Chicago Sports Depot

LOOK TO THE

CEO
KK McDermott
VP OF Media
Emily Olsen
VP OF Creative
Kendall Lambert
VP OF Strategy
Trevor Berry
Emma Woods
Katie Bostrom
Tyler Bynum
Kathryn Nicholson
Emily FIguero
Chloe Byers
Sarah Hamilton
Megan Murphy
1
A switch hitter is a unique commodity within professional baseball.
We at Switch Hit believe we bring that same unique advantage to the
table. Comprising young professionals with varying backgrounds and
interests, we always come to the plate ready for anything.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL
AGENCY PROFILE...................................................1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..........................................3
OVERVIEW OF CLIENT..........................................4
MARKETING & COMMUNICATION GOALS..........5
RESEARCH
SECONDARY RESEARCH......................................7
MARKET ANALYSIS...............................................8
PRIMARY RESEARCH............................................9
INSIGHT...................................................................10
PROBLEM STATEMENT.........................................11
STRATEGY
BIG IDEA.................................................................13
PRIMARY AUDIENCE............................................14
SECONDARY AUDIENCE......................................15
CREATIVE APPROACH.........................................16
CREATIVE
SOUTHSIDE SPOTLIGHT.......................................18
SIP N’ SHOP...........................................................23
LOOK TO THE SOUTHSIDE FOR ART.................26
SOUTHSIDE BLACKOUT......................................28
BEHIND THE SCENES..........................................30
LOGISTICS & CONTROL
BUDGET.................................................................32
TIMELINE...............................................................33

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Campaign Period
January 2021 - December 2021
Budget
$15,000
Switch Hit Creative discovered a simple truth and key insight from a research process to better
understand the Chicago White Sox and its market. That led to the development of the Look to the
Southside campaign for the White Sox’s Chicago Sports Depot and 35th and Shields private label
collection: If people are fans of where they live, they’re fans of their local teams.
This launched the need to dive deeper into understanding just how the White Sox could reach parents in
their early 30s with children and young women in their early 20s new to the Chicago area. Through the
analysis of both secondary and primary research, it was found that the organization needed to position
the store and the 35th and Shields line as something cool to be a part of. This sparked the creative
approach to the campaign which consequently calls for hip and trendy, yet direct messaging, and sticking
with the classic White Sox colors with accents of gold to add to the exclusive positioning of the brand.
By developing strategies that tap into the key insight’s source of identification, the main promotion of
an influencer campaign extended itself into other interactive strategies from art installations with pop
up shops, and experiential shopping opportunities. Strategies that emphasize the unity and community
aspect of the brand were also developed to extend the influencer campaign to team-based positioning
like a behind the scenes look at how the Chicago Sports Depot plays a role in the team’s life, and a
Southside blackout game to bring the fans together.
Not only do these strategies capitalize on the research insights and analysis of the brand and its market,
but also fulfill the marketing and communication goals of the Look to the Southside campaign.
Look to the Southside will take place between January 2021 and December 2021, with a $15,000 budget.
Switch Hit Creative has literally looked to the Southside in its culture and history in order to create a
campaign that will leave a positive impact on the White Sox organization and its market.
3

CLIENT OVERVIEW
The Chicago White Sox
“Family Oriented”
“Loyal Fans”
The Chicago White Sox are a professional baseball team, and part of the American League’s first
eight charter franchises. The White Sox put a heavy emphasis on the history of the franchise. Several
White Sox broadcasters, photographers, and staffers have been with the program for decades, reflecting
the strong tie to its history and brand loyalty.
The Chicago White Sox provide quality service to fans. From online customer service to instadium
service, the standard is excellence. The White Sox exemplifies outstanding customer service
on their social media platforms, the organization is in constant contact with their fans. When viewing the
official Twitter page of The Chicago White Sox, it is evident that pushing news and interactive material
is important to the organization. There are multiple tweets that go out every day to engage with fans.
A major goal of the White Sox is to play in a championship game every year. In order to do this,
their MLB standing is an important part of their customer service. The Chicago White Sox were ranked
third in American League last year with 72 wins and 89 losses. They were ranked fourth throughout
2016, 2017, and 2018. Many fans love their team regardless of win or loss, but in general, fan bases
normally increase when a team has a better season, as in winning more games. This also can spark
more merchandise sales and an increase in ticket profits.
4

