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Coca-Cola Diagnosing A Few Too Many People With World Cup Fever
Here is a slice of a dispatch from today's ESPN presentation in New York City that confused me: "Coca-Cola is looking at aiming its World Cup advertising not only at Hispanic consumers, Mr. Tripodi said, who traditionally follow the World Cup closely, but also African-Americans and the general market, particularly 'soccer moms.'" Hold up — I understand the desire to expand marketing efforts, but I thought soccer moms were dubbed such because they spent a fair amount of time ferrying their children to activities like soccer, and not because they had a passion for the game? If the latter were true, certainly attendance at Major League Soccer events would be increasing at a faster clip than it currently is.
Oh, I thought they were called that to belittle them.
RECLAIMING THE TERM
"Bitch is a SOCCER MOM, know what I'm sayin'"
In this case, he means moms that drive rugrats to soccer in momwagons. One of the things FIFA, ESPN and their marketing partners hope to do is to develop lifelong pro soccer fans in the general US market. Right now, it's something kids play until they get to college, and not something they watch.
You mean like Rainbow Parties?
Soccer moms are still a thing? I thought the kids were playing lacrosse or flag football these days.
Levi's, following suit, just announced their new "Mom Jeans" campaign.
Excellent. I've been looking for jeans with a 12 inch rise.
My jeans only contain an eight-inch rise, but right now it's probably only about four. Sorry.
"Coca-Cola is looking at aiming its World Cup advertising at everyone, as always."
There are many American soccer fans (myself included) who aren't into the MLS at all. For that reason, I wouldn't use MLS attendance to gauge soccer's popularity. A more interesting data set would be US TV viewing figures for Fox Soccer Channel or ESPN's broadcasts of the EPL, La Liga, and other international football leagues. I'd assume those show serious growth. (FSC just went HD and created a second spin-off channel, Fox Soccer Plus, which features even more obscure international games.)
Did I mention that I now get Fox Soccer for free and am SO F'ING HAPPY about it? And I agree–I never watch MLS. Not sure why.
I would like to hear more about this, and reasons for it!
I don't watch MLS games either, but I will fight you if you try to turn off an English Premier League match.
As that snob known as CaptainFantastic suggests, I think there's a concern that the quality will be low (yes, I'm a snob also). I'm a pretty dedicated sports watcher, and for my money soccer may be the best game to watch, but only if it's really high quality.
Yeah, the quality of the game is obviously higher in other leagues- much higher. Another factor for is that they interact with each other (Champions League, many players representing their countries), so that those games are in the mainstream of soccer. You see this when you read soccer press- English papers write about Spanish players etc. MLS is outside that all.
Agree, it all comes down to quality. Watching premiership football is a qualitatively better, more enjoyable experience.
When it comes to talent, skill, athleticism, intelligence, etc., the MLS can't compete. It's nobody's fault; the history of world football is just so much deeper elsewhere.
Look at the World Cup team the USA is fielding. Most of these guys are playing in leagues outside of the MLS:
http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2010/05/US-MNT-Head-Coach-Bob-Bradley-Names-Preliminary-World-Cup-Roster.aspx
I am not a huge MLS fan, but I do enjoy going to matches. I am a fan of the idea of pro soccer in the States, though, and think it is ultimately on the rise.
I'm also trying to land a job with an MLS team right now, so YAY MLS!
@pete: If it'll help, I'll start watching for that reason alone.
"I know that I am something special" – thanks Maura!
Also, if you are a soccer mom, you are so busy ferrying your kids to their games that the thought of yet another outing fills you with bleak despair (as opposed to the other kind of sort of enjoyable despair, like popcorn ground into the living room rug, because you get to yell at someone about that).
Curling up and watching a soccer game with your kid, though, on your nice big TV and monitoring the damn popcorn crumbs…much better.
This is just making me more excited for the Unrest reunion. I wouldn't mind an Air Miami reunion either! I still think they're underrated.
Yeah, I have that single. Good stuff.
What they need to try and chase with their sugar are "Tom Brady Moms" like mine, i.e. old women who want to suck-off Tom Brady.