CLEVELAND, Ohio - It's clear millennials are a go-to marketing target, a coveted demographic. Now, more than ever, competition for their entertainment dollars has become a crowded marketplace.
Downtown Cleveland has seen a surge of younger residents. And the fact those residents have a multitude of entertainment options outside their door is not lost on the Cleveland Indians.
Attendance at Progressive Field is up 41 percent vs. last year.
Attendance at Progressive Field is up 41 percent vs. last year - the fastest growing in Major League Baseball through the first 17 dates, says Tim Salcer, the team's vice president of sales and service. He said only two teams are growing at a rate over 20 percent; Baltimore is the other one. An interesting note and possible correlation: Both have minor-league affiliates extremely close to the parent clubs, offering fans a chance to see Major Leaguers rehabbing or to keep tabs on budding talent throughout the season.
Competition off the field
Entertainment options abound for millennials.
Out of the house, bars, restaurants and the continuation of the burgeoning craft-brewing industry are all draws. Going to a grocery store used to be a chore; now, many offer wine tastings, food programs and other events. Bars featuring video or board games have cropped up in recent years.
At-home options also exist. Movie theaters might not be the draw they once were, but a multitude of streaming services offer hundreds of movies and shows made for binging, gobbling consumers' time. Then there's television broadcasts with their neighbor, the title-contending Cavaliers. While the Indians were home for only two of the Cavs' first 12 playoff games this year, there is a segment of the audience who would rather be at home or in a bar watching hoops.
That said, someone is going to Indians games.
The Indians have recorded 1.4 million tickets sold for the entire season as of May 17. That's 500,000 more than at this time last year.
The Indians compete on the field, of course, but also for entertainment dollars for fans - especially millennials.
To put that in perspective, in 2015 the team did not hit the 1.4 million mark until Sept. 14. Last year it was Aug. 1.
A trio of reasons are causing the increased sales, Salcer says. The ticket-sales spike began with last season's 14-game winning streak in June and July. Then the team surged into the postseason and World Series. And in the aftermath, the club made one of its biggest free-agent deals in years, signing Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion.
"Encarnacion was definitely a huge bump to our business," he said.
Salcer said one way the Indians try to compete is with service.
"The over-arching initiative of the organization is to provide best-in-class experience," he said. "We've had a great opportunity with the team performing well. I feel like we're prepared by having better service."
Service is a theme, but there's a specific way the team has reached out to millennials.
The Corner Bar area for fans includes drink rails, couch and fire pit.
The SRO option
The New York Yankees made news in 2009 when their stadium opened and front-row seats topped $2,000. Ironically, it's been one of the cheapest tickets in the park in Cleveland that has been a huge draw: The District Ticket. The $13 standing-room only ducat includes a drink and is being offered for the third consecutive year, giving fans a vantage from the Corner Bar in right field.
"Standing-room only" used to signify last-resort ticket options for a big game or concert. Not so in Progressive Field.
"The Corner Bar (allows fans) to get together with groups and enjoy friends and not be restricted to certain seats," Salcer said. "It's what millennials want, it's been a huge hit."
The added bonus for the Indians, he said, is that "it not only impacts the people in right field but if you're sitting behind home plate you feel that excitement. You might not be in the middle of that, but you enjoy it. It's been a huge success."
"Instead of going to other places prior to the game or doing something else, they are coming here. People are racing to the drink rails."
And while "millennials definitely are the target," Salcer said, there is another draw: Beer choices.
It's no secret millennials embrace craft beer. Most were born during or after the birth of the craft-brewing revolution in the 1980s. Progressive Field has evolved into a de facto brewery. The Corner Bar, over two floors, includes more than 80 working taps - most of which are craft offerings. This doesn't even count the local breweries with designated concession stands along the first- and third-base sides. That's a lot of beer options as fans head to the stadium on Wednesday, May 24, the first of a nine-game home stand, the season's second longest.
The Corner Bar is in the right-field area just beyond the foul pole.
And the residual effect is people are buying seats in adjacent sections, Salcer said. Most Friday and Saturday games are sold out in the district, he said. The attraction is fans have the flexibility to get up, have a beer, or hang in the bar.
"It's all about the social experience," he said. "We wanted it to be a gathering place. It's a magnet for our fans."
Salcer is well aware of the many entities, like the Indians, who are rivaling for entertainment dollars.
"You're definitely competing against other businesses outside the sports industry. We're not trying to provide the best service in the sports industry; it's got to be across the board."
A year ago, a Cleveland Foundation-commissioned report found that downtown has seen a 76 percent increase in residents aged 25-34 since 2000.
"How do we engage these millennial residents?" asks Heather Holmes, director of marketing and public relations for the non-profit Downtown Cleveland Alliance. "These are young people who don't have as much discretionary income as Boomers; they make more impulse decisions. When they leave work and meet up with friends, they're not planning their whole weekend out.
"I think there's something for everyone in downtown Cleveland," she said, citing Playhouse Square's "active young-professionals group" and "significant improvements" at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Those institutions can bring in specific shows or performances geared toward a younger audience, and so can the Indians, on a different stage.
The attribute the Indians have going for them - depending on the season - is the drawing power of certain players, Salcer said. Fans eagerly awaited the return of Michael Brantley, for instance, while 23-year-old Francisco Lindor, who plays the game with the skill of a veteran and the heart of a Little Leaguer, is a fan favorite.
"I think the players we have have made such a strong connection with our fans, they've driven people to come to the ballparks," he said. "They're highly talented but also high character."
He added players' willingness to reach out to fans through community involvement helps.
"All of us remember our first time going to the ballpark with our families," Salcer said.
An additional factor a baseball team has going for it is the emotional attachment fans keep with teams. In addition to service, Salcer said, "it's a team effort across the entire organization to always make the fans the focus of our decisions. We all are fans, we're die-hard fans. ... We want to make it a phenomenal experience. When you see families come down, fathers and sons to grandmothers and granddaughters - it's experiences you don't get in other places."
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