February 6, 2025 • 30 mins
What truly separates an ordinary gameday from an unforgettable sports experience? For the New York Red Bulls, it all comes down to their meticulously crafted "street to seat" philosophy that transforms every matchday into a celebration of community, passion, and soccer culture.
Elisa Padilla, CMO of the New York Red Bulls, takes us behind the scenes of creating the most fan-friendly sports experience in one of the world's most competitive entertainment markets. From the moment supporters arrive at the boulevard—with its interactive soccer activities, live music, and vibrant pre-game energy—to the final whistle in a stadium where "there's not one bad seat in the house," every element is designed with fans as the North Star.
The results speak for themselves: steadily increasing attendance, an impressive 80% renewal rate among members, and a passionate supporter culture that stands and chants for the full 90 minutes. Padilla reveals how the organization maintains this success through constant feedback loops, personalized experiences for first-time attendees, and a marketing philosophy centered on evoking emotion at every touchpoint.
Whether you're a marketing professional looking to enhance fan experiences, a sports enthusiast curious about soccer's growing cultural footprint, or simply someone interested in how brands foster passionate communities, this conversation delivers valuable insights about the intersection of sports, culture, and emotional connection.
Recorded Thursday, February 6th, 2025
Hosts: Jeff Miele, Account Group Director for Sports, Attractions, and Live Events, Situation & Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation
Guest: Elisa Padilla, CMO, New York Red Bulls
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Innovation Advisor, Situation
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Peter Yagecic (00:18):
Thank you, damian Bazzadana and account group
director for sports attractionsand live events, jeff Mealy, and
our guest for this episode isElisa Padilla, cmo for the New
York Red Bulls.
Here's Damian, to get thingsrolling.
Damian Bazadona (00:33):
Elisa, thank you for joining us.
I'm actually I'm a big.
First of all, I'm a big MLS fan, dating myself many years ago.
We worked with the league manyyears ago, so I had actually
really memorable experienceswith my son.
We worked with the league manyyears ago, so I had actually
really memorable experienceswith my son.
We went to the All-Star Games,we went to the championship and
flew down to Atlanta for a matchand I feel like and I'm also a
local Jersey resident and I'vehad a lot of experiences with
(00:54):
the Red Bulls I find MLSfascinating in the sense of it
is one of the few major sportsleagues that are centered around
community.
You guys do it really well.
I think the Red Bulls do itphenomenally well.
I've been to a bunch of games,but I'm going to go on the
assumption that a fair number ofpeople on this webinar have not
.
I would love, if you don't mind, starting with like, take me
(01:16):
through the fan experience ofgame day, like the sounds, the
sights, the feeling, like howwould you describe it?
The sensory story.
However, you want to just takeus through that please.
Elisa Padilla (01:26):
Yeah, absolutely so.
First of all, thank you, damon,jeff and Peter for hosting us
and having us be part of yourevent today.
We're really happy to be hereand, damon, love to hear that
you're a New York Red Bulls fan.
Thank you for your fandom.
So you know, here at the NewYork Red Bulls, our fans are our
number one priority and, simplysaid, we are the most fun and
(01:49):
fan-friendly sports andentertainment experience in the
market.
When we think about the fanjourney on Match Day, we think
about from the moment you turnon Guy-Anne, if you're in your
car or you're getting off thepath.
We're thinking about what isthe energy that people are
(02:09):
feeling, what are they seeing,what are they smelling, what are
they going to touch?
So for us, internally, we callthis the street to seat
experience right, because webelieve that your experience
starts from the second you touchour property.
We believe that your experiencestarts from the second you
touch our property.
So, for those that arefirst-time comers or if you've
(02:34):
been coming here for years,every single match, we try to
make sure that there is actionand that people are feeling and
celebrating their fandom as theyare arriving and we're
welcoming them onto theboulevard.
So the boulevard is the firststep where we have an experience
for everyone.
We have interactive soccerexperiences for kids, we have
(02:57):
live music, we have photo ops,you know, for those that love to
take selfies, shops for thosethat love to take selfies, we
have a DJ playing music.
It's all about getting intosharing the spirit for the club.
We also have the crossbar,which is right off to the side
(03:18):
of the boulevard, where you'reable to have something to eat,
you're able to have something todrink, really just get in the
mood, just to get to watch thematch.
And for us, you know, we thinkabout every touch point because
you know what the one thing thatwe're selling here is.
We're selling an experience,right, when you go to a sporting
(03:39):
event, you don't know theoutcome.
So we want to make sure thatyou have the best experience
when you come to SportsIllustrated Stadium and when you
are watching our New York RedBull, you know match.
And I also think that when wethink about, you know, providing
value to our fans, we thinkabout how do we bring theme
(04:01):
nights to life, right?
So last season, for example,for every single match, we had a
theme, we had a giveaway, and Ithink that that's part of
establishing a place where youcan come and celebrate with your
community.
And then the other great thingnot to boast about our home is
(04:23):
that we were built for soccer.
So there is not one bad seat inthe house, whether it's raining
, whether it's not raining.
It is just it's built forsoccer and it's an incredible
venue to experience a live match.
And you know we think about ourmost loyal fans, which are Red
(04:45):
members, and you know we want tomake sure that if you've been a
Red member for the last, youknow 10 years or you know just
one season, that every time thatyou're coming to a match you're
experiencing somethingdifferent.
So we continue to elevateeverything that we're doing.
Damian Bazadona (05:01):
And how.
First off, that's one of myfavorite things in terms of what
Major League Soccer did was itcreated the stadiums, in
particular the Red Bulls, aroundthe experience.
I used to watch the Red Bullsat what was now MetLife Stadium
like a giant stadium, and so I'mdating myself here and to watch
it and to watch the league atlarge really begin to frame the
(05:21):
stadium experience exactly likeyou talked about, and watching
the Red Bulls do it just as aresident.
It really does bring home asense of community and just
makes the energy.
You could put me in almost anystadium close my eyes, like in
terms of I would know I'm at aRed Bulls match just by the
sounds.
