Ethnographic research into the commerce experience at baseball games
MLB wanted to figure out how to improve the commerce experience at baseball games so fans would choose more of the premium options.
1. The key moments fans feared missing are in their social group, not the game.
2. Spending is suppressed by cognitive load, attention limits, and social dynamics.
People would buy more of the premium options at ballparks if lines at the stands were faster.
To start I ran a series of surveys to find out what the most important aspects of the venue experience are. When we confirmed that food and beverages were the elements most critically linked to the experience, we then dug into fans' frustrations about buying F&B at games.
Our surveys told us what mindsets fans are in when they go to ballparks, as well as where to dig deeper during field research.
Through various methods including behavioral observation, intercept interviews, and contextual inquiry, I was able to identify how people operate when they are trying to get food.
The research showed where the design of the concourse was determining how fans behave, but also what contexts have bearing on the decisions they make.
Once I had a solid understanding of why fans do what they do, it was time for in-depth conversations with them to figure out how they feel about the concourse experience and what we might try if we want to make it better.
I ran a series of workshops with MLB's product team to develop sacrificial concepts that explored the problems uncovered during the research phase.
Then I interviewed fans about their own experiences with those problems, digging into the factors that cause them and how fans responded. We also talked about the concepts the team developed to find out what was and wasn't compelling about them.
What would make for a better commerce experience?
Insights1. All fans bring the same two mindsets to the game (Researching and Ritualizing) but alternate between being goal-oriented and open to influence.
2. We think of slowness as a function of service, but it's really related to processing either too many or too few inputs.
3. We think of lines as a simple monolithic mass of frustration, but they're more like a series of different waiting phases.
4. We think faster lines mean a better experience, but speed doesn't fulfill the need for hospitality.
5. We think of F&B as adding to the experience, but choosing when and where to get it is a gamble.
6. We remember family trips to the ballpark with nostalgia, but it can be a burden for group leaders.
A. Reimagine physical+digital touch points to minimize their intrusion on the fans' engagement with the game and their party.
B. Personalize food discovery by making it easy to find F&B options that will make the trip feel special.
C. Simplify group dining by making managing F&B so simple that group organizers can enjoy the game instead of playing 'butler'.
Research methods