american soccer fan personaswould be your audience of choice. this persona has significant...

DEFINED AS TRAITS

BUILD A RELATIONSHIP IMPORTANCE

Copyright © 2018 Gilt Edge Soccer Marketing LLC. All rights reserved

AMERICAN SOCCER FAN PERSONAS


UNDERSTANDING SOCCER FANDOM


Soccer fans are not homogenous.

A simple insight, yet an extremely important one when it comes to marketing to the soccer audience in the U.S.

Beginning in 2013, Gilt Edge Soccer Marketing set out to better understand soccer fans based on their interest and connection to the sport. A consumer segmentation model with six (6) different soccer personas was developed and has been a mainstay component of propriety agency research studies ever since.

As part of all quantitative and qualitative research projects, fans are asked to self classify their fandom, providing a basis for the continual development of each cross sectional profile.

We invite you to meet the six faces of soccer fandom in America.

DEFINED AS TRAITS



THE EVENT SEEKER

A soccer consumer who is primarily interested in the sport during major event moments like the Men’s and Women’s FIFA World Cup.

Connecting with this audience segment delivers additional reach and scale for your soccer marketing campaigns around high profile pulse points such as the FIFA World Cup.

• Equal ratio of male and female• Primarily influenced by friends and peer groups• Likely to have become a fan of the sport later in

life (age 25 onward)• Significantly more interested in National Team

soccer than Club Team fandom

• Major events and a red/white/blue narrative are the access points to this persona

• Consider leveraging broader pop culture connection points to extend soccer equity and differentiate your brand story

DEFINED AS TRAITS



THE AGNOSTIC

A soccer consumer who is a “fan of the sport” with interest in several domestic and international leagues and teams

The most common soccer fan persona. individuals are the sweet spot for marketers looking to maximize soccer interest and reach. They have the greatest purchasing power and are exponentially more influential because of their social activity and propensity to share information.

• 59% actively support more than 5 Club Teams• Heavily influenced by an interest in star players• Most likely segment to wear their soccer jersey

while watching a match• Watch 4+ games a week on average

• Embrace soccer, holistically.• Engage fans in person at the stadium and via

match broadcast• Connect via multiple properties and multiple

passion points• Pay special attention to the appeal of individual

players

DEFINED AS TRAITS



THE EUROPHILE

A soccer consumer who follows the sport domestically, but their primary fan interest lies in European soccer. An elite contingent of Europhiles (sometimes referred to as Eurosnobs) are exclusively interested in European soccer.

• Tend to skew male (64%), more than other fan personas

• The most hard core of all soccer personas, they are deeply vested in the sport

• Overwhelmingly interested in the Premier League• 44% have attended a pro game outside the U.S.

European soccer interest is a form of self-identification and social badging for Gen Y and Gen Z consumers. These young, tech-savvy fans are a highly desirable and influential audience for many brands. They’re enamored by the international appeal and culture of soccer.

• Enable their fandom, providing sought after access to European Clubs / players

• Consider all media and marketing channels associated with Premier League

• Most likely to continuously engage in a brand’s soccer marketing campaign

DEFINED AS TRAITS



FANATICOS

A soccer consumer who is mainly interested in futbol from Mexico or other Central and South American countries.

Important note: many male Hispanic soccer fans classify themselves as an Agnostic fans given their wide ranging love of the game.

If you want to reach the Hispanic family Fanaticoswould be your audience of choice. This persona has significant purchasing power and influence within the family unit.

• 68% female head of household• Have grown up in a soccer culture with parents

who loved of the game• 35% became a soccer fan before the age of 10

• Leverage soccer as an authentic cultural connection to motivate desired brand behaviors

• Consider partnership opportunities with the Mexican National Team or Liga MX

• Engage through Club / Team nostalgia, evoking family and soccer memories

DEFINED AS TRAITS



These consumers are at the influential epicenter of soccer in America. Their value in advocating for your brand is more powerful than their relative segment size alone.

• Drape your activation in the Stars & Stripes and consider aligning with current or former USMNT and USWNT players

• National and/or team associations in MLS is also worth consideration

• Respect soccer as an American sport. Don’t feel the need to pamper to Euro influences.

• Soccer persona with the highest interest in MLS• Highly active on social media and heavily

influenced by peer and friend group opinion• Christian Pulisic is more revered than Lionel

Messi

THE DOMESTIC

A soccer consumer who follows the sport internationally, but their primary interest lies at home through interest in Major League Soccer and/or the U.S. National Teams.

DEFINED AS TRAITS



THE OBSERVER

A soccer consumer who is primarily connected to the sport because of a family member’s participation more than their own personal fandom.

These consumers are the CEO of the home and hold significant purchasing power. They are active within their community, as well as online. Their desire to share knowledge and opinions make them highly influential consumers.

• 61% female• The lowest fan passion index of all soccer

personas, but emotionally and financially connected to the game via other passions

• Pro soccer interest lies most closely aligns with US Men’s and Women’s National teams

• 91% have not attended a game outside the U.S.

• Access this persona through alignments with local youth soccer

• Consider cause-related. Purpose-based marketing activations with broader themes (e.g. health and wellness)

• Develop tactics for soccer families to engage in together

american soccer fan personaswould be your audience of choice. this persona has significant...

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