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Some people see no problem with branding


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#1
McSoccer

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As always, it boils down to poor execution on the following:

"identity", "marketing", "branding", "community engagement"

2/4 are easy fixes. The other two require an ownership change. It is what it is.

The do a decent job of "identity" & "community engagement" with the U14 crowd through their youth clinics (including, but not limited to, free tickets for participants, discounted tickets for everyone attending the game with them).

I wouldn't be surprised if most of those kids thought the drink was named for the team and not the other way around (my kids and their friends thought that). They don't know the Metro history and to many of them Red Bull is just a nickname like Devils or Jets and not an ad.



#2
adam22

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The do a decent job of "identity" & "community engagement" with the U14 crowd through their youth clinics (including, but not limited to, free tickets for participants, discounted tickets for everyone attending the game with them).

I wouldn't be surprised if most of those kids thought the drink was named for the team and not the other way around (my kids and their friends thought that). They don't know the Metro history and to many of them Red Bull is just a nickname like Devils or Jets and not an ad.


No offense but I take this with a grain of salt due to your past RB apologist leanings.

It's not just a nickname. It's advertising and 'global synergy'

#3
regulator

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i have lots of younger cousins ranging from 10-17.  i guarantee not one of them gives 2 shits about "the brand".  they love soccer in general and love playing FIFA / watching ronaldo and messi, but have yet to go to many red bulls games.  however, they are at least passive fans of the team, with the potential to grow into larger fans as they grow older. 

 

i personally think that the whole "brand" thing is something that cynical, weary fans cling to as an excuse to return to the "good ole days" of giants stadium parking lots.



#4
McSoccer

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No offense but I take this with a grain of salt due to your past RB apologist leanings.

It's not just a nickname. It's advertising and 'global synergy'

No offense taken. I didn't mean to suggest Austria isn't focused on global synergy. I'm just saying that to a 10 year old that has never had a Red Bull drink, but goes to their soccer camps, they are a soccer team. You could argue this is worse. Like putting cartoon characters in cigarette ads - hook the kids on soccer and then hook them them on unhealthy "energy" drinks. It's anecdotal, but my kids and their friends knew Red Bull as a soccer team first.

 

And there's a difference between being an apologist and accepting the situation. I walked away (gave up season tickets, stopped watching games) after Red Bull bought Metro. I'm only back a couple of years and only because of Henry. I also do understand and appreciate that RB have done some good. If that's considered apologizing for them, I can live with that.



#5
juberish

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i personally think that the whole "brand" thing is something that cynical, weary fans cling to as an excuse to return to the "good ole days" of giants stadium parking lots.

I wasn't really around in the Metro days (except for a few games in 2002-03 when I was at FIT) because I lived down south. I moved back to the city in 2008 and went to a few games, then got my first season tickets in 2009. 

 

You can probably go back and find some of my old posts from 2010 - I didn't have an issue with the branding or name of the team. It was a non-issue for me. I wasn't personally connected to the old name and RBNY was the only show in town for me. After watching Miami FC suck it up in the USL, I was just ecstatic to have a proper MLS team to follow. The name thing - in and of itself - still isn't that big of a deal for me personally. But I've found that it's a big deal to many people - and that sucks.

 

Whenever I tell people about the team - who previously didn't even know we existed - I can see it on their face when I say the name. Maybe a team without a corporate brand for it's identity would be in the exact same situation as this team is, maybe it wouldn't make any difference at all but it feels like it's still a thing. 

 

I don't think I'm cynical with regard to the whole name thing; I don't have any memories from the GS parking lot tailgates and I wasn't in the area as a child growing up with the Metrostars. I'm a transplanted soccer fan who embraced this team - warts and all - and sincerely made every effort to dismiss the "name thing" and play down it's relevance - but after years of supporting the team, I've now come to believe that it's a barrier that new fans must overcome. It's a hurdle that I have to deal with whenever I talk about the team to new people. 

 

Talking about how children don't care about the name is, I think, missing the point. Children don't buy tickets to soccer games, their adult parents do. 



