The Boston Red Sox — one of the most expensive teams to see live — has decided to freeze ticket prices at their 2008 levels.

Sox president and CEO, Larry Lucchino, described the freeze as a loyalty mesaure, saying, “Loyalty is a two way street. And they [fans] have been loyal to us, so we thought it time to do something like this.”

He added, “We have been the beneficiary of fan support and fan loyalty. And at a time when our fans may be feeling some kind of economic adversity, we should show some sensitivity.”

Red Sox prices have been rising steadily for 14 years, settling into an average home game price of $48.80.

Dunkin Donuts has jumped on the Twitter bandwagon. The chain that “America runs on” started running its mouth on the social networking site on October 24 and now has 1281 followers.

So far, “tweets” concern updates from the “DD Mothership,” responses to followers’ questions, the Dunkin take on the news (i.e. “What election? Results are already in: DD beat SBUX.”) and a picture of the day.

Dunkin Donuts executives say special offers will be posted to the feed occasionally, but that the main purpose of joining Twitter was to give DD fans some recognition and allow them to interact more with the brand.

As Dunkin continues its aggressive campaign against Starbucks, Twittering should prove a boon to the brand. Starbucks, with its house music and cafe feel, has long been establishing itself as a lifestyle choice for fans. Dunkin, on the other hand, makes a good cup of coffee, but is not the sort of place you go for a personal connection. Showing that it has a human side (albeit one that calls itself Dunkin Dave and hides behind a coffee cup icon) should help consumers feel a little better connected with the DD experience.

Follow the company’s Twitter feed here.

Anyone who might have an idea on how to avoid financial ruin is in high-demand, and finance-focused magazines are taking note.

Both Kiplinger’s and Forbes have launched new initiatives to provide expert financial advice in an effort to boost their brands’ standings in the eyes of an increasingly concerned public.

Kiplinger’s is setting off on a nationwide “Your Money Bus Tour,” carting professional financial advisors through more than 60 cities. Kevin McCormally, editorial director for the personal finance title, says the effort is more “brand-building” than anything else. In fact, a major promise of the tour is that Kiplinger’s and company will not make any sales pitches to any of the worried masses that make their way to the bus stops — and that includes subscription sales.

“This is an extension of our message and mission,”McCormally said. “We were founded on the idea of helping people with their personal finances, so what we do is consumer education. The timing could not be better, although we did not plan it this way.”

Forbes, not to be outdone, launched its Financial Advisor Network on Forbes.com. Though it’s available to all users of the site, the Network looks a little more selective than the Kiplinger’s bus tours: it’s aimed at financial advisors and “high-net worth investors seeking relevant information,” according to the press release.

I think both do a good job of tapping into a major public concern in a non-alarmist way. They’re bringing advice — hope! — and they’re also bringing their distinct brand promises to the public eye: Kiplinger’s is all about personal finance, the individual, the little guy, so they’re on a bus, coming to city centers, being accessible. Forbes has a more high-powered ‘tude, so they’re doing what businessmen do best - networking, and both brands, if they really follow through, might actually help people. It’s a win-win.

Bonnier Corp.’s Florida Travel & Life is launching a branded event series called “The Good Life” in November.

The series, designed to further engage readers in the brand, is part of a new wave of magazine-launched events. Just today, I posted a story about the marketing efforts of Sobefit magazine, which will depend heavily on events to spread its brand name. We’ve also covered events by Niche Media, TVGuide and a host of other magazines in the pages of DMNews this year. Events, my friends, are hot.

And why wouldn’t they be? Today’s consumers demand entertainment in their advertising, and what’s more entertaining than open bars, swanky locales and the possibility of a celeb sighting?

Particularly with lifestyle magazines, events are a great way to show off that, yes, your editors can talk the talk and walk the walk when it comes to living it up with panache. Bonnier’s latest series, for instance, will feature food and wine tastings, travel and photo tips from the editors, art, fashion, entertainment, and even wealth management seminars — which I’d say pretty much encompassing all the primary concerns of Florida’s fashionable set.

DunderMifflinInfinity.com, NBC’s social networking site for its sitcom “The Office,” seems to be paying off for the broadcaster.

Members of Dunder Mifflin Infinity have organized 26 viewing parties across the country for tomorrow’s season premier of “The Office,” rallying the troops in Rochester, N.Y.; Philadelphia; Cheshire, Conn.; Washington; Baltimore; Gainesville, Fla.; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Germantown, Ohio; Elk River, Minn.; Indianola, Iowa; Ames, Iowa; La Crosse, Wis.; Fort Collins, Col.; Las Vegas; and Santa Barbara, Calif.

