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Promotions - Like Bobbleheads - Can Be a Hit or an Error

While some shoppers labor over purchases for themselves, Kim Hillix buys for thousands of baseball fans.

With close to a $1 million budget for promotional items, the 28-year-old director of advertising and promotions for the Kansas City Royals must choose game-day giveaways from hundreds of bobble heads, nesting or “babooshkah” dolls, beanie babies, wobblers, action figures, cooler bags, batting helmets, caps and T-shirts of different shapes, sizes, styles and colors that fill the annex next to her office.

Hillix is one of 14 directors in the business operations side of the organization and entails much more than just shopping.

In addition to coordinating promotions, her responsibilities include organizing radio and television spots, advertising, special events and game-day ceremonies such the opening pitch and the National Anthem as well as dealing with the public.

“Yes, I do like to shop and buy cool, fun items,” she said with a laugh. “But my job's much more than that.”

Hillix said she works 60 to 80 hours every week from March until the baseball season ends in October. This year marks Hillix's seventh season with the Royals.

In her tenure, she has missed just three games. Two of those were for weddings.

“I've just taken one sick day,” she said.

Thirteen promotional items were ordered and confirmed for this season. Some will be new this year, while others have been used before. Hillix said the vendors whose samples fill the space around Hillix's office predict that last year's nesting dolls and bobble heads will be popular again this year.

New items include bobble heads with voice chips, sports action figures similar to those popular in the NBA, and retro trucker-style caps.

“Sometimes it's hard to decide,” Hillix said.

Hillix tries to pick fun items that will drive ticket sales and get fans to attend the special events scheduled almost every weekend throughout the season.

With Royals announcer Denny Matthews being inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame during a pre-game ceremony Aug. 7, the first 20,000 fans will receive a talking Matthews bobble head.

Matthews picked his three favorite Royals broadcasting moments, which were programmed into a voice chip.

A statue of Frank White turning a double play will be unveiled near Gate D in a pre-game ceremony on July 31. Fans who attend that night's game will receive a miniature replica of the statue.

A blue Royals-logo, trucker-style cap was distributed at the game on May 15.

“We look around and see what's in, what's good,” Hillix said. “We keep our eyes on popular culture.”

In addition to vendors' advice and fans' opinions, Hillix said she relies on detailed records of past Royals promotions, management's counsel and tips from counterparts in other ball clubs in making decisions. Records include attendance, weather and the opposing team. Returning favorites include powder blue T-shirts and the replica Monarch caps.

Retro-style T-shirts generate interest from other teams as well as Royals fans. Recent season-ticket-holder forums indicate that fans want T-shirts and caps again this season. Monarch caps have been one of the most successful promotions in the past decade.

Hillix said that marketing departments' successes and teams' performances are separate. Marketing departments don't compete with each other like teams do. She said they all try to choose items that drive ticket sales and get fans to attend special events.

“Sometimes marketing campaigns and promotional items work, sometimes they don't.”

The marketing department tries to plan special events and promotions that add to the game on the field and communicate the brand of baseball that's at Kauffman Stadium. But measuring the success of marketing is difficult, Hillix said. The bottom lines remain attendance and ticket sales.

“We gauge our success on whether or not we get people to the ballpark. And, of course, we want to make sure everyone has fun once they get to the stadium,” she said.

Weather and team performance are two things that play a huge part in the success of promotions.

“We can't control either of them,” she said.

The June 9 game against the Expos was rained out. A Buck night needed to be rescheduled for tonight.

“Weather's a nightmare,” Hillix said.

This season's attendance after 33 games is up to 715,681 from 701,833 last year, despite the team's 23-37 win-loss record. Last season's average attendance of 23,046 per game was up 34 percent from the previous year.

“We try to make sure fans have fun regardless of the wins and losses,” Hillix said.

Another measure of success for Hillix is the number of phone calls she receives the morning after a game. She said she can tell how good a promotion is by the number of disappointed fans who call and write to complain that they didn't get the item. The marketing department averages 10 to 15 calls and four to six letters from disappointed fans who weren't among the first 20,000 at the stadium to receive the giveaways.

“Of course, we respond to every complaint,” she said.

Some promotions and special events just don't work.

One example was the “turn ahead the clock” theme in 1998, Hillix said. The players wore futuristic uniforms; fans didn't like the silver metallic caps that were a giveaway. Leftover promotional items are donated to auctions, schools and charities.

Another disaster occurred opening day 2002 when centerfield caught on fire during the fireworks display.

Until the season ends, Hillix said she works 10 hours a day, more when the team is in town.

Her lunch sits on her desk and she eats between phone calls and meetings. She spends each day getting ready for the next home game or series.

“When the team's out of town, I can work 9 to 5,” she said.

The best part of her job, Hillix said, comes from seeing the work she does in preseason months come to fruition. She checks and rechecks the calendar to see what nights and games need help. Events like the eight Dodge Buck nights, where fans purchase hot dogs, peanuts and Pepsi for $1, and the Salute to the Negro Baseball League night are always popular. Other games need giveaways.

“When these games arrive and I see the stadium packed full with 35,000 fans, the whole process comes together,” she said. “That's rewarding.”

Even though Hillix said she loves both baseball and her job, she never sees an entire game from the stands. She'll either be in her office watching on closed circuit television or in the control room next to the announcer.

She loves to play tennis. And, yes, she likes to shop.

“However, I just shop a lot,” she said. “I don't buy a lot.”

From: www.kansascity.com