You can feel the sounds and thesensory component, which I
think is very different thanfootball and other sports, which
is exciting no-transcript andsupporter groups are our number
(06:36):
one priority.
Elisa Padilla (06:38):
We live and breathe to make sure that we are
providing a best-in-classexperience, that we are
delivering value for the moneythat they're investing in the
club and the way that we thinkabout it is.
You know what they're investingin us from a monetary
perspective, so we need toinvest in them from an
(07:01):
experience perspective.
We have surveys where, you know, we literally read our surveys
after each match.
We understand the pain pointsand once we understand you know
what, if there's any barriers,we quickly action to rectify it.
Our attendance, year after year, has gone up.
(07:22):
So, look, we must be doingsomething, right, right, and
from a renewal perspective,we're at 80%, which is actually
really great.
And when we think about, youknow, fandom, we think about
that club connection, right, soit's if you feel really good
about coming here and your clubspecifically.
(07:46):
For us, the New York Red Bullsare responding to you know, and
are listening to you and areworking tirelessly to really
work on every single barrierthat you may be encountering.
I think that you know peoplepay attention to that.
I mean, we have folks thatreach out to our president
directly and he responds to themdirectly.
(08:09):
And if there's a pain point,the executive team is made aware
of it and we action to rectifyit.
Because, look, you know, ourred members and our supporter
groups are the heartbeat of thisorganization.
And when we think about growth,MLS is the youngest league, um,
you know.
In sports, when we think about,you know, getting younger, um,
(08:31):
you know, we, we just have tomake sure that we're doing
things right, Because if youhave a good experience, you're
going to share that witheveryone, the same way as if you
have a bad experience, you'regoing to share it with everyone,
Right?
So we want to make sure thatwe're on the right side of those
conversations.
Damian Bazadona (08:49):
Just out of curiosity, what?
It's a very broad question.
What types of questions do youget from people or feedback?
Is it generally on the fieldadvice, almost saying like we
need to blah, blah, blah, or isit really really mostly about
the experience?
Elisa Padilla (09:03):
Damien, they're telling us who we need to
recruit.
Damian Bazadona (09:07):
There you go, okay, we get it from.
Elisa Padilla (09:09):
You need to sign X player to.
You know what?
There was a rain delay and whydidn't you warn us that there
was rain coming?
Okay, yeah, so it's um, youknow, I think it's, and we take
them all very, very seriously.
You know, last year, when weintroduced our new show, open,
(09:33):
and that's what we refer topregame, the feedback after you
know, the second match was.
It's like everybody you knowwho controls the sound in the
stadium was involved and youknow what, after the next match,
we level set and the fans werelike, okay, you know what, this
(09:54):
is much better.
So I think that those are thethings that you know are really,
really important, because we'rein a really competitive market
and look at the end of the day,it's you know, I love what we're
offering and we are accessibleand you know we're getting
better every single day and it'swith.
(10:15):
The fans are our North Star.
Damian Bazadona (10:18):
Yeah, by the way, it's great to hear that you
have such insight and closenessto the feedback.
It's not always the case asheading the marketing, and
sometimes there's a big distancebetween service and marketing,
and so the fact that youinstantly knew like oh, I got.
I could say exactly what theysay, which is a fantastic thing,
jeff.
I know you want to get in Jeff,so Jeff oversees obviously does
a ton of work on our sports anddifferent categories.
Jeff Miele (10:39):
I know you have a bunch and you know, elisa and I
have had a few conversations inthe past and you know we could
go on for a while, so I will domy best, elisa, to bring them as
brief as possible for you.
But you know, one of the thingsthat I would like to hear your
perspective on is we havecontinued to have these
conversations around the ongoinggrowing footprint of the sport
(11:02):
in the US and the MLS inparticular.
Growing footprint of the sportin the US and the MLS in
particular.
There's growing interest inviewership playing, growth in
farming even, and there's evenbeen the recent announcement,
for example, of Sunday NightSoccer, which is going to be
going head-to-head with the NFLOn a little different path.
It's becoming more prevalent inpop culture as well Increased
(11:22):
video game sales properties likeTed Lasso and Welcome to
Wrexham.
How do you feel the focus onsoccer in popular culture has
impacted the fandom and even whoshows up and maybe what fans
expect when they walk into thestadium?
Elisa Padilla (11:36):
Yeah, yeah, so that's a really interesting
question, right, because we knowfrom you know, the research
that MLS did in 2024 is thatattendance grew, you know,
exponentially.
And I think that you know what,locally, here, from our
perspective, our North Star,from a club perspective, is to
be the point of reference forsoccer in North America.
(11:59):
Right, and we think about sportand culture in that
intersection.
So, you know, when we thinkabout accessibility, we want to
make sure that folks have accessto come to our matches and you
know what they're going toexperience 90 minutes of nonstop
action.
Right, when we think aboutaudience segments, we think
(12:20):
about okay, so we have our redmembers, we have our supporter
groups.
How are we reaching collegestudents?
Right, we have a productdedicated to college students,
our student pass, and you knowwe have.
Last year we did a promotionwhere it was, if you purchased a
student pass, you also got apath ticket to get you back home
(12:42):
safely.
So I really think that you knowsoccer, you know it's going, we
are going to break into the topfour.
But I think part of that ispeople are curious and I also
think that you know we offer agreat experience and we're
(13:03):
accessible.
So for us.
You know what it's like, okay,you haven't come to a game, but
you're wearing our gear.
To us it's like, okay, you haveaccess to our club.
You must have some interestbecause you're wearing our
merchandise, right?
If you're looking at the.
You know at the programming onApple before our matches right,
(13:24):
there must be some interestthere if you're following us on
social media.
So I really think that the fan,we want to be where the fans
are and meet them where they are.
And at the end of the day, it'sand everyone in sports has this
issue.
It doesn't matter whetheryou're in the big four or MLS,
(13:44):
it's how are you getting peopleoff the couch to literally get
them into your stadium or intoyour arena?
Jeff Miele (13:52):
That's really interesting.
Let's hang on to that for asecond, about meeting people
where they are and thoseaudience segments that you
mentioned.
