Business Case Studies & Business Publications

Innovation at Bat: The Savannah Bananas

Alexander, Les, Ka...

Case

Innovation at Bat: The Savannah Bananas

Alexander, Les; Kalogeropoulos, Demitri; Maiden, Stephen E.

ENT-0242 | Published September 25, 2025 | 13 Pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

Add To Cart Buy Now

Product Details

In early 2024, the Savannah Bananas were more popular than ever. The team provided an innovative mix of baseball and entertainment—with everything from dancing base coaches to a batter on stilts—that sold out ballparks nationwide, captivated fans through social media, and disrupted an entire market. The organization’s philosophy of “Fans first, entertain always” created an atmosphere that drew thousands of spectators to each game and millions online. The Bananas’ 2024 home-game and touring schedule was completely sold out, and their leadership team, led by owner Jesse Cole, had to decide on a strategy for moving forward: one that could bring their modified version of baseball, called Banana Ball, to as many fans as possible while retaining the joy and fan focus at the heart of each Bananas game. Where should the Savannah Bananas go from here? At the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, this case is used in the second-year MBA “Venture Capital Leadership” course to discuss innovation and market disruption. It would also be suitable in courses covering marketing, strategy, and leadership.

• Explore the concepts of innovation and market disruption. • Identify organizations that have been innovative and disrupted a market. • Discuss the relationship of failure to innovation. • Consider the importance of an organization’s culture in being innovative and accepting failure. • Evaluate the idea of “fans first,” how it applies to the Savannah Bananas, and how it could apply to other organizations. • Understand the leadership principles called the Five E’s, created by Jesse Cole. • Explore strategic decisions related to growth and expansion. • Discuss the importance of building a brand and how to scale it without damaging it. • Evaluate the success of the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball and consider whether it is sustainable or a fad.