"We're largely unaware there are actual places called Manchester and Liverpool, but the clubs have the perfect fallback position in their brand name and logos - it's all about 'United' and 'The Reds.' The clubs should simply find ways to show fans what we can be part of." "European geography is not an American strong suit," Schafer added. "If we can't harken back to a simpler time we experienced ourselves, it does not amount to much." "History and heritage only mean something if a sentimental connection exists," Schafer said. and elsewhere to buy into the club's brand.īut for domestic soccer clubs, communicating their celebrated pasts to a new American fan base is an uphill struggle. The challenge is getting fans in the U.S. John Powell/Getty ImagesLiverpool owner John Henry checks out the merch at Anfield. "Americans enjoy sports as a platform for storytelling," explained the Boston Red Sox's Sam Kennedy, "we love to tell tales about heritage, history and tradition." What makes a club unique? A history of storied achievement, legendary characters and epic rivalries. I am the lore: Selling heritage and fandom Cohen identified the dangerous blind spot created by this approach: "No entity is responsible for explaining how all the pieces lock together - Copa America, Gold Cup, Europa Cup or Champions League all make sense when you have dedicated yourself to the sport, but to a newer fan they can be bewildering."Ģ. Every club is participating in a gold rush of narrow self-interest in which no one takes ownership of the overarching brand. ![]() The NBA's growth in China, by contrast, is the product of a league-wide growth strategy, as is the NFL's attempt to hook the British on gridiron football. Something the Mets aren't close to doing," he said.Ī critical barrier for soccer is the inherent inefficiency of the every-team-for-itself approach. "Greece almost filled it against Ecuador. Soccer, in the words of Schafer, remains an "outlier brand," but one loaded with potential that is, in Jon Cohen's eyes, "making giant strides every year." Schafer marveled at the success of Citi Field as a soccer venue. Stop the anarchy: Develop an overarching brand I solicited the opinions of two marketing agency founders, Jon Cohen, CEO of Fader and Cornerstone, and Ian Schafer, the CEO of Deep Focus, as well as Boston Red Sox executive vice president and COO Sam Kennedy, who has been processing these issues since New England Sports Ventures' acquisition of Liverpool FC in 2010.ġ. ![]() Or, more simply put, what will make the difference between an American fan choosing Manchester United or Manchester City? Or Barcelona, Real Madrid or AC Milan, for that matter. Other than trumping the MLS All-Star team, or playing a glorified training session against a fellow giant, what longer-term branding and marketing strategies can the club employ to seduce new American fans? Manchester United estimates it has more than 6.5 million fans in the U.S., a number it would like to grow precipitously. Their ultimate goal is to grab curious Americans' attention and hook them on their club brand for life.ĭon't miss a moment of the latest soccer coverage from around the world. The Europeans are not only here to shake off the preseason rust, or to cash in their appearance money (Manchester United is reported to be bagging an estimated $9.2 million in appearance fees from its tour). Witness America's recent transformation into a vast continental training ground for leading European clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Juventus, culminating in the delirious All-Star spectacle showcasing Manchester United. The big European clubs are well aware that the 2010 World Cup has increased the sport's popularity in the U.S., fostering a lucrative market. ![]() Teams are often selected for the most random of reasons: distant family ties, a haircut similar to a star player or a childhood vacation spent by chance in Blackburn. But it is not true in the U.S., where a spike in television ratings has catalyzed an anarchical glut of curious new fans desperate to define a rooting interest. The cabbie's rules may be right in Europe, where the club you support is passed through the generations down the family bloodline. ![]() But you can never, ever change your team." On a trip to England last month, the fan was explaining his defection to a London cab driver who listened patiently before responding, "Can I be honest with you Guv'nor?" Searching for a team to support, he originally pledged allegiance to then-Premier League champion Chelsea, but Gareth Bale's swashbuckling displays encouraged a transfer of his affections, and he recently morphed into a Tottenham fan. I recently met an avid American soccer fan who had fallen for the game after the 2006 World Cup. Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesClubs like Manchester United are aggressively trying to convert more fans like the ones who showed up at the All-Star Game to cheer on the Red Devils.
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