#6
vflkirwan

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i personally think that the whole "brand" thing is something that cynical, weary fans cling to as an excuse to return to the "good ole days" of giants stadium parking lots.

 

I don't see it as an excuse to return to the good ole days.  I like going to RBA to watch the games much more than Giant Stadium parking lots days.  I like the direction MLS is headed.  I don't want to go backwards.  I want to move forwards and have it become more.  The current brand of the team does not allow us to move forward like other teams can.  Our FO has certain constraints because of this and can't make the decisions they want because of how it will affect the brand.  One example of this would be what is allowed to go on the jerseys.  It needs to be  certain color scheme with approved Red Bull logo colors, otherwise it will not be allowed.



#7
McSoccer

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Talking about how children don't care about the name is, I think, missing the point. Children don't buy tickets to soccer games, their adult parents do. 

The discussion about how kids feel about the name is not relevant to ticket sales today, it's relevant to ticket sales on 5-10. Just like the Academy U12s aren't going to help us win MLS Cup this season, but the next Miazga or Sean Davis might be there and help us win in 2026.

#8
JBigjake54

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"We carry in our hearts the true country ... "


We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#9
regulator

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The discussion about how kids feel about the name is not relevant to ticket sales today, it's relevant to ticket sales on 5-10. Just like the Academy U12s aren't going to help us win MLS Cup this season, but the next Miazga or Sean Davis might be there and help us win in 2026.


Bingo

#10
regulator

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I wasn't really around in the Metro days (except for a few games in 2002-03 when I was at FIT) because I lived down south. I moved back to the city in 2008 and went to a few games, then got my first season tickets in 2009. 
 
You can probably go back and find some of my old posts from 2010 - I didn't have an issue with the branding or name of the team. It was a non-issue for me. I wasn't personally connected to the old name and RBNY was the only show in town for me. After watching Miami FC suck it up in the USL, I was just ecstatic to have a proper MLS team to follow. The name thing - in and of itself - still isn't that big of a deal for me personally. But I've found that it's a big deal to many people - and that sucks.
 
Whenever I tell people about the team - who previously didn't even know we existed - I can see it on their face when I say the name. Maybe a team without a corporate brand for it's identity would be in the exact same situation as this team is, maybe it wouldn't make any difference at all but it feels like it's still a thing. 
 
I don't think I'm cynical with regard to the whole name thing; I don't have any memories from the GS parking lot tailgates and I wasn't in the area as a child growing up with the Metrostars. I'm a transplanted soccer fan who embraced this team - warts and all - and sincerely made every effort to dismiss the "name thing" and play down it's relevance - but after years of supporting the team, I've now come to believe that it's a barrier that new fans must overcome. It's a hurdle that I have to deal with whenever I talk about the team to new people. 
 
Talking about how children don't care about the name is, I think, missing the point. Children don't buy tickets to soccer games, their adult parents do. 


I am in a different boat. I was in middle school when metro and MLS started. My parents would take me to a couple of games a year and I loved it. They were my team. Then RBNY bought the team when I was in college. Maybe it was the fact that I was in my 20s when the sale happened, but I never got turned off by the corporate ownership or new brand. I kept going to a few games a year. I watched the rest on tv.

And now this year, my friend and I became season ticket holders because we love soccer and love going to watch and support our local team. The brand has nothing to do with it.

I understand different people have different views. However in my experience no one in my circles (school, work, other friends) has ever brought up anything about the brand of the team - either positively or negatively. It's something that most sports fans don't take into consideration when talking about sports.

NB: The one thing that does come up from casual fans is the image as a retirement league, lower skilled players vs Europe, etc. That one comes up a ton, but with every Giovinco to MLS it helps shake that image a bit more.

#11
ivo

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I understand different people have different views. However in my experience no one in my circles (school, work, other friends) has ever brought up anything about the brand of the team - either positively or negatively. It's something that most sports fans don't take into consideration when talking about sports.

NB: The one thing that does come up from casual fans is the image as a retirement league, lower skilled players vs Europe, etc. That one comes up a ton, but with every Giovinco to MLS it helps shake that image a bit more.

