Banding Together to Brand Wrigley Rooftops

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Mar 9, 2009 9:20PM

Some think they're a key element of Wrigley's "ballpark in a neighborhood" charm. Others hold them in disdain for the way they turned a quirky fringe benefit of living near Wrigley into a business, making money hand-over-fist from a stolen product. Sure, the rooftops surrounding Wrigley Field now pay a fee to the Cubs. But they still howl over any proposed enhancements to the ballpark that might limit their sight lines even if it might improve the cash flow for the team that's actually paying the players' salaries.

And while there is a difference of opinions about the rooftops themselves, do they lack for publicity? Perhaps they feel the pressure to reach out to a wider pool of customers as the economic downturn affects bookings for the upcoming season. Five of the 16 rooftop businesses have decided to band together collectively to market themselves under the "Wrigleyville Rooftops" moniker for promotional purposes. Those participating in the re-branding efforts include Beyond the Ivy's three venues, Murphy's Rooftop and 3639 Wrigley Rooftop.

Spearheading the campaign is Gravitas Marketing, which developed the program to allow the rooftops to serve as promotional content for contests and events that connect marketers with fans who watch games from these sites, as well as promote the all-you-can eat, all-you-can-drink packages available as part of the rooftop experience. Given the reliance on corporate entertaining and spare-no-expense bachelor parties to fill seats in the past, the rooftops may be well served by teaming up with beer and snack food companies and who can spread the word to a wider audience and help fill seats through ticket giveaways.