We
breathe
soccer
breathe
soccer
The world is watching as football takes over the USA, which is happening not only due to Messi’s arrival but also because of the continuous investment and structuring of their male and female national leagues, the MLS and the NWSL, respectively, and the rising numbers of football, or soccer, fandom all around.
To achieve this status, USA football clubs and leagues have demonstrated excellent marketing and financial strategies, offering valuable lessons for more traditional European leagues.
Fan Engagement
MLS excels in fan engagement through various initiatives, including interactive fan experiences, social media, and community involvement. The marketing and promotion in North America and beyond also stands out.
Angel City FC, an NWSL club with a majority female ownership, is an exemplary model for building a community within a football club from the ground up. The MLS itself is committed to attracting younger fans and creating innovative content, as evidenced by its recent partnership with TikTok.
Sports properties all around the world can be inspired by such activations to expand their global reach and attract new fans, connecting with them on a personal level and building a more engaged and passionate fanbase.
Stadium Atmosphere
While there’s nothing quite like South American hinchas, the MLS and the NWSL have worked on creating a vibrant and family-friendly stadium atmosphere. Attention to every detail enhances the matchday experience, making it more comfortable and special for the fans. Austin FC, one of MLS’s clubs with the most engaged community, also does that by promoting activations like Pride Night.
North Americans have always been industry leaders when it comes to blending sports and entertainment. Basketball has exemplified this approach and become a global benchmark with its fast-paced on-court action, spectacular plays, and exciting events that extend beyond sports. This constant pursuit of the “show” has not only defined the USA sports experience but has also influenced how other sports are approached and enjoyed in the country.
Besides providing more entertaining matchday experiences, traditional leagues and clubs currently face the challenge of improving stadium facilities and promoting fan engagement. The USA offers valuable lessons on how to enhance the overall atmosphere.
Financial Transparency
American leagues have clear guidelines to ensure the league is financially sustainable, with teams following current regulations and promoting transparency. European football can benefit from such measures to ensure that clubs maintain financial stability and comply with fair play.
However, regarding tradition and technical quality, the USA draws much inspiration from South American and European football, which have paved the way for the league’s continued growth.
Technical Quality and Playing Style
LaLiga is known for its technical and possession-based style of play, Brazil for its creativity, attacking style, and skillful dribbling, the Premier League for its fast-paced and physical matches, and the Bundesliga for its attacking football and development of young talent.
The MLS and the NWSL are on the path to defining their own style of play and can learn from all these leagues how to improve the technical abilities of their players and promote a more attractive, skillful brand of soccer.
Talent Development
Especially in Europe, football academies are professionally structured and continuously develop top-level talent, which helps not only to attract audiences to their own leagues but also to improve the clubs’ finances with substantial fees for the transfer of players.
By investing in developing young talent in their academy systems, MLS and NWSL can produce more homegrown talent. It is crucial for the USA’s national football interest and international attention to create its own star players to guarantee sustainable growth and reduce its current dependency on expensive international signings.
International Scouting
European leagues have been successful in scouting and recruiting top international talent, particularly from Latin America and other parts of the world.
The North American leagues are already on the way, learning how to effectively scout and bring in international stars to raise the overall level of competition.
For over 10 years, ISL has been based in the USA and has developed extensive knowledge of how the sports market operates, specializing in translating business strategies and standards from one continent to another.
This expertise is key to helping European sports properties find perfect opportunities to expand to the USA, bridging the gap between each culture to develop projects that facilitate international growth effectively.
Read Monica Aguado’s, Humas Resources and CFO, insightful comments about the importance of corporate meetings on an era where remote work is growing fast and is not going anywhere anytime soon.
1. First of all, can you tell us about your job as HHHR & CFO Director?
I’ve been working with ISL since the company was founded, back when it didn’t even had an Human Resources structure. It has been a big challenge to create and shape this department; it definitely has been a learning experience and it’s amazing to see how far we’ve gotten. Part of my daily tasks also includes hand-in-hand work with the CEO preparing financial reports and tracking the cash flow which is crucial to make strategic decisions.
