui Snuggie giveaway to break the officia.not even contrive.world record last night the largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets. The Cleveland Cavaliers had used a Snuggie giveaway earlier this year to set a record, which the Angels easily broke with 43,510 in attendance the day after Opening Day. The great thing about the promotion was that it gave some buzz, and put more than a few butts in seats, for a day which is usually a great letdown, the day after Opening Day. Many teams over the years have tried the Opening Day 2 promotion, using giveaways to lure fans back for a second game immediately after the buzz of a home opener, but it usually does.t go as well. By staging a major promotion on Day 2, the Angels also hit a homer in a promotion that certainly was not an inexpensive one for the promotional brand.

So are the Twins and Angels raising the bar for innovation for MLB teams this year in generating buzz and ROI for partner. We shall see, but with more teams doing more promotions this year, innovation may really be key in drawing attention and cutting through major market clutter.