You wake up on Monday to find out you've been promoted to US Soccer Director of Communications (or Director of Events, whichever one works). Your first task is to deliver a 3-5 year plan to increase the percentage of US fans at men's and women's games, both hardcore supporters (AO/SA) and the average fan (adults, kids, families). You cannot concoct ticket schemes like proof of citizenship and so on. You have no sway over players or coaching staff, let alone what teams are played. All you can do is work with whatever you're dealt, be it a tournament final or a friendly against noted UEFA powerhouse San Marino. Do not expect more than token assistance from club teams at any level (pre-existing contracts, bigger fish to fry, etc.). How do you lay out your long-term vision? *edit* Seriously folks, I want to see what people can come up with, this isn't another thread for taking pot shots at how the team plays, the coach, the players, Harkes, etc.
Well, the first step you must take is reverting back to Bradley form and playing bunker ball against lesser CONCACAF sides. Then, and only then, will fans love the program.
Separate Mex and Amer fans. That will greatly limit racist insults, cursing at the opponents fans, beer being tossed, intimidation towards women/children, and so on. Might sound extreme, but the reality is many women/children, and families will stay away until it's more family friendly. It seems that's a turnoff for many.
Target our military and invite then to all the games. Market the games as a united states pride thing and not necessarily a soccer thing. We are a country that essentially doesn't have a national team to support in any sport xonsistently except soccer.
There are no shortcuts. It's like saying "How can MLS teams insure that when they play Man United, they have more fans than Man U". You can't, you can only worry about the product and results will speak for themselves. Rome wasn't built in 20 years.
But what you're really asking is the $64,000 question everyone in USSF and MLS ask themselves. That is, how do you get more americans to watch soccer. I dunno.
Is it so hard just to buy commercial time to promote the team?? Also, tear down all the FMF posters and put up USMNT ones.
Have a television package that is not an embarrassment, with games starting at the times they are listed, with cross-marketing that looks good instead of forced.
TV Package: I would also call CBS, TBS, TNT, trutv and ask them if they would like a chance to out bid NBC and Versus. With all due respect to versus. <--- That is who had the Final Four last year. That way we could get as many games as possible on Cable Television at different times of the weekend and we might even be able to do away with the MLS package except for blackouts (however they work but even the NFL has those). Here is what I would do with both US Soccer and MLS Tickets: 1. 50% off all ticket prices to Military and Government Personnel (1 ID card can get your family up to 4 tickets max) 2.Students gets in free with a with a student ID 3. Kids under 12 get in free ^ The reason I would do all this is generally military members are young and having kids, students are young and will be having kids and kids under 12 are obviously young so you are really grasping the attention of the next generation and making them soccer fans. I don't know that I wouldn't even give "free hot dogs and chips" to kids under 12 as long as they are coming.
One more thing: It cost a fortune to eat ballpark food and ballpark food is usually bad, Well there is a Mexican restaurant within walking distance of me and it's awesome for at the most $10 bucks. Why can't an MLS team build a stadium with a restaurant in it, you can access the restaurant from the street or from the stands. During games you lock the street doors, any other time you lock the stadium doors. Then you can actually have decent dining while at a game. Put the family in a section probably the upper deck so they can't be hit with anything... And put them in seats like this (and you could make a killing on food orders if you send people around to take orders):
Hate to break it to ya, but your military are Mexico fans... They have a place at Robertson where they sell Tacos and Tortas fajitas or whatever. I think they are part of a restaurant here in houston.... haven't really payed attention. It's still expensive though. lol
I don't agree with this. Kids 12 and under free is VERY bad. You are mixing hardcore fans with an exponential increase in young children. The odds for litigation will increase. Furthermore, free High School and College kids sounds terrible too. A lot of teenagers in the same place, with drunken adults and college kids, can lead to a lot of trouble. Especially when you also have a lot of kids 12 and under. It's a recipe for disaster. I think that there could be reduced rates for children and students, even college students. But "Free" will be a disaster. Yes, but gameday brings supply and demand. Opening a restaurant in the stadium will still be expensive. And beisdes, if you are so poor that you can't afford one of those awesome Bacon-wrapped Los Angeles style hotdogs, then buddy, I don't know what we can do for you. Besides, before every major game I usually get lit up and eat up at a bar with supporters. I've rarely bought food or beer at any game I have been to.
