LENNOX: CASE STUDY
THE BEST FANS IN BASEBALL
THE ROUGHRIDERS USE A COOL BREEZE TO GENERATE HOT LEADS FOR HOME COMFORT COMPANY.
‘Riders fans could also enter a Grand Prize drawing to win a free air conditioning unit from Lennox, by simply filling out an entry form at the kiosk or on the ‘Riders Web site. All participants received a follow-up mailer with a promotional discount for Lennox products and services. And at the end of the season, the ‘Riders held a special on-field presentation — in front of a sold-out crowd — where a Lennox representative presented the A/C unit to the Grand Prize winner.
Background Since 1895, Lennox has the set the standard for home comfort. With a lineup of more than 60 leadingedge products and a network of more than 6,000 fullservice dealers, Lennox is a global leader in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration markets. While their legacy is built on vision and innovation, Lennox’s continued success is built on generating highquality sales leads. For three straight years, a sponsorship with the Frisco RoughRiders provided Lennox with the perfect platform to not only generate valuable leads, but also build brand awareness for new products.
Keep your message handy One of the best ways to attract potential customers and ensure repeat business is to use the law of reciprocity, which states that you must put something out there in order to get something back. As a result, the Lennox promotion would be centered around a truly unique promotional item: a state-of-the-art handheld LED fan that flashes “Go Riders” when turned on. The free fans would provide a little relief from the Texas summer, and ensure continued exposure to the Lennox brand. RoughRiders fans could receive their free fan by visiting a special Lennox kiosk during the fifth inning of select home games. There were ten Lennox free fan dates in all. The kiosk included eye-catching displays, banner stands, and new Lennox products that invited visitors to stop and learn more directly from Lennox sales staff.
Promoting the promotion Lennox delivered their message to a large, captive audience through significant in-stadium exposure — all handled by the ‘Riders at no additional cost. Promotional graphics were displayed on the LCD monitors around the concourse and the giant ‘RiderVision video board during games. Public address announcements were frequently read and posters, entry forms, and promotional flyers were created and prominently displayed. In addition, a special ad was designed and printed in all 10 of the PlayBall! game programs that ran during the promotion. The promotion was also featured on the ‘Riders Web site and emailed to more than 25,000 fans.
‘Riders fans beat the heat With the creative use of a unique promotional item, the Lennox booth quickly became the talk of the ballgame. By the end of the season, more than 8,000 ‘Riders fans had taken part in the promotion — filling Lennox’s sales pipeline with high quality leads and opening the door for new sales. Sales staff were able to make a positive impression and develop face-to-face relationships with key prospects, while also dramatically increasing the visibility of new products. Plus, ‘Riders fans who entered the Grand Prize drawing provided Lennox with valuable consumer data to be used in future marketing initiatives.
Frisco RoughRiders • Dr Pepper Ballpark • 7300 RoughRiders Trail • Frisco, TX 75034 • (972) 731-9200 • info@ridersbaseball.com