FC Cincinnati 1

FC Cincinnati
SWOT Analysis

Jackson Burton, Cory Carmichael, Rohan DSouza, Evan Gerdes, Rebecca Glassburn, Emily
Heckman, Emily McDonough, Austin Miller, Sarah Monin, Kyle Oblong, Jacob Stauffer, CJ
Tassell, John Tygier, Abbey Wells, Jack Weseli, and Olivia White

Pace Leader: Jackie Oney

Professor Ric Sweeney

Essentials of Business I, 008
October, 2016

Carl H. Lindner College of Business

University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219

Table of Contents
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I. Introduction
3-5 Strengths
5-9
A. Location
6-7
B. Fan Support
7-8
C. Market Knowledge
8-9
D. Cincinnati Connection
9-10
III. Weaknesses 10-11
A. Merchandising Reach
10
B. Lack of Training Facility
10-11
C. Streaming Quality
11
IV. Opportunities 11-16
A. Cincinnati Culture
12-13
B. Technology
13
C. Market Expansion
14-16
VI. Threats 16-19
A. Prevention of MLS Status
16-17
B. Negative Media Coverage
17
C. Logistics and Efficiency
17
D. Economic Recession/Rising Ticket Prices
18
E. Lack of Future Popularity
18-19
V. Recommendations 20-27
A. Strengths Recommendations
20-22
B. Weaknesses Recommendations
23-24
C. Opportunities Recommendations
24-25
D. Threats Recommendations
26-27
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V. Works Cited 28-29

Introduction

FC Cincinnati is a brand new company, starting its inaugural season on February 21st,

2016. Though the company itself does not have an established history, its culture and supporters

have found a unique connection to the city of Cincinnati and the club itself. Its fan group, Die

innenstadt derives its name from the German word for downtown, or inner city, reflecting

both on the strong German tradition in the city of Cincinnati, and the areas in which their

supporters live. Another group, Lwen Des Sdens, translates into Lion of the South and is

composed of fans from Northern Kentucky. The supporters, and the team itself have all strived to

incorporate the rich history of Cincinnati into their game day experience, which is the both the

product and service that FC Cincinnati provides. FC Cincinnatis goals going into their first

season were: to break even on profit, average 10,000 attendees per game, and provide an

experience comparable to European Soccer leagues. They tried to accomplish this through
 FC Cincinnati 4

collaboration with the city at large, as well as the surrounding tri-state area, and by cooperating

with international football clubs. Soccer is the second most popular youth sport in America, and

it is also growing faster than any other sport in all age groups. Because of the strong connection

to youth in America, FC Cincinnati targets millennials and their children most frequently to

support the team by doing special promotional offers for games, such as games where youths

wearing their team jersey can get in for $1, thereby promoting their attendance and reinforcing

from a young age the culture and experience of soccer games. FC Cincinnati also partnered with

bars across Cincinnati called pub partners both to bring people across the city together in

support of the team, and to establish a viewership culture that promoted a positive game-day

experience. FC Cincinnati also hoped to provide a unique game-day experience by attempting to

provide an experience comparable to that found in European leagues. In order to visibly promote

this goal, as well as cooperation amongst the international soccer community, FC Cincinnati

hosted the European team Crystal Palace for a friendly match. FC Cincinnati was so effective at

providing the complete European experience that the management for Crystal Palace said that

they wanted to return to Cincinnati every year for a match. By endorsing FC Cincinnatis game-

day experience, Crystal Palace validated FC Cincinnatis goal of developing a European style

game-day experience. FC Cincinnati also hoped to provide this experience by focusing on a fast-

paced game environment. Many modern sports in America today rely on replays, advertisements,

and deep commentary to entertain viewers, however, FC Cincinnati has been providing an

experience that revolves around gameplay, rather than statistics. They focus on maintaining

momentum amongst the players, and in the crowd, to keep the energy in the crowd up, instead of

loud music or other distractions necessary to make other sports entertaining. This is also part of

the game-day culture that FC Cincinnati is attempting to create. By focusing on a fast-paced