You know, on our side we workwith regional sports teams daily
and obviously one of our goalsand focus points is really
identifying and bringing in newaudiences.
You know, sometimes evenfinding those new ticket buyers
in unexpected audience segments.
Who would you consider to bethose newer audiences that are
(14:14):
coming to the stadium?
Have any of them surprised you?
Elisa Padilla (14:26):
And you know, even, on top of that, how do you
continue to nurture them tomake sure that they keep coming
back?
Yeah, so it's reallyinteresting, because the data
that we see on paper sometimesdoesn't match the people that we
see in the stadium, right?
So it's we know that, look, weare.
When we think about our Redmembers, we know that they're
it's families, right, that arecoming to the games, that live
out in the suburbs.
And when we think about ouroverall product portfolio, right
(14:48):
?
So you could either be a Redmember, become a Red member and
commit to the entire season youcan have a partial plan, commit
to some games or you can just bea single game ticket buyer,
right?
So when we think about thesingle game buyers, we think
about okay, how are we going toget them back?
So last year we launched a firstmatch program.
(15:12):
So if you were, we know if it'syour first time coming to a
match, you get personalizedinformation, you're able to pick
up a surprise and delight atguest services and two days
after the match, you're sent anoffer.
Right?
So that's how we're nurturingthem, because it's everyone
wants to be seen, right?
(15:34):
So how many of us have gone toa sporting event and when we see
ourselves on the video boardwe're like we go crazy, like
we've never seen ourselves in amirror, right.
So this is the same kind ofthing, is just like
acknowledging hey, we saw you,we know this was your first time
.
We want you to come back andyou know, I think that we have
(15:54):
to right now.
We know that our primary ticketbuyer is male, 43 years old, he
lives in the suburbs, he'smarried, he drives an SUV and
it's like, okay, like my goal atyear five here is to make sure
that I have touched every singleperson that is within that
profile, right?
(16:14):
Because then after that I couldstart going wider and casting
the net.
You know, wider, but it's likethe number one rule in marketing
is just like go fish where thefish are.
So right now we're fishing inthat pond but we're not keeping
our eye off the other ponds.
And you know we have over43,000 youngsters playing in our
(16:38):
youth programs in the tri-statearea, so it's nurturing the
future fans.
You know, through theconnection and the love of the
sport that they're playing at ayoung age.
Peter Yagecic (16:53):
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Check us out atSituationInteractivecom.
(17:14):
Now back to our Q&A.
Jeff Miele (17:21):
I really respect how much you and your team focus on
not just who the audiences are,but continuing to focus on the
different levels of fandom aswell.
The most recent match that Iwent to was actually with a
large portion of the Situationteam here.
We went to the secondtriumphant match against
Columbus in October and theenergy was just through the roof
(17:49):
and it was impossible to notget swept away in that action
and the excitement, um, you know.
But that energy, I think, alsocomes from the community itself
and not just what that specificmatch represented.
Uh, and I think, no matter whatlevel of fan you were, you got
swept away in that, and what doyou think attributes to that?
Elisa Padilla (18:04):
well, I think, no matter what level of fan you
were, you got swept away in that.
And what do you thinkattributes to that?
And you know we want to be goodneighbors to those that I mean.
(18:45):
The stadium is in a residentialyou know, part of the town that
we're in.
We have Kearney that about theNew York Red Bulls as their team
and that this is their homeaway from home, where they can
come, you know, cheer and bepart of something that you know
20,000 other people have incommon, which is the love and
passion for this club.
And you know, when we thinkabout New York and we think
about the accessibility, right,the next place that we want to
(19:08):
own is, you know, we want to ownJersey City, we want to own
Hoboken, we want to own thefinancial district, we want to
own Battery Park, and it'sbecause we know and no one's
walking around with rosy coloredglasses we know that parking is
an issue, right.
So how do we educate consumersto say, hey, we are just a path,
a train away, you can be herein 15 minutes, right?
(19:30):
So that's the way that we'rethinking about it and you know
it's for us, our neighbors areso important because when we
think community is so importantto us as a club, and when we
think about, you know, thefuture fans, and we think about
making an impact, it's aboutthat emotional connection, right
(19:51):
?
You know, here within our team,we think we always talk about
evoking emotion.
Everything that we do has toevoke emotion, to drive action,
to get share of wallet, because,as you know, jeff and Damon,
we're all sellers, right, itdoesn't matter whether you're in
legal, whether you're infinance, or you're in marketing,
or you're on the commercialside, we're all selling
(20:13):
something.
But think about your consumerhabits, right.
Where you're spending yourmoney right, there has to be
that emotional hook.
Where you're spending yourmoney, right, there has to be
that emotional hook.
And once that emotional hookhappens, it's about being part
of a community that's largerthan yourself.
Jeff Miele (20:29):
Yeah, that's amazing and I really love the way you
put that, and there's certainlyone way to look at a fandom of a
sports team, which is alreadybig in itself, but as a born and
bred Jersey boy, thatgeographic pride is always so
important as well.
So when the two come together,it could be explosive in the
best way and something that youcould really own.
Peter, I do want to ask you Iknow that some audience
(20:51):
questions are coming in Wouldyou like to throw some over?
Peter Yagecic (20:53):
Absolutely.
Let's try and get to the firstone.
I think we'll be quick andmaybe a free kick.
Elisaisa, somebody asked whatwas your favorite theme night.
Elisa Padilla (21:03):
You talked about oh my goodness, that's like
asking me who my favorite childis no, but we're not going to
play this on the big board, it'sokay I think opening night,
opening night was spectacularlast year, um, and the reason
for it is because that set thetone for the rest of the season
right, and having fans come inand, you know, just seeing their
(21:25):
passion and their excitement,then that, you know, trickled
along the way.
And then, from an activationperspective, I think, which
wasn't necessarily a theme night, but the launch of our mascot,
red, and, again, when you thinkabout community, how the team
(21:45):
here was able to bring that tolife with the support of our
supporter groups and to see himcome to life was just, it was
like it was incredible.
It was incredible.
