Building the Fire - Respect 90 Minutes

There is nothing more important than the action on the field during a soccer match.  Every fan of the sport respects soccer's unique trait of uniterrupted action for two 45 minute halves.  As a soccer organization, these 90 minutes are your brand.  Without the action, there is no organization.  It is the center of everything.  There should be nothing more important than what is happening on the field, and committing to that truth can be difficult. 

There is the perceived need to monetize the game experience as much as possible, from passive sponsorships to active advertisments and announcements.  The former is a fundamental part of modern sports business, but the latter can become a distraction and dilute the soccer experience.  The club should commit itself to providing a pure soccer experience.  Forgoing the in-game advertising revenue should be viewed as a challenge to find new sources of revenue and deepen existing advertising relationships. 

Anyone can sell the captive audience, but by creating more scarcity in advertising inventory, the club is forced to find higher-paying, higher-quality advertising partners.  By reinforcing the message that the game is the center of attention, the club strengthens its soccer brand, strengthening its appeal to fans.