Come Experience BMO field

[tiberius]

I can't quite put my finger on why I find this insulting to the fan base. Perhaps, because it doesn't promote the beautiful game as much as it promotes girls, sunshine, beer and not what makes the game day experience. Are they no longer promoting TFC to football enthusiasts? Maybe they've given up on trying to earn the true fan base back?

Somebody throw me a bone.

I don't think we should be too hard on the poor old Toronto FC front office - if a couple dozen of those valley girls showed up in 112 I am sure everyone would make room for them!

The FO has been doing their homework by sending an intern to the RPB site to find out how to fix the club. Unfortunately the intern noticed the daily sunshine girl, got distracted and lept to the conclusion that more sunshine girls will produce more revenue for the club... One of these days they will hire an intern who will have an epiphany that experienced football management produces good football on the pitch and that then increases revenue.

Until that day arrives, I guess we are stuck with valley girl promotions. Look at the bright side - they are pretty easy on the eyes...

[Nuvinho]

That was horrible. I feel ashamed....for the front office.

I am in marketing, and that was soooo bad.

What's next - stripper poles in the Carlsberg Patio and girls from the Brass Rail doing halftime shows? That's probably their next idea.

[tfcleeds]

Sex sells. At least MLSE know marketing basics.

[Red CB Toronto]

So what was the deal with the TFC dream job contest, we're there not two winners, have never seen Bobby in any videos yet.

[khso11]

WTF, I thought that vid was a parody for jersey shores commercials

[Batman]

I really don't think we should be too hard on the front office for this sort of thing.

Certain people have a marketing job to do..

What the fuck else can they sell about this team..

It's not like the on field product is all that appealing.

How about:

"Hey do you want to come out and watch us cough up another one..
We've sucked for six years.. and we still suck.
Now that's TFC TRADITION.
40 more years of this and we'll be as hot as the Leafs!"
Get your tickets now!"

[ryan]

I really don't think we should be too hard on the front office for this sort of thing.

Certain people have a marketing job to do..

What the fuck else can they sell about this team..

It's not like the on field product is all that appealing.

How about:

"Hey do you want to come out and watch us cough up another one..
We've sucked for six years.. and we still suck.
Now that's TFC TRADITION.
40 more years of this and we'll be as hot as the Leafs!"
Get your tickets now!"

Doesn't mean they have to use pictures with acted excitement in a fake game setting.

[jabbronies]

This video is fake and lame. The content screams of a corporation trying too hard.
They have missed the mark on this one. To assume this would appeal to casuals is a slap in the face to those they are marketing to.

[james]

They tried to hard and fucked up, just like BMO had a good add the first year and then following year made TFC fans look like we were all Greek warriors, people have just lost there heads over the years. Just go back to the basics!

[khso11]

If they are using these girls to lie about the atmosphere, they might as well just show those 2007 videos of fans jumping up and down and mash it up with the 2012 plays.

[Batman]

I can't get worked up about it.. there's way more important issues to address with this club, than lame marketing.

[TOBOR !]

I really don't think we should be too hard on the front office for this sort of thing.

Certain people have a marketing job to do..

What the fuck else can they sell about this team..

Good point Bats.

Think about it folks. Imagine you're the Director of Marketing for TFC.

It's either this, or "we're shit, and we know we are".

[bigredone]

Good point Bats.

Think about it folks. Imagine you're the Director of Marketing for TFC.

It's either this, or "we're shit, and we know we are".

Poking fun at oneself is a good way to ease the pain.

[__wowza]

Poking fun at oneself is a good way to ease the pain.

beer helps. before and after.

[Corpand]

That was absolutely embarrassing.
As a lifetime supporter, watching this makes me feel completely disconnected from the club and fills my heart with all the wrong emotions. Marketing is indirectly spitting in my face.

I understand revenue is important but how dare you sleaze up the clubs image while trying to get more asses in the seats? "This is our house"? What, are we spinning "house" music during the games, drinking beer and partying till 2am? Spray tans?
Give me a fucking break, keep alienating the people who actually CARE about the club, see where that takes you come game day. I find it harder and harder to support our boys when steaming shit like this gets released, how do you think they feel when they see an ad like this?

Show the players, show the fans. Show the coach, try to salvage some dignity from this season. Don't show me good looking girls (paid, unpaid. Couldnt give a rats ass. What the hell is "socco" anyway?). This ad is completely unprofessional and oozes desperation. Why keep digging your hole even deeper??

At the moment, TFC - RIP. I don't know, angry words on a message board do jack shit yet what can we REALLY do to change circumstances?

[ManUtd4ever]

That was absolutely embarrassing.
As a lifetime supporter, watching this makes me feel completely disconnected from the club and fills my heart with all the wrong emotions. Marketing is indirectly spitting in my face.