So, but I think, think you know, for the person who asked the
question, opening night was byfar my favorite theme night very
(22:09):
cool.
Peter Yagecic (22:09):
I'll sneak one more in uh and then hand it back
to jeff uh, we.
This question was I love theidea of thinking of the fan
experience from street to seat.
What opportunities do you seeto engage with fans in the
consideration or purchase path?
Uh, pre-street is it possibleto translate the in-venue
experience digitally to peoplebefore they buy a ticket or red
membership?
Elisa Padilla (22:30):
oh, that's a really, really good question and
that is something that we havebeen, the team, has been trying
to crack, even before I got here, and it's really.
You know, what is that digital?
What is that fandom digitalecosystem?
And I think that you know thereare multiple touch points,
(22:51):
right, so you have our app,which we reimagined last year,
and it's really again thinkingof the fan.
First, you have our emailmarketing, those touches and
then you have our website.
But I also think you know wecan leverage partners like
Adidas, you know, who havestores throughout New York,
(23:12):
where it's like, if the New YorkRed Bulls are prominent, when
someone is shopping, right, wethink about being fashion
forward first, um, so I thinkthat there's multiple touch
points.
However, I will say we stillhave not cracked um, the code of
really thinking about, you know, maybe the couch to fridge, um,
(23:37):
experience, um.
So we're working on it, I canassure you of that.
Jeff Miele (23:43):
I'm going to get a little deeper right now.
You know we've talked about theongoing excitement around the
sport and the outstanding seasonthis past season and I know we
have high hopes for the nextseason and ongoing growth of
fans etc.
But you know where I do want tokeep it positive and I want you
to tell me a little bit aboutwhat makes you most excited
about for the future.
(24:03):
I also kind of want to go downthe path of what keeps you up at
night what challenges do yousee and what are you doing to
overcome them?
Elisa Padilla (24:12):
Yeah, well, I think you know, I think, jeff
and Damon, I think you know theanswer to this butts in seats is
what keeps me up at night, likeevery.
It's like thinking, okay, howare we going to break through
the clutter, right?
How are we going to, you know,get into people's feeds in the
most you know exciting way?
(24:35):
And I think that you know partof that is that the marketing
ecosystem has really changed.
So, continuing to educateourselves on consumer behavior
and what's important toconsumers I think that's the
second part of the thing thatkeeps me up at night because,
from a storytelling perspective,right, we think of everything
(24:58):
through four lenses.
One is we think about community, we think about culture, we
think about development and thenwe think about fan engagement,
right?
So everything that we do itdoesn't matter whether it's a
press release, it doesn't matterwhether it's a post on
Instagram it's like are we, arewe checking every single box?
(25:19):
Because we want to be veryintentional about making sure
that we're thinking abouteverything from the fan
experience, right?
Because if we don't think aboutit that way, then how are we
going to get better and reachnewer audiences, like we talked
about previously?
Jeff Miele (25:38):
That's amazing, and I do think that it's reflected
in every touchpoint that I'vereceived from you, as we
continue to stay engaged.
Peter, has anything else comein from any of the viewers?
Peter Yagecic (25:47):
Yeah, yeah, I think we have time for another
fan question here.
What kind of coordination doesthe Red Bulls do?
Do the Red Bulls do between thebrand as a whole and the
players, who are increasinglybrands themselves?
Elisa Padilla (26:02):
Oh, that's a great question.
That's a really good question,and I have to say that I have
been in the sports andentertainment industry for over
two decades community and reallyhave a presence within our
community because we want peopleto get to know the players.
(26:34):
And we're also very luckybecause we have a few homegrowns
, which I think is pretty cool,right, when you think about, oh,
I grew up next to so-and-so whomaybe lives in Chatham and I've
seen him grow up playing soccerand now I can go to the New
York Red Bulls game and see himplay on the pitch, that's pretty
exciting.
But I think that one of thethings you know that our comms
(26:57):
team and social team works withon the player's side is really
preparing our players on how youknow their brand, how they show
up when they're speaking to themedia and then also on social
media.
Right, they are a brand.
So how can we help them continueto cultivate their brand and
(27:19):
grow their fandom?
Because ultimately it's goingto come full circle, right, if
you're a fan of a specificplayer, you're following them on
social media, you're going tobuy their jersey.
You're you know what specificplayer?
You're following them on socialmedia, you're going to buy
their jersey.
You know what?
Eventually, you're going tomake your way to Sports
Illustrated Stadium to watchthem play on the pitch.
Peter Yagecic (27:35):
Yeah, that extended brand ambassador,
that's something that's come upa lot in the series and thank
you for sharing that.
Damian, I think you had aquestion you wanted to get in
there.
Damian Bazadona (27:43):
I do Elisa?
What is your favorite part ofthat soccer fandom?
You've marketed a lot in liveentertainment and live
experiences.
You show up to Red Bull Like ifyou're sitting in the parking
lot.
You're walking at the stadiumas a marketer.
What do you go like?
What makes it special?
The world of soccer and or theworld of Red Bulls?
You have where you want toanswer that world.
(28:03):
What is your?
What is your favorite partabout it?
Elisa Padilla (28:06):
I think it's the passion, damien.
I think that it's like on matchday, I sit at the top of the
stairs, um, at gate b, and Iwatch like the supporters
tailgating.
The fact that they're therehours before the match starts
and they're in their gear fromhead to toe, right, right, it's
just like the passion and thelove that they have for this
(28:29):
club and for the sport is likeno other.
And then to really, you know,when they march into, you know,
into the stadium, and then thefact that they're on their feet
for 90 minutes, it's like it isfor 90 minutes, it's like it is
(28:52):
incredible.
And I have you know, I had youknow, I'm lucky enough that this
past season I was able to visita few different clubs and in
different markets when we wereplaying on the road.
And it doesn't matter, likeit's, it's that supporter fandom
is what makes MLS so special.
And I don't think I didn'twitness that in basketball, I
(29:14):
didn't witness that in hockeyand I certainly didn't
experience it in baseball.
And it's a really, reallyspecial time to be part of this
league and this sport.
