What do you want from the Silverback's Front Office?

I'd just be happy if they'd at least try to advertise a little. That Atlanta FootballNet article didn't take into account that fans can't support a team they know little or nothing about. How much does it cost to put a banner on a website? More people would see that than an ad in the paper.

Oh yeah, and put together a team that wins games, and doesn't fall apart during a playoff run, for whatever reason (like selling off the team's best players, etc.).

Also, do something to try and win back the fans they lost in the early 2000s, when they took a major dump on the soccer moms and youth teams (soccer moms buy tickets too, you know), and went after the "frat boy" crowd, which ended up backfiring on them. By that, I don't mean they have to "paper the house," so to speak, but at least make it known that the soccer moms and youth teams are welcome, and not despised (as some on Big Soccer make it painfully obvious that they are). And make ticket pricing and promotions reflect as much (flex tickets, "family packs," ball/bobble-head/poster/bag/pennant/jersey/league spotlight "nights," etc.).

They're going to have to mend a few fences in this town to be successful. I'll be out of town the night of the home opener, but I'd love to find out that they packed the house.

On a positive note, it'd be nice to be able to buy tix online again, and maybe even be able to download them on your on computer, and print them out.

 

I hate to say it but this is the perfect time to rebrand the club. We thought we had lost the club and soccer in the ATL was looking bleak. Its the perfect storm to bring something new and fresh to Atlanta that will appeal to ALL residents of the area. Silverbacks was a great name and had roots in the city but it screams small market team. With talks swirling of Atlanta possibly being a candidate for the MLS, there needs to be alot of groundwork to be laid.

 

Oh, I forgot; I'd also like to see decent, "real" restrooms on the west side of the park, not those "temp-o-johns" that double as mosquito habitats.

 

They're going to have enough on their plate putting a decent team on the field, and hoping that people will show up despite their lack of promotion, to worry about a re-brand. Plus, they have too much tied up in the Silverbacks brand.

You are right, though, now would the right time to do it; it worked (for a while, anyway) when they re-branded from the Ruckus to the Silverbacks.

 

Perhaps just a little change wouldn't be so bad. Maybe integrate a little of the old with the new. Hold on, I think I've got it: the Suckus!

 

They can always keep the Silverbacks as a nickname. Have the mascot walk around, kinda like the Utah Jazz Bear and the Nuggets Couger.. I say that they take that step away from american sports team names and go just as Atlanta SC or SC Atlanta. It represents the city and fans can call them whatever they want. In the end, it still represents the city.

 

To be honest I don't see why people get so hung up on the name. If Atlanta does get an MLS franchise I highly doubt it will be in the form of the Silverbacks being "promoted" to MLS. It will likely come from another source, which can then decide on a more "major league" sounding name. Besides, Silverbacks isn't that bad.

 

David, What are you on about. Not sure what point you are trying to make about soccer mums and kids. My kids have had season tickets at the club for the last 5 years and absolutely love it. It's a a great atmosphere for kids, Something that this season with the Beat helped to prove, as both my kids much preferred going to Silverback games to the Beat games, as they repeatedly told me so.

 

What I would like to see from the Front Office:

1.) Stability in and quality leadership from the top of the organisation.

2.) At least one member of the front office to be out in the public eye. Set up one or two meetings with fans at area restaurants or put up a podcast on team web page where they talk to us about the long term plan for the 'Backs and short term goals.

3.) This dove tails with the first two perhaps, but I want the Front Office to meet the challenges of growing soccer as a spectator sport in Atlanta. Be active in promoting the team in the Atlanta area. Use creative marketing and dont be afraid to try to reach out to sections of city or population that might not be fans yet, there are people out there that can be converted to fans of the beautiful game.

4.) Use and work with the fans you have now. Have some one work as a "Fan Lesion". He can talk with various season ticket holders and supports groups, i.e. Westside 109, to see what they thing the team can improve on. And the front office should challenge the fans to make going to a Silverbacks game a true experience. I am a huge sports and love going to see many games of all kinds. But the experience at a soccer game is unlike any other and that can be the most persuasive way to get fans to come back to future games even more so then winning.

 

Were you there in the early 2000s (2002-03), the pre-Silverbacks Park days? One year (2001, I think), they had an inflatable amusement park, and other stuff for kids, and an average attendance of around 3500. The next year, they had Southside Steve, the 96Rock "Bod Squad," rude, drunk twenty-somethings who only showed up for the free pre-game beer and music, and a nosedive in attendance. That transition, and the "it's our team, we'll run it like we want to" attitude, cost them a ton of fans, who "defected" to the Beat; they didn't come back after the Beat folded. It's also a big reason why the AJC stopped covering them, except to do articles about the trials and tribulations of minor-league soccer.

Now, when I went to see the 'Backs in 2008, I saw a big change. I actually enjoyed myself (the new stadium, despite it faults, made a big difference). Possibly you missed the time I was talking about; I hope you did. I just think the Silverbacks made a few blunders in the past that cost them in the fanbase category. I hope this next season will be more like 2008, and less like 2003.

Oh, and Daniel, I think you mean "liason;" a "lesion" would be somewhat gross.

 

outside looking in:

You need to find three segments of fans

1)Hardcore, rain or shine types. These are the most valuable you can have. Demographic is usually 17-45 give or take. Kids have to be able to drive, or have enough influence that their parents will do whatever they want.

