Fandom Unpacked

Creating Authentic Fan Experiences and Lasting Loyalty with the New York Red Bulls

• Situation • Season 1 • Episode 6

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What truly separates an ordinary gameday from an unforgettable sports experience? For the New York Red Bulls, it all comes down to their meticulously crafted "street to seat" philosophy that transforms every matchday into a celebration of community, passion, and soccer culture.

Elisa Padilla, CMO of the New York Red Bulls, takes us behind the scenes of creating the most fan-friendly sports experience in one of the world's most competitive entertainment markets. From the moment supporters arrive at the boulevard—with its interactive soccer activities, live music, and vibrant pre-game energy—to the final whistle in a stadium where "there's not one bad seat in the house," every element is designed with fans as the North Star.

The results speak for themselves: steadily increasing attendance, an impressive 80% renewal rate among members, and a passionate supporter culture that stands and chants for the full 90 minutes. Padilla reveals how the organization maintains this success through constant feedback loops, personalized experiences for first-time attendees, and a marketing philosophy centered on evoking emotion at every touchpoint.

Whether you're a marketing professional looking to enhance fan experiences, a sports enthusiast curious about soccer's growing cultural footprint, or simply someone interested in how brands foster passionate communities, this conversation delivers valuable insights about the intersection of sports, culture, and emotional connection. 

Recorded Thursday, February 6th, 2025
Hosts: Jeff Miele, Account Group Director for Sports, Attractions, and Live Events, Situation & Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation
Guest:  Elisa Padilla, CMO, New York Red Bulls
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Innovation Advisor, Situation

Peter Yagecic:

Thank you, damian Bazzadana and account group director for sports attractions and live events, jeff Mealy, and our guest for this episode is Elisa Padilla, cmo for the New York Red Bulls. Here's Damian, to get things rolling.

Damian Bazadona:

Elisa, thank you for joining us. I'm actually I'm a big. First of all, I'm a big MLS fan, dating myself many years ago. We worked with the league many years ago, so I had actually really memorable experiences with my son. We worked with the league many years ago, so I had actually really memorable experiences with my son. We went to the All-Star Games, we went to the championship and flew down to Atlanta for a match and I feel like and I'm also a local Jersey resident and I've had a lot of experiences with the Red Bulls I find MLS fascinating in the sense of it is one of the few major sports leagues that are centered around community.

Damian Bazadona:

You guys do it really well. I think the Red Bulls do it phenomenally well. I've been to a bunch of games, but I'm going to go on the assumption that a fair number of people on this webinar have not. I would love, if you don't mind, starting with like, take me through the fan experience of game day, like the sounds, the sights, the feeling, like how would you describe it? The sensory story. However, you want to just take us through that please.

Elisa Padilla:

Yeah, absolutely so. First of all, thank you, damon, jeff and Peter for hosting us and having us be part of your event today. We're really happy to be here and, damon, love to hear that you're a New York Red Bulls fan. Thank you for your fandom. So you know, here at the New York Red Bulls, our fans are our number one priority and, simply said, we are the most fun and fan-friendly sports and entertainment experience in the market.

Elisa Padilla:

When we think about the fan journey on Match Day, we think about from the moment you turn on Guy-Anne, if you're in your car or you're getting off the path. We're thinking about what is the energy that people are feeling, what are they seeing, what are they smelling, what are they going to touch? So for us, internally, we call this the street to seat experience right, because we believe that your experience starts from the second you touch our property. We believe that your experience starts from the second you touch our property. So, for those that are first-time comers or if you've been coming here for years, every single match, we try to make sure that there is action and that people are feeling and celebrating their fandom as they are arriving and we're welcoming them onto the boulevard. So the boulevard is the first step where we have an experience for everyone. We have interactive soccer experiences for kids, we have live music, we have photo ops, you know, for those that love to take selfies, shops for those that love to take selfies, we have a DJ playing music. It's all about getting into sharing the spirit for the club. We also have the crossbar, which is right off to the side of the boulevard, where you're able to have something to eat, you're able to have something to drink, really just get in the mood, just to get to watch the match.

Elisa Padilla:

And for us, you know, we think about every touch point because you know what the one thing that we're selling here is. We're selling an experience, right, when you go to a sporting event, you don't know the outcome. So we want to make sure that you have the best experience when you come to Sports Illustrated Stadium and when you are watching our New York Red Bull, you know match. And I also think that when we think about, you know, providing value to our fans, we think about how do we bring theme nights to life, right? So last season, for example, for every single match, we had a theme, we had a giveaway, and I think that that's part of establishing a place where you can come and celebrate with your community.