And look, every single day I'mlearning something new about
soccer fans and about our fans.
But that passion.
It's, you know, it's the reasonthat I get up in the morning,
(29:38):
because I want to make sure thatwe are delivering the best
experience, so that we continueto refine what we do to, you
know, complete our mission,which is to be the point of
reference for soccer in NorthAmerica.
Peter Yagecic (29:54):
That's going to do it for this episode of Fandom
Unpacked the podcast.
If you liked what you heard,please be sure to leave us a
review on Apple Podcasts.
Find out how to join us livefor an upcoming recording at
SituationLivecom slash fan.
We'll see you next time, truebelievers.
Thank you, damian Bazzadana and account group
director for sports attractionsand live events, jeff Mealy, and
our guest for this episode isElisa Padilla, cmo for the New
York Red Bulls.
Here's Damian, to get thingsrolling.
Damian Bazadona (00:33):
Elisa, thank you for joining us.
I'm actually I'm a big.
First of all, I'm a big MLS fan, dating myself many years ago.
We worked with the league manyyears ago, so I had actually
really memorable experienceswith my son.
We worked with the league manyyears ago, so I had actually
really memorable experienceswith my son.
We went to the All-Star Games,we went to the championship and
flew down to Atlanta for a matchand I feel like and I'm also a
local Jersey resident and I'vehad a lot of experiences with
(00:54):
the Red Bulls I find MLSfascinating in the sense of it
is one of the few major sportsleagues that are centered around
community.
You guys do it really well.
I think the Red Bulls do itphenomenally well.
I've been to a bunch of games,but I'm going to go on the
assumption that a fair number ofpeople on this webinar have not
.
I would love, if you don't mind, starting with like, take me
(01:16):
through the fan experience ofgame day, like the sounds, the
sights, the feeling, like howwould you describe it?
The sensory story.
However, you want to just takeus through that please.
Elisa Padilla (01:26):
Yeah, absolutely so.
First of all, thank you, damon,jeff and Peter for hosting us
and having us be part of yourevent today.
We're really happy to be hereand, damon, love to hear that
you're a New York Red Bulls fan.
Thank you for your fandom.
So you know, here at the NewYork Red Bulls, our fans are our
number one priority and, simplysaid, we are the most fun and
(01:49):
fan-friendly sports andentertainment experience in the
market.
When we think about the fanjourney on Match Day, we think
about from the moment you turnon Guy-Anne, if you're in your
car or you're getting off thepath.
We're thinking about what isthe energy that people are
(02:09):
feeling, what are they seeing,what are they smelling, what are
they going to touch?
So for us, internally, we callthis the street to seat
experience right, because webelieve that your experience
starts from the second you touchour property.
We believe that your experiencestarts from the second you
touch our property.
So, for those that arefirst-time comers or if you've
(02:34):
been coming here for years,every single match, we try to
make sure that there is actionand that people are feeling and
celebrating their fandom as theyare arriving and we're
welcoming them onto theboulevard.
So the boulevard is the firststep where we have an experience
for everyone.
We have interactive soccerexperiences for kids, we have
(02:57):
live music, we have photo ops,you know, for those that love to
take selfies, shops for thosethat love to take selfies, we
have a DJ playing music.
It's all about getting intosharing the spirit for the club.
We also have the crossbar,which is right off to the side
(03:18):
of the boulevard, where you'reable to have something to eat,
you're able to have something todrink, really just get in the
mood, just to get to watch thematch.
And for us, you know, we thinkabout every touch point because
you know what the one thing thatwe're selling here is.
We're selling an experience,right, when you go to a sporting
(03:39):
event, you don't know theoutcome.
So we want to make sure thatyou have the best experience
when you come to SportsIllustrated Stadium and when you
are watching our New York RedBull, you know match.
And I also think that when wethink about, you know, providing
value to our fans, we thinkabout how do we bring theme
(04:01):
nights to life, right?
So last season, for example,for every single match, we had a
theme, we had a giveaway, and Ithink that that's part of
establishing a place where youcan come and celebrate with your
community.
And then the other great thingnot to boast about our home is
(04:23):
that we were built for soccer.
So there is not one bad seat inthe house, whether it's raining
, whether it's not raining.
It is just it's built forsoccer and it's an incredible
venue to experience a live match.
And you know we think about ourmost loyal fans, which are Red
(04:45):
members, and you know we want tomake sure that if you've been a
Red member for the last, youknow 10 years or you know just
one season, that every time thatyou're coming to a match you're
experiencing somethingdifferent.
So we continue to elevateeverything that we're doing.
Damian Bazadona (05:01):
And how.
First off, that's one of myfavorite things in terms of what
Major League Soccer did was itcreated the stadiums, in
particular the Red Bulls, aroundthe experience.
I used to watch the Red Bullsat what was now MetLife Stadium
like a giant stadium, and so I'mdating myself here and to watch
it and to watch the league atlarge really begin to frame the
(05:21):
stadium experience exactly likeyou talked about, and watching
the Red Bulls do it just as aresident.
It really does bring home asense of community and just
makes the energy.
You could put me in almost anystadium close my eyes, like in
terms of I would know I'm at aRed Bulls match just by the
sounds.
You can feel the sounds and thesensory component, which I
think is very different thanfootball and other sports, which
is exciting no-transcript andsupporter groups are our number
(06:36):
one priority.
Elisa Padilla (06:38):
We live and breathe to make sure that we are
providing a best-in-classexperience, that we are
delivering value for the moneythat they're investing in the
club and the way that we thinkabout it is.
You know what they're investingin us from a monetary
perspective, so we need toinvest in them from an
(07:01):
experience perspective.
We have surveys where, you know, we literally read our surveys
after each match.
We understand the pain pointsand once we understand you know
what, if there's any barriers,we quickly action to rectify it.
Our attendance, year after year, has gone up.
(07:22):
So, look, we must be doingsomething, right, right, and
from a renewal perspective,we're at 80%, which is actually
really great.
And when we think about, youknow, fandom, we think about
that club connection, right, soit's if you feel really good
about coming here and your clubspecifically.
