In the recent past, Marlins has had a poor relationship with its clients, who are its fans residing in the community (Jozsa, 2016). Imperatively, the management of the team has been arrogant to fans, which has resulted in low attendance during Marlins matches. Additionally, there were shady financial deals during the construction of Marlins Park (Friedman, 2015). Thus, it would be instrumental to have efficient communication tactics to help the club regain its lost reputation as well as attract more fans.
Packaging Communication Tactics
The communication tactic for Marlins should aim at rebranding the team, improving transparency, and introducing organizational changes. The communication tactics should target the club’s stakeholders such as fans, journalists, and season ticket holders. The management should involve in an intensive advertisement aimed at improving its damaged business image. It should use both broadcast and social media platforms to reach its fans. Notably, the management should communicate to its fans regarding the change in management and emphasize on transparency in its dealings to recapture fans’ trust.
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The management of Marlins should also hold regular press conferences with journalists to explain to them the situation of players concerning their physical fitness, availability, and any new signings. Holdener and Kauffman (2014) explain that a press conference is a critical tool for redeeming a damaged reputation. This will ensure that Marlins is transparent in its activities which will help it attract more supporters and fans. Also, it should constantly update ticket holders regarding the prices and availability of tickets. Just like holding regular conferences, this will create transparency. Moreover, it will create convenience which will be instrumental in attracting more fans to engage or follow the club’s activities.
It is imperative for Marlins Baseball Team to engage in community activities to attract more members. It can take part in community environmental conservation, community training, offering scholarship programs to community members, and so on. These community activities should be communicated through appropriate media. It should reach the millennials through social media sites since they are the world’s most users of the internet (Bolton et al., 2013). It should reach other age groups through television, radio, and even billboards stationed along roadsides.
Outlining Tasks for the Communication Plan
The first task for the plan will entail definition of the message that Marlins will wish to communicate. The next task will be the identification of the team’s target audience. Admittedly, the main audience for the team is the local Puerto Rican community in Miami where the club is based. The third task is defining the goals of the communication plan. The fourth task is exploring the available communication outlets. The next task will be establishing a time frame for communicating the message. Another step will be identifying ways of getting feedback. Finally, the plan will be implemented through the use of the identified media. The time required to complete each task is as shown below.
Task | Duration (Months) |
Definition of the message | 1 |
Identification of the target audience | 1 |
Defining communication goals | 2 |
Exploring communication outlets | 1 |
Establishing a time frame | 1 |
Identifying ways to obtain feedback | 2 |
Implementing the communication plan | 5 |
Since there is an urgent need for Miami’s Marlins to regain its lost reputation, the tasks in the communication plan will begin as soon as possible. The initial phases of the communication plan should take short duration since the Marlins wishes to rebrand within the shortest time and gain community popularity. The communication plan should, therefore, take 13 months or less depending on how fast the tasks leading to project implementation are completed.
References
Bolton, R. N., Parasuraman, A., Hoefnagels, A., Migchels, N., Kabadayi, S., Gruber, T., ... & Solnet, D. (2013). Understanding Generation Y and their use of social media: a review and research agenda. Journal of Service Management , 24 (3), 245-267.
Friedman, M. (2015). Continuing Disclosure Requirements and the Continued Use of Municipal Bonds in Sports. Marq. Sports L. Rev. , 26 , 91.
Holdener, M., & Kauffman, J. (2014). Getting out of the doghouse: The image repair strategies of Michael Vick. Public Relations Review , 40 (1), 92-99.
Jozsa, F. P. (2016). Miami Marlins. In National League Franchises: Team Performances Inspire Business Success (pp. 11-18). Springer, Cham.