1. Fan Development In Major League Soccer
Connecting Brands to the Soccer Consumer
Gilt Edge Soccer Marketing LLC
Phone: (630) 946-6961 | www.giltedgesoccer.com
November 2008

2. Fan Development In Major League Soccer
On July 19, 2008, a huge crowd of 46,754 sport in another country.
showed up at Giants Stadium to watch the NY
This example indicates that the challenge for
Red Bulls play the LA Galaxy featuring one
MLS Teams has evolved beyond simply
David Beckham. It was an entertaining 2‐2
putting “butts in seats” to addressing the
draw, and despite the fact it was played in the
need to build real relationships with the tens
cold and caverness Giants Stadium, most of
of thousands of people who attend 1 or 2
the people probably went home having
games throughout the season. In other
enjoyed their MLS experience.
words, the challenge is how to turn
For years, sports marketers have talked about spectators into fans.
the challenge of turning the millions of soccer
So what is a fan? A fan is an individual who
participants into fans. As a participation
thinks, talks about, and is oriented towards
sport – particularly with youth – soccer holds
“The single
soccer even when they are not actually
a dominant position in the market. 18 million
most
observing a specific game. Fans exhibit the
participants is the figure the Sporting Goods
principles of: important
Manufacturers Association has promoted for
a number of years now. factor in
• Loyalty ‐ connotes sentiment and
determining
feeling of devotion
The “turning participants into fans”
the asset
• Allegiance ‐ applies to a person’s sense
perspective, however, skips one very
of obligation/duty to support their team value of a
important evolutionary step – that of the
• Fidelity ‐ implies unwavering devotion
spectator. The vast majority of the 46,754 franchise is
to the team
people at the NY Red Bull game would be
the existence
categorized as spectators. Simply put, these
of a large and
Simply put the difference between spectators
are people who attend an event, leave, and
and fans is engrossment and passion. passionate
then forget!
local fan
While comparisons to European football
MLS Teams have generally done a good job base”
generally hold little relevance as it relates to
attracting spectators to the stadium to watch
the development of soccer in America, it is
their teams play. This has been accomplished
interesting to note that a few years back a
due to a combination of micro and macro
survey was conducted of Celtic FC supporters.
factors ranging from aggressive ticket sales
People were asked to select a statement that
campaigns, to strategic event enhancements,
best described their relationship to the Club.
such as doubleheaders, to the development
Amazingly over 90% said Celtic FC was “a vital
of soccer specific stadiums that provide an
part of their existence.” Now that’s true
opportunity to significantly enhance the live
fandom!
event experience.
Mass fandom to this degree will never occur
When you consider the Red Bulls average
in the US for a whole host of reasons, but the
attendance for its other 14 home games was
point remains that MLS Teams need to
13,727, it begs the question of what happened
develop deeper relationships with larger
to the 33,027 other people? Yes, some of
numbers of people.
these folks where simply there to see cultural
icon David Beckham in the flesh and probably
After all, the ultimate end game for
not that interested in soccer. The vast
ownership is to drive the asset value of the
majority though were “soccer people” –
franchise, and the single most important
individuals with an existing connection to the
factor in determining this, is the existence of
game either as a participant, or as a fan of the
a large and passionate local fan base.
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3. Factors Affecting Asset Value
“At the core of
the
organization
must be a
philosophy of
A Focus on Sales and Fan Development and oversee the development of strategies
ticket sales
and tactics to cultivate the brand.
and fan
There are four fundamental factors that
At the core of the organization must be an
development”
influence the asset value of a franchise.
organizational‐wide philosophy of ticket sales
and fan development.
While Winning is obviously an organizational
priority, business strategies and tactics must
While ticket sales is the most important
be designed to succeed regardless of on‐field
revenue stream, and bodies in house the
performance. Local Market Factors also play
primary driver of external perception, it must
an important role in determining asset value,
be remembered that game attendance is only
but unless the discussion is about potential
one component (albeit an extremely
relocation, this is not something Club
important one) of accomplishing the ultimate
Executives can ultimately affect.
goal of developing fans.