2. Taking into account that currently most of ISL’s employees work remotely, do you consider that corporate meetings are important?
During COVID times, ISL was introduced to remote work; nowadays most of the team works remote or hybrid. Because of this, many team members interact only virtually with the rest of the team. We consider that corporate meetings, now more than ever, are a must in our annual calendar of activities.
3. Which is the main objective of a corporate meeting?
The main objective of a corporate meeting is to boost physical and emotional experiences that we may lack in a daily basis. To achieve this, during corporate meetings we organize team building activities, meetings where we recap annual results and share future projections, luncheons and other interactive activities.
.4. How many corporate meetings a year do you think are necessary for ISL?
We’ve always aimed to held 2 corporate meetings per year and we hope to maintain this frequency, even though the company keeps growing and it’s hard to find a few days in the calendar where the whole team can meet.
ISL takes a step further in business development and cutting-edge trends, by helping to bring soccer to the frontline of digital technology.
Ethernity is a unique digital asset platform that produces limited edition digital collectible NFT’s and trading cards, by brilliant and elite artists featuring mainstream celebrities, notable and historical figures, athletes, musicians, entrepreneurs, gamers and much more!
Blockchain technology is used to ensure the scarcity, authenticity, and eternal existence of these collectibles.
The Winklevoss twins, Djs Dimitri Vegas and Alesso, Pro Skater Tony Hawk, MLB star Fernando Tatís, boxing legend Muhammad Ali and top artist Bosslogic, are just some of the names on the exclusive Ethernity collections.
ISL & Ethernity Chain
ISL is always at the vanguard of new sports and technology trends, thus it makes only sense to be Ethernity’s first and official partner for NFT’s creations in the soccer industry.
“As a 360 sports management agency, we are continuously focused on bringing value and new opportunities to our clients and partners.NFT’s have revolutionized the digital space and they provide a uniqueness and scarcity that match perfectly with our sports properties”, explains Alex Isern, ISL co-founder and CEO.
“This strategic partnership with Ethernity will allow us to create a unique digital artwork with world-class athletes, clubs, leagues and other sports organizations.We have already locked down several sport icons and we can’t wait to release their first NFT’s collection very soon”, says Marc Segarra, ISL Managing Partner.
The first soccer NFT collection will be announced in the next few weeks with a world renowned player.
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are “one-of-a-kind” assets in the digital world that can be bought and sold like any other piece of property, but can’t be duplicated, replaced or traded for something else, as they have no tangible form of their own.
For example: while you can exchange and trade money or bitcoins, and get the same value in return, an NFT is like a one-of-a-kind trading card, if you trade it for a different card, you will not receive the same value back. The groundbreaking revolution of NFT’s is that both physical or virtual assets, such as artwork, can be “tokenised” to create a digital certificate of ownership.
This certificate can be bought and sold, but can’t be duplicated, unlike most digital folders. NFT’s use the same technology as crypto currency: a record of who owns what is stored on a shared ledger known as the blockchain. The records cannot be forged because the ledger is maintained by thousands of computers around the world.
How much are NFT’s worth?
It is their unique non-fungible feature that makes NFT’s so special and valuable, and the reason why they have been moving millions of dollars around the globe!
The boom of the digital tokens became a reality when an animated GIF of Nyan Cat – a 2011 meme of a flying pop-tart cat – was sold for more than $500.000. The trend kept growing as musician Grimes sold some of her digital art for more than $6 million Dollars, and recently Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has promoted an NFT of the first ever evert tweet with bids hitting $2.5 million.
MORE EXCITING NEWS ABOUT ISL FIRST SOCCER COLLECTION x ETHERNITY COMING SOON!
Stay tuned!
After a decade of providing the world’s leading sports organizations, brands, and athletes with first class marketing support the ISL founders decided it was time to establish a full on 360 marketing department which would focus on helping other industries.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marc Segarra one of the managing partners realized that ISL was not maximizing it’s capacity in terms of marketing services. Together with Alex Isern (ISL CEO) they decided it was time to capitalize on this opportunity since the company was facing loads of uncertainty, given the fact that the pandemic was having a rough impact on the company’s major programs. It was this very moment that led to the creation of this new department called Marketing 360.
