The First Pitch

INT. JERRY’S APARTMENT – DAY

Steve: I’ve cracked the code, Jerry! The secret to marketing is going viral!

Jerry: (skeptical) Oh really? And how did you figure that out?

Steve: Look at Grimace! And don’t forget about “OMG” – it’s everywhere!

Elaine: (entering the conversation) What’s going on?

Jerry: Steve here thinks he’s cracked the marketing code. He wants the Mets to go viral.

Elaine: (smirking) Well, they’re already pretty good at spreading disappointment. Does that count?

Jerry: (deadpan) How about you have Mr. Met streak across the field?

Elaine: (laughing) Or maybe you could have the players wear their uniforms backwards for a game?

Steve: (considering) Hmm, that’s not bad…

Kramer:  Why don’t you have someone already famous on the internet  throw out the first pitch?  That way you get to take advantage of their social media crossing over into your social media.

Steve:  That’s not a bad idea.  Who do you suggest?

Kramer: You know, that girl… Hailey Welch! She’s huge on social media!

[Jerry looks confused but doesn’t say anything]

 

INT. CITI FIELD OFFICE – DAY

Steve: (to his marketing team) I want Hailey Welch to throw the first pitch next game!

Marketing Manager who was recently hyped up in a press release: (hesitant) Uh,  Steve, are you sure that’s a good idea?

Steve:  Of course it is! She’s famous, isn’t she?   Chad, make sure we promote the heck out of this on social media.

Chad the social media intern:  Sure thing Mr. Steve! Hailey Welch, I will look her up and get some images made.

Marketing Manager: (hesitant) Steve, are you sure that’s the best choice? Maybe we should consider…

Steve: (interrupting) Of course it’s the best choice! She’s famous, isn’t she? It’ll go viral!

[The team exchanges worried glances]

Steve: (turning to the ticket reps) Speaking of which, how are ticket sales going for the game?

Ticket Rep: (excitedly) Actually,  we’re expecting a great turnout!

Steve: (pleased) Excellent! See? People are excited about Hailey Welch!

Ticket Rep: (nervously) Well, not exactly, sir. We’ve got a lot of summer camps coming for the weekday day game. There should be a good number of children in attendance.

Steve:  This is perfect! The kids will love it. They’re all on social media, right? They’ll make it go viral for sure!

Ticket Rep: (hesitantly) Sir, I’m not sure the children are familiar with…

Steve: (interrupting again) It doesn’t matter! Famous is famous. This is going to be great for our image.  OMG, am I right?

[The marketing team and ticket reps exchange worried looks]

INT. CITI FIELD – GAME DAY

Young Girl:  Dad, who is that lady?

Dad: (awkwardly) Uh… she’s… famous for… being famous on the internet, sweetie.

Chad, the Mets social media intern

Chad: (pumping his fist) Yes! It’s going viral already!

[Suddenly, the office phone rings. Chad answers it.]

Chad: Mets social media, this is Chad speaking!

[His face drops as he listens to the voice on the other end]

Chad: (panicking) What do you mean, “wrong image”? I… oh no. Oh no no no…

[He looks back at his computer screen, his eyes widening in horror as he realizes his mistake.]

INT. JERRY’S APARTMENT – LATER

[Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and Steve are gathered in the living room]

Jerry: I can’t believe it. A five-run lead against the A’s, and they still managed to lose. The Mets really know how to blow a game… in more ways than one.

Steve: (defensive and flustered) It’s not my fault! How was I supposed to know the bullpen would implode like that?

Elaine: (sarcastically) Oh, I don’t know, Steve. Maybe because it happens every other game?

Steve: (getting worked up) You think this is easy? I’m trying my best here! Kramer what kind of websites are you even on?

Kramer: (with his typical enthusiastic, slightly manic energy) It’s like a whole other world out there, Jerry. A digital frontier where anything is possible!

Jerry: (deadpan) So, you’re on Reddit.

Kramer: (deflating slightly) Well… yeah. But it’s the good parts of Reddit!

Jerry:   Lighten up.  It’s not like you dropped 2 out of 3 to a team that doesn’t even have a home city.

Steve: (throwing his hands up) What am I supposed to do? Go out there and pitch myself?

Kramer: (excited) Now that’s an idea! “Owner Takes the Mound” – it’d be a great publicity stunt!

Elaine: Maybe you should rename the bullpen the “Blow-pen.”

Jerry:  It is on brand with the marketing.

Steve:  you know, it would get people talking….

 

 

Mets Connect: Get points or something

Been doing this a long time….this makes me thing tickets ales are soft for the 4th Wild Card.

You see, you let the Mets gather all sorts of data on you, and you get “points” – then you can use the points to come back to the park so they can collect more data about you.

Ticket offerings will be awesome, until, in my opinion and experience, the Mets make a playoff run and then they go back to screwing over anyone who was Loyal.   That’s the business.  The Mets, nor any team, do anything because they are cool like that.

I wouldn’t worry too much about this.  This is the sort of thing tahat in 18 months either @mediagoon or I will post a “Whatever happened to Mets Connect?” article.

Anyway. ticket sales must be soft.

NEW YORK METS INTRODUCE METS CONNECT, A NEW FAN LOYALTY PROGRAM

 

The All-New Loyalty Rewards Program Continues the Mets Focus on Fan Engagement Innovation

 

FLUSHING, N.Y., August 12, 2024 – The New York Mets today unveiled Mets Connect, the team’s first-ever loyalty program, open to all Mets fans for the remainder of the 2024 season. The new program is designed to reward Mets fans with unique offerings and experiences while bringing them closer to the team that they love. Fans can easily join the program via the MLB Ballpark app to immediately begin earning points by scanning their digital membership card while transacting at Citi Field or participating in digital games wherever they are located.

“The Mets are continuously evaluating and exploring new ways to enhance the fan experience, and Mets Connect provides a unique opportunity to engage with our fans, both in ballpark and at home, in a more personalized manner than we have in the past,” said Andy Goldberg, Chief Marketing Officer of the New York Mets. “We wanted to create something that was easily accessible to our fan base across the country and not only those that join us at the ballpark”

For the remainder of the 2024 season, all Mets fans can earn points through single game ticket purchases, scanning tickets for entry to games, food and beverage purchases at Citi Field, merchandise purchases at the Team Store and playing interactive games on the Ballpark app.  By earning points and moving up the program tiers, fans will be able to unlock free ticket and concession benefits, as well as redeem points for a variety of rewards ranging from VIP access to events, exclusive ballpark experiences, and a video appearance from the beloved Mr. & Mrs. Met, among other prizes.

“The power of this platform is the opportunity to learn far more about our fanbase from simply rewarding our fans for activities they already do.  We have one of the most passionate and engaged fan bases in all of sports and this rewards program is one of the next steps in the ongoing transformation of the fan experience,” added Goldberg.

Enrollment is open to all Mets fans now via the MLB Ballpark app or by visiting www.metsconnect.com.

Individual tickets for all home games at Citi Field are currently on sale and can be purchased online atMets.com/Tickets or by calling 718-507-TIXX.