Same here. 

 

I started by going to a couple of games at Giants stadium in 08-09. Then Henry came and I was going to more and more games mainly to see him. Season ticket holder for 3 seasons now; I didn't even know about the hardcore fans having an issue with Red Bull until after Petke was fired last year. 

 

No one on here is an average fan, but believe it or not, a lot of casuals aren't bothered by Red Bulls as much as people here think, if at all. 



#12
juberish

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lot of casuals aren't bothered by Red Bulls as much as people here think, if at all. 

How do we bridge the gap between "not being bothered" and "butts in seats"? 

 

So are we just going to accept the opening day turnout as the best we're gonna see for the next 10 years until more little baby fans grow up? 



#13
ivo

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How do we bridge the gap between "not being bothered" and "butts in seats"? 

 

So are we just going to accept the opening day turnout as the best we're gonna see for the next 10 years until more little baby fans grow up? 

I don't know, I don't have solutions. I'm doing my little piece by always bringing different people with me to the stadium, though if any of those have come back, it's been with me again. I just pointed out that I don't think that the missing 5-10k people are people that would necessarily be at Metro Arena if the club was still NY/NJ Metrostars.

 

Maybe a higher turnout does happen if there's a huge marketing campaign by the club or if infrastructure and entertainment options in the area improve. Maybe I'm wrong and if Red Bull leaves, people will suddenly start filling the stadium. Or maybe there just isn't week in, week out interest for 25k people to watch live soccer in NJ 45 mins away from NYC.



#14
vflkirwan

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We will never really know the impact of the brand until its gone to see what would happen.  There is no guarantee the place would be filled but I'd be willing to bet there would be more butts in the seat as I'm 100% confident the number of people who don't go strictly because it's 'Red Bull' far outweigh the ones who do go strictly because it's 'Red Bull'. (see Onionsack)

 

And then there are also those like me, who still support the team in spite of the name. 

However I rarely wear team merchandise out in public because I don't want to be told at the bank that "I must really like drinking Red Bull'.

I am fan of the team and I am not promoting the 'brand' - which is basically free marketing of the team when fans where team merchandise.

No other MLS team has these issues.  *Maybe NYFC because of their owner.



#15
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i personally think that the whole "brand" thing is something that cynical, weary fans cling to as an excuse to return to the "good ole days" of giants stadium parking lots.

I think that's unfair to say about most people who still don't accept or agree with the whole "brand" thing.. I've been to at least 1 game every season for the last 21 years of my life. I'm 25 right now. I was 5 years old in 1996 and went to every single game at the Meadowlands that year. My dad and uncle bought season tickets and we went to every game in 96 and 97. My dad made sure he took me to games every season when we could go after we gave up the season tickets in 97. Metro was my local team. I grew up with this stupid team. I picked season tickets back up in 2005 and kept them until 2013 (yeah, with the RB name and all the bullshit they put us through.) No front runner. Not just because they were winning, as I gave up my season tickets in 101 AFTER we won the supporters shield (I wasn't even at the game we beat Chicago to win the fucking SS. Breaks my heart till this day). 

 

Moral is.. I HATE RED BULL. The brand, the owner of this team, the concept, the colors, everything. BUT... It's still my team. It isn't about "the good old days" or anything like that. I love Red Bull arena 10x better than playing at the meadowlands. It's a great place. Doesn't mean I have to agree with what has happened for the last 10 years after they stole Metro away. 

It's no excuse for me to cling onto shit. Yeah, I won't wear RB stuff to games when I go now a days, but it doesn't mean I don't support this team or look down on those who don't care. Do I wish people saw this situation the way I do? Sure, I guess. But I hate those people who don't respect the history of this club. Of their own club. That bothers me the most. You want to support the whole RB thing, cool, that's on you. I have RB gear. (mostly player jerseys and shirts) 

But to say that people only hate RB to cling onto the Meadowlands parking lot is ridiculous. 



"Red Bull on the pitch - Metro in our hearts."

 

#RedBullOut

 

 





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