Banana Ball Reached the Tipping Point
Over the past decade, the Savannah Bananas have gone from having an innovative vision to realizing a dream with hard work, focus on mission, and deep commitment. You may know the Bananas for its unorthodox approach to baseball; some have likened the team to the “Harlem Globetrotters of baseball,” where talented players perform trick plays, acrobatics, TikTok dances, and some even go to bat on stilts.
Since its founding in 2015, the Savannah Bananas have turned Banana Ball into a nationwide phenomenon. They’ve expanded from just two teams to six, with games scheduled in 45 states across the U.S and a lottery system in place to keep up with soaring ticket demand.
What you may not realize about Banana Ball, is how Savannah Bananas Founder Jesse Cole, his wife, Emily, and the team can teach us to strengthen executive leadership, expand service to our community, and increase and improve fundraising and communication efforts.
The Bananas Understand the Problems and Proposed Solutions
In his early coaching days, Jesse Cole noticed a problem, fans were leaving Savannah team games early. He became curious about the correlation between fans appearing disengaged (on their phones, looking away, going to restrooms, etc.) and what was happening in the game at the time. With an eye toward building fan engagement and enjoyment the Bananas began implementing changes from beginning to end! From hilarious hi-jinx, activities, game changes, and performances were built in to entertain the audience. And while the study of the problem started on the field, it extended across the entire experience of going to a baseball game and led to innovations in all aspects of their operations. For example:
- Fans Enjoy Tailgating and Other Pre-Game Partying – Leadership noticed that fans enjoyed the parking lot party more than the game. They then asked, “Why not start the event IN the parking lot before the official game by bringing players, coaches, mascots and live music TO the fans?” And that’s what they did. Jesse – in his bright yellow suit – leads the crowd and interacts directly with them before the games. This significantly extends the value, expanding the experience and harnessing what people enjoy the most.
- People Seemed Bored by Player and Field Adjustments – Jesse saw that people dropped their interest when teams trade places, when players were warming up, or adjusting their clothing. So, at those times, the Bananas have added FUN and attention-grabbing activities such as team dances, cheering by the Banana Nanas (dancing grandmothers), and audience activities led by kids (like when a toddler led 45,000 fans in The Chicken Dance).
- They Restructured and Built a Brand New Culture – The Bananas took the bold step of restructuring the game. Having noticed that people were leaving baseball games after two hours, the Bananas implemented a 120-minute time limit. There is also no bunting (boring), no walking (it’s been replaced with “The Sprint”) and batters must immediately start their play (no dilly dallying!). To further engage fans, if a player catches a foul ball, the batter is out!
- Baseball Game Outings Seem Expensive – Fan feedback indicated that taking themselves or their family to a game is an expensive outing (tickets, parking, concessions, etc.). The Bananas have many tickets for $40 and cap them at $60.00 each (which includes food and a drink).
Lessons for Us
- Fully Understand The Problem – Be sure that you fully comprehend the root of the problem(s) you are trying to solve, not just the symptoms. Be sure that your solution is not only “tried & true,” but distinctive, addressing a critical component that is often ignored. When building a Case For Support, look for opportunities to demonstrate not only the end of the process but how you arrived at your responses. Demonstrate how deeply you have listened to your base (donors, volunteers, program participants) and what have they taught you by giving them what is needed most.
- Embody The Funky Innovations – Jesse Cole wears a bright yellow tuxedo at the games to embody a spirit of innovation and challenging the status quo. He said, “I figured if they saw me dressed in this yellow suit it would give everyone permission to think creatively.” Executive and development leaders need to bring innovation, storytelling, and unique approaches to their work that reflects the style and ethos of their mission.
Be More A-Peeling
Early on, Jesse and Emily shared their vision of Banana Ball with many people who were not convinced it would work; yet they held true to the idea and continued to share their vision. While they only garnered a few fans at first, they were able to prototype their first game and demonstrate their vision through live games and clips on social media platforms. Along the way, leadership continued listening and testing new ideas to see what worked best for fan engagement. What started with a run down ballpark (devoid of even basic office equipment) and a dream to re-invent the fan experience of the game, Fans First Entertainment (the company that operates Banana Ball) is now a multi-million dollar franchise.
Lessons for Us
- Enroll the Early Adopters Supporting Your Concept – These may not be the traditional sources of funding or engagement (foundations, fundraising dinners, etc.), but may be people also seeking to address your problem.
For example: Monte Belmonte – a radio host in the Pioneer Valley – generated support for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts by walking its service area with a group of people (some in costume). During these walks, Monte would broadcast it all on the radio, and interview people along the way. Monte and other supporters of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts generated $100,000+ annually with a small group of committed marchers.
- Take Feedback Into Consideration – Continue looking for feedback from early adopters that will strengthen your Case for Support and the articulation of your vision.
The Bananas Went Bananas With Gratitude
Banana leadership was truly grateful for early supporters who came to games, bought merchandise, and helped spread the word. From the beginning, leadership wrote personal thank you notes to everyone who bought a ticket or merchandise, resulting in 100,000 hand-written notes (!) in just a few years. This touchpoint significantly enticed people to return to games and spread the word about exceptional customer service. Additionally, Jess understood how important the personal connection was for fans, and would stay after the game for photos with supporters until every fan was gone.
Lessons for Us
- Go Bananas and Thank Everyone for Every Contribution – Data demonstrates that people do not make recurring gifts to organizations when they do not feel “personally thanked.” At Rainmaker, we encourage clients to send postcards, hand-written notes, and to make phone calls to their donors. And some do this – but only for their largest donors! The Bananas believe every ticket-buyer adds value to the collective, and therefore they do not make a distinction of one-time attendee and season fan. Nonprofit leaders ought to thank everyone at every level for their contribution of time, treasure, or talent.
- Borrow and “Steal” the Time – Nonprofit leaders often cite “finding the time” as a constraining factor for thanking people personally. The Bananas were launching a whole baseball team (and later a league!), and still made time to show gratitude to fans and supporters, media outlets, players, and the wider community. I have developed a system for pre-stamping and addressing personalized cards to friends, family, clients, and colleagues on a monthly basis. I then carry them in my backpack and take opportunities in short moments to write a note (which takes less than four minutes per card). Honestly, if you don’t have time to thank me, I don’t have time to contribute to your organization. But if you do thank me personally, I will remember this in consideration of continued or expanded support.
The Bananas Are SUCCESS-Full
In the early days, the Savannah Bananas leveraged the power of storytelling. They realized that even with a small local team and stadium, the Bananas could share their unique approach to baseball with the world through videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube using the SUCCESs Model (Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Short Stories). They did NOT share facts, attendance numbers, or even SAY “we are re-inventing baseball.” They showed people what they were doing with brief vignettes, and it caught on, with their videos often going viral.
Lessons for Us
- Be SUCCESS-Full, Too! – Share stories of impact that are unexpected and demonstrate – rather than tell people – what you’re up to. If you need to, get some training in effective storytelling and check out Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath for many excellent examples.
The Final Inning: Be Bananas!
Nonprofit organizations are often at the cutting edge of innovation and address community challenges to bring transformative change. Yet still, we can fall into old habits and miss opportunities to truly connect with people. So, go Bananas! Take a swing at implementing one or more of these ideas and let us know if you got a base hit, triple play, or home run!