MARKETING &
COMMUNICATION
Increase sales of White
Sox merchandise from the
Chicago Sports Depot
Marketing Goals
Relaunch the White Sox
35th and Shields apparel line
Extra! Extra! Hear all about it!
Exclusive Positioning
To inform the target audiences about
the Chicago White Sox merchandise
available at Chicago Sports Depot.
To highlight the Chicago Sports
Depot and its new lines, 35th and
Shields, dedication to representing
the Southside Chicago community
culture.
Communication Goals
Agenda Setting
Generate excitement and media buzz
around the Chicago Sports Depot and
its 35th & Shields line.
Creating Engagement
To create opportunities for
engagement on social media.
5

RESEARCH

SECONDARY RESEARCH
The Chicago White Sox's revenue has
grown from 5.6% shares in 2014 to
9.5% shares in 2019.
9.5%
shares
2019
The median age in the area is around
36 years old, with 1 in every 3 houses
having children.
5.6%
shares
2014
The MLB accounts for 35.4% of the sports franchise industry’s revenue alone. The Chicago White Sox
are worth approximately $1.65 billion and the Chicago Cubs are worth about $3.2 billion. The Whiite
Sox’s main competitor is the Chicago Cubs.
7

MARKET ANALYSIS
Demographics
The White Sox stadium, Guaranteed Rate Field, is located on Chicago’s Southside,
which is more geographically attractive to the city’s residents closest to it. Most
of the people living here are long time residents and take pride in the area. The
median age in the area is around 36 years old, with 33% of the households having
children.
“Chicago
has a total
population of more
than 2.6 million, which
is 51% female and
49% male.”
“Culture is more
broad than financial
motivations.”
Consumer Habits
Finances and culture are the main motivations for consumers to purchase. Finances
can be related to the market’s purchasing decisions in terms of the discretionary
income available to the market, the attractiveness of the price of the tickets and
merchandise, and the special offers available for a White Sox experience. In July of
2019, it was reported the White Sox had the best television ratings they’ve had in
the last 5 years. The ratings rivaled those from when the Cubs took home the World
Series. Culture can be a great motivation in terms of the market’s social habits,
opinion leader influence, and media influence. Having sponsorships from brands like
Geico, Coca-Cola, and Ford allows for easy consumer recognition and relation. The
White Sox also have one of the highest retention rates of season ticket holders
compared to competitors and other Chicago sports teams.
8

PRIMARY RESEARCH
We found that a fan of a given sports organization is a fan of that team
because of where they live or who their relatives rooted for. If a person lives in
close proximity to a sports team, it is more likely that they will be a fan of that
team. If someone's family member supported a certain team then there is a
greater likelihood that person would also cheer on the same team.
SURVEY
SAYS....
25% of fans
purchase during
the off season
50% of fans
purchase during
the regular season
9% of fans
purchase
during playoffs
16% of fans
purchase during
the preseason
About 50% of fans are likely not to spend over $50 on team merchandise. 75%
of fans are most likely not going to spend more than $100 on team merchandise.
We also found that on some occasions, fans have spent upwards of $300 on team
merchandise annually. However, we found that the majority of fans spend their
money within online stores to purchase their merchandise. Roughly 35% of fans
are shopping in-store for their team merchandise. From these purchases clothes
and apparel accounted for about 50% of the items purchased from team stores.
9