(07:46):
For us, the New York Red Bullsare responding to you know, and
are listening to you and areworking tirelessly to really
work on every single barrierthat you may be encountering.
I think that you know peoplepay attention to that.
I mean, we have folks thatreach out to our president
directly and he responds to themdirectly.
(08:09):
And if there's a pain point,the executive team is made aware
of it and we action to rectifyit.
Because, look, you know, ourred members and our supporter
groups are the heartbeat of thisorganization.
And when we think about growth,MLS is the youngest league, um,
you know.
In sports, when we think about,you know, getting younger, um,
(08:31):
you know, we, we just have tomake sure that we're doing
things right, Because if youhave a good experience, you're
going to share that witheveryone, the same way as if you
have a bad experience, you'regoing to share it with everyone,
Right?
So we want to make sure thatwe're on the right side of those
conversations.
Damian Bazadona (08:49):
Just out of curiosity, what?
It's a very broad question.
What types of questions do youget from people or feedback?
Is it generally on the fieldadvice, almost saying like we
need to blah, blah, blah, or isit really really mostly about
the experience?
Elisa Padilla (09:03):
Damien, they're telling us who we need to
recruit.
Damian Bazadona (09:07):
There you go, okay, we get it from.
Elisa Padilla (09:09):
You need to sign X player to.
You know what?
There was a rain delay and whydidn't you warn us that there
was rain coming?
Okay, yeah, so it's um, youknow, I think it's, and we take
them all very, very seriously.
You know, last year, when weintroduced our new show, open,
(09:33):
and that's what we refer topregame, the feedback after you
know, the second match was.
It's like everybody you knowwho controls the sound in the
stadium was involved and youknow what, after the next match,
we level set and the fans werelike, okay, you know what, this
(09:54):
is much better.
So I think that those are thethings that you know are really,
really important, because we'rein a really competitive market
and look at the end of the day,it's you know, I love what we're
offering and we are accessibleand you know we're getting
better every single day and it'swith.
(10:15):
The fans are our North Star.
Damian Bazadona (10:18):
Yeah, by the way, it's great to hear that you
have such insight and closenessto the feedback.
It's not always the case asheading the marketing, and
sometimes there's a big distancebetween service and marketing,
and so the fact that youinstantly knew like oh, I got.
I could say exactly what theysay, which is a fantastic thing,
jeff.
I know you want to get in Jeff,so Jeff oversees obviously does
a ton of work on our sports anddifferent categories.
Jeff Miele (10:39):
I know you have a bunch and you know, elisa and I
have had a few conversations inthe past and you know we could
go on for a while, so I will domy best, elisa, to bring them as
brief as possible for you.
But you know, one of the thingsthat I would like to hear your
perspective on is we havecontinued to have these
conversations around the ongoinggrowing footprint of the sport
(11:02):
in the US and the MLS inparticular.
Growing footprint of the sportin the US and the MLS in
particular.
There's growing interest inviewership playing, growth in
farming even, and there's evenbeen the recent announcement,
for example, of Sunday NightSoccer, which is going to be
going head-to-head with the NFLOn a little different path.
It's becoming more prevalent inpop culture as well Increased
(11:22):
video game sales properties likeTed Lasso and Welcome to
Wrexham.
How do you feel the focus onsoccer in popular culture has
impacted the fandom and even whoshows up and maybe what fans
expect when they walk into thestadium?
Elisa Padilla (11:36):
Yeah, yeah, so that's a really interesting
question, right, because we knowfrom you know, the research
that MLS did in 2024 is thatattendance grew, you know,
exponentially.
And I think that you know what,locally, here, from our
perspective, our North Star,from a club perspective, is to
be the point of reference forsoccer in North America.
(11:59):
Right, and we think about sportand culture in that
intersection.
So, you know, when we thinkabout accessibility, we want to
make sure that folks have accessto come to our matches and you
know what they're going toexperience 90 minutes of nonstop
action.
Right, when we think aboutaudience segments, we think
(12:20):
about okay, so we have our redmembers, we have our supporter
groups.
How are we reaching collegestudents?
Right, we have a productdedicated to college students,
our student pass, and you knowwe have.
Last year we did a promotionwhere it was, if you purchased a
student pass, you also got apath ticket to get you back home
(12:42):
safely.
So I really think that you knowsoccer, you know it's going, we
are going to break into the topfour.
But I think part of that ispeople are curious and I also
think that you know we offer agreat experience and we're
(13:03):
accessible.
So for us.
You know what it's like, okay,you haven't come to a game, but
you're wearing our gear.
To us it's like, okay, you haveaccess to our club.
You must have some interestbecause you're wearing our
merchandise, right?
If you're looking at the.
You know at the programming onApple before our matches right,
(13:24):
there must be some interestthere if you're following us on
social media.
So I really think that the fan,we want to be where the fans
are and meet them where they are.
And at the end of the day, it'sand everyone in sports has this
issue.
It doesn't matter whetheryou're in the big four or MLS,
(13:44):
it's how are you getting peopleoff the couch to literally get
them into your stadium or intoyour arena?
Jeff Miele (13:52):
That's really interesting.
Let's hang on to that for asecond, about meeting people
where they are and thoseaudience segments that you
mentioned.
You know, on our side we workwith regional sports teams daily
and obviously one of our goalsand focus points is really
identifying and bringing in newaudiences.
You know, sometimes evenfinding those new ticket buyers
in unexpected audience segments.
Who would you consider to bethose newer audiences that are
(14:14):
coming to the stadium?
Have any of them surprised you?
Elisa Padilla (14:26):
And you know, even, on top of that, how do you
continue to nurture them tomake sure that they keep coming
back?
Yeah, so it's reallyinteresting, because the data
that we see on paper sometimesdoesn't match the people that we
see in the stadium, right?
So it's we know that, look, weare.
When we think about our Redmembers, we know that they're
it's families, right, that arecoming to the games, that live
out in the suburbs.
And when we think about ouroverall product portfolio, right
(14:48):
?
