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September 26th, 2011

And the world’s most powerful sports brand is….

The most powerful sports brand in the world is Wayne Rooney's club, Manchester United

For anyone who doubted that winning on the field, leads to significant marketing dollars and opportunities off-the-field, Manchester United now can show off their latest piece of hardware:  The moniker of world’s most powerful sports brand.

In the recent article from SoccerEx, advisory firm Brand Finance has made some rather startling conclusions as to the brand value of the reigning Barclay’s Premier League Champion.  Most notably, that they now stand 6th in the list of the most powerful brands in the world and the only sports brand in the top 10.

1)  Google

2)  Apple

3)  the BBC

4)  Dyson

5)  Facebook

Beyond that, the report goes on to laud the brand’s management under the stewardship of the Glazer family, who have encountered more high seas adventures during their time overseeing the club than a buccaneer on the Tampa Bay.  In fact, the report says that the brand’s value has more than doubled during the time of the Glazer’s family leadership and went from $197 million pounds in 2005 to 412 million currently.

All kidding aside, the lesson that the Glazer’s learned from their NFL marketing experience is one that all clubs should take a cue from:   On-field performance underpins financial success”.  Sounds basic, but it’s simply a rule that gets lost in the shuffle with most football clubs all over Europe.  Perhaps what made things easier was having a captain at the helm of this ship in Sir Alex Ferguson who not only knew how to get the best on-field performance, but had the tenure and the gravitas to serve as the de-facto Master and Commander of the brand.   So while the names have changed — excluding Giggs — in the past six years, the brand has only been further built, shaped, enhanced, and highlighted.

After reading through the report, two questions remain:

1) How much higher can brand squad go?  In 2011-12, will we see a 20th championship.  Will the new blood of Chicharito and Ashley Young bring United even more hardware?  DHL signed on recently as the endorser of the ManU warm-up jersey.  I’m waiting a dedicated fragrance product to come out with sponsorship under the “ManPU” tagline and cross-branding from Axe to hit the store shelves sometime in 2013.

2)  Dyson?  Really?  That just doesn’t make sense.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the ultimate brand manager for Manchester United

Posted in News / Articles | by Tom Lillig
July 18th, 2011

Why the Final Painful Lesson from #USWNT at the World Cup, May Be the Most Important

Like most soccer fans in America, the outcome of the game was not the one I had hoped for.  In fact, the devastating feeling of coming so close to a World Cup title, only to have it slip away in the final minutes left me feeling a bit empty and left my 5-year-old son with his first broken heart from the world of sports.  (He, too, is a Chicago Cubs fan, so I suppose, better for him to start learning  how to deal with these types of things early.)

In America, we adore winners.  Winning at all costs is held up as a trait to admire in our sports heroes.  And in doing so, we tend to forgive athletes for their bad behavior and the bad examples they set on and off the field.  It’s pretty obvious that there is a formula for winning America’s heart:  You win.  It’s that simple.

In America, we just don’t have much time for losers.  Gold is simply much more attractive than silver.  We are attracted to athletes who take home the biggest trophy.  We need our athletes to be conquering heroes that don’t settle for anything less than victory.

As I watched the post-game interviews of the USWNT and read the quotes from our players, I realized that almost to a person, these players had set a new standard in American sports lore for exuding grace in the face of a painful defeat.  I found their comments to be thoughtful, genuine, and inspiring for a father who’s trying to impart the all-important lesson of losing with grace.

Every single person in this country who plays a sport, will experience or have experienced both the joys of winning and the pains of losing.  It’s inevitable.  Just as we celebrate the heroism of our athletes that bring home the top prize, why don’t we also celebrate the athlete or the team that comes in 2nd gracefully?  Why don’t we hold them up as the model for how to deal with tremendous sporting sadness?

Why couldn’t the “graceful-in-defeat” runners-up become something as attractive as the “never give up” winners?

Could these gracious silver medal winners kick-start the fledgling Women’s Professional Soccer league with the way they handled dealing with the outcome this most painful game?