Both Alex & Marc have always stated that service is the number one priority when it comes to ISL. The company is all about fostering & establishing long term partnerships, and this has been the case with families whose kids have attended the FC Barcelona camps throughout the years. “We have done such good work establishing proper social media campaigns together with mastering email marketing, that we need to share our level of expertise with other companies” stated Marc.
Marc insists that ISL would not be were it is today, had it not been for the support of the families whose kids have participated in the Barca academies, camps, and travel experiences. An important factor behind this new project was the fact that we want to offer marketing solutions to the families that have been with us all this years. Throughout the years, our soccer programas have enabled us the privilege of meeting executives from Fortune 500 companies to lawyers, doctors and business owners.
“We just want to thank the parents for the continues support throughout the years”. Were the words of Marc when describing the important role families have played in ISL’s success. Now we have a solution to offer parents who run small businesses or need help with marketing. Good service is an essence at ISL and we now have the tools to offer additional services not just to the families whose kids attend camp, although to the greater public.
It has different parts, but it can only perform properly when all those parts work together towards the same goal. At ISL, we enforce this interrelatedness and believe that an integrated approach is essential to attain the best results. Our 360 marketing approach takes strategies to a new level to communicate a consistent message through all the marketing mix elements. By implementing a broad strategy and the right tools, we will pursue and reach your target audience.
1 – Social Media Management Social media is one of the best ways to engage with customers and potential customers. Our Social Media Management team will successfully manage your platforms while strengthening relationships, raising brand awareness, and interacting with followers.
2 – Content Strategy Every successful business needs a solid content strategy. We transform your business objectives and goals into a plan that uses content to reach those goals and aligns with your target audience.
3 – Digital Advertising Digital advertising has become an essential tool to help businesses stand out and succeed among competitors. From awareness to purchase, we use digital media advertising to drive revenue to your business.
4 – Web Development & SEO We work behind the senses to make your website look great, perform its best and assure users a smooth experience. Our SEO experts will make sure you build better relationships with your audience, drive more traffic to your site and increase conversions.
5 – Email Marketing It is one of the most cost-effective digital marketing strategies to attract and retain customers with personalized messages that promote your brand, content, and product or service. We will keep your customers and prospects informed and engaged.
6 – Creative Design & Video From logos and images to videos, we create visual content that captures your company’s vision and values. Aligning content value to consumer goals is step one in better attracting, engaging, and converting the audience that matters to your business.
7 – Brand Development Branding makes an excellent impression on consumers and, as a result, lets your customers know what to expect from your company. Brand building has a lot to do with Psychology, and that’s why we will make sure your business’ logo and graphic identity align with the attitudes, aspirations, and needs of your target audience.
8 – Influencer Marketing & PR Tradition and innovation are powerful tools. That’s why at ISL, we believe in Influencer marketing and classic PR; at the end of the day, both concepts share the same goal: showing the public the right reasons to love a company. We have the right connections to help you build relationships between your business and a variety of media outlets and, as a result, increase your business’s brand awareness and reputation.
Esports has quietly made its way into the forefront of the gaming world, taking its place in the sports landscape. Teams are popping up in major cities around the world and it has turned into a multibillion dollar a year industry with significant prize money and endorsements on the line.
It’s hard to deny the popularity of Esports. Viewership is increasing year over year, there’s constant experimentation with new revenue models and it’s redefining the way we engage with online content. It’s a fresh, digitally native take on watching competitive sports, and it’s here to stay.
ISL is proud to announce a new partnership with the Ultimate Gamer – the worlds first and only multi genre esports proving ground – to find the Best Gamer on Earth, offering a $1Million prize purse during an upcoming esports tournament. The partnership reflects ISL’s vision for a future where sports and esports play together.
The partnership consists of high profile ambassadors helping promote the tournament and take it to audiences that otherwise wouldn’t be reached. ISL connected Marcelo, Real Madrid defender, Sergio Busquets, FC Barcelona midfielder, and Darko Peric, actor in the hit television show Money Heist, with Ultimate Gamer. The three celebrities will be using their social media influence to promote the tournament.
