Last Update: January 22, 2020
Creating A New Brand
Jorge Mas, Inter Miami’s Managing Owner, and a Miami-born businessman, is very clear about the vision for Inter Miami CF when it launches in MLS in 2020:
“Our vision for our franchise is that it becomes MLS’ global brand.”
“We’re different and we’re here to change the game – we’re not here to do things that are status quo.”
Jorge Mas, Managing Owner
Building a global brand requires a clearly focused plan, understanding the market one is competing in, bringing together the right personnel, and a lot of work.
Generally speaking, there are agreed upon steps and considerations when creating a global brand. Here is one such list from a popular business journal:
- Find A Differentiating Vision.
- Don’t Get Lost In Translation.
- Make Sure All Strategic Elements Are Fully Aligned.
- Maintain A Consistent Identity.
- Build A Team Of Believers.
The steps Inter Miami CF has taken since its beginning contain elements of all these generally-accepted principles.
Brands do not become globally recognised overnight. In the case of Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami though, worldwide recognition seemed to happen just that quickly. That should come as no surprise given that David Beckham is involved. But having a global icon in the ownership group and as the face of the club will only get the club so far in the increasingly competitive world football landscape. To build a global brand, the club will need to first create its own identity.
Managing Owner Jorge Mas says the goal is to have a first-class team with facilities to match, to ensure Inter Miami CF becomes a global brand. Developments on both the football side and business side of Inter Miami CF will make this vision a reality.
This piece aims to demonstrate the steps and decisions made as Inter Miami CF embarks on it’s mission of being a global brand in the world of football, while at the same time being very much rooted in South Florida and the communities that make up this diverse region. As such, items herein will periodically be updated as events unfold.
Introduction
It started with a dream of Marcelo Claure to bring a Major League Soccer club to Miami in the years following the contraction of the Miami Fusion by MLS, in a period often referred to as “MLS 1.0.” Claure’s efforts to bring MLS to Miami eventually lead to discussions with FC Barcelona about partnering with them and bringing s Barça owned team to Miami. While those plans fell through, Claure continued his efforts to bring Miami into the fold.
Separately, David Beckham entered the picture. Beckham’s impact on MLS was far greater than just being a big name player on one of the league’s most successful teams. When he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy from Real Madrid, he had a provision in his contract with MLS that he could choose to exercise if he wished to invest in a future expansion team.
Claure eventually met someone who was able to arrange a meeting with David Beckham. Soon thereafter, the two decided that they would work together and Beckham focused on Miami as the city where he would launch a new team. The initial announcement by Beckham and Claure was made at the Perez Art Museum on February 5, 2014. Progress was slow to nonexistent in the years that followed, including failed attempts to find a location for the future stadium amid the turbulent waters of Miami politics made even more complicated by the fact that some land is under the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade County and some the City of Miami. Many doubted that “Miami Beckham United” (the investors’ corporate name) would ever actually happen, and people wondered why the investors didn’t walk away.
The breakthrough came the addition of brothers Jorge and Jose Mas, whose belief in and passion for Miami matched the perseverance and determination of Claure and Beckham. A local investor who knew his way around Miami was exactly the missing ingredient the team needed to move from concept to reality. After years of setbacks and frustrations, “Fútbol Miami” was officially confirmed on January 29, 2018.
Step 1: Choosing A Name That Will Resonate
The building process took a major leap forward on September 5, 2018, when the club’s official name was revealed: Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, (Inter Miami CF), together with its unique badge and official colours.
Step 2: Division of Club Operations
The club’s operations are divided into two sides: Sporting (Soccer), which includes obviously the players and coaching staff and trainers, but also includes the Youth Academy and its coaches and operations staff. On the other side is Commercial, which includes all business operations of the club, including communications, sponsorships, digital media, retail, licensing, marketing and ticket sales.
Continue To Club Operations: Sporting
Continue To Club Operations: Commercial