The importance of building positive relationships between Hispanic audiences and Major League Soccer franchises: a case study of the public relations challenges facing Houston 1836

Abstract

The intent of new professional sport franchises is to increase public awareness, build a brand and provide opportunity for positive media reports. Houston’s new Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise the Houston Dynamo, formally known as Houston 1836, failed to do this. As such, this essay covers a number of social issues such as the attitudes of Anglo‐Americans and Hispanics to professional soccer within the United States and how the MLS promotes its product to Hispanic audiences, while utilizing the efforts of the MLS to relocate its San Jose franchise to Houston for the 2006 season as an example. Additionally, the essay further analyses the extent to which the Houston franchise successfully used crisis communications methods to deal with this public relations challenge. Finally this case study attempts to reinforce the idea that MLS franchises must develop strategies to get Hispanics excited about the league in order to succeed.

Notes

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2. Markovits and Hellerman, ‘The “Olympianization” of Soccer in the United States’.

3. Crompton and Howard, ‘The American Experience with Facility Naming Rights’.

4. J. Brown, ‘Hispanic Community Key for Major League Soccer’. East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Arizona), June 25, 2006. http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=68426.

5. Taylor, Funk and Craighill, Americans to the Rest of the World.

6. Brown, ‘Hispanic Community Key for Major League Soccer’; J. Trecker, ‘Houston 1836 Close to Name Change’. http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5331940.

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8. Markovits and Hellerman, ‘The “Olympianization” of Soccer in the United States’.

9. Gardener, ‘MLS Puts Heads Together for New Game Plan’.

10. Brown, ‘Can European Football Spur Interest in American Soccer?’.

11. Pescador, ‘¡Vamos Taximaroa!’.

12. Faflik, ‘Futbol America’.

13. Cohen, ‘Soccer Madness!’, 45.

14. B. Wolverton, ‘Does Major League Soccer Have Legs?’ Business Week, March 23, 1998.

15. Wagner, ‘A Living Case Study on Multi‐Cultural Communications’.

16. Brown, ‘Can European Football Spur Interest in American Soccer?’.

17. Wilcox and Cameron, Public Relations Strategies and Tactics.

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19. Giulianotti, ‘Supporters, Fans, and Flaneurs’.

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23. Mason, ‘What Is the Sports Product and Who Buys It?’.

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25. Quirk and Fort, Pay Dirt, 25–32.

26. Kelley, Hoffman and Carter, ‘Franchise Relocation and Sport Introduction’.

27. Personal communication with John Wagner, June 2006.

28. Wrigley, Salmon and Park, ‘Crisis Management Planning’.

29. Wilcox and Cameron, Public Relations Strategies and Tactics.

30. Kauffman, ‘Lost in Space’.

31. US Census Bureau reports reveal this fact.

32. L. Rodriguez, ‘1836: The Battle Then and Now’. Houston Chronicle, March 2, 2006.

33. Hispanics in the State of Texas, 3.

34. Brown, ‘Hispanic Community Key for Major League Soccer’.

35. Delgado, ‘Major League Soccer’.

36. Herbig and Yelkur, ‘Differences between Hispanic and Anglo Consumer Expectations’.

37. Herbst, ‘Soccer Gets Some Passing Grades After a Promising First Year’.

38. Falfik, ‘Futbol America’.

39. Delgado, ‘Sport and Politics’.

40. Falflik, ‘Futbol America’.

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42. Braysmith, ‘Constructing Athletic Agents’.

43. Pescador, ‘¡Vamos Taximaroa!’.

44. Herbig and Yelkur, ‘Differences between Hispanic and Anglo Consumer Expectations’.

45. B. Fallas, ‘Hot in Houston’. Houston Chronicle, February 1, 2006.

46. Wagner, ‘A Living Case Study on Multi‐Cultural Communications’.

47. J. Trecker, ‘What’s In a Name? Plenty of Controversy’. http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5296432.

48. John Lopez, ‘Welcome, MLS Fans, to the Digital Age’. Houston Chronicle, January 26, 2006.

49. Personal Communication with Oliver Luck, December 2006.

50. S. Romero, ‘What’s In Brand Name? Houston Just Found Out’. The New York Times, January 27, 2006.

51. Ramos, ‘Editorial’. The Houston Chronicle, February 12, 2006.

52. Personal communication with J. Trecker, 2006.

53. Trecker, ‘What’s In a Name? Plenty of Controversy’.

54. ‘Houston 1836 to Change Their Name’. KTRK‐TV, February 14, 2006. http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=localandid=3907294.

55. Garcia in Passwaters ‘Houston 1836 Logo, Colors, Unveiled’.

56. Romero, ‘What’s In A Brand Name?’

57. Wagner, ‘A Living Case Study on Multi‐Cultural Communications’.

58. Ramos, ‘Kicking Around Houston 1836’.

59. Trecker, ‘Houston 1836 Close to Name Change’.

60. ‘Can’t stop the bleeding’, January 27, 2006.

61. Rodriguez, ‘1836: The Battle Then and Now’.

62. Romero, ‘What’s In Brand Name?’

63. Keeney, ‘Houston Dynamo Introduced as Team Hopes to End Houston 1836 Controversy’.

64. Puig in Keeney, ‘Houston 1836’.

65. Keeney, ‘Houston Dynamo Introduced as Team Hopes to End Houston 1836 Controversy’.

66. Luck quoted in ‘Houston MLS Unveils its New Name, Houston Dynamo’. In Major League Soccer Press Release, March 6, 2006.

67. Rodriguez, ‘1836: The Battle Then and Now’

68. Trecker, ‘Houston 1836 Close to Name Change’.

69. S. Kuper, ‘The World’s Game Is Not Just a Game’. The New York Times, May 26, 2002.

70. Delgado, ‘Major League Soccer’.

71. Satterlee, ‘Making Soccer a “Kick in the Grass”’.

72. Delgado, ‘Major League Soccer’.

73. Brown, ‘Hispanic Community Key for Major League Soccer’.

74. Trecker, ‘Houston 1836 Close to Name Change’.

75. Delgado, ‘Sport and Politics’.

76. Brown, ‘Hispanic Community Key for Major League Soccer’ Veiga, ‘2006 World Cup Gives Univision Ratings a Boost’.

77. Logan in Delgado, ‘Sport and Politics’.

78. Pratt, ‘The Role of Non‐Professional Soccer Clubs’.

79. Brown, ‘Hispanic Community Key for Major League Soccer’.

80. Kuper, ‘The World’s Game Is Not Just a Game’.

81. Faflik, ‘Futbol America’.

82. Holtzman, ‘MLS Seeks Feistier Friendlies’.

83. Jewell and Molina, ‘An Evaluation of the Relationship between Hispanics and Major League Soccer’.

84. Ibid.

85. Herbig and Yelkur, ‘Differences between Hispanic and Anglo Consumer Expectations’.

86. S. Griffith, ‘Democrats Launch World Cup Ads to Troll for Latino Votes’. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060708/pl_afp/fblwc2006usvote_060708225016.

87. Garcia in Griffith, ‘Democrats Launch World Cup Ads to Troll for Latino Votes’.

88. Wilcox and Cameron, Public Relations Strategies and Tactics.

89. Wagner, ‘A Living Case Study on Multi‐Cultural Communications’.

90. Keeney, ‘Houston 1836’.

91. Mahony and Howard, ‘Sport Business in the Next Decade’.

92. Kelley, Hoffman and Carter, ‘Franchise Relocation and Sport Introduction’.

93. Brown, ‘Hispanic Community Key for Major League Soccer’.