Matching Items (13)
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- All Subjects: Baseball
- All Subjects: Customer Service
- Creators: Mokwa, Michael
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
Arizona and Florida are unique venues are they are the only two locations in the world to host the preseason leagues known as Spring Training for all thirty Major League Baseball teams. With fan bases willing to travel and spend disposable income to follow their favorite teams and/or escape the cold spells of their home state, the sports and tourism industries in Arizona and Florida have been able to captivate a status as top spring destinations. This study takes a focus on the economic impact that Spring Training in March has on the state of Arizona; specifically the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Consumer research is presented and a SWOT analysis is generated to further assess the condition of the Cactus League and Arizona as a host state. An economic impact study driven by the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) analysis method is the primary focuses of research due to the sum and quality of usable data that can be organized using the SWOT structure. The scope of this research aims to support the argument that Spring Training impacts the host city in which it resides in. In conjunction with the SWOT analysis, third parties will be able to get a sense of the overall effectiveness and impact of Cactus League Spring Training in the Valley of the Sun. Integration of findings from a Tampa Bay sight visit will also be assessed to determine the health of the competition. This study will take an interdisciplinary approach as it views the topics at hand from the lenses of the consumer, baseball professional, and investor.
ContributorsOlden, Kyle (Co-author) / Farmer, James (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
In my exploration of the expectations of customer service that people have in regards to their visits at Starbucks retail stores, I will utilize Laswell's Model of Communication and the theory of symbolic interactionism to guide my findings. These overarching ideas provide a foundation for understanding the communication process as a whole, and will therefore allow us to extract meaningful information from regular interactions between Starbucks employees and consumers. Additionally, my goal is for these discoveries to produce insight in regards to critical customer service qualities that other businesses should incorporate into their own customer service programs in order to find success.
ContributorsRomero, Felipe Antonio (Author) / Martin, Judith (Thesis director) / Robinson, Jennifer (Committee member) / Propes, Rebecca (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
The history of baseball in California extends back, long before the first MLB teams relocated to the West Coast. Beginning in the mid-1850s as a result of the large population influx that occurred because of the California Gold Rush, baseball served as a popular form of entertainment in the Golden State for nearly a century before the MLB's westward expansion, starting out as an amateur form of recreation, yet evolving to ultimately become a professional sport, led by the Pacific Coast League (PCL), an organization that fulfilled the same role as the MLB in the Eastern United States. The PCL enjoyed several decades of prosperity, with teams located throughout California and in Washington. One of the league's more successful teams was the Los Angeles Angels. In existence since 1903, the Angels became one of the more popular teams within the PCL and were regularly contenders to win the pennant. In 1956, after multiple attempts to have the city build a new stadium for his team, Walter O'Malley, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers began considering the possibility of relocating the team to a new state. After a series of negotiations, the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles where they began the 1958 season, while the New York Giants relocated to San Francisco. This move ultimately proved to be the downfall of the PCL, which was unable to compete with the new MLB teams. The various ball clubs that made up the PCL soon moved to other states east of California and the league was demoted to AAA status. In the following years, the success brought on by the Dodgers' move to the West Coast became evident and the American League soon decided to create a new franchise in Los Angeles. A name that would harken back to the glory years of the PCL was chosen and the new team was designated the "Los Angeles Angels." Throughout the Angels' history, they have attempted to compete directly with the Dodgers and establish their own fan base, however due to the difficulty in standing out when located so close to the wildly popular Dodgers, the team was unable to establish a successful and unique team identity for the majority of its history. To evaluate the effectiveness of the different changes the Angels have made over time, a study was conducted to evaluate perceptions between the two teams. The findings indicated a preference towards the Angels among participants from the United States, especially those familiar with the MLB and its structure. In contrast, the Dodgers proved to be more popular among participants who were originally from other countries. People who preferred the Angels also appeared to be more competitive than those who indicated a preference for the Dodgers. From these results it appears that the Angels have been successful in their quest to rival the Dodgers and establish their own substantial fan base. However it also seems that the Dodgers may have more international fans, as well as a large number of fans from the United States who tend to be more casual.
ContributorsMonaghan, Joshua Timothy (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Entering into my final year of W. P. Carey, I decided I wanted my thesis to combine what I've learned over the course of my undergraduate Marketing degree with my passion for baseball. Furthermore, I wanted my thesis to contain both a research element and creative application. I felt the best way to achieve the integration of these goals was to research and then select an MLB team to relocate to a more attractive American market. After performing research to determine an ideal team and city for relocation, I created a comprehensive marketing strategy to best cater this team for its new market. The first half of my thesis focuses entirely on the research required to select an optimal team and attractive market for relocation. I begin my thesis by performing an external analysis of the current MLB landscape. To elaborate, I gathered W-L records and fan attendance records for all 30 MLB teams between 2000 and 2016. I also collected the most recent team revenues and valuations before putting all of this data in Excel to create visual graphs. Using this data, I determine a list of the top 4 most attractive teams for relocation based on consistently poor performance in the metrics I collected data on. After selecting the Tampa Bay Rays as the ideal team to relocate, I then dive deeper into the organization through an internal analysis. Then, I focus on performing an external analysis of the most attractive markets for relocation before ultimately selecting Charlotte, NC as the best city. My research ends with a comprehensive external analysis of the Charlotte, NC market to help in creating a brand that caters to the makeup and culture of the distinct city. My analysis of Charlotte focuses on the city's demographics, population growth, local economy, political environment and trends that could impact target market segments. After performing extensive research on identifying the best team and city for a relocation, I switch gears to developing a comprehensive marketing strategy to best help the team achieve success in its new market. This begins with creating a unifying segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategy to outline the direction the team will take. These strategies place tremendous emphasis on the need for the Charlotte team to create an "irresistible cultural experience" that expands the traditional MLB mold to attract young Millennial fans to games that normally wouldn't be interested in attending games. Next, I begin by developing key elements of the brand including the team name, logos, uniforms, sponsors, and stadium. With the stadium, I even go as far as determining an ideal location along with unique features, such as lawn seating and even local vendors that have appeared on Food Network to add to the cultural experience of the brand. Then, I focus on a unifying initial marketing campaign through TV/print ads, radio ads, social media, and public relations to help the team seamlessly transition into its new home. My thesis ends with recommendations for future steps to take to ensure the relocated organization achieves lasting success in its new city.
