Fans latching on to Spurs, the underdogs
Do American love a challenger? They do according to Tottenham Hotspur Executive Director Donna-Maria Cullen, at least that is the message she has put to Sports Pro in an interview she did prior to our MLS All-Star game in Denver before the season began.
She feels that the floating voters are latching on to Tottenham as the underdog with the chance of an upset, a club on the rise, a club who if you join the support of now may enjoy better in the future. Our American friends would be more in a position to answer that one, but quite frankly the reality is it's immaterial as long as the message is portrayed, that is all that matters from a marketing point of view.
Tell people what you want them to think, tell them what you want them to base their decision on and many will follow that believing in time that it was all their own idea, plant a seed and watch it grow. Growth is what America is all about and growth for Tottenham in the market will be one of the key factors in our financial growth and thus success on the pitch, one not existing without the other.
While many UK fans don't see the benefit of US pre-season tours or matches, that is very short sighted thinking. It's an insular approach that would over time see Tottenham reduce in size and therefore achievement, rather than a growth as more active sides overtake us. They are a great opportunity for some of our youth players to make a mark so there are immediate on the field benefits as well as the longer term off-field benefits.
She feels that the floating voters are latching on to Tottenham as the underdog with the chance of an upset, a club on the rise, a club who if you join the support of now may enjoy better in the future. Our American friends would be more in a position to answer that one, but quite frankly the reality is it's immaterial as long as the message is portrayed, that is all that matters from a marketing point of view.
 |
| All OFFICIALLY LICENSED Products |
Tell people what you want them to think, tell them what you want them to base their decision on and many will follow that believing in time that it was all their own idea, plant a seed and watch it grow. Growth is what America is all about and growth for Tottenham in the market will be one of the key factors in our financial growth and thus success on the pitch, one not existing without the other.
While many UK fans don't see the benefit of US pre-season tours or matches, that is very short sighted thinking. It's an insular approach that would over time see Tottenham reduce in size and therefore achievement, rather than a growth as more active sides overtake us. They are a great opportunity for some of our youth players to make a mark so there are immediate on the field benefits as well as the longer term off-field benefits.
Sports Pro - Are you trying to carve out your own ‘Tottenham territory’ in the likes of North America, as a market which is seeing huge soccer growth, or is it more about using the growing appeal of the Premier League to broaden your international presence?
Donna-Maria Cullen - If we make it more specific about ourselves, what we’ve got is a great opportunity with the increased coverage of NBC. I think there’s been three game changers in the US: one is the soccer mum’s who want their kids to play soccer because American football is a more active sport - if they’re looking for one where their kids use different skills, soccer might be the one they choose. The second is NBC’s coverage taking it from behind the paywall into 150 million homes. And the third would be [the US men’s national team’s] success in the Fifa World Cup [in 2014].
So when you add to that the fact that we have players like DeAndre Yedlin who has come through the academy of his club in the States and is still being followed and will probably be one of the most popular figures this week in the match as we go out, along with being this challenger brand, I think we’ve captured the imagination of the floating fans in the States and will have more fans join our fan base going forward.
We’ve also been out there three times so going and doing a tour and making sure you engage and be able to do certain activities absolutely pays dividends and means that you give the American soccer fan a reason as to why they would pick one brand before another.
Post a Comment