The goal of this partnership is two fold, to help Ultimate Gamer break into the sports and entertainment market, while helping sports and entertainment personalities connect with Ultimate Gamer, building everyones brand in new markets.
We’re looking forward to the partnership with Ultimate Gamer, and continuing to disrupt the esports scene. The partnership is set to continue for further ventures in the space. Follow us on social media and sign up for our newsletters for future announcements on this partnership!
With over 500,000 competitors worldwide, the Ultimate Gamer brings people together through the power of gaming, and the best part is: you can join in for free and from the comfort of your home, anywhere in the world.
The tournament will feature 17 of the most popular video games in the world, including Fortnite, Fifa, LOL, Apex Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch, or Counterstrike. Registration ends and qualifiers begin September 1st.
During our 6 year history as a company, we’ve continually built strong relationships throughout the soccer community, including with professional players.
Tandhem is the culmination of years of hard work navigating the sports business landscape, and valuing the relationships we’ve built. Tandhem is a global player management agency which offers a 360 degree management service to help athletes reach the levels in their career they deserve. Tandhem is built on 4 primary services; representation, intermediation, marketing, and legal/financial support.
We have been working with professional players for years in developing bespoke events relevant to player brands and aided in driving their marketability. But now we are lucky enough to take it to the next level with a full offering of professional services for players.
Tandhem’s roster of players will feature a mix of current professional players and young talented players with a big future in the game. The professional roster includes players plying their trade in the MLS, Serie A, Liga MX and several other top leagues which features Mexican International and LA Galaxy star, Jonathan Dos Santos. The young talented players are currently learning their craft at top Academies like FC Barcelona, RCD Espanyol, UE Cornella and Girona FC.
Key to building a player management agency is providing the transparency to our clients and partners which can often be neglected in the industry. This is of vital importance, and in order to do this we will be applying the same values which ISL pride itself upon to the management of Tandhem. We want our clients and their families to feel they can approach us with anything and know our team will take on every day with the intention of providing a complete, professional and transparent service which gives the priority of our interests to the athlete.
Perhaps the most interesting attribute to Tandhem is its link between European soccer and the the Americas. Over the years ISL have built a proven track record of linking European soccer cultures, most notably Spanish, to the American market. That union of cultures is a positioning that sets Tandhem apart from others in the market, and will be a unique selling proposition through the years.
Alex Isern, ISL CEO, said of Tandhem, “With Tandhem we make a big step as a global sports management company. After launching a few months ago with our new tours & Friendlies division, we now get into the representation industry. We understand the challenge and that’s why we put a team of experts, from inside and outside the company, leading this project. Or goal is to leverage our positioning in the United States and bring great players to a market that is continuously growing, especially with the new MLS franchises and the 2026 World Cup.”
Tandhem’s home base will be stationed in Barcelona, Spain, but will have representation in 3 other strategic cities. Los Angeles, Miami, and Madrid will be the key placeholders for Tandhems global business.
We are extremely excited to the opportunities Tandhem have already and will continue to create. Tandhem will only be as successful as its team and partners, like Borja Garcia, who is an expert in the space and has partnered with Tandhem. With 7 years experience in the global player management business, he has been managing the career of top players like Enzo Perez, Gustavo Cabral, Elieas Pereira as well as recently sealing the deal of Christian Espinoza for San Jose Earthquakes.
Soccer has always been viewed as a unifying game. It sees beyond race, religion, orientation and intellectual and developmental disabilities, so when ISL was approached to take part in the second annual Celebrity Soccer Match hosted by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino event in Miami, Florida, we jumped at the chance to be involved.
From day one of ISL being formed, putting people first and giving back to the communities we have a presence in has been the root core of our value system. We are fortunate to have the relationships and ties we do into the sporting ecosystem, which affords us opportunities each day to thrive as a company. So, getting the chance to lend a helping hand to those in our community that need it most is a two fold blessing for them and us, especially around the holiday season.
It’s in that vein that we proudly support Best Buddies, an international organization who’s services includes, but not limited to, children and adults with Down Syndrome, Autism, Fragile X, Williams Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury and other undiagnosed disabilities. They are the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Their programs empower the unique abilities of people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, securing successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.
