A look at official team apps with Kurt Landes
Minor League Baseball’s Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies’ AAA affiliate, are one of the first pro teams with their own iPhone app. The IronPigs are offering their app for free for a limited time to celebrate the app’s launch earlier this month.
The IronPigs app allows fans to listen to live game audio, purchase tickets, read stats and headlines and even check up on the latest weather. I emailed IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes to get his thoughts on the app, the IronPigs’ social media presence and what he views as the future of smart phone apps in the sports industry.
When did the IronPigs decide to develop their own iPhone app? Was this something fans had asked about?
We initially gauged the feasibility of doing an iPhone app only 2-3 months ago. Once we received a recommendation and realized we could launch an iPhone app within a relatively short period of time we decided to go for it. Our fans are always looking for new, exciting and interactive ways to associate themsleves with our team and our organization. Knowing how iPhones are so prevalent, it was a smart promotional effort choosing to put ourselves in the actual hands and pockets of our fans. 
The IronPigs maintain a strong presence on social media sites and host the 2010 Triple-A All-Star Game at Coca-Cola Park on July 14. How have fans reacted to the team’s social media presence, especially as it relates to the All-Star Game and other events at the stadium?
We have made it a priority to tap all social media outlets in an effort to interact with our fans on a more consistent basis. We have hundreds of fans that each day interact with different IronPigs social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in addition to our brand-new app. We have had an unbelievably positive reaction to our App, with over 1,300 downloads in just three days, extremely positive customer reviews and top 25 rankings in the sports category of the App Store on iTunes. Social media is a significant tool within our overall marketing campaign and we make sure it’s incorporated into all of our stadium and fan promotions. Specific to the All-Star Game, we introduced ticket sales to the event by creating a viral personalized video to our fan base that created a huge buzz and led to the game and related events selling out six months beforehand.
While fans can purchase tickets through the iPhone app, the app currently takes fans through the website purchase page via the app. Is a dedicated purchase page something the organization may add in the future?
Our online ticketing system is TIcketReturn and they do not currently have a software development kit that supports the iPhone. Yes, we are hopeful to have a dedicated purchase screen as soon as that feature is available to us from TicketReturn. We also would like to offer the opportunity for fans to display their seating bar code(s) on their phone rather than on individual hard tickets to gain access to the ballpark in the future. 
What are some of your future plans with the team’s iPhone app? Do you think we will see more official team iPhone/iPad and Android apps in the future?
There is great potential for future versions and upgrades of the current App. It will continually become more interactive as more technologies are introduced. In the next week, we will debut an interactive game to go along with our in-park “The Great Pork Race” at Coca-Cola Park. And yes, we are hopeful to launch Android, Blackberry and iPad counterparts soon.
What do you view as the biggest challenge that sports teams face with regards to social media? How do you address that challenge?
Staying on the cusp of all of the new mediums and technologies can be a difficult task but by dedicating our efforts to a few of the more popular sites (Facebook, Twitter) we have been able to have a number of positive responses. Overall, we’ve always taken the initiative that we want to be the first to offer our fans any number of new technologies as they occur. For us, it’s not just about providing the service and convenience, it’s also about having our fans understand and be excited that we continually invest in new ways to “wow” them and when we do, it’s done in a first-class manner. Sports teams need to continually understand there are so many ways to interact with fans now. It’s not enough to just have a web site and print pocket schedules anymore.
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Key points:
- The IronPigs’ app has been downloaded over 1,300 times in just three days
- An official app is a new way to “wow” your fans and extend your brand
- Ticketless entry to games is on the horizon
The IronPigs are not the only MiLB team with their own iPhone app. The Charleston RiverDogs, Fort Myers Miracle, Hudson Valley Renegades and St. Paul Saints are all owned by the Goldklang Group and have official apps available for $1.99 in the App Store. The Richmond Flying Squirrels also have a free iPhone app from developer Critical Technologies Group.
If your local team had an official app, would you download it? What are some of the features you’d want in your team’s official app? Are team apps the next big thing?




