Sports fans, and more specifically soccer fans (it will be a recurring theme due to the proximity of the World Cup) have their first contact within the family. The largest number of investigations, studies and interviews in this regard, refer to a person who calls himself an amateur, had that initiation by a kind of “family inheritance”.
“I remember being at home watching football with my family”, “I remember the first time they took me to a stadium”, “It was an uncle who gave me my first team jersey” and we can continue with many stories and anecdotes that lead to the direct intervention of a person’s family or environment to influence the generation of a hobby.
In other words, one of the sources of the first contact to create a love for a sport is the family. Why is it important to know? Why is there the target! Maintaining points of contact with all family elements (especially with those who decide how to spend on entertainment) becomes vital to continue attracting fans and seeking the resources that the industry needs. This point seems to be forgotten, connecting with young audiences is important, but these young audiences can also be touched through their family and social structures. It seems that the strategy is “to be on TikTok because the new generations are there”, that is only part of the Marketing Mix, but it cannot be the strategy itself. This opens doors to many paths: Merchandising, activations for families and touchpoints that allow connecting with the different family nuclei that already exist today. Write it down.
Another very important point to generate fans are major sporting events or global superstars. Events such as Qatar 2022 or the Mexican Grand Prix produce a massive attention effect that can lead to new fans attracted by the media and social “boom”. The Olympic Games are also another example that, incredibly, we have not capitalized on in Mexico to attract young people to Olympic sports. Taking advantage of the “hype” of this type of event is also strategic to attract new fans. At this point, the narrative around these events is very important so that they attract attention and take advantage of the universal values that sport represents and connect emotionally. That is why “Drive to Survive” has been an important point to attract new fans to Formula 1. Sports stars also play a very important role, it is a “crush” and many young people look for these “role models” or heroes who inspire or motivate them. Unfortunately for the sports industry, that place is being taken by content creators / influencers, because few sports players have entered the inertia of using social media to deliver differentiated content that allows them to better connect with fans. It is true that they are athletes, but the second decade of the 21st century requires other types of skills beyond the sports scene. At this point, the considerations are in sight, you have to capitalize on the events and the great moments.
Finally, there is a third point that has to do with social pressure. Although it can be confused with the family nucleus, this phenomenon is seen more clearly in cities with rival teams, which have the so-called “Clásicos” and “Derby”. If a person has not yet been infected by her family or by the effect of big events, there is another way to become a fan: having to decide to be part of the social conversation. In cities with a lot of passion for their teams, conversations often revolve around the question “Who are you going to?” And if you don’t have a team, you can feel the pressure to pick one and it’s another way to build fans. It’s social pressure, yes. I am not going to judge it as good or bad, but I point out a phenomenon that exists. It is a fact. This is usually accompanied by narratives of rivalry and an exaltation of the characteristics of X or Y team. For what to decide, it turns into choosing a style according to that of the person or, adhering to what the social group follows.
Later comes the construction of that fan identity, which comes from the DNA that each sports institution has. The transmission of the story, the affinity with the identity, the generation of a sense of belonging and the connection with values and emotions that end up leading the fan to fully integrate and feel what we call Passion.
To build fan bases, we have to find the right mix of touchpoints with drivers: family, social groups, and connection to the big moments in the sport. It is true, it is not the same as before in terms of behavior and consumption, but the media are there. It is about building and building a brand requires Clarity, Consistency and Constancy over time.
Twitter: @vic