Anyone dissapointed with how the marketing is handled for the WBC?

[cutchemist42]

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/news/wbc_09/index.jsp

So far, with the tourney only months, this is the website we have promoting what is at the moment baseball's greatest international event. I remember when the 06 event was announced, the website was MUCH better. I just hope the website is improved because a website is very crucial in this day and age for marketing.

Not only that, the old WBC site never updated on anything involving international events. The MLB run USA website was very good but couldnt that have been also done somehow for the Olympics?

What am Im trying to say is that I think MLB should not think that just because it's held for every 4 years doesn't mean you can't keep up interest in international baseball in the time in between WBCs.

[mikemets]

I agree with you the promoting of this event has not been very good. I know alot of my friends who are casual baseball fans didn't even know that it was going on this spring. But i dont think it is just the website, although it deffently needs improvement.

[Rally Monkey]

I think it's been fine. Remember that this event is still several months away. And I've heard that most of the promotions have been local. Commercials have been on the air in Florida and Toronto, for example. I think the marketing idea is that the attendance in the opening rounds will be mostly local.

I'd expect a big time promotional push to start in the New Year when the MLB Network goes live (the WBC will be one of its first big events) and fans start planning their spring training vacations. Casual fans will start hearing more about it then. And let's face it: Casual fans aren't the ones who'll be filling up the bleachers in San Diego and Miami. Those will be locals and diehards who'll pay to make the trip.

As for the website: I agree that it's inadequate. But what sort of content do they that they could put on it now? Wait until the rosters are named. Then I bet you'll see a pretty nice website go live.

[Unit312J]

I think it is ridiculous that I've been filling out all the necessary registration stuff, and was picked to buy tickets early, and now I'm not able to. Nobody can get tickets for Mexico City until they go on sale to everybody. That's crap. Now I'm going to lose the chance to get some good seats before everybody else jumps on them. That is completely unacceptable, and I've very angry about it.

[bhss89]

I certainly am, but for maybe a different reason than most on this board. I love to collect caps and jerseys, and it seemed to me (maybe I just "missed the boat") that the caps especially sold out quickly last time around.
I realize the WBC has a site unto itself, but I believe it is still run by MLB. I'd like to see a separate site that would have a wide variety of caps, clothing, and memorabilia available. One of the best ways to publicize something is to have thousands of "billboards" walking around wearing gear for a certain event.
I hope to see much better TV coverage as well. Isn't the MLB channel coming to fruition in January? How exactly is that going to work? Is it gonna be on Dish Network only? Maybe one network would show all games?

[Agente Libre]

I think it is ridiculous that I've been filling out all the necessary registration stuff, and was picked to buy tickets early, and now I'm not able to. Nobody can get tickets for Mexico City until they go on sale to everybody. That's crap. Now I'm going to lose the chance to get some good seats before everybody else jumps on them. That is completely unacceptable, and I've very angry about it.

Hey, you wouldn't be getting the full Mexican experience if heavy doses of corruption and cronyism weren't involved!

[Rally Monkey]

Hey, you wouldn't be getting the full Mexican experience if heavy doses of corruption and cronyism weren't involved!

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Anyone who's ever spent some time in Mexico shouldn't be too surprised to hear about this...

[Unit312J]

I've attended over 100 games in Mexico so I'm aware of the issues. However I figured MLB would have more of a hand in this. Mexicali has done a great job with their tickets for the Caribbean Series, and I had no problems a few years ago getting tickets in Mazatlan for the Series. I have no doubt they will be for sale on Monday. It's just bullcrap that those of us who pre-registered may get screwed.

[Rally Monkey]

As for the website: I agree that it's inadequate. But what sort of content do they that they could put on it now? Wait until the rosters are named. Then I bet you'll see a pretty nice website go live.

The WBC has put up a new website. Nothing earth-shaking so far, but better than what they had.

http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/index.jsp

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Anyone who's ever spent some time in Mexico shouldn't be too surprised to hear about this...

My experience with Mexican corruption goes back to when I was a kid. My parents are from Mexico. We'd often visit my extended family in Mexico during our school break for Christmas vacation. So we pack up the the car and all seven of us would go. It was a three day drive each way. With seven people in one car you can image the tension that would develop! Anyway, my father wanted to take a "boom box" to my "abuelita" one year. At the border stop we had our car inspected. Of course the inspector asked about the boom box. Well, my dad handed over $40 dollars and the inspectors "approved" the boom box. Another time when we were near the town of Cerritos we were pulled over by a motorcycle police officer. He informed my dad that his precinct was having a "Policeman's Ball" and asked my dad if he would like to make a monetary "donation" to help fund the ball. Of course my dad "donated" and we went on our merry way.

[Pere]

I'm aware that corruption by police and public officials is rampant in Mexico. However in this thread the original complaint was,

Nobody can get tickets for Mexico City until they go on sale to everybody. That's crap. Now I'm going to lose the chance to get some good seats before everybody else jumps on them. That is completely unacceptable, and I've very angry about it.

I don't think Unit's lack of privileged status equals "corruption."

[Richard]

I did hear commercials promoting the WBC on a local sports station here in Miami.