Already happened Back in the 2009 Gold Cup Final in NY. Most of the guys in uniform were rooting for Mexico! and lost of girls here at BG got their panties twisted in knot asking to revoke their US citizenship.
Even drunk people tend to act right in front of kids but if not that's why I said put families in the upper deck and "hard-cores" down low so they can harass the goalie, burn flares, hold banners... etc. However I am watching the Labor Day game between L.A. & KC right now and they are showing kids everywhere thats why I think it's important to make things so cheap for families. I am not necessary worried about you... (Drunk guy who goes out and talegates and cheers hard and supports the team) because I know you will always be there at the game. You are already hooked on soccer. It's those kids that I am trying to turn into little versions of "you" so the only way to do that is to make it cheap on their parents so they can afford to go even if they have 2-3-4 kids. (underselling the MLB/NHL/NBA/NFL) so they can keep coming back as they get older and one day take their kids.
Didn't know it happened already, but i think with a more coordinated effort that this could work with our military. It didn't work once, learn and move forward. I would target the local base or military outpost in the area of the game. I think it worked great when the US played near Ramsteain(spelling sorry) in GErmany when we played a neutral site friendly. If it worked there, it could work again with some planning. There are thousands of our military members that support the US no matter who they are playing, just get them to the stadium.
Overall, it seems like advertising isn't very good, at least when they play in Chicago. I know when the usmnt is here because I am a hardcore fan, but most of my friends, even those who are soccer fans and would go to games, have no idea. Targeting college kids better would probably help. If they play in Chicago, they could have college players from UIC, Uchicago, Northwestern, etc sell tickets on campus. Give the kids a couple bucks for each ticket they sell, and it would double as a fund raiser for the college soccer program. They should also offer discounted tickets, or discounted group tickets through the adult soccer leagues. There are tons of leagues in Chicago, and many of the people playing are casual fans who would go to games if 1. they knew about them 2. their friends were going and 3. it wasn't too expensive. This is outside of the scope of the question, but winning when we are playing at home would help a lot. How many casual fans decide not to go to the next game after watching us lose to Costa Rica, Honduras or Panama at home?
I spent the day today at the Minnesota State Fair, where it seems like everybody and their third cousin has an exhibit/informational booth... I mean, political parties, John Deere, Seed Companies, Alpaca farmers, pretty much every single radio and TV station in the market...everybody. Why not add US Soccer to the mix? Get the story out there...
^ Agree And why not do a cool Nike commercial? Like these [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Jn1NznQNA"]{NEW} Nike Mercurial Rosa (Pink) OFFICIAL Ribery Commercial - YouTube[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9w9Mg-3pag"]Ribery Nike Commercial - Alternate Version - YouTube[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4kqg3N-ci0&feature=related"]Nike advert Fabregas Barcelona Iniesta - YouTube[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSggaxXUS8k"]Nike Write The Future - World Cup 2010 Commercial - YouTube[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc3PZ3Im5aQ&feature=related"]NIKE: TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL (high quailty) - YouTube[/ame]
Sorry, but this is still the king of awesome Soccer commercials. Thanks J-League! [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtTEBLcPwVg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtTEBLcPwVg[/ame]
It was even worse with the MunDos telecast of the US/MX game in Mexico from the last Hex. When Mexico scored, they cut to a pic of a MunDos sponsored watch party in Baghdad with a bunch of Mex-American soldiers cheering with Tri flags and the Junior Klansmen, Border Patriots and other assorted chickenhawks went apeshit, wanting them discharged and deported. Apparently, it's a requirement of citizenship to root for the USMNT, though that doesn't seem to bleed over when we play an Euro opponent with a lot of immigrants or descendants of immigrants. No, it won't. Not every American citizen's (military or otherwise) patriotism is as tied to sports as yours is. Once you come to grips with that, your life will be much happier. Sorry, stupid, you're not going to overpower the Mexican & Central American fan's ability and desire to travel a day's distance to see a game that they may only be able to see once or twice in their lives. It worked there, but not for the reasons you think. Yeah, every military member is a raging soccer fan.