Could the disarming respect that the U.S. Women showed to Japan in the aftermath be the “sports bra” moment of this Women’s World Cup and attract mass media attention?

Could the players’ humility displayed in their post-match interviews bring in commercial appeal from potential sponsors who seek to connect with fans even though they didn’t hoist a gold trophy this summer?

And perhaps most importantly, could the example these players set with their gracious comments become a model for all of our youth to follow, boys and girls, when dealing with the cruel pain of losing.

Just imagine if it was you instead of them.

You’ve just lost the biggest game of your life on the biggest stage in the world.  The game achieved a higher worldwide TV rating than had ever been achieved for a women’s soccer match.  The comments about the game on Twitter set a world record.  You just played in and lost an epic see-saw soccer battle that extended through 30 minutes of extra-time and a penalty-kick shoot-out.  The media is swarming you.  You’re banged up.  You’re exhausted.  You’re heartbroken.

Would you have the poise, the grace and the humility to say anything like these women said.

For all the admirable skills that the USWNT players demonstrated on the field over the past month, perhaps the most desirable trait that these women have was what we witnessed as they walked off the field for the final time in Germany yesterday:  Losing with grace.

Read these comments for yourself.  And then read them to your son or daughter.  We could all learn a thing or two from these women.

On dealing with this loss:
“Evidently it wasn’t meant to be. We worked so hard. We believed in each other through everything. The Olympics are right around the corner and we’re excited about that opportunity. Hopefully we can qualify and get to London. This is going to hurt for a while and I’m proud of our team. We never gave up. Congratulations to the Japan team. I think their country is very, very proud of them.” – USWNT Head Coach, Pia Sundhage


On the disappointment of the result:
“We lost to a great team, we really did. Japan is a team that I’ve always had a lot of respect for, and I truly believe that something bigger was pulling for this team. As much as I’ve always wanted this, if there was any other team I could give this to it would have to be Japan. I’m happy for them and they do deserve it……

…..”It’s heartbreaking, but at the same time I think there was something bigger pulling for Japan. They were the team of the tournament and if there’s any team we’re going to lose to, I tip my hat off to them because they have so much class and play with so much passion and they fought and they fought and I really do have so much respect for the team.”  – USWNT goalkeeper, HOPE SOLO

“If any other country was to win this, then I’m really happy and proud for Japan. Deep down inside I really thought it was our destiny to win it. But maybe it was Japan’s.” – USWNT midfielder, CARLI LLOYD


“It was a crazy game. I think that we played well and we fought and we had heart. That’s what matters. Hats off to Japan. They just made their country extremely happy and brought joy to somewhere that was needed and that’s the bigger picture.” – USWNT forward, LAUREN CHENEY

TWITTER COMMENTS FROM PLAYERS

HOPE SOLO @hopesolo

“Both teams playing a beautiful game with possession and attack as the focus. Its the way a final should be played. Glad you all enjoyed.”

“What do ya say we go for it again in another 4? ;)”

“I will embrace this silver medal and give my utmost respect for japan. Thanks to all friends, families, and fans who stood behind us.”

“To make sense of, but I know ill eventually look back with great pride. There’s no better team I could have been a part of.”

“These memories will last a lifetime. I’m incredibly grateful to have been a part of this amazing journey. Its all a bit foggy right now”

KELLY O’HARA @ kohara19

“So proud to be a part of this team. Thank you everyone for all the support.”

ALEX MORGAN @alexmorgan13

“I am a little heart broken. But we left it all on the field, and I am proud of this team.”

CARLI LLOYD @ CarliLloyd

“Thank you to everyone for your support. We brought our country together. The support has been awesome! @espn thank u for all the coverage!”

“This has already made me stronger as it will with our team. We are fighters. We are winners and we will bounce back and qualify for olympics”

“I thought it was our time. Our destiny but I guess it was japans and I am happy for them. They have been through a lot.”

“Words can’t describe the feeling right now. Sadness. Shock. We gave it our all and to know that everyone is still supporting us is amazing.”

