Put simply, Oracle Park is a baseball stadium — namely, the home of the San Francisco Giants. But at its core, Oracle Park is a destination. On any given night or gameday, fans in the seats can be treated to Metallica singing the National Anthem, “Saturday Night Live” icon Garrett Morris throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on Black Heritage Night or Boba Fett and Imperial stormtroopers overseeing the distribution of Grogu bobbleheads on Star Wars Day.
One of the central figures behind the scenes helping to put together these special promotions, themed games and other events for season ticket holders and casual fans alike is INTIX member Margo Malone, Senior Manager, Season Ticket Memberships & Special Projects. She says, “As evidenced by our promotions and special events, you don’t need to be a baseball fan to come out to a Giants game and have a great time. It’s about the experience. Regardless of what your interests are, how you identify or what your heritage is, there’s a place for you here.”
As Yoda Would Say, “Always Two There Are”
The Giants promotional schedule falls into two categories. The first is the standard gate giveaway, which is tied to a corporate partnership agreement and has proven to be a great branding tool. “Ticket sales increase exponentially when there’s a giveaway,” states Malone, “especially for the most popular items. Bobbleheads have been popular for decades, with popular players, mascots and pop culture icons being featured. In recent years, whimsical Funko Pop figures entered the picture as a top collectible. This season, keychain plushies, fashioned after the internationally popular Labubu dolls, are the hot item.”
Special event promotions work a bit differently. They have themes or are a heritage and cultural celebration. If a special event ticket is purchased, it includes admission to the game and a voucher to redeem for an item. “For select special event nights, a VIP experience option is available,” Malone notes. “The VIP experience gives the purchaser access to a pregame party in the Triples Alley or Club King space. Guest speakers, panel discussions, music and/or art activations tied to the theme can be part of the experience.”
Putting the Promotions Into Motion
The planning process for both promotions and special events is headed up by Rachel Heit, the Giants’ Chief Marketing Officer. Heit and her team work closely with the partnership group in determining what giveaway item would be the best fit in terms of branding. Spearheaded by Senior Vice President of Ticketing Russ Stanley, this group provides valuable input and recommendations on which dates will generate the best revenue opportunities and drive sales.
Malone says, “It’s a collaborative undertaking involving just about every department. Beyond deciding on the giveaway item, setting ticket prices and scheduling dates that align with the promotion, there’s a lot of work put into pregame ceremonies and activations around the ballpark.”
The marketing team frequently solicits feedback on promotions from staff, with leadership from employee resource groups (or ERGs) being invited to attend planning meetings. This involvement ensures that Giants Heritage Nights, in particular, are authentic and accurately represent the cultures that are being showcased.
As the former chair of the Giants Black Excellence ERG, Malone has witnessed the incremental changes over the years. In addition to SNL’s legend Garrett Morris throwing out the first pitch this year, members of the “Divine Nine” Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), sororities and fraternities were invited to perform in the plaza spaces before the game. Additionally, a local Black artist created the design, a nod to Afrofuturism, for the event’s T-shirt.
Garrett Morris, along with Margo and Michael Malone, at 2026 Giants Black Heritage Night. Morris threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Photo courtesy of Margo Malone.
Malone adds, “Fans were treated to a postgame fireworks show, with the Black Heritage Night theme extending to the carefully curated musical selection. Tunes ranged from George Benson to Earth, Wind and Fire. The Black Excellence ERG also hosted community leaders and members of ERGs from other professional sports teams — the 49ers, Warriors, Sharks, Valkyries — for a pregame mixer.”
Another promotion Malone assists with planning is the annual Salute to the Military game. “As the liaison between the Giants and our non-profit partner, Operation: Care and Comfort (OCC), this is an event that means a lot to me,” she states.
Margo Malone and participating servicemen at the Salute to the Military game.
Indeed, Malone is responsible for facilitating ticket donations from the Commissioners’ program to OCC, which distributes to military veterans and active-duty service members. The Giants Veterans ERG members provide feedback and coordinate the pregame flag unfurling, along with members of the promotions team. Malone says, “Military non-profits use the Community Clubhouse space on the promenade level to pass out information to fans on the work they do supporting troops, veterans and Gold Star families. I enjoy being involved in booking and escorting pregame talent.”
Measures for Growth and Success
The question was then posed: “How do the Giants know if a promotion is successful?” Malone’s answer upon careful reflection: “If more tickets were sold than if there was not a promotion, that's one way to measure success. Some of the more popular special events sell out fast. Pokémon Worlds Night Special Event tickets sold out in less than an hour, for instance.”
In addition, Malone notes, Giants ticket members don't hesitate to give the team feedback on promotions. Malone and her colleagues have also learned a lot about the demographics of potential fans from hosting concerts at Oracle Park. For instance, the incredible success of having K-pop groups Blackpink and Stray Kids perform led to the Giants adding a K-pop Special Event to this season's schedule.
The Giants are also fortunate to be in a market that is home to both Disney’s Pixar and Lucasfilm. Consequently, Star Wars Day is always a particularly big draw, and Malone concedes the Grogu bobblehead might just be her favorite acquisition for 2026. She also credits the Giants’ social media team for doing “a great job blasting out images from special events in real time. It’s all about fan engagement, whether in the ballpark or following the team online.”
Star Wars Day at Oracle Park.
So, does Malone see promotions and special events as a customer-acquisition tool, a retention tool or both? “For the non-baseball fan, promotions and special events are what entice fans to attend a game,” she replies. “Once they’re inside the ballpark and experience the vibe, they’re hooked in my opinion. From there, our sales team can reach out to encourage the single-game ticket buyer to bring out a group for a special event night. This is really a great opportunity for heritage nights. I have a season ticket member who brings out family and friends for Filipino Heritage Night every year. It started with buying the add-on voucher to get the item. Once his family saw how cool the item was, they wanted to attend a game, too. It’s all about extending the fun and excitement to others.”
Such promos are a no-brainer in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the most diverse markets in the country. When the Giants first introduced heritage nights in the early 2000s, it started with just Irish Heritage and Italian Heritage Nights. In the current season, there are a total of nine heritage or cultural nights.
Pride Month in June is also big with the team and the area’s population. Malone says, “You can count on passing by Oracle Park and seeing a celebration of Pride in full force at a Giants game. The Pride flag is flown above the center-field wall; rainbow-colored lights have lined the railing along the Portwalk; and, one season, the steps leading up to the Promenade level were painted in a rainbow theme.”
Even Cats and Dogs Are Big Ticket Sellers
Finally, the San Francisco Giants’ promotions have proven to be so successful, that even cat and dog lovers have been brought into the fold. Hello Kitty is by far among the most sought-after giveaway items. “In 2025,” Malone recalls, “fans lined up for hours before the gates opens and the item ran out in less than an hour. This season the Giants scheduled two Hello Kitty promo dates with the gate giveaways being a plush keychain, for the first one, and a Funko Pop, for the second. Because you can never have enough Hello Kitty excitement, there’s a special event VIP Experience on the second date, which sold out fast.”
A furry fan participating in the dog days special event.
And while those promos might be the cat’s meow, Malone says nothing can truly top the special evenings she plans for the Bay Area’s other four-footer fans. She concludes, “I’d have to say that my favorite special event is dog days. This promotion has become so popular that we now have two dog days events each season. Both the dog and their human must have a game ticket, with participants sitting in sections of the bleachers. The best part of the day is watching the pregame dog parade on the field! Fans go all out dressing up their canines in costumes, many Giants themed. This year’s giveaway? A stylish kerchief — white, orange and black, of course!”
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