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environment revolving around actual gameplay, FC Cincinnati has provided a unique game-day

experience that is appreciated not only by traditional fans in Cincinnati, but even by groups from

around the world. FC Cincinnatis current mission statement, is to provide the highest level of

sports entertainment in the greater Cincinnati area. We will strive to create a fast paced, high

action environment that will ignite the regions growing passion for soccer. FC Cincinnati,

through their devotion to supplying fans with an incredible experience, as well as supplying the

soccer community at large with a truly inspiring team to get behind, has effectively followed

their mission statement to the letter for their opening season, and have been rewarded for it

through record-breaking attendance. The MLS, as well as the soccer industry in general has been

on the rise in recent years, with league-wide attendance rising 12.7% year-over-year (Fox

Business), and the President and Co-founder of Sacramento Republic FC, said that professional

soccer in the U.S. continues to grow at an unprecedented pace. The USL is experiencing

significant new franchise growth and exponential team-valuations as the league staff continue to

raise the standards on ownership, performance and expectations, (Forbes). Soccer as an industry

is on the rise, with the average MLS franchise increasing in worth by 52% in 2015 from 2013

(Fox Business), and the media deals of MLS teams have now reached $90 million, tripling the

worth of its most recent media deal (Fox Business). Attendance, viewership, and participation are

all on the rise in the soccer industry, due to youth involvement, as well as a growing appreciation

for the sport across the country. FC Cincinnati has ridden this wave of support over its first

season, playing a big part in helping the USL achieve a 33% increase in attendance over the

previous season, and leaving a landmark impression on the world of soccer.

Strengths
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FC Cincinnati established itself in the heart of Cincinnati, and the tri-state area has rallied

around the team, immediately reinforcing the new companys position in the region. The

widespread support for the built-from-scratch team provided FC with a platform to produce a

powerful fan base that continues to grow every day, furthering their goal to become a MLS

Team. In Cincinnati, people take pride in the sports they love, and soccers recently discovered

role as the up-and-coming sport for American youth makes FC Cincinnati the perfect addition to

Cincinnati sports.

Location

FC Cincinnati hosts its home games at the University of Cincinnatis own Nippert

Stadium, which lies in the center of uptown Cincinnati. Because of this locations proximity to

both the population of college students and the population of the city at large, FC Cincinnati has

been able to surpass their game attendance goals by an average of over 7000 attendees (FC

Cincinnati), proving their ability to attract numbers comparable to MLS teams (21,574 per MLS

game in 2015) (Solomon). While Nippert Stadium may not be a professional soccer field, FC

Cincinnati maintains that it will be their official home, even when they become a professional

team. Cincinnati is considered part of the tri-state area, which includes Northern Kentucky,

Southern Ohio, and part of Indiana. FC Cincinnatis proximity to such a large and diverse

consumer base helps them to have such high attendance, since it draws from three different

states, composing part of their comparative advantage. Most soccer teams have to go outside of

cities due to the limited area within the city limits, however, FC Cincinnati is very fortunate to

have attained a facility that is both within city limits, and on a college campus. The teams

proximity to the University is especially beneficial, since, according to the US Census Bureau
 FC Cincinnati 7

and the University of Cincinnati website, 15% of the population of the city of Cincinnati in 2013

was composed of UC students (42,656 at UC, 297,517 total). UCs population makes up a

smaller portion of the metropolitan area of Cincinnati, which includes 2,114,580 people (US

Census), however, the Universitys population is a valuable asset to FC Cincinnatis ticket sales.

The companys position in Cincinnati is also beneficial because Cincinnati has the fifth highest

participation rate in soccer, due to its remarkable devotion to the game. This love for the sport

has impacted FC Cincinnati greatly, allowing them to have a loyal fan base and rising

attendance.

Fan Support

FC Cincinnati has made history with their large attendance records. Before the season

began, the attendance goal for each game was set for 10,000 people (Solomon). (fig. 1) Not only

did they meet this goal, but they surpassed it. FC Cincinnati is looking to become a Major

League Soccer team, and their attendance record is definitely a factor that will help them achieve

this goal. John Harkes, the head coach, draws the people to the games with his exceptional

record and coaching style. Beating attendance records of MLS soccer games, FC Cincinnati had

an attendance of 23,375 people at their fourth home game against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds,

breaking the teams single-season attendance record (FC Cincinnati). Because of the incredible

attendance rates this season, FC Cincinnati has repositioned their goal to attain an average of

20,000 guests per game (Solomon).

