I love watching sports live. I cheer on the Colts, bleed crimson for the Hoosiers and attend the Indianapolis 500 religiously. But after attending my first Indy Eleven game this year and witnessing World Cup fervor this summer, I started to formulate a theory around the differences between sports teams and their connection to their host city.
One thing I noticed at the Indy Eleven game was the mentality of the crowd. They seemed to have a different composition and temperament than you typically see at sporting events.
I’m not just talking about the yelling and chanting coming from the Brickyard Battalion. I’m referencing the fact that the team and its fans showed more pride for their city than any other sporting event I have attended. The fans seemed to be showing their pride and support for Indianapolis as much as they were for the team.
When was the last time you saw someone waving the flag of Indianapolis at a Colts game? The Indy Elven also use “Indy Forever” as a tag line / rallying cry.
Photo credit: @keepindyindie and @IndyEleven
Soccer, more than any other sport it seems, is connected to where you live. Cheering for a team becomes more about supporting your heritage and location than simply rooting on the home team. Most professional football and basketball teams don’t seem to have a strong correlation between their city and the team. Heck, the Pacers are the only team in the NBA that has their location, Indiana, displayed on their jerseys.
One cause for this sports disparity might be because many football and basketball franchises have moved multiple times over their existence. This is why you see teams nicknamed the Lakers playing ball in Los Angeles (original location was Minneapolis). Another reason for the difference: most European soccer teams don’t have nicknames or mascots like American sports teams. Their only moniker is the city they represent (think Liverpool FC or Manchester United).
One other reason: soccer is also one of the few sports that was imported to the U.S. Millennials are the first generation to grow up with the sport and, in many ways, are the reason for its growing popularity. They have followed the sport from its real inception in America when they were young kids into consumers with buying power.
In addition to being one of soccer’s largest fan bases, millennials also prefer urban areas to suburbs and seek connection and identity to their city. This combination is likely the primary reason that soccer seems to yield more advocates for cities, or people that are emotionally connected to their city, than any other sport. As a fan of Indianapolis, and cities in general, I think this is awesome.
What lessons can we learn from soccer and the Indy Eleven to create more advocates for cities? And, how can we continue to spread Indy love and make people proud of where they live?
Here are a few of ideas
Tailor experiences to different demographics
If you look around the stadium at Indy Eleven games, you’ll notice the crowd is composed of a unique mix of families (age 35 – 54) and millennials. Marketers will tell you that soccer fans are loyal and extremely engaged in the experience. Recognizing that many millennials are loyal and consistently support their team, many soccer teams in the U.S. have created special sections for their fan base.
The Brickyard Battalion, Indy Eleven’s devoted fan section, can be seen standing and chanting for the entire 90 plus minutes of a game. That section is built specifically for that type of experience. Tailoring an experience to a specific demographic provides a welcoming environment for different fan types and is one reason you see Indianapolis flags and pride flying high at Indy Eleven games.
Photo credit: Anna Reed, The Star
Create opportunities for shared experiences
In addition to being loyal consumers (of sports and goods) and preferring cities to suburbs, millennials also enjoy shared experiences. Die-hard soccer fans know the best way to watch a game is with a group. Sometimes that group can be 10 people and sometimes it can be 10,000.
The Mass Ave viewing party for the U.S. World Cup game this summer illustrated the value that soccer fans place on experience and place. Creating structured programming around common causes in interesting locations is a recipe for success. The huge turnout illustrated Indy’s passion for soccer and our desire to share in a common experience in a public space.
Tie engagement to neighborhood and community development
Soccer also seems to be working as a neighborhood development tool. One of the coolest initiatives launched this year was Indy City Futbol, a soccer league based on various neighborhoods in Indy with the goal of building stronger neighborhoods. Teams were ranked on wins and losses, but also had the opportunity to earn points by volunteering in their neighborhoods, or by commuting together to the games.
Each team’s jersey paid homage to their neighborhood and provided an identity and sense of place to their team. Building pride around Indianapolis’ existing neighborhoods is great and reinforces the camaraderie and community spirit that many look for in a neighborhood.
Align with local companies to create cohesive and meaningful partnerships
The second most popular fashion choice at an Indy Eleven game, behind only the team’s jerseys, are t-shirts from local Indy swag purveyors like Hays and Taylor and United State of Indiana. These brands were born from the connection that people, often millennials, have to their city.
The rise in popularity of craft beer has also created a lot of exciting partnerships with local sports teams that seem to be working well. Flat 12 recently launched Full 90, a brew named for Indy Eleven and the Brickyard Battalion. Linking products like craft beers to Indy-based sports seems to be a strategy that works in general. Flat 12 recently sstarted a successful partnership with IndyCar driver, James Hinchcliffe. The beer, Hinchtown Hammerdown, is one of their biggest sellers this year. IndyCar racing, a sport synonymous with Indianapolis, could be a healthy barometer for the impact that soccer can have on rallying people to support local business and products.
The Indy love generated by soccer in Indianapolis and Indy Eleven makes me hopeful that more people will become advocates for their city. Hopefully, we can apply some of the tactics that have made soccer and Indy Eleven successful to other initiatives around Indianapolis to mimic the emotional connection that soccer fans feel for their city. Go Indy!
