The Milwaukee Brewers are on pace to have their best season at the gate and in revenue since Miller Park’s inaugural season in 2001, and minority fans are a major reason. While the team has improved and was near a .500 record at the beginning of the week, this alone would not draw this many new fans.
An aggressive advertising campaign, which targeted blacks and Hispanics, has helped the team average 28,140 per game through the first 57 home games. That is a 9.5 percent increase over the per-game average of 25,688 through 57 games during the 2004 season.
In April, the team hired Abrazo Multicultural Marketing and Communications of Milwaukee to enhance marketing efforts to the Hispanic community. The team has opened five ticket branches in Latino neighborhoods, including one at the United Community Center, along with increasing advertising in Spanish newspapers and other publications. The team followed that by hiring Malik Communications Inc., Milwaukee, to coordinate the Brewers’ direct marketing and ticket programs geared to the African-American community.
“More fans are coming to Miller Park, and we are starting to see the fruits of our efforts to attract diverse groups,” said a Brewers executive.
“This is not a one-year program, but the groundwork has been set for continued growth in attendance from the African-American and Hispanic markets.”
Clifford Franklin and FUSE have worked with the Cardinals in the past to increase black attendance at games; however, it seems that the Brewers have invested more time and energy into truly making blacks not only attend games, but feel welcome. That is part of the deal, too.
The Cardinals won’t be hurting for fans for a few years once the team’s new stadium opens next year. But lean times and lower attendance figures will face the Cardinals someday. If they are wise and build a larger African-American fan base now, the result could be more black faces in the stands in coming seasons.