As the fifth highest soccer-playing-city in the U.S., Cincinnati is no stranger to soccer

(Solomon). By providing a devoted base with a professional team to get behind, FC Cincinnati

has effectively energized their most loyal customer base. Soaring attendance, and the teams

position have promoted FC Cincinnati to the extent that it now has a fan base that rivals an MLS
 FC Cincinnati 8

team. FC Cincinnati offers a product that mimics a fast-paced European style game, as well as an

enjoyable game-day experience. The super-fan section at the north end of the stadium, also

known as The Bailey, includes several independent supporter groups. Die Innenstadt, The

Pride, The Den, Queen City Firm, The Legion, and Lwen Des Sdens, all aim to provide an

inclusive community where all soccer fans can show their support for FC Cincinnati, from little

kids to enthusiastic parents and millennials alike. The FC Cincinnati Bailey section includes

1,700 fans at every home game. As coach John Harkes refers to the Bailey as, the 12th man,

retaining these fans is most necessary to separate the club from the rest of the United Soccer

League.Undoubtedly, The Bailey draws a higher overall attendance to all FC Cincinnati home

games due to its in-game chants, pounding drums, and blue and orange powder display.

Maintaining the fans vigor will not only help the team perform at a higher level, but provide

additional revenue for the club as a whole. Not only does the Bailey support the players as a

12th man, The Bailey creates an exciting environment for the rest of the fans to partake in and

enjoy.

Market Knowledge

FC Cincinnati has excelled in marketing their brand over the past few years. Their

success in reaching the right audiences has been key to their companys achievements. FC

Cincinnati has utilized target marketing by taking the greater area of Cincinnati, and segmenting

it by population. Theyve analyzed what their product is and who they want to reach. It has been

proven that millennials (specifically young professionals and college students, as well as families

with younger children) hold the most interest in this growing club. Knowing their target consists

of college students, their pricing is affordable, which assists in their overall sale of tickets. As a

company, theyve focused on the four Ps of the marketing mix: product, price, place, and
 FC Cincinnati 9

promotion. The product they are selling is the entire experience on game day, and to improve this

they have mimicked the gameplay style of a European League. They have also ensured that the

price is affordable to their target market. FC Cincy understands that young professionals and

families do not have a ton of extra cash sitting around to spend on games, so they made sure to

make the ticket prices were cheap. The tickets themselves are positioned very intuitively,

allowing potential customers to find tickets online, call in, or go to the ticket office on game day

itself to find tickets. FCs promotion has relied on many separate marketing strategies, including

bringing higher brand awareness through TV broadcasting, countdowns and entertainment bases,

and their strategic billboard placement. Another one of their promotion deals has been their 24

pub partners in the Cincinnati area. These are popular bars (such as Brass Tap, Rhinegeist

Brewing, and Haps Irish Pub) that have made agreements with FC Cincinnati to broadcast their

games on their TVs. This is how theyve been targeting these millennials specifically, identifying

gameday traditions, and providing effective avenues to supply their target market with means to

participate in those traditions, hence increasing involvement with the team. FC Cincinnatis

dedication to strong marketing, and effective product placement, has led to their rapid rise into

the soccer industry in the heart of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Connection

FC Cincinnati has very original team colors. FC Cincinnatis unique look and approach

helps them stand out amongst the rest of the USL. After facing initial confusion from the sports

community surrounding their chosen brand colors, fans began noticing the teams visible

connection to the city of Cincinnati through their team colors. FC has incorporated orange, black,

and white, from the Bengals, the Reds, as well as UC, with a splash of blue from Xavier. The

distinct colors of orange and blue balance out the colors that can be seen everywhere you go. It is
 FC Cincinnati 10

not uncommon to see fans wearing the familiar logo of the lion holding a sword on their t-shirt,

hats or shorts. People from Cincinnati are proud to bear this local soccer teams brand, and the

citys loyalty is the greatest strength that has poised FC Cincinnati to leave its mark on Major

League Soccer.

Weaknesses

Though the company is reinforced by regional fervor, FC Cincinnati does not come

without its flaws. The company, still a relative infant in the business world, has room to improve

and develop as a service if they wish to enter the MLS.