Elisa Padilla:

And then the other great thing not to boast about our home is that we were built for soccer. So there is not one bad seat in the house, whether it's raining, whether it's not raining. It is just it's built for soccer and it's an incredible venue to experience a live match. And you know we think about our most loyal fans, which are Red members, and you know we want to make sure that if you've been a Red member for the last, you know 10 years or you know just one season, that every time that you're coming to a match you're experiencing something different. So we continue to elevate everything that we're doing.

Damian Bazadona:

And how. First off, that's one of my favorite things in terms of what Major League Soccer did was it created the stadiums, in particular the Red Bulls, around the experience. I used to watch the Red Bulls at what was now MetLife Stadium like a giant stadium, and so I'm dating myself here and to watch it and to watch the league at large really begin to frame the stadium experience exactly like you talked about, and watching the Red Bulls do it just as a resident. It really does bring home a sense of community and just makes the energy. You could put me in almost any stadium close my eyes, like in terms of I would know I'm at a Red Bulls match just by the sounds. You can feel the sounds and the sensory component, which I think is very different than football and other sports, which is exciting no-transcript and supporter groups are our number one priority.

Elisa Padilla:

We live and breathe to make sure that we are providing a best-in-class experience, that we are delivering value for the money that they're investing in the club and the way that we think about it is. You know what they're investing in us from a monetary perspective, so we need to invest in them from an experience perspective. We have surveys where, you know, we literally read our surveys after each match. We understand the pain points and once we understand you know what, if there's any barriers, we quickly action to rectify it. Our attendance, year after year, has gone up. So, look, we must be doing something, right, right, and from a renewal perspective, we're at 80%, which is actually really great. And when we think about, you know, fandom, we think about that club connection, right, so it's if you feel really good about coming here and your club specifically.

Elisa Padilla:

For us, the New York Red Bulls are responding to you know, and are listening to you and are working tirelessly to really work on every single barrier that you may be encountering. I think that you know people pay attention to that. I mean, we have folks that reach out to our president directly and he responds to them directly. And if there's a pain point, the executive team is made aware of it and we action to rectify it. Because, look, you know, our red members and our supporter groups are the heartbeat of this organization. And when we think about growth, MLS is the youngest league, um, you know. In sports, when we think about, you know, getting younger, um, you know, we, we just have to make sure that we're doing things right, Because if you have a good experience, you're going to share that with everyone, the same way as if you have a bad experience, you're going to share it with everyone, Right? So we want to make sure that we're on the right side of those conversations.

Damian Bazadona:

Just out of curiosity, what? It's a very broad question. What types of questions do you get from people or feedback? Is it generally on the field advice, almost saying like we need to blah, blah, blah, or is it really really mostly about the experience?

Elisa Padilla:

Damien, they're telling us who we need to recruit.

Damian Bazadona:

There you go, okay, we get it from.

Elisa Padilla:

You need to sign X player to. You know what? There was a rain delay and why didn't you warn us that there was rain coming? Okay, yeah, so it's um, you know, I think it's, and we take them all very, very seriously. You know, last year, when we introduced our new show, open, and that's what we refer to pregame, the feedback after you know, the second match was. It's like everybody you know who controls the sound in the stadium was involved and you know what, after the next match, we level set and the fans were like, okay, you know what, this is much better. So I think that those are the things that you know are really, really important, because we're in a really competitive market and look at the end of the day, it's you know, I love what we're offering and we are accessible and you know we're getting better every single day and it's with. The fans are our North Star.

Damian Bazadona:

Yeah, by the way, it's great to hear that you have such insight and closeness to the feedback. It's not always the case as heading the marketing, and sometimes there's a big distance between service and marketing, and so the fact that you instantly knew like oh, I got. I could say exactly what they say, which is a fantastic thing, jeff. I know you want to get in Jeff, so Jeff oversees obviously does a ton of work on our sports and different categories.