KEY INSIGHT
If people are fans of
where they live, they’re
fans of their local teams.
Sports fandom
relates more to the
“culture” rather than just
liking a team.
- HCA Today
Usually the
choice of our teams
are regional (where we
live or where we grew
up), so we feel a personal
connection to them.
-HCA Today
That being said, the White Sox hold a fanbase that consists of mostly men and families
living in the southside of Chicago. With roughly 50% of people purchasing clothing and
apparel as their primary sports gear it is an advantage to the Chicago Sports Depot. This
is because clothing and apparel is what is mainly offered at the Depot.
10

SO,WHATS THE
PROBLEM?
Fans are having a difficult time
accessing merchandise online,
and have a low awareness rate for
in-store purchasing.
The Chicago Sports Depot is accessible
not only during games but also outside of
game days. The awareness of the store lacks
greatly and foot traffic through the store
can be greatly improved by building upon
communicating with the White Sox fan base
at a more frequent level.
The Chicago Sports Depot
struggles with fans being
aware of their location and
their store hours.
11

STRATEGY

LOOK TO THE
Big Idea: Look to the Southside
We want our audience to look forward to the future in the Southside of Chicago and what the White Sox
have to offer. We want it to be “cool” to be associated with the Southside culture.
Research: Location and family are the most frequent determining factors of why fans become fans.
Barrier: Currently the major barrier is a lack of knowledge and
awareness of the Chicago Sports Depot.
Key insight: If people are fans of where they live, they’re fans of their local teams.
“Look to the Southside” perfectly communicates with both our primary and secondary audiences. One of this
campaign’s key advantages is that it has a built in call to action. By building brand awareness we will be able
to topple the Chicago Sports Depot’s barrier and increase the knowledge of its existence and store hours.
13

PRIMARY AUDIENCE
PARENTS AGES 30 TO 34 WITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGED KIDS.
w Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Joseph is a 32-year-old White Sox fan by
nature. As a child, Joseph was determined to be the best baseball player in the world.
One of Joseph’s most cherished memories features the Chicago White Sox. Shortly after
Joseph began to explore his love for the sport, his father and grandfather introduced him to
the sport on a much larger scale. The two had bought Joseph tickets to a Chicago White Sox
game for his 10th birthday. From his first look at the stadium, he knew he would be a lifelong
Sox fan. The community feel of the team only added to the family’s excitement and passion.
SOX_DAD12
SOX_DAD12
SOX_DAD12
SOX_DAD12 Thankful for the man who
introduced me to the best sport in the
world... my old man. Don’t know what I
would do without him! #baseball #family
SOX_DAD12 Nothing I love more than
sharing my love for baseball with my
favorite guy! #baseball #family #son
SOX_DAD12 These are the days we will
always remember. Thankful for
afternoons at the diamond. #baseball
#family #looktothesouthside
With the team as inspirational as they were, Joseph knew he would one day add his son
to the tradition kept alive by him and his father after the passing of his grandfather. Staying
true to his word, Joseph takes his son Connor to a game each year for his own birthday.
Joseph posts a photo of them at a game to his Instagram and notices Chicago Sports Depot
has posted a video of a new line of streetwear. He instantly clicks on the ad and decides to
stop by Chicago Sports Depot before he and Connor head to the game.
Joseph enjoys the success and business that come with his job, but his favorite part of
any day is the time he spends with his family. Dinners, afternoons in the park and White Sox
games are some of Joseph’s favorite memories with his family. When Joseph throws on a
White Sox shirt, he smiles at the memories it brings of past games spent with his family.
14