LAUREN CHENEY @laurencheney8

“Still hurts but could not be happier and more proud to represent our nation. I love this team. #USWNT #wewillbeback”

“God is good and He provides. Japan just inspired and brought so much joy to a country that has been devastated. Praise Him.”

JILLIAN LOYDEN @jloyden

“proud to be a silver medalist. #blessed”

“Not the end that we want but what an incredibly journey,no one can take that away from us. couldnt be more proud to be an american right now”

ABBY WAMBACH @AbbyWambach

“Well, not exactly what we had planned. Congrats to Japan on a tremendous #WWC2011. So proud to be a part of this team and to represent #USA!

Posted in News / Articles | by Tom Lillig
July 17th, 2011

Top 5 Most-Viewed FIFA Women’s World Cup Matches

USWNT Forward Alex Morgan celebrates her goal in the team's 3-1 win over France

Today, the women of the U.S. Women’s National Team have a chance to earn their third star on their jersey, the first country to achieve such an honor.  But they also have the opportunity to stitch themselves in to the fabric of American sports history as their long roller-coaster ride of a journey comes to a close.

If you look at the TV ratings over the past week, the USWNT are also making history.  Their 3-1 win over France on Wednesday notched a 2.6 overnight rating to match the weekend rating the U.S. pulled in their penalty-kick instant classic against Brazil four days earlier.

TVBytheNumbers.com outlines its highlights for the entire Women’s World Cup by  demonstrating that, once again, ESPN’s corporate investment in the sport of soccer is paying off.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal match between the U.S. Women’s National Team and France – a 3-1 U.S. victory in Moenchengladbach, Germany, on Wednesday, July 13 – was seen by an average of 3.35 million people, based on a 2.2 U.S. household rating on ESPN (2.57 million household impressions), making it the most-viewed weekday Women’s World Cup match in the U.S.

The match also ranked as the fourth most-viewed FIFA Women’s World Cup match ever and the second match from Germany 2011 to rank among the top five Women’s World Cup matches.  The other three are from 1999 when the tournament was held in the U.S.  However, the real question that is looming is whether the final for this year’s World Cup will come anywhere close to the tremendous 11.4 HH rating from the 1999 final when the Cup was hosted on American soil, and which still ranks as the #1 watched soccer event — men’s or women’s — in the U.S.  As you can see in the chart below, there is a 8-point gap between the #1 and #2 ranking.

Two of the top-five most-viewed FIFA Women’s World Cup matches have taken place in the last 7 days.  And it’s quite certain that there will be an new entry to that list today.  My prediction is an impressive 4.2 rating — which goes along with my prediction for the final score of the World Cup final to be 4 – 2 in a goal-scoring extravaganza.

Date Match Network U.S. HH RTG / HH IMPS / P2+
Saturday, July 10, 1999 USA vs. China – Title Match ABC 11.4 / 11,307,000 / 17,975,000
Sunday, July 4, 1999 Brazil vs. USA – Semifinal ESPN 2.9 / 2,879,000 / 4,924,000
Sunday, July 10, 2011 Brazil vs. USA – Quarterfinal ESPN 2.3 / 2,704,000 / 3,890,000
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 USA vs. France – Semifinal ESPN 2.2 / 2,567,000 / 3,354,000
Thursday, July 1, 1999 USA vs. Germany – Quarterfinal ESPN 1.7 / 1,667,000 / 2,627,000


Posted in News / Articles | by Tom Lillig
June 29th, 2011

Can Sex Sell the Women’s Game? The German Playboy Strategy

Women’s sports have always faced a difficult dilemma on how reconcile femininity and the inherent competition and aggression in sports. Soccer is no exception, and the athletics versus aesthetics debate has been a major issue as the sport attempts to grow.

Sepp Blatter, the President of FIFA, faced a great deal of criticism (as evidenced by the many Facebook groups with names like “Sepp Blatter is a clown and should be fired”) when he said that women should wear tighter shorts as a way to attract people to the women’s game. And Blatter is not the only one to be criticized on these grounds. Five members of the Germany Women’s Under-20 team recently posed for Playboy, saying that their goal was to promote the upcoming World Cup and overcome stereotypes. Many, though, believed it undermined the sport, and that female soccer players should gain respect and popularity based on their abilities on the field.