Jeff Miele:

I know you have a bunch and you know, elisa and I have had a few conversations in the past and you know we could go on for a while, so I will do my best, elisa, to bring them as brief as possible for you. But you know, one of the things that I would like to hear your perspective on is we have continued to have these conversations around the ongoing growing footprint of the sport in the US and the MLS in particular. Growing footprint of the sport in the US and the MLS in particular. There's growing interest in viewership playing, growth in farming even, and there's even been the recent announcement, for example, of Sunday Night Soccer, which is going to be going head-to-head with the NFL On a little different path. It's becoming more prevalent in pop culture as well Increased video game sales properties like Ted Lasso and Welcome to Wrexham. How do you feel the focus on soccer in popular culture has impacted the fandom and even who shows up and maybe what fans expect when they walk into the stadium?

Elisa Padilla:

Yeah, yeah, so that's a really interesting question, right, because we know from you know, the research that MLS did in 2024 is that attendance grew, you know, exponentially. And I think that you know what, locally, here, from our perspective, our North Star, from a club perspective, is to be the point of reference for soccer in North America. Right, and we think about sport and culture in that intersection. So, you know, when we think about accessibility, we want to make sure that folks have access to come to our matches and you know what they're going to experience 90 minutes of nonstop action. Right, when we think about audience segments, we think about okay, so we have our red members, we have our supporter groups. How are we reaching college students? Right, we have a product dedicated to college students, our student pass, and you know we have. Last year we did a promotion where it was, if you purchased a student pass, you also got a path ticket to get you back home safely.

Elisa Padilla:

So I really think that you know soccer, you know it's going, we are going to break into the top four. But I think part of that is people are curious and I also think that you know we offer a great experience and we're accessible. So for us. You know what it's like, okay, you haven't come to a game, but you're wearing our gear. To us it's like, okay, you have access to our club. You must have some interest because you're wearing our merchandise, right? If you're looking at the. You know at the programming on Apple before our matches right, there must be some interest there if you're following us on social media. So I really think that the fan, we want to be where the fans are and meet them where they are. And at the end of the day, it's and everyone in sports has this issue. It doesn't matter whether you're in the big four or MLS, it's how are you getting people off the couch to literally get them into your stadium or into your arena?

Jeff Miele:

That's really interesting. Let's hang on to that for a second, about meeting people where they are and those audience segments that you mentioned. You know, on our side we work with regional sports teams daily and obviously one of our goals and focus points is really identifying and bringing in new audiences. You know, sometimes even finding those new ticket buyers in unexpected audience segments. Who would you consider to be those newer audiences that are coming to the stadium? Have any of them surprised you?

Elisa Padilla:

And you know, even, on top of that, how do you continue to nurture them to make sure that they keep coming back? Yeah, so it's really interesting, because the data that we see on paper sometimes doesn't match the people that we see in the stadium, right? So it's we know that, look, we are. When we think about our Red members, we know that they're it's families, right, that are coming to the games, that live out in the suburbs. And when we think about our overall product portfolio, right? So you could either be a Red member, become a Red member and commit to the entire season you can have a partial plan, commit to some games or you can just be a single game ticket buyer, right? So when we think about the single game buyers, we think about okay, how are we going to get them back?

Elisa Padilla:

So last year we launched a first match program. So if you were, we know if it's your first time coming to a match, you get personalized information, you're able to pick up a surprise and delight at guest services and two days after the match, you're sent an offer. Right? So that's how we're nurturing them, because it's everyone wants to be seen, right? So how many of us have gone to a sporting event and when we see ourselves on the video board we're like we go crazy, like we've never seen ourselves in a mirror, right. So this is the same kind of thing, is just like acknowledging hey, we saw you, we know this was your first time. We want you to come back and you know, I think that we have to right now.

Elisa Padilla:

We know that our primary ticket buyer is male, 43 years old, he lives in the suburbs, he's married, he drives an SUV and it's like, okay, like my goal at year five here is to make sure that I have touched every single person that is within that profile, right? Because then after that I could start going wider and casting the net. You know, wider, but it's like the number one rule in marketing is just like go fish where the fish are. So right now we're fishing in that pond but we're not keeping our eye off the other ponds. And you know we have over 43,000 youngsters playing in our youth programs in the tri-state area, so it's nurturing the future fans. You know, through the connection and the love of the sport that they're playing at a young age.

Peter Yagecic:

Fandom Unpacked is brought to you by Situation, an award-winning marketing agency built for live entertainment that champions the power of unforgettable shared experiences around the world. We offer full marketing and creative services for experience-based brands in live entertainment, attractions, theater, sports, arts and culture, and more. Check us out at SituationInteractivecom. Now back to our Q&A.