Merchandising Reach

FC Cincinnati kicked off their first season in 2016 and therefore has yet to complete its

first calendar year as an organization. Along with brand awareness, merchandise can play a big

factor in gaining popularity. FC Cincinnati needs to expand their variety of merchandise as well

as locations where it is sold. FC Cincinnati is currently only sold in one store downtown,

although they have an established presence on the internet. There are also a fairly limited number

of designs and styles of merchandise that are all only available at an expensive price (jerseys

cost $85). They have drawn a good amount of people to games but in order to reach their goal of

moving into the MLS, they need to work on increasing their brand awareness through

merchandising.

Lack of Training Facility

In addition to reaching their goal of brand awareness, FC Cincinnati will need to acquire

more appropriate training facilities if they wish to effectively advance into the MLS. Having a

training facility readily available will play a vital role in boosting the organizations chances of
 FC Cincinnati 11

being selected to transition into the MLS. Jeff Berding, the president and general manager of FC

Cincinnati, has already stated future endeavors for getting a practice facility ready for FC

Cincinnatis next season. Our plan is to have it open in 2017 and be able to add to it, so if were

fortunate enough to get an MLS (Major League Soccer) invitation, well be able to upgrade it

long term to be an MLS-quality facility. (Berding). However, the current lack of a training

facility for FC Cincinnati poses a weakness to the integrity of FC Cincinnati and their teams

abilities.

Streaming Quality

FC Cincinnati is known for having a successful presence on television. About 10,000

local households tuned in to each of their 15 home games on television, but the away games

were commonly streamed online in very low quality which has a negative impact (Watkins).

FCC fans would be more supportive of their team's away games if they could make out which

pixel was actually the ball. This is a concerning weakness and better streaming or even televised

away games could resolve this current problem. A quality internet stream would allow fans to

tune into double the amount of FCC games. This creates more loyal and passionate fans, while

simultaneously giving a more professional look to the FCC brand.

Opportunities

For hundreds of years, friends and family have been brought together by the allure of

sporting events. With many things competing for the attention of the consumer, businesses have

to constantly be on the lookout for the next way to enrapture their target audience. FC Cincinnati

has been very skilled at this with dramatic effect as shown in their record breaking attendance

rates. Continued growth, which is necessary to thrive, will require constant search for
 FC Cincinnati 12

opportunities. We have come up with four different opportunities ranging from special event

nights, merchandising, beautifying the city, and coaching/training camps for all levels of soccer

players.

Cincinnati Culture

For many years, the pride that people have for their high schools in Cincinnati has had a

strong presence throughout the community. While there are several rivalries among high schools

in this area that fuel the pride, there is also a sense of comfort and familiarity that the schools

provide. This is a part of Cincinnati culture that is very unique to this area, which is why FC

Cincinnati should be apart of that. If FC Cincinnati were to take part in this phenomenon by

fueling this pride at games, there would be a deeper sense of pride and unification around the

FCC team itself.

In the past five years, Cincinnati has experienced a renaissance. Through adding vibrant

artwork and interactive public spaces, places like Over-The-Rhine and The Banks has become

destinations that encompass Cincinnatis culture in creative ways. If FCC were to take part in this

beautification, it would be known that FC Cincinnati was a permanent part of Cincinnatis

culture, just like The Reds or The Bengals. That way, when locals and visitors come to these

murals or parks, they are reminded that FC Cincinnati is a key part of what Cincinnati is. In

todays society, simply sporting merchandise from a local brewery is considered a status symbol

amongst the younger generation. FC Cincinnati has the chance to take advantage of this trend by

incorporating them into the overall experience that they are trying to create for themselves. By

doing more to partner with Cincinnati based breweries, FCC shows their care and desire to unify

the city through bringing together different businesses that people are passionate about. This

way, fans have the chance to buy a beverage they already feel a connection to, and also feel good
 FC Cincinnati 13

knowing theyre supporting a small business. By capitalizing on this, FCC would ensure that

theyre taking advantages of the key opportunities that the cultural trends amongst millennials

has to offer.