So you could either be a Redmember, become a Red member and
commit to the entire season youcan have a partial plan, commit
to some games or you can just bea single game ticket buyer,
right?
So when we think about thesingle game buyers, we think
about okay, how are we going toget them back?
So last year we launched a firstmatch program.
(15:12):
So if you were, we know if it'syour first time coming to a
match, you get personalizedinformation, you're able to pick
up a surprise and delight atguest services and two days
after the match, you're sent anoffer.
Right?
So that's how we're nurturingthem, because it's everyone
wants to be seen, right?
(15:34):
So how many of us have gone toa sporting event and when we see
ourselves on the video boardwe're like we go crazy, like
we've never seen ourselves in amirror, right.
So this is the same kind ofthing, is just like
acknowledging hey, we saw you,we know this was your first time
.
We want you to come back andyou know, I think that we have
(15:54):
to right now.
We know that our primary ticketbuyer is male, 43 years old, he
lives in the suburbs, he'smarried, he drives an SUV and
it's like, okay, like my goal atyear five here is to make sure
that I have touched every singleperson that is within that
profile, right?
(16:14):
Because then after that I couldstart going wider and casting
the net.
You know, wider, but it's likethe number one rule in marketing
is just like go fish where thefish are.
So right now we're fishing inthat pond but we're not keeping
our eye off the other ponds.
And you know we have over43,000 youngsters playing in our
(16:38):
youth programs in the tri-statearea, so it's nurturing the
future fans.
You know, through theconnection and the love of the
sport that they're playing at ayoung age.
Peter Yagecic (16:53):
Fandom Unpacked is brought to you by Situation,
an award-winning marketingagency built for live
entertainment that champions thepower of unforgettable shared
experiences around the world.
We offer full marketing andcreative services for
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Check us out atSituationInteractivecom.
(17:14):
Now back to our Q&A.
Jeff Miele (17:21):
I really respect how much you and your team focus on
not just who the audiences are,but continuing to focus on the
different levels of fandom aswell.
The most recent match that Iwent to was actually with a
large portion of the Situationteam here.
We went to the secondtriumphant match against
Columbus in October and theenergy was just through the roof
(17:49):
and it was impossible to notget swept away in that action
and the excitement, um, you know.
But that energy, I think, alsocomes from the community itself
and not just what that specificmatch represented.
Uh, and I think, no matter whatlevel of fan you were, you got
swept away in that, and what doyou think attributes to that?
Elisa Padilla (18:04):
well, I think, no matter what level of fan you
were, you got swept away in that.
And what do you thinkattributes to that?
And you know we want to be goodneighbors to those that I mean.
(18:45):
The stadium is in a residentialyou know, part of the town that
we're in.
We have Kearney that about theNew York Red Bulls as their team
and that this is their homeaway from home, where they can
come, you know, cheer and bepart of something that you know
20,000 other people have incommon, which is the love and
passion for this club.
And you know, when we thinkabout New York and we think
about the accessibility, right,the next place that we want to
(19:08):
own is, you know, we want to ownJersey City, we want to own
Hoboken, we want to own thefinancial district, we want to
own Battery Park, and it'sbecause we know and no one's
walking around with rosy coloredglasses we know that parking is
an issue, right.
So how do we educate consumersto say, hey, we are just a path,
a train away, you can be herein 15 minutes, right?
(19:30):
So that's the way that we'rethinking about it and you know
it's for us, our neighbors areso important because when we
think community is so importantto us as a club, and when we
think about, you know, thefuture fans, and we think about
making an impact, it's aboutthat emotional connection, right
(19:51):
?
You know, here within our team,we think we always talk about
evoking emotion.
Everything that we do has toevoke emotion, to drive action,
to get share of wallet, because,as you know, jeff and Damon,
we're all sellers, right, itdoesn't matter whether you're in
legal, whether you're infinance, or you're in marketing,
or you're on the commercialside, we're all selling
(20:13):
something.
But think about your consumerhabits, right.
Where you're spending yourmoney right, there has to be
that emotional hook.
Where you're spending yourmoney, right, there has to be
that emotional hook.
And once that emotional hookhappens, it's about being part
of a community that's largerthan yourself.
Jeff Miele (20:29):
Yeah, that's amazing and I really love the way you
put that, and there's certainlyone way to look at a fandom of a
sports team, which is alreadybig in itself, but as a born and
bred Jersey boy, thatgeographic pride is always so
important as well.
So when the two come together,it could be explosive in the
best way and something that youcould really own.
Peter, I do want to ask you Iknow that some audience
(20:51):
questions are coming in Wouldyou like to throw some over?
Peter Yagecic (20:53):
Absolutely.
Let's try and get to the firstone.
I think we'll be quick andmaybe a free kick.
Elisaisa, somebody asked whatwas your favorite theme night.
Elisa Padilla (21:03):
You talked about oh my goodness, that's like
asking me who my favorite childis no, but we're not going to
play this on the big board, it'sokay I think opening night,
opening night was spectacularlast year, um, and the reason
for it is because that set thetone for the rest of the season
right, and having fans come inand, you know, just seeing their
(21:25):
passion and their excitement,then that, you know, trickled
along the way.
And then, from an activationperspective, I think, which
wasn't necessarily a theme night, but the launch of our mascot,
red, and, again, when you thinkabout community, how the team
(21:45):
here was able to bring that tolife with the support of our
supporter groups and to see himcome to life was just, it was
like it was incredible.
It was incredible.
So, but I think, think you know, for the person who asked the
question, opening night was byfar my favorite theme night very
(22:09):
cool.
Peter Yagecic (22:09):
I'll sneak one more in uh and then hand it back
to jeff uh, we.
This question was I love theidea of thinking of the fan
experience from street to seat.
What opportunities do you seeto engage with fans in the
consideration or purchase path?
Uh, pre-street is it possibleto translate the in-venue
experience digitally to peoplebefore they buy a ticket or red
membership?
Elisa Padilla (22:30):
oh, that's a really, really good question and
that is something that we havebeen, the team, has been trying
to crack, even before I got here, and it's really.
You know, what is that digital?
