Hauser said baseball is “the medium” that the team uses to sell its product, not the product itself. Really, it’s what Pfander and Babby call “affordable family fun” that the team sells and bases its promotional strategy around.

And for a team that currently is sitting in fourth place in its division (though the Ducks did make the playoffs last year), that promotion is a key part of drawing crowds.

A promotion might rely on nostalgia, such as a May appearance by actor Corey Feldman to commemorate the 30th anniversary of “The Goonies.” Or it might be ripped from the headlines, such as April’s poke at Brian Williams, which coincided with National Tell a Story Day and featured men named Brian Williams telling tall tales after the NBC anchor of the same name admitted to exaggerating his experiences while covering the war in Iraq. Sometimes it’s just a fun concept. “Middle Child Appreciation Night” in early July played on the idea of the often forgotten middle-born sibling.

The RubberDucks develop the promotions for their 71 regular-season games during the off-season. Wednesdays are reserved for brainstorming meetings, which include the entire staff. Pfander said the meetings have an open atmosphere where anyone can pitch or critique ideas as they see fit.

Pfander isn’t exaggerating when he said the Ducks include all members of the front office in the process. The idea for Comicon Night in June, which encouraged children to dress as their favorite superheroes, came from groundskeeper Chris Walsh. And a conversation between assistant general manager Scott Riley and Walsh during the NBA playoffs was the spark to pay tribute to Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova. After collaborating with Pfander and food and beverage director Bryan Manning, the Delly Dog – a jumbo hotdog with provolone, salami and ham – was born.

Riley and promotions coordinator Christina Urycki join Pfander as the ring leaders of the promotional process. Riley previously served as director of promotions for American Association of Independent Professional Baseball’s St. Paul Saints, “the independent team of all independent baseball” known for off-the-wall promotions, Pfander said. He called Urycki the Ducks’ “wrangler,” tasked with practically and effectively setting up these promotions.

“It’s this process of ideas that on the surface maybe aren’t that great,” Pfander said. “But let’s tweak it, let’s add a couple of great ideas and make it into an unbelievable night.”

The University of Akron’s Hauser said a creative process like this is a product of a company’s culture. He conceded that for larger or highly structured companies, promotional plans from lower ranks “would take 16 years for that to get implemented.”

“Does it get to a point where there’s too many people involved in a process? Sure,” Hauser says. “But it seems to fit what [the RubberDucks] do.”

Pfander said he thinks the process lends itself to great camaraderie among the staff and it’s as a way of getting ideas from places they might not normally be looking.

“A lot of companies don’t tap into the best assets that they have,” he said. “And that’s their employees.”

Pfander views his employees as an extension of the community his team is serving. This emphasis on a “community” is something that Hauser said was absent from the Aeros’ previous marketing strategy.

“There was a lot of throwing things out there and seeing what sticks,” Hauser said.

Babby and his staff, though, seem to have a clear idea of how to market their team.

“This ball club is the community’s team. It’s not our team,” Pfander said. “We’re just given the privilege of running it and being a part of, I think, something very special.”