Box 19, Folder 16, Document 64

Box 19, Folder 16, Document 64

SEASON TICKET SALES REPORT
by
JIM FANNING
February 9, 1966
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A review of the season ticket sales campaign for 1966
officially began on October 27, 1965, at which time players
Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Tony Cloninger, Billy O'Dell,

Ty Cline, Bob Sadowski, Denis Menke, Mike de la Hoz, Mack Jones,
Managers Bobby Bragan and Bill Adair, coaches Billy Hitchcock,
Whitlow Wyatt and JoJo White and scout Dixie Walker came to
Atlanta for three days of press conferences, hospital visits,
radio and TV interview shows.

Beginning November 1, players Ty Cline, Bob Sadowski,
Mike de la Hoz, Denis Menke, Jim Beauchamp, Mack Jones and
Manager Bill Adair commenced season ticket sales duties. Bobby
Bragan joined this force shortly thereafter. On December 13
Phil Niekro began full-time and on January 6 John Riddle,
Baltimore Orioles player, began full-time season ticket work.

On January 17 the Braves employed two professional
telephone solicitors whose assignment it is to merely determine
the season ticket interest of prospective buyers and make
appointments for the players.

All Braves front office personnel, including John McHale,
Bill Bartholomay, Eddie Glennon, Austin Brow and Bill Brokaw
have been active in sales.

In November the Braves sent personal letters, jointly
signed by 6 players, to each Dunn & Bradstreet listing from

the Million Dollar Directory and the Half-Million Dollar

Directory in Atlanta and in the Atlanta area within 30 miles.

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Personal telephone contact was made in each case, followed by
one of three different personal letters depending upon the
interest reaction.

This staff next pursued from 500 to 600 telegrams that were
sent to Chicago and received by the Milwaukee Braves on the dates
of October 15 through 21, 196). These wires were directed to
Bill Bartholomay and each wire was one of encouragement to move
to Atlanta and each was a pledge of support upon arrival.

Lists of Atlanta's larger employers, such as Fortune
Magazine's List of "500" and Atlanta Headquartered Firms With
Branches Elsewhere were received from the Chamber and many other
lists and booklets of manufacturers and businesses were obtained
and pursued. The Dunn & Bradstreet Service was purchased to
stay abreast and pursue prospective buyers. Books such as the
Atlanta Merchandise Mart Directory and Manufacturing Guide have
been used.

After reviewing categories of season ticket purchasers,
such as automobile dealers, realtors, mortgage companies, banks,
etc., the Yellow Pages were used to canvass other companies in
the same categories for possible sales.

A season ticket brochire was introduced at the Marriott
Exposition where the Braves had a booth and display, manned by
above listed Braves personnel during the 6-day affair, November 1
through November 6, 1965.

To coincide with the press conference of October 27, the
Braves announced the 1966 season ticket promotion in an 8" x 12"
newspaper ad in both the Atlanta Journal and Atlanta Constitution.
The ad included a coupon. The response was nil.

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Occasional stories commenting upon the major league players
and their activities appeared in local newspapers. Many radio
programs hosted the Braves personally or by tape to disclose
season ticket information - WQXI, for instance, hosted our
group, panel-style, different times on full 1 hour shows.

A new three-fold brochure was introduced to the public as
a first-class mailer and as a mail filler or handout. One hundred
thousand of these brochures were printed. Ten thousand of these
for mailing (bulk permit) were delivered and approximately
8000 were mailed = 1900 were mailed to manufacturers throughout
Georgia. Approximately 60,000 of the overall have been
distributed. Various other means were used to put the brochure
in the hands of the public, such as mailing to Special Trade
Contractors, state of Georgia, Wholesale Auto Parts, Wholesale
Jewelers, Hardware Wholesaler, Contractors, etc. as per the
Braves library. Each address on various streets were sent
brochures -=- streets such as Dougles Road, N.E.; Perimeter
Highway, NeEe; Hammond Rive, N.E.; High Point Road, N.E.;

Glen Forest Road, N.E.; Benton Woods Drive, N.E.; Royal Vista
Drive, N.E.3; Glenn Courtney Drive, N.E.; Glenridge Drive, N.E.3
Headland Drive, East Point; Habersham Road, N.W.; West Paces
Ferry Road, N.W.; and West Wesley Road.