Technology

Technology is a staple in the modern era, and in order for companies to be successful,

they must be invested in the technology that is used by their consumer base. Millennials use

technology more than any other generation and are very invested in their personal devices. 86

percent of people ages 18 to 28 have smart phones (Weise), making the amount of people to be

reached by an app alone very high. A great opportunity for FC Cincinnati would be to engage

their fans by utilizing technology. Being able to have high-quality streaming of matches

wherever and whenever they play would be very effective because it offers a viewing of the

games for people that cannot attend. This is very important for all the games FC Cincinnati

plays away from home. Being able to engage the consumer base from a distance is an important

aspect of business that technology makes available. More than steaming games live to either

phones, pubs, or television stations another way to engage customers is through an app. The

introduction of NFL mobile is an example of how sports teams in the past have used technology

to benefit the customers. Verizon has reported that 4.5 million people (Kapustka) use the NFL

mobile app. The vast amount of users shows the interest held in such an app. FC Cincinnati

could easily produce an app that included information about games and even merchandise which

would be received well by the customers.

Market Expansion
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For the past several decades in the United States, football, baseball, and basketball have

been the sports that attract the most fans to their stadiums, promote youth teams, and bring

together family and friends each week to watch them on television. However, in 2016, the sports

industry has undergone changes. Now, the acceptance and popularity of Major League Soccer is

quickly rising in order to be comparable to the NFL, MLB, and NBA. This shift began with the

younger generation who are knowledgeable about the sport, passionate to play in a league, and

eager to share their obsession with their family members. Today, approximately three million

kids across the United States play on a youth soccer team. In fact, 12 to 17-year-olds would

rather watch Major League Soccer than Major League Baseball (Neil). Therefore, FC Cincinnati

should utilize this period of growth within the soccer industry to their advantage. With the

surrounding city of Cincinnati thriving and thousands of dedicated fans rooting for the team, it is

just the right time for FC Cincinnati to expand, and achieve their goal of becoming a MLS team.

Figure 1 shows the increase in attendance at Major League Soccer games and the number of MLS clubs from 1996

to 2015. Major League Soccer has grown in popularity over the past several years (Gaines).
 FC Cincinnati 15

Image 2 shows the strong growth in youth soccer participation throughout the United States from approximately

1980 to 2014. Today, more children want to join soccer teams and become more involved in their communities

(Johnson).

FC Cincinnati has two very dynamic target markets: millennials and families with

children. An opportunity for FCC would be to expand within these markets by utilizing a market

penetration strategy. This strategy promotes an existing product in an existing market in order to

attain a higher market share. FC Cincinnati could advertise their brand to reach more people in

their current market of Cincinnati. As of April 2016, millennials made up the 2nd largest

generation in the United States, with 69.2 million individuals (Fry). Thus, if targeted effectively,

FCC could gain the dedication of all of the young adults throughout Cincinnati, which, in turn,

would promote the team as an integral part of the city. Their other target, families with kids, is

imperative to capitalize on because the shift in the demand for soccer stems from the children.

Youth soccer is extremely prevalent in Cincinnati so strengthening FCCs presence into this

community would also be a great opportunity.

 FC Cincinnati 16

Gaining the popularity of more families and millennials in Cincinnati would further FCC

in achieving their goal of becoming a Major League Soccer team. Currently, there are 20 teams

that make up MLS, and if FC Cincinnati continued to increase their attendance and revenue, their

team would be a strong contender. Additionally, investing in a new stadium rather than Nippert

Stadium at the University of Cincinnati, as well as finding a more advanced training facility

could help the team grow immensely. If they became the newest addition to MLS, they would

attract a much broader market, which is the ultimate long-term opportunity. All of these

components of market expansion would not only help FCC gain attention and popularity, but

also cultivate a strong community within Cincinnati because of everything it has to offer.

Threats

Cincinnatis culture is growing every day, accommodating new fads, trends, and even, as

it seems, sports. The city has grown to embrace FC Cincinnati and all that it stands for, and after

its first season, FC Cincinnati has a lot to be proud of. It is, however, entirely possible that the

team could fail to maintain the citys support, and lose the momentum that it has gained over the

course of its first season.

Prevention of MLS Status

FC Cincinnati has flourished within its first year and benefited from the plethora of

resources and support from the greater Cincinnati area. FC is a young organization that has the

potential to capitalize on the urban collegiate basin around the University of Cincinnati. Within

such a new company, everyone must be privy to the knowledge that MLS status is the key to the

companys success. The team is currently restricted from joining the MLS, and as such, FC

Cincinnatis legitimacy as a company will be threatened until the company secures that status.
 FC Cincinnati 17

The unfortunate reality is that the MLS may not feel very strongly about adding FC Cincinnati

until it has been proven to both perform at MLS level, as well as secure MLS level ticket sales.

