DC Marketing : Lessons Learned (PHX edition)

[DesertEagle]

Hey guys Andy is just trying to be funny. Andy actually has a picture of a Phoenix soccer hero in his avtar. The guy I find annoying is the Sundevil9 poster. If he thinks DCU doesn,t make money he should attend a game or investigate the TV rating for DCU in the area where he actually lives. The guy is a fountain of misinformation.

Just because he has Sundevil in his name doesn't mean that he actually has clue about our market. He doesn't even understand the market where he lives. Go tell Chico and Oscar in La Bara that Hispanics don't translate into paying fans. They love DCU and are responsible for selling thousands of tickets every season. We respect these fans in Phoenix.

I think we have the potential to be a great MLS city and I for one will be working to make sure that we duplicate and surpass Toronto in season ticket sales. I can hear the chants in the background PHOENIX RISING! PHOENIX RISING! LET'S GO PHOENIX!

This will be a reality folks. I can see Garber smiling as we open the roof on our soccer specific stadium for MLS Cup. I can see the concerts in our stadium, the tailgates in our parking lot and the fact that we will never get rained out for CONCACAF Finals, World Cup Qualifiers, and of course Phoenix FC matches. A light rail stop at our front gate so fans can party hard and get home safely. It's going to be great in Phoenix.

[Sundevil9]

Hey guys Andy is just trying to be funny. Andy actually has a picture of a Phoenix soccer hero in his avtar. The guy I find annoying is the Sundevil9 poster. If he thinks DCU doesn,t make money he should attend a game or investigate the TV rating for DCU in the area where he actually lives. The guy is a fountain of misinformation.

Just because he has Sundevil in his name doesn't mean that he actually has clue about our market. He doesn't even understand the market where he lives. Go tell Chico and Oscar in La Bara that Hispanics don't translate into paying fans. They love DCU and are responsible for selling thousands of tickets every season. We respect these fans in Phoenix.

I think we have the potential to be a great MLS city and I for one will be working to make sure that we duplicate and surpass Toronto in season ticket sales. I can hear the chants in the background PHOENIX RISING! PHOENIX RISING! LET'S GO PHOENIX!

This will be a reality folks. I can see Garber smiling as we open the roof on our soccer specific stadium for MLS Cup. I can see the concerts in our stadium, the tailgates in our parking lot and the fact that we will never get rained out for CONCACAF Finals, World Cup Qualifiers, and of course Phoenix FC matches. A light rail stop at our front gate so fans can party hard and get home safely. It's going to be great in Phoenix.

Wow. Thanks.

Um. I have been a United season ticket holder since 1997.

Yes hispanic fans come out to United games, in good numbers, but not because they're just hispanic and they'll go to any ol' soccer game because they like the game, but because they are DC United fans. Because United has built up a good and attractive on field product.

I don't advocate ignoring them, but treating them merely as soccer/football fans. Realize that many won't leave their allegiances behind, and need to be won over by what's done on the field. I've also seen failed attempts at trying to woo back El Salvadorians by bringing in players, to no avail.

Chico, Oscar, and Big Rob will back me up on this.

United doesn't make money. There have been many reports that only the Galaxy make money. United loses quite a bit of money. They don't bring in much in parking revenue (it's like $1 per car), and NO concession money. The ticket sales nearly make up for the rent at RFK. That leaves TV revenue (which Comcast just started paying for), and souvenir sales (of which they get a cut) as revenue streams.

I lived in the Valley in the early 1990's, and saw the struggles of the Cards and start of the Diamondbacks. I was at the two US National Team games at Sun Devil Stadium prior to WC 1994. And I've kept in touch with the area since I've left. I understand that I don't get some of the newer nuances, but I don't mind tossing a little reality around either.


And once again, my angle on Phoenix is that it's not quite ready, or not as ready as some other places, but that doesn't mean that it can't leap over some either.

[Z010 Union]

Hey guys Andy is just trying to be funny. Andy actually has a picture of a Phoenix soccer hero in his avtar. The guy I find annoying is the Sundevil9 poster. If he thinks DCU doesn,t make money he should attend a game or investigate the TV rating for DCU in the area where he actually lives. The guy is a fountain of misinformation.

