The 80/20 Rule and Baseball

An enlightening article today from Griffin, which basically uses a lot of words to explain that the Jays are now using economics to build a national and soon international fan base.

The “80/20″ rule or “Pareto’s rule” essentially sums up an economic principle that people with the greatest “desire” to achieve success (the top 20%) are those that drive the directions and decisions (purchases, votes, decision to buy season’s tickets, etc).

Most idiotic marketing decisions are based at “shouting” at the 80% until they cave in and buy your product (RIP Billy Mays), and thus irritating ads with higher than normal volume, repetitive scripting, and gaudy awful colours that MAKE you look, rather than make you want to look.

The Blue Jays are “headed” by an economics master in GM Alex Anthopolous (AA), and it has undoubtedly taken him until this long to finally convince the powers that be to fully embrace targeting their financial investments using “Pareto’s Law.”

What does this mean in a baseball operations and TV marketing context?

- Folksy guitar was killed last off season (finally)

- They got a real pre-game with a solid host and shit-disturbing co-host in Zaun.
(Perfect fit. Love those two watch them almost every pre-game.)

- Roster has been filled with “personality” players. Adam Lind can now go be sad looking all alone every night, poor dude.

- Edgy manager that will give the media lots to write on? YOU BET!

(AA won’t fire Gibby unless he himself is getting shit canned. That won’t happen after a world series win or two.)

- Embracing social media? Check?

- FINALLY reinvesting in their own TV product that they reap ALL gains from.

(No middleman. Payroll increases “magically”)

- Hopefully fixing their horrific fan food experience.

(If there were better quality and more cheaply available food options, then MAYBE the young broke twenty something’s wouldn’t get all plastered and angry by the… ehh.. 4th inning normally.)

- They have not filled their roster with outstanding Latin players by happenstance.

South America is one of the largest emerging economies and they (the Latins) would love (I’m sure!)  to have a national North American Pro Sports team that heavily represented their heritage while being very successful at the same time. (Jays set up first ever MLB- related baseball academy in Dominican back in 70s).

End Result?

People like me, and my passionate Jays Fans buddies will start TALKING about the team. When the usual “oh lol they are always bad” from the 80% starts, the 20% DIEHARDS will have the ammo to finally say NO. Look around. THIS and THIS and THAT are all totally different than last time. Open your eyes.

Diehards, presumably haha, have some friends and family with a milder Jays interest, but if their loved one is very much into it, that fact alone will prompt Christmas Gift spending, birthdays, dates, nights out with the boys.. etc.

Rogers is going to see if the attention of the 20% DIEHARDS (nerd Jays fans like myself, and guys like Stoeten, Parkes, and.. Drew of the Score) will spillover into the rest of Canadian society. I think they are on to something here. Only time will tell.

Buy a flex pack. I’m going to when I get my money right.

Adam Barnes
23 yearold graduate of the Goodman School of Business at Brock Univeristy in St. Catharines, Ontario. I've been a Jays fan since I was a clueless toddler on the living room floor lost in the excitement of the family when Joe hit his homerun that "touched em' all". Born and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario.