Bucs 'will' strive for excellence, success

03/03/2006
PITTSBURGH -- For much of the past 14 years, the Pittsburgh Pirates and their fans have been forced to use the same phrases time and time again.
We hope. We wish. We want. We'll try. We might. We plan. We dream.
Friday morning at PNC Park, the Pirates were sending out a new message.
We will.
The organization unveiled its new marketing campaign for assembled media and community members inside the Home Plate Club -- one that the team hopes conveys a message of optimism and confidence for an organization that has endured 13 consecutive losing seasons.
"Through perseverance, we've turned the corner in all aspects of the organization," managing general partner Kevin McClatchy said via video message from the team's Spring Training headquarters in Bradenton, Fla.
"I'm excited about the team and improvements we've made. 'We will' has a meaning to everyone in the Pirates organization. It means we will strive for excellence and success in all aspects of the organization. These are more than two words, of course. They are a mindset, a philosophy and an attitude."
McClatchy said the organizational approach was born out of extensive research with input from front office members, the baseball operations staff, employees, players and, of course, fans. Hundreds were surveyed during the past year.
With the Pirates hosting the MLB All-Star Game this summer, the team said fan interest is at a peak. Record crowds showed up for the Winter Caravan stops throughout Western Pennsylvania and at PirateFest, the weekend-long event at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The team has already sold 2,000 more season tickets than last season.
The timing was right for the Pirates to brand themselves the same way Nike, BMW, American Express or Gatorade does, team vice president, marketing, sales & broadcasting Tim Schuldt said, and "We will" is the culmination of those efforts.
"We will go to great lengths to ensure that the experience our fans get coming to the park is the best in sports and entertainment," Schuldt said.
The "We will" mantra will saturate everything involved with the organization, from television and print ads to PNC Park signage to pocket schedules and promotional items to business cards and company stationery.
McClatchy spoke to the players and coaches earlier in the week, and the team plans to inundate the players with the "We will" message on everything from warmup clothing to banners in the clubhouse. The goal is to have the players striving for positive results both on the field and in providing a good face of the franchise for their fans.
"The Pirates display the same hard work and attitude many of their fans and people in the Pittsburgh region share," McClatchy said.
The organization broke down its philosophy into four specific attitudes: Perseverance, Resilience, Improvement and Youthfulness.
"These core values will be integrated through the entire organization," McClatchy said. "Through the employees, business partners, players, the community and fans."
The Pirates said they will have up to 20 different television spots this season -- four times as many as last year -- and each will prominently feature the players conveying the new organizational attitude. All will include carefully selected music tracks from all genres, and some will highlight great Pirates teams from the past. The club has won five World Series titles in its 109-year history.
Banners featuring each of the Pirates on the 25-man Opening Day roster will be on display outside of PNC Park and three massive 20-by-80-foot banners will be visible from an Interstate-279 overpass adjacent to the ballpark, which was named the best in baseball by ESPN.com.
"This [campaign] will become the focal point of our organizational mission statement," McClatchy said. "We want to become the benchmark in the sports and entertainment industry."
McClatchy said the club has achieved a financial stability that was lacking at times in the past. Just less than three years ago, the Pirates were making money-motivated moves, such as the trade of Aramis Ramirez to the Chicago Cubs.
But the payroll was significantly raised this offseason, with Pittsburgh signing veteran free agents Jeromy Burnitz, Joe Randa and Roberto Hernandez and trading for Sean Casey and Damaso Marte. The club also gave lucrative contract extensions to core players Jason Bay and Jack Wilson. Jim Tracy, formerly of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was brought in as manager.
"We feel very good about where the team is at the Major League level and the Minor League level, but we're working very hard to make changes within the organization," McClatchy said.
Schuldt said the Pirates realize what part of striving for excellence is most important of all. Even if they will entertain and will work hard and will remain good members of the community and will connect with their fans and will treat their fans well, there is one thing among all else Pirates fans yearn for.
"At the end of this, make no mistake," Schuldt said. "The absolute vision for this club is to put that sixth ring on that sixth finger. We absolutely have a vision, and we are ready and really excited about sharing that sixth world championship with the great Pittsburgh Pirates fans."

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/