The Braves mailed approximately 7000 multi-fold Christmas
cards to season ticket purchasers, season ticket prospects and

fans in the Atlanta area.

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In October a business reply mail card was made available
by various clubs to their members, in which interest in season
tickets could be acquired either by asking for a Braves
representative to call or indicating a need for further
information.

All telephone inquiries result in the mailing of a full
compliment of season ticket information.

Our Braves players, attired in blue blazers and insignia,
canvassed many of the downtown buildings; including Peachtree
Center Building, First National Bank, Healey Building, Lenox
Towers, Bank of Georgia, Merchandise Mart, Southern Savings
Bank, Fulton National Bank, Peachtree Tower, Hurt Building,
First Federal and Standard Federal.

The downtown ticket office has been open as a convenient
walk-in information office where season ticket brochures
and literature, handout press guides, applications, etc.
are available. Braves players hosted autograph sessiong
there, as well as assisting in staffing the office.

Throughout the fall the Stadium was open-house on weekends
with Braves players and staff operating from the Advance Ticket
Window Booth available to tovr interested persons through the
Stadium, discuss seating possibilities, etc. The Stadium parking
lot message board carried players names who were hosting the
Stadium. This Fan-a-Gram board has been used during the sales

campaign as a ticket 'pitch' and 'soft sell'.

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Our additional exposure included various shepoing centers
in which interested persons hosted us; c .! ao ties to be on

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remote-control radio >roadeasts from specl= ~ stores and
special promotions, (Jones % Menke - Genera) “entric;
Cloninger - J-welry) etc.

The use of the stadiur parking lot by RL s buses affordec
a chance to hand out thousands of styrefeoam dalle, yearbooks.
etc. Players, including Bobhy Rragen, oarti iretead. Nevsreners
carried the picture.

The sales appreacr ‘ss included the fcllowing wo of legitimate
leads either in person or by telephone; initia) rontact in person
and by telephone = cold: personal letter and brochure, newspaper
and redio announcements, personal appearances and stadium open
houses, mailer cards and co wmecrstion of clubs.

The OO Club has been hosted at the Stadium and has been
hosts for the Braves on another occasion, end ticket sales
assistance has been petitioned of this grou. The Press Lounge
is also used to host various groups and fo: cress announcements.
The Piedmont Driving Club, Capivoel City Tinh and Cherokee Town
and Country Club sent season ticket spplicetion» to all of their
“hess. Ninenyeeigh’ —°~ s E rm ~~
However, very few sules wre tf 1 made LO £te

A card filiine ~pston 07 season ticiret purchesers, conmoanies
having refused, commanie™ *~terested Dut im daiiy seles oniy
or group order specifical'r, has been sseni” ed.

Service clubs, “anguets, church Oo. and sports events

lecally and in the area “are bee y the en*ire

Braves staff, directer *¢ Sas
wa Free

Speaker's Bureaue Thus, an opportunity during the past months
of this busy scheduling has afforded further approach to
prospective buyers.

The Chamber of Commerce mailed a four-color season ticket
brochure to its 000 plus members in Atlanta, and the chambers
of commerce of numerous cities in the southeast received a
substantial number for their respective members. Response,
as of February 8, has been 31 returned cards, of which 13 have
resulted in the sale of 26 season tickets.

Various small towns in the area have been visited and
interested persons have often escorted our players to the
most likely season ticket prospects. Carrollton, Georgia, for
instance, escorted 3 of our players 1 full day and part of
another in which season ticket response was good.

The above listed sales staff and the professional telephone
solicitors have staffed a battery of telephones (8) to sound
out fan interest and season ticket prospects.

In summation, almost all of our season ticket sales since
November 1 have been made as a result of personal contact and
a careful personal sales visitation in which the person or

firm selected the preferred location.

Jim Fanning
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