SECONDARY AUDIENCE
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL WOMEN AGES 22-26 NEW TO THE CHICAGO AREA.
Lizz is a 24 year old financial analyst who recently moved to Chicago after
graduating college with a degree in economics. Lizz was a little skeptical of such a big
move to begin with, but soon realized that as a single woman with no children, this was
the best time for a move such as this one. She is excited about the opportunity a big
city like Chicago holds and wants to become a part of it.
Little_Liz
Little_Liz
Little_Liz
Little_Liz Hey look Mom I made it!! Can’t
wait to take on the new adventure that is
Chicago!! Give me ALL the best brunch
recommendations!
Little_Liz Thankful for the best team in
Chicago!! #workvibes
Little_Liz We LOVE a brunch date!
#Chicago #Brunch #Looktothesouthside
15
Lizz met her friend Ashley at a Chicago Young Professionals meet-up event at a
White Sox game last year. Both new to the area, they became fast friends. White Sox
games became their favorite weekly catch-up. While Lizz waits for Ashley at a local
bar they get drinks at before games, she checks her Instagram and sees that her
favorite baseball team launched a new product that is chic enough to incorporate to
her everyday style.
Lizz calls Ashley and changes her plans to meet her at the Chicago Sports
Depot to grab a few new shirts and joggers. Wearing the team’s apparel makes Lizz
feel like a part of the in-crowd. Lizz and Ashley enjoy the game and make friends with
the young crowd around them. The group compliment Ashley and Lizz on their clothes
and promise to all shop together in the near future. The two leave the game feeling like
they are truly a part of the city- a local if you will.

CREATIVE APROACH
Key Messages
-Look to the Southside...
for everything.
-The White Sox are more than a
baseball team. They are
the community
-The Southside culture is
cool and hip
Tone
-Simple & Direct
-We want consumers to enjoy local
pride, while understanding
the message.
Artistic
-Featuring Southside landmarks &
architecture that directly represents
Southside culture.
-Incorporation of player photos
-Incorporation of the 35th and
Shields logo to increase awareness.
Color
-Black and grey theme.
-Feauring nostalgic team colors.
-Subtle accent colors to emphasize
key elements in the campaign.
Fonts
-Large, bold fonts
-Retro/vintage feel
35th & Shields
35th & Shields
16

CREATIVE

SPOTLIGHT
When people swipe up on
influencer’s’ posts it will take them to
the homepage of the site with that
influencer’s specific code.
The home page of the website will
be a set of click through photos that
are showcasing the influencers in
the 35th and Shields apparel.
Lizz was scrolling through her Instagram feed when
she noticed @clarkandstone was wearing a new
Chicago Sports Depot apparel line 35th and Shields
t-shirt. She already had a White Sox t-shirt with
their basic team logo on it. However, the 35th and
Shields t-shirt caught her attention because it was
so different from the basic White Sox logo. It was
more stylish and Lizz could see herself repping her
hometown team in a more unique fashion.
Tabs on the website will include:
-Chicago Sports Depot
information (consisting of store
hours, other events, etc.)
-About (giving consumers
insight about the brand and
their mission)
-New arrivals (showcasing
apparel to come)
-Apparel (showcasing current
apparel)
-Insider look (showing all the
influencer’s posts therefore
people can get idea of
how to style a certain
item or what it may look
like on someone)
18

SPOTLIGHT
CSD
INFLUENCER
SOCIAL MEDIA
POSTS
Snapchat
Instagram
Story
19

SPOTLIGHT
INFLUENCER
SOCIAL MEDIA
POSTS
My new favorite White Sox apparel
from @whitesoxstore from their new 35th & Shields
collection. It’s a unique and cool way to rep the White
Sox and show your love for the Southside. Use my code
1234 to receive 10% off any item at the Chicago Sports
Depot. #LookToTheSouthside
The BEST!!
Instagram
SO COOL!
If you want a new and fun way to rep your hometown White Sox go ahead and
visit the Chicago Sports Depot. They have launched a new apparel line, 35th and
Shields, which is the coolest way to support the Sox!
Visit www.looktothesouthside.com for more!
Facebook
20

SPOTLIGHT
VIDEO
STORY
BOARDS
First video will showcase popular
areas of Chicago in black and white
and at the end a very short clip of the
apparel.
Camera flies over the skyline of
the Southside of Chicago and is
filmed in black and white.
The words, Look to the Southside,
come up on the screen
Switches over to slow moving shots
of Guaranteed Rate Field
Slowly switching over from black
and white to color. Then, a quick
flash of the new 35th and Shields.
Murals, and streets through the
Southside area.
Screen goes black and the Chicago
Sports Depot logo appears with
their phone number underneath.
21

