The Soccer Mystique

There are some professional sports teams in the U.S. that have a specific and consistent message, with history to back it up. A few examples would include the Oakland Raiders, the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox, The LA Lakers, and you could probably argue for a few others. However, they do not have the same strong emotions attached to their marketing that the major foreign soccer clubs have.

I've followed soccer for the majority of my life. Nothing clings to my memory more than one specific and long-lasting example of a team becoming a brand, and then shooting off into a love affair with millions of adoring fans. Even when the team does poorly, the message screams through to their followers, and the fans really respect that.

My first example of a team is not only my favorite team in the entire world, but it is a wonderful example of how to be socially responsible, as a team. FC Barcelona, or Barca, as their fans affectionately call them, is a team with a long and rich history. Founded in 1899 by a group of young foreigners living in Barcelona, the team has had a great run. Their teams main message is "Mes Que un Club." It translates in English as, "More than a club," and that sticks. It really means something to their fans.

Barca Unicef ad:

Man, if we could get more of this here, I would be much more inclined to enjoy American sports. Even though most of them feel staged, and are rule heavy. I think this is what the world needs, brands with a lot of money, putting it to good use. 

An example of their social responsibility, taken from their website, under Values, in the Identity section:

"That is why the club has decided to contribute 0.7 per cent of its ordinary income to the FC Barcelona Foundation in order to set up international cooperation programs for development, support the UN Millennium Development Goals and has made a commitment to Unicef’s humanitarian aid programs through the donation of one and a half million euros for the next five years and now wears the Unicef logo on its shirts. An agreement that has made Barça unique."

 The mystique of soccer clubs is not in the game itself but in the class and culture they carry with them. FC Barcelona has created a classy culture for its fans. They also have some of the greatest players in the world, including the #1 ranked Lionel Messi. So, that helps to drive it home.

I have one more example of this to be included in next week's posts. Check out some other teams in your spare time. You might find that one or two of them really speak to you, not as a fan, but as an individual human being.