NetSuite Helps Oakland Athletics Boost Ticket Marketing, Strengthen Sponsor Relations

The Oakland A's chose NetSuite's cloud-based software to help create new ticket packages based on customer behavior

"NetSuite's applications have changed the game on how we manage our season ticket holders and group tickets, as well as our sponsorship sales. We are able to view real-time dashboards that provide invaluable information and trends on what games, plans and assets impel our patrons. NetSuite's top-tier service and scalability allow us to make changes that positively impact our performance, products and keep our business moving forward."

—Billy Beane, VP and GM of The Oakland Athletics

Results:

The Athletics have greatly improved sales-lead tracking and management, while reducing the wasted time and the errors caused by the old method
The A's are creating better-targeted ticket packages because analytics are delivering better information on customer buying habits and preferences
NetSuite's customization capabilities make it easy for the A's to create new varieties of ticket bundles for closer customer targeting
Automated sponsor lists have improved advertiser relations by including all relevant sponsors in each ballclub promotion

Challenges:

The company's reliance on outdated software was causing errors and wasted time in processing and forecasting ticket sales
Ticket sales were suffering because of errors in lead tracking and a lack of fresh data for sales forecasting
Sales management couldn't track the activities of sales representatives, so couldn't avoid embarrassment of multiple sales calls on the same customer
Advertiser relationships were damaged by errors in radio and publication promotions that mistakenly excluded some key sponsors

Solution:

The A's chose NetSuite over Salesforce.com and other solutions largely because of NetSuite's efficiency and flexibility
Automated NetSuite reports make it easy for the A's to see which specific sponsors should be included with ballclub promotions
NetSuite is also being used to compile a database of fans' buying habits so the A's can develop even more effective marketing programs in the future