The situation, however, could turn into a catch 22, wherein the company will not expand until it

secures MLS status, but will not attain MLS status until it expands. Due to the lack of data (ticket

sales over years, percentage increase or decrease etc.) available as of now, the situation is

relatively ambiguous in terms of what could threaten the company in this respect.

Negative Media Coverage

FCs location has brought a large number of sponsors to the team, including UC Health,

Toyota, Nike, and United Dairy Farmers. The sponsorship allows the team to have operational

funding spanning from merchandise production to purchasing concessions supplies. A potential

threat to the organization is the removal of these sponsors if the media delivers any serious

negative impact to the team, or the companies decide the supports marginal costs are

outweighed by marginal benefits.

Logistics and Efficiency

Nippert stadium itself stands as a barrier in the path of FCs own ambition. MLS

generally requires a team to have its own stadium to enter the league, and currently FC has no

such structure. While Nippert stadium is capable of housing large amounts of attendees, the

logistical structure of the facilities may be limiting the maximization of profit and efficiency

during matches. The exterior lines at concessions and memorabilia stands were noticeably

lengthy and not always processed quickly. This is partly due to the facilities at Nippert not being

suited to major sporting events as of now.

Economic Recession/Rising Ticket Prices

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Sporting event tickets are considered disposable income in the economics world. A

recession could pose real risk for the sports industry with a possible decline in sponsorships,

ticket sales, and merchandise sales. Although there is a risk posed, ticket and merchandise sales

for three of the largest professional sports leagues in the U.S. seem to remain constant even with

a recession. Through a John Hopkins University study, the NFL, MLB, and NHL were analyzed

economically through the 2008 recession. The results showed that these professional sports

leagues persisted through the recession and even showed some signs of growth. This is a good

sign for FC Cincinnati and the United Soccer League in large. However, one could question

whether or not a small league depending on a younger, more trendy fan base will persevere

through a recession like the big three leagues did.

Lack of Future Popularity

This threat poses the most real threat to FC Cincinnati. Soccer is not the leading viewed

sport in America, but Cincinnati has a rich base of the sport. The company has witnessed record

high attendance at their games during the first year, but the possibility of this new occurrence

may only be a new trend or fad. The playoff game broke a new USL post season attendance

record by drawing an amazing 30,187 people to Nippert, even though it ended in a heart

wrenching loss to Charleston. In professional sports, season records and momentum are

everything. A positive winning record and enthusiasm for the team are critical for growing

support and maintaining customer loyalty. Time will tell if FC is merely a short term mass

attraction or if the team proves itself to be more than the next new raging trend. FC Cincinnati is

currently poised to maintain its status of popularity, but the lingering possibility remains that

they could lose the support of their community like the Indy Eleven did, or the previous soccer

team from Cincinnati: The Cincinnati Kings. Along with the possibility of a short life cycle for
 FC Cincinnati 19

the team, all active contracts end on November 11th, 2016. This requires new contracts to be

worked out due to the players all now having a status of free agents. The team must be assembled

and a full roster must be put together again, and the presence of individual players could affect

the popularity and enthusiasm for the new season.

Recommendations

Strengths Recommendations

Location
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Even though FC Cincinnati wants to stay in Nippert Stadium whether or not they get into

the MLS, a majority of teams in the MLS have their own stadium. Since they have to compete

with the University of Cincinnatis sports, it would be a time and space saver to have their own

training facility. We know FC Cincinnati is in the process of finding and building a prime future

location for their training facility, however it is worth mentioning. Currently theyve been

struggling to get enough time on the field for training purposes. Having their own training

facility will allow their players to hone their skills even more. Stronger players will thus

strengthen the product of FC Cincinnati through performance, improving the quality of the

business as a whole. This also would provide a location for FC Cincinnati to host community

philanthropy events in the form of training camps.