This is a valid viewpoint, and in an ideal world, this would be how female athletes would earn the attention and respect they deserve. But this is not an ideal world. So though Mr. Blatter would have saved himself a fair amount of grief by taking a more subtle approach, he has a point. Women’s soccer has made unbelievable strides in the last decade, but it still has a long way to go. If sex appeal, whether that means shorter shorts or something else, gets people interested and watching and attending games, then they should use it. Because like it or not, the German Playboy cover caught people’s attention and increased the visibility, so to speak, of the Women’s World Cup in that country which is the host, and around the world.

That said, by no means should women’s soccer be turned into some sort of roller derby spectacle. Something more tasteful and subtle included in a team’s promotion or a sponsor’s marketing that highlight the player’s femininity as well as athletic ability, would still be effective without being demeaning.

Maybe at some point, women’s soccer will be able to sell itself based on athletics alone. But until that time comes, if it ever does, promoters of women’s soccer are going to have to do whatever it takes to get the job done. As the WPS, the best professional league in the world, struggles for survival, there is no excuse to pass up any acceptable and appropriate opportunity for promotion. If one of these opportunities happens to be using sex to sell the game, then the possible rewards may well be worth the compromise.

Molly Campbell is a Stone Ward intern and soccer player for the University of Notre Dame.  Not one to call herself an underdog, Campbell’s story still follows the trajectory of a dark horse.  In her youth soccer days, she was a member of the Kansas ODP “B” team, but went on to win a national championship with Notre Dame. Since being converted to a defender, some have gone so far as to relate her to the likes of the legend
Stonewall Jackson and his impenetrable line of defense.

Posted in News / Articles | by Tom Lillig
June 26th, 2011

The Rivalry that Divides and Unites

As someone who still feels the sting of the loss to Mexico, I’m seeking out stories that have nothing to do with what happened on the pitch.  Rather, I’m trying to find the stories about the complex and unique nature of this rivalry.

For in America in 2011, understanding the Mexican-American fan-base is critical to understanding the marketing success of soccer in this country.  In this insightful piece from ESPNLosAngeles.com reporter Ramona Shelburne, we learn about the Herrera family, an American family, that represents the complex nature of this soccer  rivalry.  On the surface, they may seem divided in their loyalties, but actually, the USA-Mexico rivalry gives them a special opportunity to come together to as a family and celebrate a game between the country of their past and the country of their present.

The Herrera family that Ms. Shelburne writes about was just one of many families in this country that came together around this game in a very special way.   The Hererra family ended up divided in the colors they wore — some wore the the green, white and red of “El Tri”.  Others wore the red, white and blue of the “Yanks”.   And together they contribute to that beautiful  multi-colored fabric of a society that we call America.  And that’s something that doesn’t sting.

Posted in News / Articles | by Tom Lillig
June 14th, 2011

The Price of Gold is Up. But a Gold Cup Sponsorship may be worth the value

It doesn’t take much trend-spotting to recognize the growing popularity of soccer in the United States. The still young, 16-year-old MLS is showing its future potential to take the NHL’s spot as one of the “Big 4.”  It’s not just  soccer hubs like Seattle and LA showing growth; 9 of 15 MLS teams saw increased attendance last season, boosting the league average up 4%, while the NHL experienced a 3% decrease. Despite this positive growth, the MLS is still far from having the NHL’s revenues from ticket sales and sponsorship. The event that really shows Americans’ growing interest in soccer is the World Cup. U.S. viewership of the 2010 World Cup alone let us know that soccer is here to stay. ESPN and ABC reported an average of 2.95 million viewers per game for the first 23 games. a 71% increase from 2006. What makes these 2.95 million viewers even more attractive is the fact that the majority of them are male and aged 44 or younger. With the World Cup not for another 3 years and the MLS still lucratively infant, what’s a soccer-savvy sponsor supposed to do? Take advantage of the Gold Cup.