I understand revenue is important but how dare you sleaze up the clubs image while trying to get more asses in the seats? "This is our house"? What, are we spinning "house" music during the games, drinking beer and partying till 2am? Spray tans?
Give me a fucking break, keep alienating the people who actually CARE about the club, see where that takes you come game day. I find it harder and harder to support our boys when steaming shit like this gets released, how do you think they feel when they see an ad like this?

Show the players, show the fans. Show the coach, try to salvage some dignity from this season. Don't show me good looking girls (paid, unpaid. Couldnt give a rats ass. What the hell is "socco" anyway?). This ad is completely unprofessional and oozes desperation. Why keep digging your hole even deeper??

At the moment, TFC - RIP. I don't know, angry words on a message board do jack shit yet what can we REALLY do to change circumstances?

Yes, it is embarrassing, but the ads aren't directed at long time supporters and knowledgeable football enthusiasts like the people on this forum. The ads are obviously directed at a potential untapped market; young people who aren't familiar with TFC or football in general. The FO is likely running out of ideas to try and replace the lost seasons tickets sales/game day sales over the last couple of years, and as Batman mentioned, the club's record certainly isn't going to sell anys seats.

[Phil]

I know this isn't aimed at us, so its a bit moot to get too riled up.

It is a sad commentary though.

Ideally it would be great to actually promote the play on the pitch, make the product the reason people want to come to 'BMO field' instead of all the other stuff. They have the cart before the horse and havent been able to sort the mess out above the coaches.

Instead of hiring a new coach every year and blowing up the team, how about installing Football people and make them accountable? Adopt winning stuctures about the actuall football being played and the support mechanisms able to achieve that, then the marketing will be the easiest job to do.

It looks like Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment is more about the Entertainment than the sport in this city.

/personal rant

[ManUtd4ever]

I know this isn't aimed at us, so its a bit moot to get too riled up.

It is a sad commentary though.

Ideally it would be great to actually promote the play on the pitch, make the product the reason people want to come to 'BMO field' instead of all the other stuff. They have the cart before the horse and havent been able to sort the mess out above the coaches.

Instead of hiring a new coach every year and blowing up the team, how about installing Football people and make them accountable? Adopt winning stuctures about the actuall football being played and the support mechanisms able to achieve that, then the marketing will be the easiest job to do.

It looks like Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment is more about the Entertainment than the sport in this city.

/personal rant

I agree, and the saddest part of all of this is that the FO wouldn't even have to put any effort into marketing if we had a half decent club these past few years.

[Corpand]

I keep telling myself that I'm overreacting, yet this has been going on for years. If its not directed to us long-termers, then they are sending the wrong message to the first-timers. They will come to the field with the wrong preconceptions. I have watched Arsenal transform into a corporate greed machine since they got their new stadium and Kroenke on board and the parrallels are interesting.
Atmosphere at the Emirates is worse year by year, plastic fans who are there because its the "cool" thing to do in London are hurting both club and players. The more you flood a stadium with people who don't care about the product on the field, the staler the experience becomes for everyone, including us RPB's. We can sing all we want, yet some games it seems the confidence of the players is shot the second they step onto the field. They need to know that the people they are playing for care about them, can get behind them. You release marketing ploys like this ad here, you are pulling their leg.

I want more people at BMO, I really do. The early years were a fantastic experience to be a part of. So much excitement, passion. It seemed like the club was going somewhere. Now the ship is sinking for another year and FO are throwing junk overboard, hoping some people latch onto the debris and survive. They don't seem to care who latches on, as long as many people survive to be able to pay for the return ticket.

Im ranting away because I have finally realized MLSE cares more about entertainment than football entertainment. I hung onto false hopes. "Next year will be better. Next year we will have a stable core of players with a stable coach." What happened to Winter only tells me that this club is run by monkeys.

Phil, I agree that getting a good product on the field will make marketing a breeze, but releasing dross like this ad is surely counter productive and exactly what this club does NOT need right now in terms of instilling the "right" football culture.

[ManUtd4ever]

I keep telling myself that I'm overreacting, yet this has been going on for years. If its not directed to us long-termers, then they are sending the wrong message to the first-timers. They will come to the field with the wrong preconceptions. I have watched Arsenal transform into a corporate greed machine since they got their new stadium and Kroenke on board and the parrallels are interesting.
Atmosphere at the Emirates is worse year by year, plastic fans who are there because its the "cool" thing to do in London are hurting both club and players. The more you flood a stadium with people who don't care about the product on the field, the staler the experience becomes for everyone, including us RPB's. We can sing all we want, yet some games it seems the confidence of the players is shot the second they step onto the field. They need to know that the people they are playing for care about them, can get behind them. You release marketing ploys like this ad here, you are pulling their leg.