Social Media

FC Cincinnatis presence on social media is strong, but they should continue to branch

out into different target markets and extend their reach past the tri-state area. They should keep

building their presence on different social media platforms, promoting their events and the FC

Cincinnati team by engaging their audience with new social media features such as polls, or

engaging them through normal interaction between users, and exclusive online giveaways. They

have a decent amount of followers, but they can extend their social media even further and grow

the fanbase on social media sites. Upon examining the social media accounts of various teams

with similar attendance records to FC Cincinnati, every team that had higher attendance than FC

Cincinnati also had a significantly larger following on social media (see Figure 1-2). With FC

Cincinnati only having a social media presence for the past year, this is to be expected, however,

there are several things FC Cincinnati could do to improve its social media performance, the first

of which is building content cohesiveness. Our prime example for content cohesiveness is
 FC Cincinnati 21

Orlando City SC, which currently leads FC Cincinnati on Instagram by approximately 170,800

followers (193,000 vs. 22,200). On Orlando City SCs Instagram page, even when scrolling

through swathes of content, the brand is never lost among the posts (see Figure 4). The largest

group of posts without a clear reference to the Orlando City SC brand contains 5 posts, and while

that does not necessarily help reinforce the brand on social media, that does not occupy the

entirety of a viewing screen, thus the peripheral posts maintain the brands image on the page,

even if viewers dont reference that content directly. On the FC Cincinnati Instagram page,

however, there are consistently gaps of four or more posts that do not include the FC Cincinnati

brand, image, or even colors, the largest of which includes

nine consecutive posts in which the FC Cincinnati brand is

only seen once, and in a manner that is neither overt, nor

engaging. Figures 5 and 6 provide an example of how we

believe FC Cincinnatis content could include and reinforce

the FC Cincinnati brand.

 FC Cincinnati 22

Weaknesses Recommendations

Merchandising Reach

A weakness of FC Cincinnatis is their merchandising reach. Currently merchandise is

sold in a team store downtown that focuses on FC Cincinnati gear, as well as at DuBois

Bookstore which is mainly utilized by University of Cincinnati students. These locations were

prime for the first year season, locating their merchandise in the city, however it is difficult for

somebody to purchase FC Cincinnati gear without going out of their way. It is not necessary for

FC Cincinnati to have more team stores solely dedicated to them, however they should get their

merchandise in busy, already existing stores. Dicks Sporting Goods would be a prime example

of one of these stores. Their target market is guaranteed to be flowing through the store regularly.

Because Dicks focuses solely on sporting goods and athletic apparel, most consumers will likely

already have an idea of what FCC is. FCC should also get their apparel and other merchandise in

discounter stores such as Walmart, Meijer and Target. Both of these stores are always busy and
 FC Cincinnati 23

have a local sports apparel section. FC Cincinnati will be assuming slightly more risk, solely

because the average shopper may not know exactly what FC Cincinnati is. However, this could

also be a benefit. FC Cincinnatis colors are very bold and original, but they look great together.

They will most definitely catch the eyes of consumers and the unique lion crest completes it. The

consumer will not have to be a huge supporter to purchase the merchandise, someone who barely

knows what FC Cincinnati is will want to buy it because of its distinctive look. This will lead to

more merchandise being sold, which will then create greater brand awareness and potentially a

larger fan base. Another way to improve merchandise sales would be to introduce more cheaper

products, so that the customers entering these discount retailers, and the majority of millenials,

will have the funds to support buying FC Cincinnati merchandise, either on impulse or out of a

predetermined interest in the product. .

Streaming Quality

A complement to FC Cincinnatis large TV presence for home games would be a

successful, high quality live internet stream of away games. The fact that the stream quality is

very poor does not allow passionate fans to watch away games. It is often hard to find the link to

the live stream or know where to find it. Posting links to the live stream through social media

outlets will help people find where to watch it. The low quality stream does not look very

professional for a mostly successful company. FC Cincinnati should invest in superior equipment

for the away games. It is also necessary for FC Cincinnati to have the proper software that will

allow them to create a better live stream. This will add additional costs to FC Cincinnati,

however it is an intelligent investment. This allows average fans who watch games on TV to

watch them on the internet which in turn will create a passionate, loyal fan. It will also get more
 FC Cincinnati 24

views on the FC Cincinnati website, leading more people to the online store, generating more

revenue from merchandising

Opportunities Recommendations

Cincinnati Culture

With the beautification of the city, having FC Cincinnati incorporated one of the mural

being created in downtown or OTR would let everyone know that FC Cincinnati is permanently

apart of the community that is here to stay. Also, this would gives FC Cincinnati the chance to

partner with an organization like ArtWorks which would further immerse them in the community

and show their mission to unify the city.