Serving as the largest North American soccer tournament, the biennial Gold Cup has the international presence Americans enjoy as well as the international reach brands would like to have. The tournament is overseen by CONCACAF which also regulates sponsorship, giving brands category exclusivity and limiting overall clutter. The sponsorship with the greatest visibility is the signage alongside the playing field. In this regard, the Gold Cup offers a nice alternative to the Super Bowl or World Series where companies must pay for the expensive commercial slots as well as the production costs for each advertisement. This relatively low cost of producing the  signs helps free funds. This signage also has the added value of being seen on highlight reels and in photos on next-day newspapers.

Brands like Miller Lite have already taken advantage of the expanding U.S. market by sponsoring of 2011 Gold Cup. Miller Lite has also been able to strategically couple this sponsorship with that of the Mexican Primera División club Chivas de Guadalajara. Not only has Miller Lite been able to use the Gold Cup logo on its packaging and advertising, they have the ability to use Chivas trademarks for marketing within the United States, where Chivas already has millions of established fans.

Although 85% of Hispanics in America originate from countries where soccer is the primary sport, there is still plenty of room to grow before soccer comes close to overtaking the other football in popularity.  The fan base for soccer still has an “insider” feel to it where soccer people recognize each other through the jerseys they were and the special bars they patronize to watch their games.   While widespread and stable popularity is the ultimate goal, brands should not forget the dedicated and passionate fan base that exists regardless of how far off the World Cup is. It is events such as the Gold Cup that provide the perfect opportunity to reach these fans in a concentrated group.

Jack O’Hara is a Stone Ward intern and will be a senior at Providence College in the fall. He is our resident expert on Indycar, opera, and all things Austrian.

Posted in News / Articles | by Tom Lillig
August 12th, 2010

The Season Ticket Soccer Scarf

Season ticket holders for the University of Oregon soccer team have a lot to look forward to.  The Ducks will play 10 home games at Papé Field this season, starting August 20 against Boise State.  The team will face high-ranked teams in Oklahoma State, Oregon State, and UCLA at home, so season ticket holders will certainly enjoy some competitive and exciting games.

Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day, held by the team on August 19 at their home field, offers Ducks fans a chance to watch the final preseason practice, get to know their favorite players and coaches, and pick up their season…scarves?  That’s right – instead of the basic paper tickets to gain admission to soccer games, season ticket holders can purchase a limited edition scarf to serve as their season tickets.  The soccer scarf, the ubiquitous symbol of true soccer passion throughout European stadiums, has now made it’s way to the University of Oregon, only with added value wrapped into it. The special scarf goes for $30 at www.goducks.com, and is available for $40 at the gate at the home opener.

This is a brilliant idea, and one that soccer clubs seeking to drive attendance should consider for their team.  The University of Oregon is located in Eugene, Oregon, better known as “Track Town”. The University has celebrated a college football team over the past several years. Soccer certainly plays second fiddle or maybe even third fiddle in the Emerald city. Which is why drumming up interest in the school’s soccer team through a creative promotion like this one will go a long way toward strengthening the soccer fan base and cultivating new fans. Through the promotion the University is not just offering fans game tickets, but is giving them a much more memorable and creative piece of Ducks’ soccer culture.

The Ducks’ scarf uses the team’s signature combination of bright yellow and green stripes.  Popular clubs obviously sell merchandise to grow their brand, but using merchandise as a ticket is a great way to combine merchandise and ticket sales, especially for club teams, university teams or any team that is seeking to build a following.

While MarketingSoccer.com loves the creativity of the OU promotion, we recommend a slight change in the execution. Given that at least half of the home schedule will likely be played in 75-degree-plus Eugene, Oregon fall temperatures, maybe offer a two-part season-ticket package: Scarf for the cold games and water-spray fan for the warm ones.

Those scarves would make for an especially itchy August afternoon.

This blog post was written by Casey Larkin.  Casey is a senior at the University of Notre Dame and an intern at Stone Ward Advertising.

Posted in News / Articles | by Tom Lillig