Jeff Miele:

I really respect how much you and your team focus on not just who the audiences are, but continuing to focus on the different levels of fandom as well. The most recent match that I went to was actually with a large portion of the Situation team here. We went to the second triumphant match against Columbus in October and the energy was just through the roof and it was impossible to not get swept away in that action and the excitement, um, you know. But that energy, I think, also comes from the community itself and not just what that specific match represented. Uh, and I think, no matter what level of fan you were, you got swept away in that, and what do you think attributes to that?

Elisa Padilla:

well, I think, no matter what level of fan you were, you got swept away in that. And what do you think attributes to that? And you know we want to be good neighbors to those that I mean. The stadium is in a residential you know, part of the town that we're in. We have Kearney that about the New York Red Bulls as their team and that this is their home away from home, where they can come, you know, cheer and be part of something that you know 20,000 other people have in common, which is the love and passion for this club. And you know, when we think about New York and we think about the accessibility, right, the next place that we want to own is, you know, we want to own Jersey City, we want to own Hoboken, we want to own the financial district, we want to own Battery Park, and it's because we know and no one's walking around with rosy colored glasses we know that parking is an issue, right. So how do we educate consumers to say, hey, we are just a path, a train away, you can be here in 15 minutes, right? So that's the way that we're thinking about it and you know it's for us, our neighbors are so important because when we think community is so important to us as a club, and when we think about, you know, the future fans, and we think about making an impact, it's about that emotional connection, right?

Elisa Padilla:

You know, here within our team, we think we always talk about evoking emotion. Everything that we do has to evoke emotion, to drive action, to get share of wallet, because, as you know, jeff and Damon, we're all sellers, right, it doesn't matter whether you're in legal, whether you're in finance, or you're in marketing, or you're on the commercial side, we're all selling something. But think about your consumer habits, right. Where you're spending your money right, there has to be that emotional hook. Where you're spending your money, right, there has to be that emotional hook. And once that emotional hook happens, it's about being part of a community that's larger than yourself.

Jeff Miele:

Yeah, that's amazing and I really love the way you put that, and there's certainly one way to look at a fandom of a sports team, which is already big in itself, but as a born and bred Jersey boy, that geographic pride is always so important as well. So when the two come together, it could be explosive in the best way and something that you could really own. Peter, I do want to ask you I know that some audience questions are coming in Would you like to throw some over?

Peter Yagecic:

Absolutely. Let's try and get to the first one. I think we'll be quick and maybe a free kick. Elisaisa, somebody asked what was your favorite theme night.

Elisa Padilla:

You talked about oh my goodness, that's like asking me who my favorite child is no, but we're not going to play this on the big board, it's okay I think opening night, opening night was spectacular last year, um, and the reason for it is because that set the tone for the rest of the season right, and having fans come in and, you know, just seeing their passion and their excitement, then that, you know, trickled along the way. And then, from an activation perspective, I think, which wasn't necessarily a theme night, but the launch of our mascot, red, and, again, when you think about community, how the team here was able to bring that to life with the support of our supporter groups and to see him come to life was just, it was like it was incredible. It was incredible. So, but I think, think you know, for the person who asked the question, opening night was by far my favorite theme night very cool.

Peter Yagecic:

I'll sneak one more in uh and then hand it back to jeff uh, we. This question was I love the idea of thinking of the fan experience from street to seat. What opportunities do you see to engage with fans in the consideration or purchase path? Uh, pre-street is it possible to translate the in-venue experience digitally to people before they buy a ticket or red membership?

Elisa Padilla:

oh, that's a really, really good question and that is something that we have been, the team, has been trying to crack, even before I got here, and it's really. You know, what is that digital? What is that fandom digital ecosystem? And I think that you know there are multiple touch points, right, so you have our app, which we reimagined last year, and it's really again thinking of the fan. First, you have our email marketing, those touches and then you have our website. But I also think you know we can leverage partners like Adidas, you know, who have stores throughout New York, where it's like, if the New York Red Bulls are prominent, when someone is shopping, right, we think about being fashion forward first, um, so I think that there's multiple touch points. However, I will say we still have not cracked um, the code of really thinking about, you know, maybe the couch to fridge, um, experience, um. So we're working on it, I can assure you of that.

Jeff Miele:

I'm going to get a little deeper right now. You know we've talked about the ongoing excitement around the sport and the outstanding season this past season and I know we have high hopes for the next season and ongoing growth of fans etc. But you know where I do want to keep it positive and I want you to tell me a little bit about what makes you most excited about for the future. I also kind of want to go down the path of what keeps you up at night what challenges do you see and what are you doing to overcome them?

