On the American sports scene of 2009, soccer remains a fringe participant. Despite the untold multitudes of suburban children who participate in the sport, the country's top level league has yet to enter the national sports discussion. The landscape remains dominated by traditional American sports, while regionally strong organizations like the NHL and NASCAR gain traction on a regular basis. Domestic soccer's attendance numbers and television ratings remain depressingly low, byproducts of a lack of awareness of the sport and a de facto campaign of ignorance against it.

This all leads to a fairly obvious question, one that seems to be at the heart of the game's popularity in this country: can the right marketing strategy turn the tide in favor of MLS (and soccer in general)?


Several subordinate questions present themselves when discussing the marketing of the game in the U.S.(note 1):

1. Should the individual teams or the league office take the point when it comes to marketing Major League Soccer? How can the two work together to maximize exposure and effectiveness?

2. How much does/should each national organization (MLS, USSF), spend on marketing? Are potentially effective strategies dismissed due to monetary concerns?

3. Should MLS have a defined focus for the general marketing strategy, or is a broader campaign potentially more effective?If the former, what group or demographic should be the focus?

4. Does it behoove MLS to place teams in markets where competition for press is less crowded than in "major-league" cities? (i.e. Portland instead of St. Louis)

Answers to these questions remain elusive, of course, and MLS is still attempting to divine the pulse of the American sports fan.There seems to be a growing sentiment among those in soccer's internet circles that the sport is destined to a second-class spot on the general sports hierarchy, at least for the foreseeable future. This leads to the inevitable debate over whether it makes sense to market to the non-soccer fan when there is a largely untapped group of soccer fans who simply ignore MLS (see my Euro snob post for my feelings on those people). For the purpose of this piece, we will assume the broader "general sports fan" approach.


In a marketing sense, it seems imperative for both the league and the individual teams to work towards the same goal. While that seems an obvious point, it seems there are examples of a disconnect between the two. LA Galaxy has alienated fans from around the country in recent times by attempting to will themselves to "super club" status; this is completely contrary to the grass-roots local efforts that the rest of the league takes towards marketing, and has created a backlash from both the soccer community and the soccer-dismissing general sports media in this country. While being locally focused and grass-roots oriented is the right direction, each team must respectively avoid appearing "minor-league". Television commercials, give-aways, print advertising, etc. must give off a professional image that belies the relative newness and budget-conscious nature of the league. In almost all MLS cities, the local side is competing with well-funded franchises from other sports for the attention of the fan; if MLS efforts compare unfavorably to the others, the response will invaribly be one of derision. Local sports scenes are odd beasts, as they often reflect the tastes of the community, but can also be hijacked by personalities who dictate coverage based on personal preference. MLS and the teams must do what they can to work their way into the local discussion by any means necessary.

The money needed to market effectively in a society with fragmented interests is quite obviously the biggest hurdle facing MLS. Resources available are far from endless, and choosing where to focus those resources is a key consideration. I have no insight into the budgets of MLS or the individual teams, so I will simply state that the need to create alternatives to expensive television campaigns is paramount. If MLS is withholding funds from focused strategies simply to maintain a low-level status quo of standard advertising (I don't know if this is the case, but it seems a logical possibility), then MLS remains short-sighted. MLS simply allows itself to be drowned out if it refuses to market itself on a narrower band. But which band?

Soccer in America is many things, even if it remains an undiscovered joy for most of the country; it is the sport of the immigrant (generally),the sport of the youth (generally), and the sport of the worldly (generally). It can also be the sport of, for lack of a better word, the yuppie, but only if MLS realizes the potential of the group. Yuppie is defined as "young urban professional", and the nature of its constituents makes it an obvious target for MLS. Yuppies are young, willing to spend money on recreational endeavors, and often set the trends that the nation as a whole so often follow. What better group of individuals to target than those that live for their passions and are willing to commit totally? The thought that MLS would be built by appealing to soccer moms was faulty from the get-go; no matter the cost, the live sporting event is, and should be, the realm of the passionate rowdy. Major League Soccer, as it moves away from multi-use facilities often too cavernous for its crowds, must fill its new soccer-specific stadiums with atmospheres that will draw in the casual observers (note 2). The success of Toronto FC (with some thanks to stadium location and the nature of the city to be sure) is evidence that the future of MLS support is young, urban and intensely passionate.

The reality of sports in America's largest markets is that the NFL reigns supreme. Year-round coverage of professional football is ubiquitous; television and the internet often seem to be never-ending commercials for America's favorite sport. MLS has chosen to position itself in many of these markets, markets where airtime and consumer dollars are at a premium. While a national presence through the largest markets is important to the long-term future of the league, it seems obvious that MLS could benefit from exploiting secondary markets where the stage is not so crowded. Of the current (and selected expansion) American cities represented in MLS, only Columbus and Salt Lake City do not have NFL franchises, and Columbus is an exception to the argument for secondary markets, as Ohio State football dominates the local sports scene at a level on par with NFL coverage. MLS must decide if it wants to be the third or fourth choice sport in the largest markets, or the first or second choice in slightly smaller markets. Portland is a perfect example of this second group; with just one professional sports franchise currently, an MLS franchise placed there could compete for attention more effectively than Red Bull New York or FC Dallas. This question is a tricky one, and there doesn't seem to be a clear cut answer as to what is best for the league and the sport.

For those of us who already love the game and wish to see it grow in our country, the marketing focus of MLS will continue to be a concern. Short of waving a magic wand and converting the entire country in one fell swoop, marketing the sport effectively is the greatest hope for the future of the game. I hope MLS is aggressive and innovative, attacks the market with the passion the sport deserves, and thinks outside the box to reach new fans and encourage its current ones.

note 1: There are THOUSANDS more questions than those I've listed here, but I wanted to stay relatively brief. I also have NO marketing expertise and didn't want to risk babbling on about something I don't really know anything about. I just wanted to get across a couple of observational thoughts.

note 2: Atmosphere (on TV) is what drew me to the sport, and I think it's essential to the growth of the game in the U.S. Without the historical infrastructure to support it, soccer needs full stadiums of raucous fans to draw in casual fans in a "Wow, any sport with crowds like that has to be worth looking into" type of way.

A couple of relevant web items:
A discussion of MLS branding (I agree with the third comment posted)
A piece on the TFC model
An article from May '08 on the year MLS had in 2007 (obviously in a marketing context)