Celebrities, soccer stars, models and their Buddies gathered for the ultimate Celebrity Beach Soccer Match in a unique fun-filled day of curated events that featured; 7-on-7 friendly matches, meet-n-greet, children’s clinics, soccer training fitness class, show-cases, brand activations and a whole lot more. Industry professionals, sport enthusiasts, local government, influencers as well as residents alike took part in a family-friendly event with individuals from different cultures and all over the world.
In support of the event, ISL organized and managed the Fan Zone experience during the event. Setting up experiences for participants to play, network and to make new friends. We’re proud of our involvement to make the Celebrity Soccer Match something memorable for everyone in attendance. ISL is an adaptable agency in that we offer an array of services that are customizable to the needs of each of the clients that we partner with from around the globe. It’s in that adaptability we were able to develop something unique to this special event, thinking out side of the box to support events close to home.
After months of coordination and planning between several departments at ISL, MIC Football USA officially made its debut this past weekend in South Florida. It signifies a milestone in the continued growth of ISL, and exemplifies the professionalism and quality which MIC Football USA will continue to bring to the youth soccer landscape in the United States.
The inaugural tournament was a huge success, and gave a preview of the future for MIC Football USA in regards to its ability to attract visitors to the South Florida region. Over 900 players and thousands of attendee’s enjoyed a weekend at Central Broward Regional Stadium and Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, filled with highly competitive matches and a soccer experience exported from one of Europes finest youth soccer establishments, MIC Football.
Clubs across U12, U14, and U16 age categories traveled from Colorado, Arizona, New York, Illinois and even featured an international club from the Dominican Republic. Supporters from those clubs tuned in for Live Streamed matches throughout the weekend, attracting over 10,000 Youtube views over 3 days.
Like other large scale events, MIC Football USA required extensive coordination and logistical planning. What takes the tournament to the next level and sets it apart is the professionalism, quality, and delicate brand management when matched up to similar events. ISL are proud of its Event Management team, and all it achieved with MIC Football USA. They will continue to provide an unmatched service, achieving unmatched results.
Legendary players like Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Gerrard Pique have competed in MIC Football in Costa Brava, Spain during its 20 year history. MIC Football USA exports this past and exists with the mission of becoming the most admired youth soccer tournament in America, making Fort Lauderdale a destination for the historic tournament. The tournament has been brought to the United States with the goal of raising the level of professionalism and quality currently seen in Youth Soccer Tournaments, and take the Youth Soccer Tournament landscape to a new level. Most importantly, MIC Football USA will continue providing young players the opportunities to compete against the best teams and players in the world.
Attendees, coaches and players were quick to voice their support of the tournament. Manager and Coach of Verum Academy from Orlando, and Champions of the U14 age group, said “It had everything you wanted out of a soccer experience. Everything was top class from the competition, to the administrative side, to the entertainment. The city is great obviously so we look forward to see it again in the Miami area next year. Now we get to look forward to competing in MIC Football in Spain.”
Across the United States, Barca Academy USA kicked off a new season as ISL enters the 4th year of activating FC Barcelona’s global brand strategy. 6 Academies from coast to coast, and 1 from Costa Rica, begin their season with Opening Ceremonies which are unique to Barca Academy. They welcome the future FC Barcelona hopefuls as they begin their journey learning the FC Barcelona teachings and methodologies. For a few lucky locations, FC Barcelona legend and current club ambassador Juliano Belletti, goalscorer in the 2006 Champions League final, was in attendance. Take in the excitement and fun with our special gallery from across the country!
This past November, Ivan Rakitic made a special appearance during one of the International ISL Experience Events. ISL are lucky to have strong relationships with talented individuals around the world, and were equally lucky to host Ivan Rakitic during his appearance.
Hosting big name athletes is always a special occasion for ISL and its Travel Management team. ISL would like to thank Ivan, he helped make it a day to remember for hundreds of young, aspiring athletes!
Get in contact with someone from our travel management team at Experience@islagency-old.nntesting.com for more information on how we can help mange your next major travel plans.