(The Miami Herald posted the following story by Dale K. DuPont on its website on September 25.)
MIAMI — No, you can’t catch a ride on its trains. Still, RailAmerica is trying an unusual promotion at tonight’s Marlin game.
The first 10,000 fans through the gates will get wooden whistles with RailAmerica’s logo on one side and the Marlins’ on the other.
”We don’t do much advertising overall,” said Wayne August, spokesman for the Boca Raton-based company, ”because all of our customers are on the rail line,” and the marketing folks at North America’s largest operator of short-line and regional freight railroads reach them directly.
RailAmerica’s niche is hauling grain, forest products, coal and other commodities from areas the big railroads don’t serve, say from Society Hill, S.C., to Cheraw, S.C. The majority of the Marlins’ sponsors sell consumer products, said Sean Flynn, vice president of marketing. Amtrak had a similar promotion at a Marlin game years ago.
Sometimes there’s value in just getting your name out, said Roberto Schaps, president of the Turkel advertising agency in Miami. A fan may own a business or work for one; this way, a company can reach that fan in a more leisurely setting.
”We had an opportunity to support the Marlins and took advantage of it,” August said.
RailAmerica approached the team about six weeks ago. The promotion was inspired by pitching sensation Dontrelle Willis.
”One of our employee’s kids thought it would be pretty neat to sponsor D-Train when he pitched,” August said.
The pitching rotation, though, didn’t coincide with the promotion. The rookie left-hander started Tuesday night’s 5-4 victory over the wild-card rival Philadelphia Phillies.
As for the promotion’s cost, no one would say, but Flynn did say the Marlins would likely contact RailAmerica, for support, next year.