I went on the site, and while it could use a bit of spiffing up (which it promises is coming soon), it’s definitely got a lot going for it: The concept is kept to (all visitors are referred to as “employees” and receive “memos” on upcoming events). There are a lot of opportunities to participate and earn “schrute bucks” — an ill-fated concept from one Office episode — which can be used to decorate virtual desks, buy video clips and even “get promoted” on the site. Perhaps most importantly, it taps into the rabid fanhood of some of the show’s best viewers. Superfans can actually apply to be “regional managers” for Dunder Mifflin Infinity, nabbing the power to organize branches, relay information, moderate their branch’s forum and other interactive tasks.

In all, it’s a fun site with a lot of inside references to keep fans interested and happy, and if it can pull in some awesome season premier ratings for one of my favorite shows, well, more power to them. I think those guys deserve some schrute bucks.

In a new partnership meant to make it easier for its customers to find the information they are looking for, pet supplies multichannel merchant Doctors Foster and Smith has joined with Midwest Airlines to create an online resource for people traveling with pets.

Answers to questions people have about flying with pets can be found on a page of the Doctors Foster and Smith Web site. The Web page was created by animal experts at the multichannel merchant as well as by the staff at Midwest Airlines responsible for creating its Premier Pet Program, which provides travel rewards to pets and lets customers use their Midwest Miles to pay for a pet’s travel.

The page showcases nearly 30 premium pet products that can be helpful while flying with pets, some of which have been branded with the Midwest Airlines Premier Pet Program signature. The page will also include pet travel columns researched and written by animal experts at both Doctors Foster and Smith and Midwest Airlines.

…but only if you act quickly.

Today only, Southwest Airlines is offering discounted “Ding!” fares on flights out of of San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

The deal — running from 9 AM to 9 PM today — is in celebration of Southwest’s one-year anniversary of its return to SFO. Southwest served the airport consistently from 1982 to 2001, but was off the roster at SFO until August 26, 2007, when it started running 18 daily flights out of the Bay Area.

“Ding!” fares are only available to Southwest customers who download the “Ding!” widget from the company’s site (linked). The tool delivers special rates to users’ desktops — and is a very clever way for the airline to embed itself into a consumer’s everyday life.

Customer Futures is an international members-only network of learning groups consisting of executives from non-competing businesses that meet quarterly to share knowledge in the areas of customer management and customer experience management. There are currently forums based in the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, South Africa and the Netherlands. The company is owned by OgilvyOne.

Naras Eechambadi, Ph.D and CEO of multichannel marketing solutions provider Quaero will be the facilitator of the first US forum, scheduled for September 9. Charter memberships are currently available.

Advanta has released a new Platinum Business Card for Online Marketers, offering cash back rewards for a variety of Web-focused activities.
The card caters directly to bloggers, online marketers, Web site operators, etc. by offering 5% cash back on the first $1200 spent in “bonus categories,” said categories being: online PPC advertising, eBay fees, Web site hosting, shipping, USPS, computers and office supplies, cellular services and gas. Other purchases can earn 1% cash back. Cardholders can also choose to receive travel rewards, if cash isn’t really their thing.
I’m curious to see how Advanta will market the card. Will they take the traditional credit card route and send out a direct mail campaign, or, since they are looking for online-savvy customers, will they stick to a Web-based campaign?

If you trust the fine folks at Continental, it’s official: the airline industry is in a (*ahem*) tailspin. With the announcement that Continental will cut 3,000 jobs and reduce capcity by 11% in the fourth quarter, the company’s chief executive, Larry Kellner, and president, Jeff Smisek, sent out this message to employees:
“The airline industry is in a crisis. Its business model doesn’t work with the current price of fuel and the existing level of capacity in the marketplace. We need to make changes in response.”
Reductions at Continental are just the latest in a steady stream of cutbacks (Continental, Spirit, United), groundings (Silverjet) and shutdowns (Aloha) that is plaguing the industry — and its customers.

Obviously, the economy has played a role here — pulling up fuel prices and making people less keen to travel. But it still seems odd to me that, after so many years of being on the forefront of customer service and loyalty programs (how many of us have some sort of “–miles” credit card?), airlines now cannot seem to get people into the air. What is it going to take, DM-ers? Please, leave some comments on what you think airlines can do to re-gain consumer trust, convince travelers to help pay for rising fuel costs, and just generally bring the industry back on some steady footing.