2) Groups - best targets are youth soccer associations, schools, churches, etc. This is your soccer mom group, with the kids in tow who don't watch the game, but just want to be there to run around, wear their jerseys and buy concessions.

3) Walk- up crowds - usually attracted to winning teams, regardless of demographics. Most likely to be influenced by advertising, media support, etc.

Once you get your hard cores on board, you then concentrate on groups and try to turn those into hard cores.

The walk-ups are your independent voters, win, have a nice place to play, and they will return more and more often. Key is having a great product.

Okay that's my two cents.

 

And it's stupid, seeing that it's an AMERICAN team, in an AMERICAN league.

 

i agree with DavidP that the Silverbacks need to advertise more. And i'll add that i think the Silverbacks should hold camps across the state of Georgia in order to expand their fanbase. there are always plenty of soccer tournaments going on, send a rep to each of them (could be U-23/PDL/Academy player or just someone on the staff) and sell tickets & merchandise.

 

David,

My attendance pre silverback park days was spotty and i did not have kids then.
That being said bouncy castles do not make, nor draw in a large family crowd. The Beat is a prime example of this, Who with loads of bouncy castles, computer game trucks and so on were only averaging slightly more than the Silverbacks, and that was there first season and they had several internationals playing for them.

The Silverbacks have a great game day experience, have done for serval season, something that they need to expand on, and not something that needs radically changing. Personally with Rodrigo now running things, i would like to see the Hispanic audience of gwinnett targeted, and the overall game day experience take on a more south american feel.

That would certainly offer the paying public a new sporting experience than other sports in the city.

Lastly as for advertising more, that easier said than done. All advertising costs big money. With limited budgets like the Silverbacks, heavy testing and very targeted messaging is needed. Not broad branding messages on things like papers, radio and TV

 

I beg to differ. Spend a little money on TV ads and hit a lot of people. People need to know when the games are to attend. Radio - I'd spend some money on that as well. Always depends on what kind of support you can get, but sometimes you can trade advertising with the team for radio and tv spots.

Second, Hispanic crowds are tricky. They rarely buy season tickets, and are more likely to wait until they respect the product to attend. If you have a good team that plays attractive soccer, they will come.

 

It's not so much about the inflatable castles and stuff; it was the attitude. Families aren't necessarily drawn by that stuff, but they sure do know when you no longer want them around. They get the hint, and they stay away.

You're right; the game day experience was good when I went back in '08. I enjoyed myself, and was sad to see it end. As far as the Beat are concerned, they were nothing like the WUSA Beat, in terms of budget and players. They're more on the level of the Silverbacks, even though WPS is supposed to be major league. As far as advertising is concerned, no, it's not cheap, but people have to know you exist in order to decide whether to spend money on your product. Word of mouth alone doesn't cut it.

 

It doesn't take money to be professional/organized and have clean facilities for people who show up at the game. Silverbacks added a stadium in the worst location, paid the players peanuts, have not maintained the facilities, don't provide food at the concesssion stands on game days, etc. (the list goes on and on) and they want to know what the front office can do? Wow get a clue and do the basics!

 

You cant build Rome in a day. You clearly have not been to the park in quite a while. I don't disagree that in the early seasons the bathrooms were a joke. But the park now have full bathrooms and concessions with covered seating, and a full kitchen.

As for advertising on TV, thats crazy talk, you would have to fill the entire stadium to justify the cost for a single 30 second spot on the local morning news. Thats just not going to happen, you have to hit people multiple times in any kind of branding campaign and that is simply not cost efficient on a $10 - $15 ticket.
A great example is the Aarons Soccer Challenge at the dome, They did Masses of broad event branding spots on the Radio and billboards all over town costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, which did not deliver.

You need to be highly targeted to a very precise target demographic, to justify any kind of ad spend. Focus on groups that index highly for soccer, Hispanics, expats, Club and Rec players, European and SA league fans. For instance there are enough English expats in the greater Atlanta area alone to fill that stadium week after week. The key is getting them to and then getting them to return to the games.

 

Don't buy ads during the morning news. We have this thing called Cable TV, it can help out a lot. Look for Seinfeld or Everybody loves Raymond reruns.

 

LOL are you serious. They index highly for soccer fans do they. Come on amaze me, break down the localized audience demographic for me. Whats the comscore for those shows?

 

You sound a bit defensive, just trying to give you some ideas. How long have you worked for the Backs?

You might want to check with your local reps to see what demographics they offer. At least ESPN2 would have drop ins for you.

Whatever Atlanta has done in the past didn't work, so they need to look at new options.

 

I dont work for the Backs, just a fan. I do however work for a large Advertising agency, have done for 13 years, so i do know what I'm talking about when it comes to marketing.

 

Quite a few marketing execs have tried to sell soccer in the US, but it doesn't follow the same formulas as other products.

I've sold soccer in the US, took a team with 800 in attendance to over 2,500 with a 50% cut in advertising budget. So I know what I'm talking about with minor league soccer.

 

Then you must know that with the tiny ad budgets soccer teams have, and the relatively huge cost of TV advertising, which would eat up a majority if not all of the annual budget. Your return on ad spend would be horrendous. Im sorry but there are a million better channels with far superior trackable returns on investment, many with DR you could put money into to sell tickets.

In your example of taking 800 tickets sold to 2500, how many tv spots did you buy, what price point were the tickets and what was the cost of the spots?