Comments on: Grassroots

By: Balonpie

Balonpie — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:35:03 +0000

FCD did/is doing something similar. They have asked supporters to wear their hoops have a photo taken and then submitt the same from different parts of the world. Perhaps FCD may want to narrow their focus to DFW instead of the World.

By: ness

ness — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:41:52 +0000

I think part of the success is due to the Sounders more or less being a new thing in Seattle, an unknown quantity to those who weren’t die-hard fans in the USL days. I don’t think if you replicated the scarf thing in Dallas, it would bring about the same results. That said, I really hope your marketing department a) gets a clue and b) figures out a way to reach more people at the grassroots level.

By: JSIG

JSIG — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:51:16 +0000

DON’TLOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT BEFORE THERE WAS MLS, THERE WAS THE A LEAGUE, AND THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS WERE ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS. THIS HAS CONTINUED UP TO THEIR IMPENDING ENTRANCE INTO THEIR MAIDEN MLS SEASON.

By: Dave Clark

Dave Clark — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:19:04 +0000

As a Sounder fan I can tell you that the public awareness of the team dramatically increased this week. I didn’t think it was possible but putting 80 foot scarves on two iconic buildings and a 1000 scarfs around the town will do that.

That was their fuel, and now it is spreading out of the urban core into the burbs. The culture of scarves is starting out here, and there are now more than 70,000 Sounders FC scarves that have been sold or given away (STH got one per seat).

non-soccer fans want a Sounders scarf. The Rave Green is capturing the soul of the city.

I hate to break it to the rest of the league, but Qwest is a SSS – just bigger.

By: Historian

Historian — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:58:34 +0000

I don’t think they were “s****” on. They just stopped becoming a priority as far as their marketing efforts. Just like customer service stopped being a priority. Now we are among the worst teams in the league in attendance. The Hispanics not coming to Frisco has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with piss poor, and I mean piss poor, customer service. Don’t matter what color or race you are for that. Bad customer service sucks wherever you are from.

And hiring a hispanic marketing manager is nice, but 7 months aint near enough to get that thing rebuilt again.

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 03:59:43 +0000

Might have something to do with the fact that Seattle employs an actual advertising agency

By: Harry C.

Harry C. — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:59:52 +0000

7 months from know let’s have this conversation again. FCD has hired according to the staff chart a Hispanic marketing manager. Let’s see who’s right.

Additionally, FCD moved to Frisco in 2005…3+ seasons ago. What you’re saying is the “Hispanic” was wronged back then and therefore does not go today? Tell me…how were they “****-on” exactly? I’d love to know specifics to be able to keep this debate going.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:04:03 +0000

And Harry. Who proved they wouldnt support the team/? And how did they do that??

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:02:56 +0000

No, they will come to Frisco. But they were shit-on when the team moved out there. They could be persuaded to go again with the right technique.. And no, I didnt work there..

By: historian

historian — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:42:14 +0000

Harry C – Grassroots marketing doesn’t just mean marketing to Hispanics. True, the Burn were particularly good at targeting that segment. But to Buzz’s point, you can grassroots market to any segment. It just means marketing through non-traditional methods. Like the scarf idea. I think that’s the point of the story.