New name for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

When I was a kid, my great-grandmother used to make pottery. In her backyard, she had a shop and a tiny museum, which she would show to relatives and friends… What’s the link between my great-grandmother and the IMS, you will ask me?
Should we rename the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the Indianapolis Motor Slowway? Growing up in France, like any European child, all I knew about car racing was Formula 1, with in the 80s and 90s the likes of Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Michael Andretti… However, I knew of the Indianapolis 500 as being the most prestigious race in the world. I had no idea what Champ Cars was, I could not place Indianapolis on a map, but I knew of the Indianapolis 500. For years, the Indianapolis 500 has been of one the most prestigious sports events in the world, not just in racing, but across all sports. Studies show that the wheel and wing logo of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the top 10 most recognizable brands in the world.

As a (proud) Hoosier by adoption, I got to become emotionally attached to the IMS, to the Indianapolis 500, to the city. I still don’t know sh#t about Indy Car, or NASCAR. I only know a few drivers by name, but it stops here. I have been at all races at the Speedway, which is an iconic venue for any sports fan. US car racing was born in Indianapolis, damn it! But I am frustrated with the idea that there are so many lost opportunities because of the status quo, the conservatism, the lack a guts to restore the IMS to its past glory. Various IMS leaders have moved (if at all) way to slow (Slowway?) to keep the IMS brand upbeat and relevant to the present, and the future.

When I was a kid, my great-grandmother used to make pottery. In her backyard, she had a shop and a tiny museum, which she would show to relatives and friends… What’s the link between my great-grandmother and the IMS, you will ask me? One, they were born slightly at the same time. Second, my GG’s museum looked like what the IMS museum looks today: an old place, which has not changed in decades. When I look at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, with its interactive, hands-on exhibits and activities, or the Dallara factory on Main Street with its simulators, real-time workshops, state-to-the-art building, I don’t understand how the IMS cannot keep up? I once took my son (only once - he was 5 at that time) to the IMS museum, and after spending only 15 minutes in the building, he told me he wanted to leave because he was bored! Isn’t that sad? I typically have to drag my kids out of the Children’s Museum after an entire afternoon spent there because they want to stay (we go there often, but they never get bored). If you ask anyone (and mostly adults) what their experience has been at the Dallara factory, their eyes will lit up, their face expands with a huge smile, and they will say “awesome”. WTF is going on with the IMS? They should have been doing this for years!

With such an iconic venue as the IMS, with one of the most prestigious sports events in the world with the Indianapolis 500, the IMS board should bring the track to the people, not try to bring people to the track (so far, the latter has been a failure – look at the plummeting number of spectators the last few years). As an example, the Gilles Villeneuve track in Montreal is open all year long to the public. When I lived in Montreal, I used to roller blade or ride my bike every weekend or evening in the spring & summer, for free. I don’t mean the IMS board should do the same, but they should make the IMS and Indy Car a sexy product. The only time Indy Car looked sexy in the past several years was when Danica Patrick ran in the series. Indy Car was sexy because of Danica Patrick, not because it was Indy Car itself. Maybe she was a distraction (at times) to the discipline itself, but at least she brought the spot lights, audience and sponsors to the league. Now that she is gone (she still is very sexy BTW), what’s left for Indy Car? Not much… Fans, sponsors, drivers are going away year after year. 

Indy Car, along with the IMS, must become sexy again, as stand-alone symbols, not through a Go Daddy sex symbol! Come on, IMS people, show that you have power in your engine, that you have the guts to run 240 mph (the unofficial track record is 239 and the track record for qualifying is 237 – so move faster) to move the IMS and the Indy Car into the future and make them relevant again. I still don’t know sh#t about Indy Car, but I know sh#t about developing unique brand experiences. What about you? Let the drivers be drivers and the engineers be engineers.

Is there a future for soccer in Indianapolis?

Being a French native and Hoosier by adoption, I can’t be more excited to have a soccer team in Indianapolis, be it an NASL team. Based on Indy Eleven’s success in ticket sales, I am clearly not the only one looking forward to next season’s kick-off.