Just because he has Sundevil in his name doesn't mean that he actually has clue about our market. He doesn't even understand the market where he lives. Go tell Chico and Oscar in La Bara that Hispanics don't translate into paying fans. They love DCU and are responsible for selling thousands of tickets every season. We respect these fans in Phoenix.

I think we have the potential to be a great MLS city and I for one will be working to make sure that we duplicate and surpass Toronto in season ticket sales. I can hear the chants in the background PHOENIX RISING! PHOENIX RISING! LET'S GO PHOENIX!

This will be a reality folks. I can see Garber smiling as we open the roof on our soccer specific stadium for MLS Cup. I can see the concerts in our stadium, the tailgates in our parking lot and the fact that we will never get rained out for CONCACAF Finals, World Cup Qualifiers, and of course Phoenix FC matches. A light rail stop at our front gate so fans can party hard and get home safely. It's going to be great in Phoenix.

This is an ignorant post. I mean ignorant as in unaware. Sorry DesertEagle, fans don't equal making money. RFK is a money pit. I have been a season ticket holder since 99 in DC. The economic reality of MLS is that until every team is in SSS's they won't be making real money. They are paying stadium, staff, team and city taxes. In shared stadiums tickets alone (16k x 20 = 320,000 per match in tickets) don't make up for the lost revenue of uncontrolled revenue streams like parking and concessions.

[phxinferno]

Wow. Thanks.

Yes hispanic fans come out to United games, in good numbers, but not because they're just hispanic and they'll go to any ol' soccer game because they like the game, but because they are DC United fans. Because United has built up a good and attractive on field product.

I don't advocate ignoring them, but treating them merely as soccer/football fans. Realize that many won't leave their allegiances behind, and need to be won over by what's done on the field. I've also seen failed attempts at trying to woo back El Salvadorians by bringing in players, to no avail.

.

If this is true then why is there a need for Bara Brava, a seperate Hispanic/Latino fan club. LET ME BE CLEAR, United has been my team since inception, I am not knocking Bara Brava, they are intense. But apparently there was a need/strong desire to seperate themselves; lets say distinguish themselves from the Screaming Eagles. Sundeveil9makes it out as some sort of solidarity, maybe in the team they support (which is the most important), but not in the way they are organized and who they reach out to for membership....

[Sundevil9]

If this is true then why is there a need for Bara Brava, a seperate Hispanic/Latino fan club. LET ME BE CLEAR, United has been my team since inception, I am not knocking Bara Brava, they are intense. But apparently there was a need/strong desire to seperate themselves; lets say distinguish themselves from the Screaming Eagles. Sundeveil9makes it out as some sort of solidarity, maybe in the team they support (which is the most important), but not in the way they are organized and who they reach out to for membership....



Remember, there is no official affiliation between the Barra Brava, Screaming Eagles, La Norte, or any other United fan group.

The BB's and SE's formed at roughly the same time (and there are monumental 'discussions' of which came first - which are really silly IMO), between the announcement of MLS and the first game.

Over the years, things have evolved. Barra Brava has a very strong Hispanic/Latino influence, but they're very inclusive. As is La Norte, another Hispanic/Latino group.
There are United fans of all ethnicities, but catering or pandering to them is not the way to solidly build the fanbase.

My general statement is to not make the assumption "We have a large number of Hispanics, therefore we will have a large number of seats sold." That is one of the frequent themes used as to "Why Phoenix will be successful."

[DesertEagle]

This is an ignorant post. I mean ignorant as in unaware. Sorry DesertEagle, fans don't equal making money. RFK is a money pit. I have been a season ticket holder since 99 in DC. The economic reality of MLS is that until every team is in SSS's they won't be making real money. They are paying stadium, staff, team and city taxes. In shared stadiums tickets alone (16k x 20 = 320,000 per match in tickets) don't make up for the lost revenue of uncontrolled revenue streams like parking and concessions.