What is that fandom digitalecosystem?
And I think that you know thereare multiple touch points,
(22:51):
right, so you have our app,which we reimagined last year,
and it's really again thinkingof the fan.
First, you have our emailmarketing, those touches and
then you have our website.
But I also think you know wecan leverage partners like
Adidas, you know, who havestores throughout New York,
(23:12):
where it's like, if the New YorkRed Bulls are prominent, when
someone is shopping, right, wethink about being fashion
forward first, um, so I thinkthat there's multiple touch
points.
However, I will say we stillhave not cracked um, the code of
really thinking about, you know, maybe the couch to fridge, um,
(23:37):
experience, um.
So we're working on it, I canassure you of that.
Jeff Miele (23:43):
I'm going to get a little deeper right now.
You know we've talked about theongoing excitement around the
sport and the outstanding seasonthis past season and I know we
have high hopes for the nextseason and ongoing growth of
fans etc.
But you know where I do want tokeep it positive and I want you
to tell me a little bit aboutwhat makes you most excited
about for the future.
(24:03):
I also kind of want to go downthe path of what keeps you up at
night what challenges do yousee and what are you doing to
overcome them?
Elisa Padilla (24:12):
Yeah, well, I think you know, I think, jeff
and Damon, I think you know theanswer to this butts in seats is
what keeps me up at night, likeevery.
It's like thinking, okay, howare we going to break through
the clutter, right?
How are we going to, you know,get into people's feeds in the
most you know exciting way?
(24:35):
And I think that you know partof that is that the marketing
ecosystem has really changed.
So, continuing to educateourselves on consumer behavior
and what's important toconsumers I think that's the
second part of the thing thatkeeps me up at night because,
from a storytelling perspective,right, we think of everything
(24:58):
through four lenses.
One is we think about community, we think about culture, we
think about development and thenwe think about fan engagement,
right?
So everything that we do itdoesn't matter whether it's a
press release, it doesn't matterwhether it's a post on
Instagram it's like are we, arewe checking every single box?
(25:19):
Because we want to be veryintentional about making sure
that we're thinking abouteverything from the fan
experience, right?
Because if we don't think aboutit that way, then how are we
going to get better and reachnewer audiences, like we talked
about previously?
Jeff Miele (25:38):
That's amazing, and I do think that it's reflected
in every touchpoint that I'vereceived from you, as we
continue to stay engaged.
Peter, has anything else comein from any of the viewers?
Peter Yagecic (25:47):
Yeah, yeah, I think we have time for another
fan question here.
What kind of coordination doesthe Red Bulls do?
Do the Red Bulls do between thebrand as a whole and the
players, who are increasinglybrands themselves?
Elisa Padilla (26:02):
Oh, that's a great question.
That's a really good question,and I have to say that I have
been in the sports andentertainment industry for over
two decades community and reallyhave a presence within our
community because we want peopleto get to know the players.
(26:34):
And we're also very luckybecause we have a few homegrowns
, which I think is pretty cool,right, when you think about, oh,
I grew up next to so-and-so whomaybe lives in Chatham and I've
seen him grow up playing soccerand now I can go to the New
York Red Bulls game and see himplay on the pitch, that's pretty
exciting.
But I think that one of thethings you know that our comms
(26:57):
team and social team works withon the player's side is really
preparing our players on how youknow their brand, how they show
up when they're speaking to themedia and then also on social
media.
Right, they are a brand.
So how can we help them continueto cultivate their brand and
(27:19):
grow their fandom?
Because ultimately it's goingto come full circle, right, if
you're a fan of a specificplayer, you're following them on
social media, you're going tobuy their jersey.
You're you know what specificplayer?
You're following them on socialmedia, you're going to buy
their jersey.
You know what?
Eventually, you're going tomake your way to Sports
Illustrated Stadium to watchthem play on the pitch.
Peter Yagecic (27:35):
Yeah, that extended brand ambassador,
that's something that's come upa lot in the series and thank
you for sharing that.
Damian, I think you had aquestion you wanted to get in
there.
Damian Bazadona (27:43):
I do Elisa?
What is your favorite part ofthat soccer fandom?
You've marketed a lot in liveentertainment and live
experiences.
You show up to Red Bull Like ifyou're sitting in the parking
lot.
You're walking at the stadiumas a marketer.
What do you go like?
What makes it special?
The world of soccer and or theworld of Red Bulls?
You have where you want toanswer that world.
(28:03):
What is your?
What is your favorite partabout it?
Elisa Padilla (28:06):
I think it's the passion, damien.
I think that it's like on matchday, I sit at the top of the
stairs, um, at gate b, and Iwatch like the supporters
tailgating.
The fact that they're therehours before the match starts
and they're in their gear fromhead to toe, right, right, it's
just like the passion and thelove that they have for this
(28:29):
club and for the sport is likeno other.
And then to really, you know,when they march into, you know,
into the stadium, and then thefact that they're on their feet
for 90 minutes, it's like it isfor 90 minutes, it's like it is
(28:52):
incredible.
And I have you know, I had youknow, I'm lucky enough that this
past season I was able to visita few different clubs and in
different markets when we wereplaying on the road.
And it doesn't matter, likeit's, it's that supporter fandom
is what makes MLS so special.
And I don't think I didn'twitness that in basketball, I
(29:14):
didn't witness that in hockeyand I certainly didn't
experience it in baseball.
And it's a really, reallyspecial time to be part of this
league and this sport.
And look, every single day I'mlearning something new about
soccer fans and about our fans.
But that passion.
It's, you know, it's the reasonthat I get up in the morning,
(29:38):
because I want to make sure thatwe are delivering the best
experience, so that we continueto refine what we do to, you
know, complete our mission,which is to be the point of
reference for soccer in NorthAmerica.
Peter Yagecic (29:54):
That's going to do it for this episode of Fandom
Unpacked the podcast.
If you liked what you heard,please be sure to leave us a
review on Apple Podcasts.
Find out how to join us livefor an upcoming recording at
SituationLivecom slash fan.
We'll see you next time, truebelievers.
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