ContributorsSchwartz, Justin David (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Accurately assessing Major League Baseball player value is at the core of consistent success for any MLB organization. Effectively targeting players in trades and strategically spending available funds in the free agent market are of increasing importance as MLB salaries rise. In a sport where it takes 162 games to separate contenders, any advantage in identifying talent can be the difference between winning and losing. This paper draws team batting data from the past seven MLB seasons and runs a multi-variable regression to measure the run value of each individual batting outcome. If teams can more accurately measure the offensive value a player produces, they can more optimally spend their finances. Our regression results suggest that previously used statistics such as wOBA and OPS neglect outcome that have significant effects: baserunning ability and out type. Further contract analysis on four free-agent signing from 2018-2019 free agent class illustrate that teams often over and underestimate player value and could benefit greatly with more accurate player evaluation.
ContributorsGildea, Matthew E (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
An analysis of Major League Baseball (MLB) attendance drivers and fan segmentation strategies to identify ways in which teams can attract fans. Core elements of drivers and fan segments are identified then practically applied to three modern MLB franchises. The thesis concludes with recommendations for each of the chosen franchises, as well as, for MLB as a whole, outlining how the league and teams can more effectively serve their fanbase and improve attendance.
ContributorsBrown, Jake (Author) / Mozilo, Dominick (Co-author) / Pleskovitch, Jack (Co-author) / Mokwa, Michael (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
This thesis explores data-driven engagement strategies for the ASU Baseball team to implement in order to increase student attendance at their home games, held at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, given that all general students have a financial buy-in to their collegiate athletic programs. Developing a loyal fan base is essential to a team’s overall success, leading to an increased sense of pride and passion for on-field heroism. Our research team's focus was on analyzing the brand positioning of the Sun Devil Baseball program to determine what opportunities exist within the program. Our methods included collecting secondary data and conducting primary research via a Qualtrics survey administered to undergraduate students on ASU’s campus. The survey results were then used to propose data-driven engagement strategies covering various aspects of campus life in order to provide a well-designed value proposition. Additionally, we used findings from our secondary data to evolve our recommendations past student attendance and into overall presence as well. Through conducting research of different histories, examining the current situation, then identifying an opportunity to grow along with a plan of action, this creative project will cover multiple key areas of a student brand report.
ContributorsBerge, Nicole (Author) / Personale, Caitlin (Co-author) / Mokwa, Michael (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
An analysis of Major League Baseball (MLB) attendance drivers and fan segmentation strategies to identify ways in which teams can attract fans. Core elements of drivers and fan segmentation are identified then practically applied to three modern MLB franchises. The thesis concludes with recommendations for each of the chosen franchises, as well as, for MLB as a whole, outlining how the league and teams can more effectively serve their fanbase and improve attendance.
ContributorsMozilo, Dominick (Author) / Brown, Jake (Co-author) / Pleskovitch, Jack (Co-author) / Mokwa, Michael (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
An analysis of Major League Baseball (MLB) attendance drivers and fan segmentation strategies to identify ways in which teams can attract fans. Core elements of drivers and fan segments are identified then practically applied to three modern MLB franchises. The thesis concludes with recommendations for each of the chosen franchises, as well as, for MLB as a whole, outlining how the league and teams can more effectively serve their fanbase and improve attendance.
ContributorsPleskovitch, Jack (Author) / Brown, Jake (Co-author) / Mozilo, Dominick (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
This thesis explores data-driven engagement strategies for the ASU Baseball team to implement in order to increase student attendance at their home games, held at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, given that all general students have a financial buy-in to their collegiate athletic programs. Developing a loyal fan base is essential to a team’s overall success, leading to an increased sense of pride and passion for on-field heroism. Our research team's focus was on analyzing the brand positioning of the Sun Devil Baseball program to determine what opportunities exist within the program. Our methods included collecting secondary data and conducting primary research via a Qualtrics survey administered to undergraduate students on ASU’s campus. The survey results were then used to propose data-driven engagement strategies covering various aspects of campus life in order to provide a well-designed value proposition. Additionally, we used findings from our secondary data to evolve our recommendations past student attendance and into overall presence as well. Through conducting research of different histories, examining the current situation, then identifying an opportunity to grow along with a plan of action, this creative project will cover multiple key areas of a student brand report.
ContributorsPersonale, Caitlin (Author) / Berge, Nicole (Co-author) / Mokwa, Michael (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2022-05