SPOTLIGHT
When fans swipe up on posts it
will take them to the site with that
influencer’s specific code.
LOOK TO THE
SOUTHSIDE
35th & Shields
About
INFO
Insider
Events
MICROSITE
The home page of the website
will be a set of click through
photos that are showcasing
the influencers in the 35th and
Shields apparel.
SIP N’ SHOP
EVENTS
BLACKOUT ART SPOTLIGHT BEHIND THE SCENES
SIP N’ SHOP
REGISTER HERE
Tabs on the website will include: Chicago Sports Depot information
(hours, other events, etc.) About (consumer insight on brand/
mission) 35th & Shields (showcasing apparel) Events (showcasing
strategies) Insider (influencer posts so people can get idea of how
to style an item/ what it looks like on someone)
22

Joseph is at the White Sox game and sees an ad for
“Sip n Shop” on the jumbotron. He snaps a picture
after thinking his wife may have fun at it, and texts
her the photo. His wife, Jill, loves the concept of the
event because she can get a drink with her girlfriends
and maybe surprise her husband and kids with some
cool new merchandise. So Jill texts her friends about
it and they attend together. Assuming they have a
great time, they will take the survey that’s sent to
their email and will decide to make it a monthly girls
night, which creates the loyalty group.
Sip and Shop will be an event held
monthly throughout 2021 in which
people can attend and enjoy drinks.
The food and drinks will be provided
by partnering with locally owned
restaurants - different restaurants
each month - in return for promoting
their restaurant throughout the month
on our social media.
With agreement from the
restaurants, each attendee will
get a coupon for a discount at the
featured restaurant to be used within
the month following the event.
The ticket for the event will include:
a store merchandise discount during
the event, 1-2 drink vouchers for the
event, and a coupon for a discount
at the restaurant providing the food/
drinks for the month’s event. The
event will be marketed through social
media posts that include information
about the event and a link to RSVP.
The event will also be marketed by
posting flyers at local restaurants/
bars, handing out flyers at every
home game of the 2021 season,
and by displaying an ad in between
innings on the big screen.
23

WHITE SOX
SOCIAL MEDIA
POSTS
Come Sip N’ Shop with
us at the Chicago Sports Depot!
LOOK TO THE SOUTHSIDE
... FOR ART! Want some exclusive WSX
streetweat? Check out our pop-up
shop and snap some pics with the art!
So cool!
The wife will love!
Instagram
We stopped by! LOVE!
Drinks & Shopping?? YES
Twitter
24

Flyer
Banner Ad
25

Lizz sees that one of her favorite Chicago influencer,
@clarkandstone, posted a picture from an art
installation she visited with her children that fused her
Chicago’s history and culture with the baseball team
through art, and also as a exclusive pop up shop.
Lizz loves the chic private label clothing in the post
and also sees that by visiting the installation, there
are special discounts on the private label, 35th and
Shields. Not to mention, was also a great photo op for
her next Instagram post.
She sees her friends in other cities posting pictures
in front of their city’s art, like Nashville’s The Gulch,
and all over New York City. What better way to
support her new hometown and her own identity as a
Chicago resident? With that, Lizz hears the TV in the
break room covering the installation, the artist who
designed it, and the people who are enjoying it. Lizz
has to be a part of this excitement.
Look To The Southside For Art involves
the community in a fun and unique
way. Similar art installations have been
wildly successful and this an equal
opportunity to gain popularity and
momentum in the Southside area.
When interacting with the art
installations, fans will have the
opportunity to scan a QR code which
will direct them to the Look To The
Southside website.
This website will also be accessible
through Instagram posts, newsletter
features and local news features.
26

