Brooks Boyer Q&A -- Part II

[greasywheels121]

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb...s_cws&fext=.jsp

 

Boyer: Putting the Sox fan first

Winning is most important to putting fans in the seats

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com 

 

CHICAGO -- Following a weekend of mingling with the thousands of fans attending SoxFest, covering daily topics from ticket sales to in-game entertainment, Brooks Boyer talked exclusively with MLB.com about his plans for what he hopes will be an exciting upcoming season on the South Side.

 

The final segment with the person in charge of marketing and broadcasting focuses on what he's learned on the job and the importance of the White Sox/Cubs rivalry, among other topics.

 

MLB.com: Is it tougher than you originally thought to market the White Sox?

 

Boyer: I came into this eyes wide open. I knew where the challenges were. Being sister companies with the White Sox, with Jerry (Reinsdorf) owning both the Bulls and the White Sox, you have a pretty good understanding of what is expected. They are marketed completely differently, which was the amazing part. Two sports teams owned by the same guy have two distinctly separate philosophies -- especially when one was clearly working.

 

For me to come over ... we didn't become the Bulls, but there are an awful lot of philosophies that I agree with that I think I've incorporated over here and the staff has accepted. The staff that I have has really busted its [rear] to change. They have made a lot of changes that have been for the better because we are putting the fan first. It's about the fan, and it's about the overall experience.

 

MLB.com: You get thousands of e-mails and everyone has an idea, whether it's good, bad or somewhere in between. How do you avoid alienating people when responding to them, even if you don't necessarily agree?

 

Boyer: No. 1, I do my best to reply to everything -- good, bad or indifferent. I try to start everything with, "Thanks for the note."

 

You get notes that are good and complimentary. You get ones that are complimentary but that we should think about this or that and you get some that are bad. Then, some are just nasty and mean. Whether it's a voicemail or an e-mail, if it's profanity-laced, I won't respond to it. If it's something where people have a legitimate complaint, I'll always respond to it.

 

I always start with, "Thanks for the note" because they took enough time to write me. I should show them the respect back, whether it's a quick-jotted note or responding through the e-mail. I'm going to do it.

 

MLB.com: What are some of the changes that you implemented last year, after taking over, which you felt worked out pretty well?

 

Boyer: Our player intros are something that are unique (players introduced pregame individually by position). Our fans really like that.

 

I think the commitment to customer satisfaction ... The one thing we did, which really made a big difference, was that we made our season ticket reps call our season ticket holders, which is a fundamental thing that you would think would happen. We said between two weeks before and two weeks after the All-Star Game, all the season ticket holders received a phone call. We asked them things like "How are you?" "What can we do better for you?" or "Is there anything else we can do?"

 

We weren't calling them asking them for a payment. It was just, "How are you?" I got calls and e-mails from people, thanking us for doing that. It's just the little things, trying to pay attention to details throughout the entire marketing department, that hopefully has helped.

 

There was a big commitment to group sales. We had our biggest group sale in 20 years. It has been great.

 

MLB.com: What was the reaction to the "Us vs. Them" ad campaign you used last season, having a little fun at the Cubs' expense? It seems to perfectly play up the great spirit of having two professional baseball teams in the same city.

 

Boyer: There's a rivalry. If people don't think there's a rivalry, then they aren't paying attention. These games with the Cubs don't mean as much as the games with Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland and Kansas City in our division. They don't. But they mean something to the people of Chicago.

 

Our division or the Cubs' division won't be determined by these six games, but Cubs fans and White Sox fans love these games. The marketing people love it. The coaches and managers would probably say, "Let's not play this series because it takes the focus off of the game." There is a lot of hype. It's fun, and it should be fun.

 

If the White Sox win all six, it's obviously fantastic for us. If we go 3-3, it's acceptable. If we go 0-6, it stinks. We don't want that to happen. But it is a rivalry. You have to be able in advertising to be real.

 

There's no way you can fool people. That spot was real, and it's what our White Sox fans felt. If the Cubs and their fans didn't like it, I have to be honest in saying that I really don't care. It really resonated with our fans and they enjoyed it.

 

MLB.com: A few quick answers to some fans' concerns, submitted frequently to our weekly Mailbag: Will there be cheerleaders in 2005?

 

Boyer: No. I don't foresee that happening right now. Is there a chance we could have a spirit squad? There's a chance we could do some spirit squad type things, leading "Take Me out to the Ballgame." We might be able to do something like that. It's something we are looking into.

 

We will try a lot of things. We will tweak and tinker with a lot of things. Ultimately, the fans will decide what we keep and what we throw away.

 

MLB.com: Are the discount ticket nights still on the schedule?

 

Boyer: Yes, we have value Mondays, where all tickets are half the regular price. We have the Pepsi 2-for-1 Tuesdays, all in the upper deck. You buy one ticket for full price and get the second one free.

 

MLB.com: Finally, if you were to list your ideal goals, either at the end of this season or down the road two or three years, what would they be?

 

Boyer: First off, I want us to have a $100 million payroll. I kind of think like (general manager) Kenny (Williams) thinks. I would love to sit here and say three million fans, but what do White Sox fans want the most? We want to win. So, I look at it as payroll. How much money can my group supply to Kenny to put the product on the field?

 

I don't care as much about how much money the organization makes. It's how can I help the organization win and put on the greatest show in baseball to our fans. The greatest show in baseball is not only the entertainment stuff we do but also what happens on the field. I sure would love to have to plan game entertainment for the World Series. I have three championship rings with the Bulls, and there's no better feeling than being part of a team that wins it all.

 

MLB.com: Speaking of the Bulls, this city seems to be divided between Cubs fans and White Sox fans in terms of baseball. But everyone was or is a devout Bulls fan, especially when they are winning. How gratifying and exciting is it for you, having been part of the organization for so long, to look at that team and see what they are accomplishing now?

 

Boyer: I'm as big a Bulls fan as could exist. Obviously, I have an emotional attachment to that organization, simply because I was there for four unbelievable years with (Michael) Jordan and six very challenging years.

 

To see (general manager John) Paxson, (coach Scott) Skiles and (executive vice president of business operations Steve) Schanwald and all of my friends there have the success they deserve and the success they have worked so hard to maintain at this level though these tough times ... to have them rewarded and have the team put it together, there's just a great buzz and a great energy and I couldn't be happier.

[CSF]

Nice read.

[YASNY]

MLB.com: Finally, if you were to list your ideal goals, either at the end of this season or down the road two or three years, what would they be?

 

Boyer: First off, I want us to have a $100 million payroll. I kind of think like (general manager) Kenny (Williams) thinks. I would love to sit here and say three million fans, but what do White Sox fans want the most? We want to win. So, I look at it as payroll. How much money can my group supply to Kenny to put the product on the field?

 

I don't care as much about how much money the organization makes. It's how can I help the organization win and put on the greatest show in baseball to our fans. The greatest show in baseball is not only the entertainment stuff we do but also what happens on the field. I sure would love to have to plan game entertainment for the World Series. I have three championship rings with the Bulls, and there's no better feeling than being part of a team that wins it all.

 

Very very very very impressive.