I've supported the MLS since it's inception, and like Sundevil9 have held season tickets since 1997 and still hold season tickets. Sundevil9 is being less than honest in his characterization of the fan base. When DCU first began there were several different fan clubs. The Bara, the Choir and the SE's to name a few. Then later La Norte and I'm sure that there were several smaller groups that I'm not aware. There were also hundreds of Hispanic families that attended the games. Parking was full all the way to lot 7. Playoff games averaged over 25K. I don't want to turn this into a debate about how and why we alienated the Salvadorian community but it was a marketing blunder. I agree that we need SSS and that's the Toronto model that we should follow here.

In terms of ignorance I think the marketing strategy of DCU was great and their efforts to attract the Hispanic community is smart. This market is one of the fastest growing markets in the country and Sundevil9's 1990's point of view is dated.

[Sundevil9]

I've supported the MLS since it's inception, and like Sundevil9 have held season tickets since 1997 and still hold season tickets. Sundevil9 is being less than honest in his characterization of the fan base. When DCU first began there were several different fan clubs. The Bara, the Choir and the SE's to name a few. Then later La Norte and I'm sure that there were several smaller groups that I'm not aware. There were also hundreds of Hispanic families that attended the games. Parking was full all the way to lot 7. Playoff games averaged over 25K. I don't want to turn this into a debate about how and why we alienated the Salvadorian community but it was a marketing blunder. I agree that we need SSS and that's the Toronto model that we should follow here.

In terms of ignorance I think the marketing strategy of DCU was great and their efforts to attract the Hispanic community is smart. This market is one of the fastest growing markets in the country and Sundevil9's 1990's point of view is dated.

Maybe I wasn't clear, but I never said "Don't market to the Hispanic Community", but not to assume that having a large Hispanic Community means that you'll have paying customers.

That was a major marketing flaw in the beginning of MLS. Sure Hispanic families came, some even gave it a few years, but then when they realized that the league wasn't up to a certain standard, they stopped showing up.

Now, there is a still a strong Hispanic fanbase, that has been won over by what's on the field. And United has done a good job in making sure that the Hispanic communities in and around the District are fully aware of it.

Look around the various expansion discussions though, and you'll see the statement, "A team will do really well here, because we have a lot of Hispanics". I was just throwing some caution out there that such a statement isn't looking at the whole picture and that you've still got to reach out to the soccer fan sub-segment of that group.

[Z010 Union]

I've supported the MLS since it's inception, and like Sundevil9 have held season tickets since 1997 and still hold season tickets. Sundevil9 is being less than honest in his characterization of the fan base. When DCU first began there were several different fan clubs. The Bara, the Choir and the SE's to name a few. Then later La Norte and I'm sure that there were several smaller groups that I'm not aware. There were also hundreds of Hispanic families that attended the games. Parking was full all the way to lot 7. Playoff games averaged over 25K.

Wrong. Attendance did not average over 25k. 1997 games were midweek if I recall correctly, but Diaz Arce was still on the team.

96
09/27* D.C. United MetroStars DC 1, MET 0 21,442
10/02* D.C. United MetroStars DC 2, MET 1 20,423
10/10** D.C. United Tampa Bay Mutiny DC 4, TB 1 23,566
97
10/05* D.C. United New England Revolution DC 4, NE 1 12,540
10/12** D.C. United Columbus Crew DC 3, CLB 2 11,820

I don't want to turn this into a debate about how and why we alienated the Salvadorian community but it was a marketing blunder. I agree that we need SSS and that's the Toronto model that we should follow here.

In terms of ignorance I think the marketing strategy of DCU was great and their efforts to attract the Hispanic community is smart. This market is one of the fastest growing markets in the country and Sundevil9's 1990's point of view is dated.

You turned it in to a debate about the Salvadoran community the second you brought them up. You're saying that all attendance drops are attributable to United's alienation of the Salvadoran community through a salary cap needed move?

What the problem was for United was ethnic pandering gone wrong. In a new league the fans cheered for their countrymen. I remember as many cheers at the home opener for Cienfuegos as Diaz Arce. The Salvadorans seemed happy to have countrymen to watch.

It is also interesting to see how you have glossed over the amount of violence those fans started. Maybe they drove fans away with the stabbings and drunken venturing into the women's bathroom.

[Z010 Union]

MOD NOTE
How this changed from Phoenix wants a team into DC and the Salvadoran community made this irrelevant to the forum. I have broken this out from the original thread and am closing this collection of posts.