March Program Recap – Building a Soccer Brand in a Football Town

Article by Ruthann Campbell, Digital Marketing Manager, Fiore Communications (FPRA member since 2016)

Speakers: Giavona “G” Williams, Chris Petley and Raquel Simon-Petley
Thursday, March 24, 2022 | 11:30 am – 1 pm
Hosted at the Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence

 Top Takeaways

  • Building a memorable brand requires passionate people, time and a lot of research.
  • Plan for the unexpected and adapt to your audience’s needs as challenges arise.
  • Find a marketing team or agency that understands your vision and is passionate about your business.

Recap

Building a visual brand is simple. Logo design templates, website development tools and how-to blogs have made the process easier and faster. Building an exceptional, brand for your business is a different story.

At the FPRA Capital Chapter’s most recent luncheon, attendees heard about the exciting (and honest) journey of how the Tallahassee Soccer Club grew from a concept to an established, impactful business in our community.

Our guest speakers gave us an exclusive, behind-the-scenes overview of their logo development process. From the research to initial designs and the final concept, we saw what visually appeared to be a simple journey.

We did not see the countless hours it took to develop and maintain it. We learned that building a brand can be difficult, but the end results are worth it.

To help you as you work with clients or develop a brand for your business, here are five takeaways that we learned from their team.

Make a Plan, But Be Willing to Adapt
The Tallahassee Soccer Club started as an idea one year before it was announced to the public. The team had been working behind the scenes, fine-tuning the concept and waiting for an ideal time to launch. When a curious Tweet sparked conversation about a potential soccer club opening in Tallahassee, they knew it was time.

As PR and communication professionals, we’re trained to prepare and plan. In this case, they knew that time was of the essence so they adapted their launch plans to continue the momentum.

Research, Research, Research
The Tallahassee Soccer Club’s visual brand is built on the history of Tallahassee. The “battle lion” represented in the logo is based on the battalions that served at Dale Mabry Field – a major fighter pilot training base during World War II. Chris and the team spent hours researching the history of the airfield. Based on that research, they developed the Tallahassee Soccer Club logo.

Share Your Brand
Launching a website, creating social media pages and promoting the Tallahassee Soccer Club online was the first step. They also hosted a launch event to gauge community interest through membership and merchandise sales. This provided their team with immediate feedback and an active group of loyal, brand ambassadors to continue to share their story.

Manage Your Brand
To build and maintain a successful business you must adapt and protect the brand that you have built. As the Tallahassee Soccer Club grew new challenges, ideas and opportunities expanded their reach to a national market. Their ability to grow their business through all of these challenges has led them to where they are today.

Find Passionate People
From the beginning, the Tallahassee Soccer Club team intentionally sought out people who are passionate about soccer and supporting the community. As one of the only member-owned soccer clubs in the United States, this has become a key factor in their success. For any client or business, it’s critical to know and understand your target market and find ways to engage with them.

So, how do you build a visual brand from concept to conception? The answer is simple: one piece at a time.

The FPRA Capital Chapter is very grateful to Chris Petley, Raquel Simon-Petley and Giovana “G” Williams for sharing their story with our members. If you would like to learn more about the Tallahassee Soccer Club visit TLHSoccerClub.com.

 

Extras Shared During the Meeting by Members:

Check the job board for current openings. Several member organizations are hiring marketing and communications professionals in our area.

The next FPRA Capital Chapter luncheon will be held on April 21 featuring a discussion about how to avoid burnout and manage imposter syndrome. Follow link for registration and venue details.

FPRA’s 83rd Annual Conference will be held at the Orlando Grande Lakes Ritz-Carlton on August 7 – 10. Early bird registration ends on July 1, 2022. Lodging rates and details are available at https://www.fpra.org/professional-development/annual-conference-details/.