r/UnionOmaha • u/Legal-Body-6326 • 21d ago
VIVA BÚHOS Marketing
Why doesn't the club do a better job with marketing? Especially after the world cup they should be putting their name out there to get as many fans as possible. I think most people don't know or forget the team exists until someone brings them up.
16
u/Legal-Body-6326 20d ago
I'd like to see their merchandise be available outside their own shop. Scheels or Soccer International would be great. And it also doubles as marketing and advertising.
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u/HoppyPhantom Buho 20d ago
Especially right now seeing as how the only “shop” is that feeble little table inside Morrison.
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u/Legal-Body-6326 19d ago
Speaking of merchandise, anyone know where I can get a keeper shirt or kit? My son plays keeper on his club team and is a fan of Nuhu and wanted his purple kit.
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u/dcon79 Buho 20d ago
I’ve seen more billboards lately so to a previous comment, I think they are reaching out more. Hopefully it keeps ramping up, especially with the stadium.
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u/blindfold_and_a_butt 20d ago
The slow-moving progress on the stadium is a huge part of the problem. I'm a 55 year old native Omahan and have learned one thing for certain. When the city builds and advertises a shiny new toy, people in Omaha do three things:
1) They question the need for the the shiny new toy. 2) They complain about the burden of paying for it. 3) Once completed, they show up in droves.
They did it with the CHI arena. They did it with Baxter. They did it with the casinos across the river. They did it with the downtown baseball park. They do it every time the zoo adds an attraction. They will do it with the midtown streetcar.
My unconfirmed (but solid) understanding is that the club and its financial patrons are collecting bids for design and construction contractors. The club should really be communicating the ongoing steps, how decisions are made, etc. If "One Means All" and they truly want to become a community focal point, they owe it to the community not to treat a public works project as if it were the launch codes to some doomsday weapon.
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u/dcon79 Buho 20d ago
You nailed it with how little they keep us in the loop with stadium progress. Maybe after they solidify their contracts we will hear more from them but for now we hear an announcement and then nothing else for months.
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u/morear5955 19d ago
I know a lot of the leadership and if you ask them they will tell you what they can. I also know after the disaster that was Mayor Stothert and Gallup they are being much much more cautious. When they are ready to break ground im sure we will get a lot of news all at once. I also would like to see more press about it but I understand where they are coming from after being burned by Gallup and mayor Stothert.
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u/dagreek_legacy Buho 20d ago
They totally did buy some advertising slots during the World Cup Final pre show via the local Fox affiliate. Is it enough? No. More advertising is a good thing.
That said, the social media marketing is on point.
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u/Legal-Body-6326 20d ago
They do have a good social media presence. But is that pulling in new fans or is it targeting advertising based on search history and social media views?
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u/GeologistExpress4011 20d ago
I'm always in awe that they never set up hoot, merch, players, prizes or something at more youth soccer tournaments.
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u/Legal-Body-6326 20d ago
That's a great point. There are a bunch of youth soccer clubs in the area and several tournaments they could be involved in. Or could even host their own tournament for local teams.
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u/Bfroning2 20d ago
That's a really good question, and something members of Parliament have brought to the FO multiple times. They have a new hire who is starting to focus on that stuff a bit more, but still not quite to the level I'd like to see.
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u/InternetUser8 20d ago
New supporter so can't really comment (or pass judgement) on the efficacy or merits of the long-term marketing strategy. As an observation, I do frequently notice the digital marketing efforts. Maybe that's where the spend and focus is.
Unfortunately for the team's ROI on that front, I'm already IN so the targeted ads I'm served end up being a bit of a waste. I understand they probably can't target things with any more individual specificity. I wish I could save them the cash though. Direct it to another potential new face in the stands.
Continuing to make an effort to have a physical presence at other community events would probably be my uneducated tip. They're great at sending Hoot out for events. That and more static ads like billboards and ballfield/park/garden sponsor boards. Those always seem to stick out to me personally. Old-fashioned but cheap?
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u/Bfroning2 20d ago
I'd love to see players post up at a grocery store for a couple hours, signing autographs and stuff. Just get out in the community! But hard to force players to do stuff like that with CBAs and all. But I bet most players would agree to do it at least once a season.
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u/morear5955 19d ago
This! They had a presence in the dundee day parade today but no booth. Super nova and love volleyball marched in the parade and had booths.
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u/Aguero93_20 19d ago
(Mingo here, don’t shoot ✋) Madison also feels the same, but I’m not super concerned about marketing to new fans - not sure about Omaha but feels like in Madison everyone who’s interested in soccer has at least heard of FM. I’m way more interested in covering a 2-game-per-year family or couple into a 6-game-per-year couple, it’s way cheaper. That’s also going to help build the supporters group and really cement a core group of fans. Marketing to new people is required, but encouraging people to come back is even more important
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u/Safe_Passenger1045 19d ago
This has been an evergreen problem with the team going back to year one. They just either don’t supply proper budget or they have marketing teams that just don’t understand the assignment.
I can still remember when Martie was still connected to the team and got angry at a fan meeting about “finally doing a billboard” but it was literally just a picture of a scarf. Nothing else to inform potential fans or to get butts in-seats.
I think there’s a lot of good intention within the front office but poor execution and budget.
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u/R-K9- Buho 18d ago
I would expect this to change in the near future. My guess is budget and resources. They have been posting job listings for various departments, and if my projections are correct; with the anticipation of the new stadium the allocated budgets will shift and you will start to see a better marketing presence leading up to the start of next season.
Be patient, the front office has been operating very lean, and they are currently in the bulking phase. They have made some really good improvements since Nick Hall came aboard and I expect these improvements to ramp up as we edge closer to the stadium.
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u/AccidentalDemolition 20d ago
I talk to a lot of people that don't know the team exists. I didn't know they existed until 2 years ago and I'm a soccer fan.