Recently, Cincinnati has become a destination for millennials with the start-up and other

cultural events. A way to appeal to millennials is by coming out with a line of merchandise that

has a vintage/european feel. These shirts will appeal to a younger crowd more so than the

average shirts that are being sold now. With these new shirts, Cincinnatians will continue to sport

FC Cincinnati shirts around with pride. This will promote the brand image that FC Cincinnati is

trying to embody by coming across as an european team.

Another distinct Cincinnatian trait is a pride for the local high schools. Its not

uncommon to be asked where you went to high school upon meeting someone. A way that FC

Cincinnati can be apart of this Cincinnati specific quirk is to host a high school night. At this

high school night current high schoolers and alumni can come in their high school colors and

there could even be a student section match off during half time. Also during this time,

University of Cincinnati would have the opportunity to show itself off as high schoolers come

onto campus, potentially bringing more people into the college, making the unity of FCC at

Nippert even more beneficial.

 FC Cincinnati 25

Technology

Based off of our analysis, we would strongly recommend that FC Cincinnati reach their

fan base through a more interactive app. The app available now only offers a Twitter feed,

podcasts, and news pertaining to FC Cincinnati. This app could add an entirely new dimension to

how fans interact with the team. Within the app, fans can easily buy tickets and have their ticket

available through the app, stream games when they cant attend, and have the player stats at their

fingertips. When theyre attending the games at Nippert, the app could be used as a way to

connect the fans during the game by offering replays for victorious moments or even creating a

system of food or drinks being delivered right to their seats so they dont have to miss a minute

of a fast paced game like soccer.

Threats Recommendations

Prevention of MLS Status

Clearly the major goal of both FC Cincinnati as well as its fans is to move into the MLS

when the league decides to expand, most likely in 2020 (FOX Sports). Despite FC Cincinnatis

astounding performance in its inaugural season, finishing 3rd in the Eastern Conference (USL),

and its record breaking attraction of 24,376 fans to its game against Orlando City B, the company

is and will be held back by a lack of viewership and recognition that goes hand-in-hand with lack

of MLS status. The most obvious ways of retaining the attention of the MLS is to continue to

draw large crowds to games. FC Cincinnati has already hoped to ensure a large turnout for every

game by increasing the number of season ticket holders, attempting to bolster fan numbers to an

average of 20,000 per game (Solomon). Another way to ensure that FC Cincinnati retains a large

turnout is to continue winning games. While this goal may seem obvious to even the most

uninformed soccer fan, we believe there are some fundamental adjustments that could be made
 FC Cincinnati 26

to assist in that goal, primarily securing player contracts. To ensure that fans do not lose interest,

or view FC Cincinnati as a fad sport, FC Cincinnati must ensure that their players are secured.

Under the current set of 1-year contracts, it is entirely possible for all of the teams best players

to move into existing MLS teams, or other, more lucrative options than FC Cincinnati currently

is. This may seem unlikely, however, maintaining the strong players that FC Cincinnati already

employs, as well as securing longer-term contracts with new recruits, will ensure that the team

continues to perform.

Logistics and Efficiency

FC Cincinnati had some difficulty handling the large crowds they were able to draw to Nippert

Stadium this year. As a first-year team, many expected this and were tolerant of it, and the

novelty of the overall experience minimized the detriment any logistical failures may have had

on fans, however, the next season must see a more streamlined system of concessions,

merchandise, and overall interaction with fans. By minimizing wait time, fans will be

encouraged to stop watching the game momentarily to purchase merchandise and/or food,

because they wont have to worry as much about missing what may be the only point scored in

the game. One way FC Cincinnati can handle these logistical issues is to introduce several

different check-in kiosks for peak entry hours at games, diverting lines to several different

locations, and shortening each individual line. FC Cincinnati could also introduce a feature on

their app to download tickets digitally to help speed up check in. Finally, by adding other food

vendors to the games, such as Canes chicken etc. fans may be more encouraged to buy food and

concessions. More vendors will mean that each individual line is much shorter, and shorter lines

will ensure that fans can get back to the game without missing much of the action, an essential

component of a game where only one point may be scored the entire game.
 FC Cincinnati 27

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