Question: A stadium isn't just the place where sports are played. Whether it's football, soccer, or baseball, a team's stadium is its home. It is where fans come to cheer and cry; it is where teams live and die each season. When team owners announce the construction of a new stadium-though it may be highly necessary in order to provide modern facilities and an increased number of seats-fans mourn the loss of an old favorite venue. The stadium has become one of the most important components of marketing strategy in professional sports. It's not surprising that several National Football League (NFL) teams are competing not just on the field, but in the race to build bigger and better stadiums. The New Orleans Saints resurrected themselves with a 70,000-seat stadium post-Hurricane Katrina. The NY Jets and NY Giants have shared the reconstruction of their home field, Meadowlands Stadium. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is going for the glitz and glamour-bigger, better, jazzier.
Seating capacity at the new Dallas stadium tops 80,000, with another 20,000 available "standing room" slots. Club-level seats cost as much as a one-time hit of $50,000-and those aren't the luxury boxes, which house upholstered seats, business centers with video and Internet access, and entry to exclusive clubs. Food concessions offer a Kobe beef burger for $13 and pizza for $60. Of course, there's the gargantuan video screen, which hangs about 90 feet above the field. But the showpiece of the stadium is its retractable roof, supported by two enormous arches that soar nearly 300 feet above the playing field. It is the longest single-span roof in the world, making this the largest enclosed NFL stadium as well. So, what do all these bells and whistles mean for a football team? Of course the team needs to win-if it doesn't, it won't matter how high the roof is or how big the video screen is. And if they lose, fans may be less likely to pay $13 for that burger. But if the home stadium conveys the team's image-particularly if it's a winner- then fans will pay to be associated with that image, or that brand. They'll buy tickets, food, T-shirts and caps. They'll bring friends and family. And they'll come back. At least, that's what marketers hope. It's part of the winning strategy
1. How would you describe the target market for the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium? Do you think marketers are targeting the right consumers? Why or why not?
2. How does the new Dallas Cowboys' stadium fit into an overall marketing mix, in terms of product and pricing strategies?