With the Colts’ sustainable success, the Pacers’ rebirth (what a season!), the Fever’s 2012 championship title, and the Indians’ steady strong attendance, is there a place for soccer in Indianapolis? Yes, definitely. But Indy Eleven’s future success beyond the next couple of seasons and the present excitement around the new venture is not about bringing soccer to the city, it is about creating a distinctive, unique experience around the team.

Unarguably, ticket sales have been a tremendous success so far, and the focus on the international community in Indy has been the right strategy. A good illustration was a packed Lucas Oil Stadium for the game between Chelsea and Inter Milan for the Guinness International Champions Cup last summer.

However, I see a few challenges lying ahead. The Chelsea/Inter game is a good indication of soccer interest in the city, but we are talking about two huge teams. As a reminder, Inter Milan won the UEFA Champions League in 2010, Chelsea in 2012. Hoosiers did not go to that game for soccer, they went for two big teams and theirs stars (the Mourinho, Lampard and others). Indy Eleven does not play in the same league. Hoosiers won’t go to Indy Eleven games to see elite players.

Second, the dichotomy between novelty and long-term support is not to be underestimated. Like a marriage, the first couple of years are great, but if you don’t build a solid relationship, it falls apart. This could be the same for the love story between Indy Eleven and the fans if the front office does not build a lasting fan experience.

For any foreign-born Hoosiers accustomed to elite soccer, there is always a stake at the beginning and the end of the season. Unlike franchise sports in the US where you can go 0-16 like the NFL Detroit Lions in 2008 and still play in the elite league the following season, in European or Latin American soccer, if your team finishes last, it is relegated to a lower league. This means that even of your team sucks, true fans will continue to cheer to avoid relegation. I am skeptical there will be the same enthusiasm if Indy Eleven sucks, as there is no relegation at stake.  The same goes with the championship title. The MLS title is a big reason why fans rally behind their home team, such as LA Galaxy (in addition to David Beckham when he was there). A NASL title is not very appealing, at least for true soccer fan. In other words, there is nothing at stake (title or relegation) that will motivate the fans to support the team, fill the to-be-built 18,000-seat stadium if they offer an unattractive game and poor results. Indy’s soccer team’s success passes through an attractive game.

Sponsor deals and corporate suites won’t get any suitors in the fans don’t come and the Indy Eleven brand is tarnished by low attendance and poor results.

The fan base is inclusive of hard-core soccer fans, broad sports fans (not just soccer), and families looking for entertainment opportunities. For the hard-core fans, Indy Elevens’ main competition is truly cable TV. For the same price as one season pass, you can buy premium cable channels where you have the guarantee to watch top soccer every weekend with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris St Germain, or Bayern Munich. Do you spend $200-$300 a year to watch Indy Eleven, or get cable to watch the top European teams? 
For the average sports fans looking for any type of exciting sports events, they will follow the winning teams (Colts, Pacers, Fever) in top notch leagues. If our local soccer team does not have a winning tracking record and attractive game plan, will the average sports fans follow? Not so sure.
Finally, for the family in search of any type of entertainment, be it sports, concerts, movies, etc., they will spend their money where fun is guaranteed... Very versatile part of the audience that does not build a fan base in the long term.

Indy Eleven has done all the right things to build the buzz around this team. From the announcements of the team name Indy Eleven, to the hiring on the front office, the coach, the first player... They have reached out to the international community, the safest bet to build a strong support. They have successfully developed a continuous marketing campaign using social media, to keep the momentum going over the past year.

As Bob Kravitz wrote last summer, “history tells us professional soccer  doesn’t work in Indianapolis. The city has been a graveyard for soccer startups, including the ill-fated Indiana Blast. But there’s hope, specifically for the 2014 startup Indy  Eleven”. Indeed there is hope. Indy Eleven’s long term success is dependable on the fan experience the franchise will be able to build, not on performance. Competition will be tough, at all levels. Welcome to Indianapolis, Indy Eleven!