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Few things go together like baseball and hot dogs, and a focus on aligning values with strategic partners has led to a long-term partnership between Minor League Baseball and Applegate Farms.
The league announced today that the meat company would serve as the “Official Natural and Organic Meat of MiLB.” Along with prominent signage in many of MiLB’s 160 stadiums, Applegate Farms will also have official partnerships with 25 Minor League Baseball teams with “activations running very deep,” said David Wright, chief marketing and commercial officer at Minor League Baseball.
The focus on finding the right strategic partnerships led to the alignment with Applegate Farms as the league continues to think about growth and its approach to the marketplace.
“What an unbelievable brand,” Wright said. “Their passion for their the product really resonates with next-gen consumers and how we think about fans. Once we had the opportunity to connect with their leadership, the direct alignment was really powerful.”
Applegate Farms’ products include “The Cleaner Wiener”, a 100 percent grass-fed beef hot dog. All the company’s products — including bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese, and frozen products — are made with no chemical nitrates, phosphates, preservatives, artificial ingredients, antibiotics or hormones. As more consumers are becoming more conscious of what goes in their bodies, Wright said the idea of a more natural hot dog will appeal to more fans. Applegate Farms is a standalone subsidiary of Hormel Foods.
READ MORE: Why Scoring a Career in Minor League Baseball Is Anything but Minor
The partnership includes an extensive integrated media plan, with Applegate Farms receiving dominant positioning throughout the MiLB network. Applegate Farms’ messaging will also be found in ballparks across the country through ISM Connect and the ISM Fan Engagement Network.
“Partnering with Minor League Baseball was a no-brainer for Applegate,” said Nicole Glenn, VP of marketing at Applegate Farms. “Not only do both brands have similar values, but you can’t argue with the iconic pairing of hot dogs and baseball. We are very excited for the opportunity to serve our products across the country.”
The league already has a deep portfolio of partners, but Applegate Farms is just the beginning of a slew of potential announcements looking toward 2019, said Wright.
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Among other food brands partnered with MiLB are BUSH’S Beans and Uncle Ray’s Potato Chips. Both brands are authentically integrated into ballparks and have offered great relationships for Minor League Baseball.
Now in its second year as a partner with @MiLB, @BushsBeans gives us the scoop on how they drive engagement through the partnership. pic.twitter.com/GTM7lXzqpg
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 27, 2018
The increase in partners comes as more brands are recognizing the potential of MiLB as a major national marketing platform. The league welcomed nearly 41 million people through its turnstiles last year, second only to Major League Baseball in North American professional sport leagues.
READ MORE: Minor League Baseball’s Merchandise Enjoys Major League Sales
With 81 percent of the U.S. population living within an MiLB market, the local impact is significant. Put all of this together, MiLB is quickly becoming a national marketing platform competing with other major sport properties.
“Each of the 160 teams does an incredible job locally and the relevance in their markets is off the charts,” said Wright. “We’re making great strides in positioning ourselves as a national marketing platform. While the 160 clubs have become industry leaders in local markets, the ability to go to market under one voice has proven to complementary and very powerful. And what’s most exciting, I think we’re just getting started.”