LOOK TO THE SOUTHSIDE ... FOR ART!
Want some exclusive WSX streetwear?? Check out
our pop-up shop and snap some pics with the art!
#looktothesouthside
SO COOL!
We stopped by! LOVE!
Instagram
35th & Shields!! Have I told you guys
how OBSESSED I am with this line?? Just picked up this super
cool jacket from their pop-up shop! AND because I LOVE yall... I
linked my favorite pieces in my bio! Check them out!
Instagram
I HAVE to have this jacket!
Clothes & a Photo-op? SOLD!
PRESENTS
Newsletter
27

BLACKOUT
Joseph has recently moved into a new house with
his family and is very excited to be back in the
Southside where he was born and raised. He is not
nearly as excited about the renovations that have
brough him out to the hardware store on an evening
he would rather be outside.
Joseph glances around as he awaits his turn in
line and a poster catches his eye. He notices his
favorite team, The Chicago White Sox, will be
hosting a “Southside Blackout.”
He remembers a similar event he had attended
with his own father as child. He reflects on the fond
memories for a moment and decides that he should
take his son. Joseph takes out his phone to snap a
picture for his wife, but his camera picks up on a QR
code located in teh center of the poster.
Joseph clicks on the link and is directed to the
Look to The Southside website which has more
information about the Southside Blackout. He sees
that the website also links to a cool new line of
clothing that he could utilize for this event. He
favorites the website and makes a mental note to
show his wife and son when he gets home.
The Southside Blackout is an event
that strives to include all fans. The
Southside blackout will promote
involvement with the team along with
the new 35th & Shields line. Fans
will be asked to wear all black to a
specified game and will be given a
discount code to use in store.
The Southside Blackout’s primary goal
is agenda-setting, and secondly to
increase engagement and inform the
target and secondary audiences. This
will be done by using blackout games
as an event to boost merchandise
sales and storefront traffic and
continuing to use the events to drive
a gradual increase in sales and
awareness.
28

BLACKOUT
Poster
Flyer
29

BEHIND THE SCENES
Lizz has recently relocated to Chicago and has
found her house on the Southside. In high school and
college she participated in the diamond doll program
to satisfy her love for baseball.
Much to Lizz’s delight, the White Sox stadium is in
walking distance of her new home. Lizz has taken
part in Sip N’ Shop a few times with her girlfriends
and has so enjoyed the social aspect that the game
has brought to her life.
The White Sox are Lizz’s favorite team to follow on
social media because they stay so well involved.
One day as Lizz was scrolling through her feed,
she noticed a post about a “Behind The Scenes”
campaign that the team is doing. The thought of
this thrills Katie and she has to learn more. The post
directs her to the Look To The Southside website
where she learns that this is connected to the same
campaign as Sip N’ Shop. Knowing how much she
loved that she subscribes to the Facebook updates
and eagerly awaits the first post to learn more about
her new favorite team.
A video series consisting of 4 videos,
each video showcasing a specific
player. This video series will allow
fans to get to know various White Sox
players, behind the scenes and see
what they are doing for the community,
through Chicago Sports Depot. We will
highlight the role of the Chicago Sports
Depot and the 35th and Shields line in
their personal life. This video series will
live on the microsite.
The video series will be promoted
on Chicago Sports Depot, White Sox
official and the players’ personal social
media accounts. Behind the scenes
footage and photos of filming the video
series and short snippets of the videos
will be posted across Chicago Sports
Depot and White Sox official social
media accounts.
30

BEHIND THE SCENES
Social media takeover by Tim Anderson on the
day that their behind the scenes video is going to
premier to lead fans to watch the video.
MEDIA
TAKEOVER
31
All posts will incorporate:
#LookToTheSouthside

BUDGET
Southside Spotlight
$3,500
Southside Blackout
$216
Taxes &
Contingency
$3,784
Overall Budget
$15,000
Sip N’ Shop
$1,500
Behind The Scenes
$3,000
Look To The Southside For
Art
$3,000
32

TIMELINE
Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Spotlight
Sip N’
Shop
Art
Blackout
Behind The
Scenes
33