I want more people at BMO, I really do. The early years were a fantastic experience to be a part of. So much excitement, passion. It seemed like the club was going somewhere. Now the ship is sinking for another year and FO are throwing junk overboard, hoping some people latch onto the debris and survive. They don't seem to care who latches on, as long as many people survive to be able to pay for the return ticket.

Im ranting away because I have finally realized MLSE cares more about entertainment than football entertainment. I hung onto false hopes. "Next year will be better. Next year we will have a stable core of players with a stable coach." What happened to Winter only tells me that this club is run by monkeys.

Phil, I agree that getting a good product on the field will make marketing a breeze, but releasing dross like this ad is surely counter productive and exactly what this club does NOT need right now in terms of instilling the "right" football culture.

I can't disagree with anything you've stated.

Those of us that are still around to support the club on game day definitely have thick skin, and those of us that decide to renew next season will do so despite the actions and the overall track record of the front office.

[TOBOR !]

It looks like Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment is more about the Entertainment than the sport in this city.

I had a thread ready to go on this topic but couldn't be arsed to post it - we're all thinking it, no need to say it.

It was about how Brian Burke's comment in a radio interview where he said " I tell people I'm not in the sports business, I'm in the entertainment business".

This got me thinking about something Simon Kuper wrote about football teams being operated with either profit or trophies in mind - likely not both.

With guys like Burke spouting comments like that it's kind of obvious which of the two MLSE is more interested in - the whole TFC Academy thing defies this approach somewhat, but maybe they were aiming to win trophies and make money (with TFC anyway) - that is until they fired Winter... now it's anybody's guess... May as well turn the place into condos now.

[ryan]

I keep telling myself that I'm overreacting, yet this has been going on for years. If its not directed to us long-termers, then they are sending the wrong message to the first-timers. They will come to the field with the wrong preconceptions. I have watched Arsenal transform into a corporate greed machine since they got their new stadium and Kroenke on board and the parrallels are interesting.
Atmosphere at the Emirates is worse year by year, plastic fans who are there because its the "cool" thing to do in London are hurting both club and players. The more you flood a stadium with people who don't care about the product on the field, the staler the experience becomes for everyone, including us RPB's. We can sing all we want, yet some games it seems the confidence of the players is shot the second they step onto the field. They need to know that the people they are playing for care about them, can get behind them. You release marketing ploys like this ad here, you are pulling their leg.

I want more people at BMO, I really do. The early years were a fantastic experience to be a part of. So much excitement, passion. It seemed like the club was going somewhere. Now the ship is sinking for another year and FO are throwing junk overboard, hoping some people latch onto the debris and survive. They don't seem to care who latches on, as long as many people survive to be able to pay for the return ticket.

Im ranting away because I have finally realized MLSE cares more about entertainment than football entertainment. I hung onto false hopes. "Next year will be better. Next year we will have a stable core of players with a stable coach." What happened to Winter only tells me that this club is run by monkeys.

Phil, I agree that getting a good product on the field will make marketing a breeze, but releasing dross like this ad is surely counter productive and exactly what this club does NOT need right now in terms of instilling the "right" football culture.

Can one of ye RPB members rep this post for me, so many hammers to the head of nails he crucified Tom twice over. Thx.

[canadian_bhoy]

What about embracing it? Show people from around the world talking about their club, all the years they waiting, and what it was like when they finally won.

What it was like for Newcastle to fall, only to rise again. Or a small team whose only glory was a freak fa cup win.

Tie it into Tfc and tell the fans that when they raise the cup, all the loses, tears, boos and disappointment. All of it will have been worth it.

That's what football is all about. And that's what a club that understood football or had marketers who understood football would do. Or at least think about.

This is just cheap desperate junk. A short sighted attempt to drive people to games rather than create a true club with a real connection and emotional hook.

This entertainment company doesn't have a clue. And if they ever do something like ive suggested. I'll blame whatever marketing hack they had trolling the board instead of any real thought or care from MLSE.

I really don't think we should be too hard on the front office for this sort of thing.

Certain people have a marketing job to do..

What the fuck else can they sell about this team..

It's not like the on field product is all that appealing.

How about:

"Hey do you want to come out and watch us cough up another one..
We've sucked for six years.. and we still suck.
Now that's TFC TRADITION.
40 more years of this and we'll be as hot as the Leafs!"
Get your tickets now!"

[OfficeGuy]

I say hire Dudley Moore to create Honest Ads like he did in Crazy People - run parodies of other clubs to show we are not the worst of the heap.

Been a TFC fan since Day 1 - was there when Dichio scored and will be there for seasons to come. Waiting for the CCL games to show the support the players need.