So Club Executives in charge of business
Clubs must develop a hand‐in‐glove
affairs must focus on the aspects of Brand
relationship between sales and fan
Development and Exploitation, and the
development strategies. They must execute
leveraging of Associated Equity
aggressive campaigns to maximize ticket
opportunities.
sales to spectators (again, people who
observe a game then forget!), and at the
It is the job of the Club President/Chief
same time implement initiatives that will
Business Officer to be the brand manager for
strengthen an individual’s level of
the Club. They must establish organizational
engagement with the Club and nurture them
values and standards, build operating
from being spectators in to becoming true
structures and processes, set expectations,
fans.
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4. The stronger the fan identification, the Don’t take anything for granted. Look in the
greater the benefits to the Club via increases mirror and ask some direct questions.
in:
Is my brand identity fully developed and
• Ticket sales and game attendance clearly communicated? What are the tangible
increases – reduced no‐show rates points of difference and unique qualities? Is
• Ticket renewal likelihood the image one that excites the soccer
• TV viewership and other media interest community and represents values that fans
“Not placing
• Licensed merchandise purchases are proud to associate with? Does the front
• Willingness to pay higher prices office universally understand the an emphasis
• Likelihood of participation in affinity organizational goals and brand identity? Do
on fan
marketing initiatives they believe in it and practice its’ virtues every
development
• Intellectual property values in the mind day? Do they effectively and consistently
is simply
of corporate sponsors communicate the brand to the outside world?
misguided.
• Word‐of‐mouth publicity
Gaining a true appreciation for how your
Equally,
brand is perceived – both internally and
Ultimately over time high degrees of fan
assuming that
externally ‐ is an absolute critical step in
affinity also provide some insurance against
fan
developing a successful franchise.
poor team performance.
development
#2 –Is the office culture built on sales and fan
Not placing an emphasis on fan development will just
development?
is simply misguided. Equally, assuming that
happen
fan development will just happen organically Your human resource is your most valuable
organically
with winning, or conversely cannot happen resource. Hiring good people is important,
with winning,
unless the Team wins, is also misguided. but ensuring the environment in which they
or conversely
work – and their contribution to it – is equally
Get The Fundamentals Rights
cannot
important. What is the office culture that
permeates throughout your Club? Is it a happen unless
Ownership needs to know the right business
culture that emphasizes ticket sales, fan
the Team
fundamentals are in place. Fundamentals that
development, and the importance of
wins, is also
will not only drive ticket sales, but also foster
representing the virtues of the brand?
fan development. Fundamentals that ensure misguided.”
the Club is positioned to accomplish both Have you determined and articulated in
short and long‐term goals. writing what kind of culture you want to
have? Do you have a plan on how you will go
There are six basic questions every Club
about creating the desired office culture and
owner/executive should ask themselves
bring your brand standards to life every day?
about their organization.
Any plan you create must promote a
#1 – Do we have a strong brand identity?
company‐wide appreciation for the principles
Image, as they say, is everything. The brand of fan development and the impact they have
identity of a Club is the foundation upon on how each and every staff member
which the organization is built. If the approaches their daily responsibilities. Every
fundamental values and principles of the Club department must be united in the quest to
do not resonate with the soccer public, Clubs develop programs and assets that stimulate
will have a difficult time creating strong fan revenue and provide opportunities to
connections. strengthen fan engagement.
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5. attrition and non‐renewals – a major
#3 – Do we have efficient and effective data
challenge for many sports teams.
management systems in place?
The plan must stress that every member of
Knowledge is king, and being “data‐driven” is
the organization plays a role in Customer
an essential characteristic of a successful
Engagement, not just certain departments.
