Goal.com is an Internet portal site that provides arguably the best content available in soccer.
Goal.com’s intention is to launch in the USA with a new USA centric site with eighty percent International content and twenty percent local content created by US sports journalists.
Goal.com also offers the most extensive soccer database and search engine for soccer facts and statistics. Goal.com’s intention is to develop specific products and services for the local market such as forums, blogs, games, exclusive multimedia content.
In addition Goal and its sponsors will strive to develop a strong community site to drive traffic. According to Gian Luigi Longinotti-Boutoni CEO of Goal.com, “For the USA: the next big thing is soccer.” This big thing represents .a major opportunity for sponsors and advertisers.
The USA has the largest and wealthiest community in sports and few people realize how popular soccer has become within that market. Goal estimates that there are 50 million people following soccer in the USA now with 18.7 million players with the player’s average age hovering around 16 years of age. These players clearly represent the so-called “New Media Generation.”
Forty eight percent of the players are teenaged girls who could be considered the most influential and active consumers in the country now. This is also a community largely ignored by traditional media. The entertainment: industry is waking up to the movement however releasing such movies as “Goal,” “The Game of Their Lives,” “Kicking and Screaming,” and “Green Street Hooligans.” by Nick Hornsby.
This is obviously becoming a very passionate community so Goal.com’s launch into the US market comes at an opportune time. Sponsors will be able to reach this market with very cost efficient on line media communication when compared with TV, Radio, newspaper and magazine. The advertising on the site will also be more effective due to the interactive qualities of online communication making the space on Goal.com much more valuable yet still more inexpensive that traditional media. With the World Cup approaching in Africa and The USA’s National Team qualifying in the Olympics Goal.com’s launch in 2008 is critical to capture sponsorship dollars intended to promote products prior to the increased interest in soccer before the next World Cup.
One strategy that Goal.com will utilize to enhance revenue based upon the ceiling issue is to offer premium, micro-site advertising. This type of advertising can be visitor interactive and create a reason for visitors to return to the Goal.com site and click through to the sponsor’s site. This also keeps visitors on the site longer making their visit more valuable to sponsors Also with the World Cup approaching sponsors are looking for more media exposure and Goal.com offers a highly targeted audience.
The limited space available on Goal.com prior to World Cup will be more valuable in the immediate months prior to the event. Goal.com will establish an evaluation process for the above metrics and both consumer and writer feedback, including timing.
Timing currently is almost daily as Goal.com is monitoring every facet of the launch carefully during the first three months of operation. In essence the site is in test mode and even sponsors are enticed to sponsor the site as a test for success.
Goal.com is confident that once sponsors test the site and evaluate the results that they will become consistent advertisers on the site. No acceptable margin of deviation for each measure has been set to date however Goal.com is flexible enough with its platform and staff writers to adjust within seven working days should additions or alterations to the content be needed.
The average growth in the previous markets has been a healthy twenty five percent per month any growth numbers below this benchmark would warrant investigation of Goal.com’s Search Engine Optimization plans and distribution partner’s performances