The ad was not targetted to me so I breezed over it - if I think about it upsets me - I choose to focus on the team and the support they need. As out of touch as they are - the FO is realizing something needs to be done and this (much like their ill attempt to run the Team) was a miss. Par for the course really.

I think they need to do something about ticket prices to fill the seats. There is no other way they will recover the fans or the excitement of the beautiful game by throwing money at consultants (Klinnsman) or these Bieber targetted ads. Tighten the belt, have less suits walking the field and regain the common touch.

It is up to us as the REAL Supporters of the Team to be clear - we value the Team and we need to stick it to the Man!

See you on Saturday - I'll have my pins, my RBP card on me and my scarf.

I'll be there for you, these 5 words I swear to you - and when you WIN - I'll cheer even more for you! I'll be there for you!

[__wowza]

there's not much atmosphere at BMO aside from the atmosphere supporters create. we aren't the ones they're reaching out to, and we never have been, and as such, this video should be a surprise to no one.

for now, we're the main attraction to this sideshow.

[TOBOR !]

Can one of ye RPB members rep this post for me, so many hammers to the head of nails he crucified Tom twice over. Thx.

Or you could become a member.

[Code Red]

Reply from MLSE:

Dear TFC Supporter,

Thanks for your email.
We understand from your message that you are frustrated however our fan email system is not a medium for debating the merits of our team and the decisions that those charged with managing the teams make.
Thanks again for your email and thanks for understanding.

Please do not reply to this message as this email address is unable to receive replies.
We are happy to help you with any further questions or concerns you may have. Please visit us at http://www.mlse.com/contactus_venues.aspx or call 416-815-5982 during regular business hours.

[OgtheDim]

A few random thoughts

• Reminds me of Argo chearleader interviews.
• None of us are who the team wants to sell the game too.
• There are worse things then the gladiator ad. It was obviously false but it did capture the feeling people had about TFC at the time - that this was our team, in our house, with us at it.
• Group sales will be a huge aspect of how Rogers/MLSE approach this team. Its what they do with the Jays..
• Wait until you see the "Timbits for TFC" promo with cute kids and soccer moms - and yes that is coming in the next 2 years.
• Rogers/Bell will have no problem papering games - if hot women and guys is what they think it will take to get people to pay for seats, they will paper it with hot women.
• Look at the avatars of various guys on here and tell me sex/sexy doesn't sell a team.
• Rogers/Bell do not do edgy. And I think they will have no clue what to do with the Supporters groups.
• The FO PR people are trying desperately to prove to the coming owners that they can do stuff - they are all auditioning for their own jobs. Look for even more off kilter ideas throughout the rest of the season.
• If anybody thinks this ad is about getting women to the game, I've got some land in Puslinch......
• Looking at the current game attendees, the 24-28 single guys who came out the first year are all now in their 30's. Those that are not married are still thinking they are like they were 10 years ago. They WANT to see women like this. (Not sure the women want to see them though)
• The FO has to figure out a way to attract the current wave of 24-28 year old guys with disposable income. Given the team is cr*p and the atmosphere is no longer different and it doesn't sound like fun, they gotta choose something.

[Mak]

Pathetic. FO should be fired for consenting to such marketing piece of crap. Truly fucking embarassing. I have been a STH since day one. Not to restate what has been said because I agree with all. But, refresh me....has the FO requested any meetings with supporter groups at all? The situation with the fan base has been deteriorating rapidly. I remember the the fantastic game day experiences the first few years....we would tailgate unmolested...full BBQ...then cops told us it was MLSE that sent them out into the parking lot to get everyone to buy beer inside. Haven't tailgated in 3 years. Hit the pubs. In fact we barley buy beer inside anymore so we we limit what we give MLSE. Huge footy fan and I will not turn my back, but the experience is weighing on the more casual fans. Has there been a peep out of FO or are they going to wait for a town hall next fall?

[glaze]

This video reminds me of Jilly's where there's hot girls on the outside and when you get in you spend 5X the money you ever would you're disgusted with everything you see

Best line I've read all day. Even a bigger laugh than that pic of the england supporter during the shootout thant made the rounds this afternoon.

I think TFC has a huge identity crises on what type of fans they are trying to attract. They seem to be targeting the 20-30 crowd, however, in reality, they want the stadium full of soccer moms and their kids. Nothing against families, but don't show a young crowd, with a few beers, when in reality the club hasn't done much to embrace any type of atmosphere that isn't suitable for a G audience.

On the other hand, there have been younger people this year in the stands that were polluted drunk. The one couple this week looked like they were about 16. A couple weeks back in 110 a couple was drinking their smuggled in mickeys and almost having sex in 110. On one hand it was funy to watch, on the other hand there is an element of the tfc crowd that shows up merely because they think its a good place to get wasted, and is probably completely unaware of anything happening on the field.