Club’s front office. Securing and processing
Roles, responsibilities and expectations
good data is the key to prospecting and sales,
should be clearly defined and communicated
while mining and cultivating such data is a key
as part of the office culture.
to fan development. The Club’s data
management and CRM system is a foundation
Your customer service team should be
pillar of the organization. The right systems
focused on providing more than just excellent “Fan
must be in place, and a commitment to utilize
reactive customer service. This is a minimum Development
such systems understood throughout the
requirement. They should also take
Club. is about
advantage of the opportunity to create
providing
strong impressions with customers through
How is data being captured on‐line and off‐
individuals
memorable pro‐active services. Develop a
line? Do you have creative tactics and
mindset that is geared to identify issues and with reasons
disciplined execution? Who needs to know
needs in advance, establish unsolicited
what and when? If the right information and
communication campaigns, deliver random
doesn’t get into the hands of the right opportunities
acts of kinds and appreciation, and
employee at the right time, then
to invest
orchestrate structured management–to‐fan
opportunities are being missed. Are current
increasing
communication platforms.
procedures efficient and effective? Are
amounts of
realistic measurements and tracking
Challenge your marketing team to be creative
mechanisms in place to evaluate performance time in the
and reinvigorate their marketing efforts.
of sales and CRM initiatives? social
Provide customers access to unique
community
experiences and customized content‐driven
#4 – Do we have a well thought out
programs both on‐line and off‐line. Find new that is the
“Customer Engagement” plan?
ways to create more dynamic connections to Club”
important audience segments such as youth,
Fan development is about creating a
family, adult, Hispanic, and opinion‐leaders.
relationship with the individual that extends
Showcase the passion of your fans as a means
well beyond the monetary transaction for a
to generate Team relevance.
ticket or a jersey. It is about providing
individuals with reasons and opportunities to
Make sure your plan takes full advantage of
invest increasing amounts of time in the social
CRM knowledge, social media marketing
community that is the Club. The more
tools and digital assets. These technologies
connection points they have to the Club the
have changed customer expectations and
more they engage, the more they value their
created a whole new world of opportunity for
association, and the deeper their loyalty
you.
becomes.
Your Customer Engagement plan should be
Developing a strategic Customer Engagement
comprehensive, with the overall goal being to
plan is the best way for a Club to protect the
stimulate increased customer interaction with
lifetime value of each individual and develop
your Brand on as many different levels as
fans. Your plan should promote and
possible.
encourage fan engagement while also
establishing exit barriers to protect against
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6. #5– Are our game day experiences truly Avoid listening to those “expert marketers”
memorable? who will tell you to expand your sales and
marketing efforts into the general populous.
The live game day experience is the primary
Stay true to the belief that people who are
exposure to the Club for all individuals. It
already pre‐disposed to the game are more
creates the lasting memories and perceptions
likely to be interested in watching
that drive fan interest – for good or for bad.
professional soccer ‐ and potentially
becoming fans ‐ than people who have no
With the development of soccer‐specific
connection to the game. Sure, there will
stadiums, Clubs now have the opportunity to
always be the example of the individual who
control the packaging and presentation of the
has no prior exposure to the sport becoming
product. You have the opportunity to create
engaged with the team, but the likelihood of
an intimate “soccer experience” that
this happening is small.
showcases the game in the most
advantageous perspective. Realistically, it is
So fish where the fish are. Stay focused on
impossible to do this when you are playing in
“Focus should
developing relationships and connections
Giants Stadium for example.
be the single
with “soccer people” – people who are
already pre‐disposed to the sport. Stay
One of the challenges for Club Executives is most
focused on trying to connect with those
that the more games you attend, the more important
46,754 spectators that showed up to see the
difficult it becomes to remember what it is
word in the
NY Red Bulls play the LA Galaxy in July.
like to be a customer, and the harder it is to
Chief
appreciate how individuals are effected by
Executive’s
the experience. Try to step away, or hire an
independent consultant to evaluate every dictionary.”
“If the ladder is not leaning against the right
tangible and intangible aspect of the fan
wall, every step we take just gets us to the
experience and brand exposure at your
wrong place faster”
games.
Stephen R Covey
#6– Are we focused?
Focus should be the single most important
word in the Club Executive’s dictionary.
In the hectic world of MLS new challenges
and new opportunities are constantly arising.
As you tackle each new issue and chase each
short‐term revenue opportunity, make sure
your organizational focus remains squarely on Connecting Brands to the Soccer Consumer
the principles outlined above, and executing
your strategic plan and brand promise.
It’s ok to tweak tactics along the way as you
gain new experience, but ensure you stay
true to your core philosophies.
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