Elisa Padilla:

Yeah, well, I think you know, I think, jeff and Damon, I think you know the answer to this butts in seats is what keeps me up at night, like every.

Elisa Padilla:

It's like thinking, okay, how are we going to break through the clutter, right? How are we going to, you know, get into people's feeds in the most you know exciting way? And I think that you know part of that is that the marketing ecosystem has really changed. So, continuing to educate ourselves on consumer behavior and what's important to consumers I think that's the second part of the thing that keeps me up at night because, from a storytelling perspective, right, we think of everything through four lenses. One is we think about community, we think about culture, we think about development and then we think about fan engagement, right? So everything that we do it doesn't matter whether it's a press release, it doesn't matter whether it's a post on Instagram it's like are we, are we checking every single box? Because we want to be very intentional about making sure that we're thinking about everything from the fan experience, right? Because if we don't think about it that way, then how are we going to get better and reach newer audiences, like we talked about previously?

Jeff Miele:

That's amazing, and I do think that it's reflected in every touchpoint that I've received from you, as we continue to stay engaged. Peter, has anything else come in from any of the viewers?

Peter Yagecic:

Yeah, yeah, I think we have time for another fan question here. What kind of coordination does the Red Bulls do? Do the Red Bulls do between the brand as a whole and the players, who are increasingly brands themselves?

Elisa Padilla:

Oh, that's a great question. That's a really good question, and I have to say that I have been in the sports and entertainment industry for over two decades community and really have a presence within our community because we want people to get to know the players. And we're also very lucky because we have a few homegrowns, which I think is pretty cool, right, when you think about, oh, I grew up next to so-and-so who maybe lives in Chatham and I've seen him grow up playing soccer and now I can go to the New York Red Bulls game and see him play on the pitch, that's pretty exciting. But I think that one of the things you know that our comms team and social team works with on the player's side is really preparing our players on how you know their brand, how they show up when they're speaking to the media and then also on social media. Right, they are a brand.

Elisa Padilla:

So how can we help them continue to cultivate their brand and grow their fandom? Because ultimately it's going to come full circle, right, if you're a fan of a specific player, you're following them on social media, you're going to buy their jersey. You're you know what specific player? You're following them on social media, you're going to buy their jersey. You know what? Eventually, you're going to make your way to Sports Illustrated Stadium to watch them play on the pitch.

Peter Yagecic:

Yeah, that extended brand ambassador, that's something that's come up a lot in the series and thank you for sharing that. Damian, I think you had a question you wanted to get in there.

Damian Bazadona:

I do Elisa? What is your favorite part of that soccer fandom? You've marketed a lot in live entertainment and live experiences. You show up to Red Bull Like if you're sitting in the parking lot. You're walking at the stadium as a marketer. What do you go like? What makes it special? The world of soccer and or the world of Red Bulls? You have where you want to answer that world. What is your? What is your favorite part about it?

Elisa Padilla:

I think it's the passion, damien. I think that it's like on match day, I sit at the top of the stairs, um, at gate b, and I watch like the supporters tailgating. The fact that they're there hours before the match starts and they're in their gear from head to toe, right, right, it's just like the passion and the love that they have for this club and for the sport is like no other. And then to really, you know, when they march into, you know, into the stadium, and then the fact that they're on their feet for 90 minutes, it's like it is for 90 minutes, it's like it is incredible.

Elisa Padilla:

And I have you know, I had you know, I'm lucky enough that this past season I was able to visit a few different clubs and in different markets when we were playing on the road. And it doesn't matter, like it's, it's that supporter fandom is what makes MLS so special. And I don't think I didn't witness that in basketball, I didn't witness that in hockey and I certainly didn't experience it in baseball. And it's a really, really special time to be part of this league and this sport. And look, every single day I'm learning something new about soccer fans and about our fans. But that passion. It's, you know, it's the reason that I get up in the morning, because I want to make sure that we are delivering the best experience, so that we continue to refine what we do to, you know, complete our mission, which is to be the point of reference for soccer in North America.

Peter Yagecic:

That's going to do it for this episode of Fandom Unpacked the podcast. If you liked what you heard, please be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Find out how to join us live for an upcoming recording at SituationLivecom slash fan. We'll see you next time, true believers.