Kansas City T Bones

Background:
The Kansas City T-Bones are a Northern League baseball team. Northern League teams are not minor league teams because they're not directly affiliated with any Major League Baseball club. But the play and skill levels of the players are similar to that of a lower level minor league team. The T-Bones have a very loyal fan base and are near the top of the league in attendance. But because the team is in a 'big league' town-sharing the spotlight with the Kansas City Royals, the Kansas City Chiefs, three major universities and a nationally known racing speedway-they tend to get lost in a lot of the sports media coverage. In July 2006, the T-Bones hosted the Northern League All-Star Game for the first time. The T-Bones hired INK to help raise the profile of the team and to promote the Northern League All-Star Game and its festivities.

Strategy/Tactics:
INK's strategy was to set the T-Bones apart from the other widely known sports teams in Kansas City. A lot of these teams in Kansas City (Royals, Chiefs, KU, K-State, Mizzou) were competing for and getting media attention and the T-Bones were only a small part of that. So, INK had two basic goals: to promote the Northern League All-Star Game and festivities, which the T-Bones were hosting, and to raise general awareness in the community about the T-Bones and the experience at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. INK targeted Kansas City media at two key points in the season, right at the beginning in May and in the days leading up to the July 18th All-Star Game. INK invited key members of the media to participate either by coming out to the ballpark and taking batting practice live on the air or by playing in a celebrity game.

Results:
INK's tactics got the T-Bones and the Northern League All-Star Game extensive coverage in Kansas City media. All Kansas City TV stations, both radio stations, and the major newspapers covered the event. Attendance for Monday's festivities and Tuesday's All-Star Game were both near sell-outs. Also, the T-Bones signed 94-year-old Buck O'Neill to a one day contract. This made Buck O'Neill the oldest person to play in a professional baseball game. More than 500 television stories across the country ran on this story on programs such as ESPN, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and the CBS Early Show.

KCK Kansan
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