Michael Goldman: Can you briefly discuss your role as Manager of Sports Marketing and your background that led to you to joining Volkswagen?

Ben Freidson: My role is to identify potential sports sponsorships that align well with our marketing and communications strategy. Once we enter into an agreement, our emphasis is to try and leverage the sponsorship at all levels of the organization.

My background is in Business and Sports Management. At one time I worked for D.C. United in their corporate sponsorships division. More recently, I was working for a sponsorship activation agency, Cenergy Communications. At Cenergy, I worked with both corporations like Mentholatum’s OXY and Dial’s Right Guard Xtreme on their sponsorships of the Dew Action Sports Tour as well as with professional teams with the Cleveland Cavaliers/Lake Erie Monsters and the Buffalo Bills.

Michael Goldman: Volkswagen of America Inc. recently announced the renewal of their partnership with Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing after a successful first year.  What aspects of the partnership’s initial year pushed Volkswagen to seek a multi-year renewal?

Ben Freidson: Throughout the brand, we are focusing on creating conversations with new, broader and more diverse audiences.  Major League Soccer has strong relationships with loyal soccer fans that are aware of the Volkswagen brand and also are familiar with our global commitment to the sport.  This partnership provides our team with a multi-platform vehicle to engage these important US consumers in a whole new way. Our experiential programs and webisode series for last year’s Road to MLS Cup was positively received by fans and generated good online awareness.  We want to do more to engage the fans.

Michael Goldman: Describe the national grassroots programming that Volkswagen plans to develop with MLS and SUM.

Ben Freidson: I can’t get into the specifics of our new grassroots initiatives for the upcoming season quite yet, but I can tell you that we will look to leverage Volkswagen and Major League Soccer assets to showcase the value of our brand in a meaningful way to consumers. Our biggest need is to get consumers more familiar with our product offerings. We have several vehicles that are a perfect fit for the active soccer family and we launched 5 new vehicles last year including the Routan, Tiguan and CC. Event marketing is a great way for us to educate consumers and have a deeper conversation about Volkswagen and our cars.

We will use media, events and the Web to make sure we’re making the right connections, early and often.

In addition to new grassroots initiatives, we will be a sponsor of existing MLS grassroots initiatives including MLS Futbolito and Sueno MLS, which are both fantastic ways to connect with our Spanish speaking fans.

Michael Goldman: MLS is in an expansion mode still, as well as diligently trying to expand its fan base in the U.S.  As MLS grows, hopefully Volkswagen’s presence in the U.S. will grow too as a result of this partnership.  What are the specific areas of growth or demographic additions that Volkswagen is hoping to attain as a result of the partnership with MLS?

Ben Freidson: As the MLS grows its fan base, the partnership generates tremendous visibility with key US consumers including the Hispanic community, families and the endemic soccer fan, all of whom are very important audiences and customers bases for Volkswagen.  Through our activations, consumers have the opportunity to try out new vehicles and see products in person and hands-on in a way that they might not otherwise have experienced.

Michael Goldman: Volkswagen has been a long-time supporter of soccer on a global level.  This partnership shows Volkswagen’s substantial investment and support for soccer in the U.S.  What fraction of Volkswagen of America Inc.’s resources for sports marketing is dedicated to MLS?  What other American sports is Volkswagen involved with?

Ben Freidson: We’re committed to strategic investments in sports marketing because of its ability to deliver strong value messages and build long-term relationships with key audiences. The primary focus of our strategy lies in the sport of soccer however we do have additional sports sponsorships in our portfolio. We are involved in the Chicago and Pittsburgh Marathons in the Midwest region. In addition we are the official automobile of the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center.

Michael Goldman: While Volkswagen is the official automotive partner of MLS, it is also a partner of the D.C. United club.  In addition, the German football club VFL Wolfsburg plays in the Volkswagen Arena.  Do you envision Volkswagen buying the naming rights of a specific MLS club’s stadium at any point in the future?

Ben Freidson: We will continue to explore strategic fits for the brand on a case by case basis. It is great to see soccer specific stadiums launching across the country as it only strengthens the league for the long term.

Michael Goldman: What advice would you give to college students for trying to break into the sports marketing world or other areas related to sports-business?

Ben Freidson: Keep an open-mind to different opportunities such as internships that help you get a foot in the door. Think broadly – brands, agencies, media corporations and teams all need young, well-rounded and diverse team members. Also, while the sports field is exciting to focus on each day, you cannot forget that it’s called “sports business” for a reason.  Especially in these times, working hard to make the connection from program and sports engagements back to communications goals, sales, results and bottom line is critical.  It’s the reason why brands leverage the power of sports.  Demonstrating that you understand the business side well could make you stand out as a candidate.

There are different routes into the sports business field, remember to stay optimistic and display your commitment and passion for making a difference.

His original move to LA Galaxy from Real Madrid was seen as a revelation for the MLS. Before his arrival, 250,000 ‘Beckham’ jerseys were sold, prompting fanfare and worldwide interest in the Galaxy and the MLS. Attendances jumped, and US soccer benefited from his signature. The $250 million, 5 year deal, which included a mountain of sponsorship signed 2 years ago would have seen him signed through to the age of 37. Last season, despite David being a fantastic player, the LA Galaxy struggled, even with other ex-premier league star, Able Xavier, on their team they failed to make the playoffs.

So, being a world class player and one of the most marketable sportspeople in the world, why would LA want to sell him? Firstly, no team wants a player who doesn’t want to play for them. While I’m sure if the transfer falls through David will still give his best, there is no point LA stopping this deal. Galaxy has already made back the money they invested in David, so there would be no loss in him moving on. In terms of a team point of view, by releasing him the team could bring in another star under what was ironically known as ‘The Beckham Rule’, where only a portion of a marquee signing’s salary falls under the cap. A team is allowed 2 marquee players, so even without Beckham, $400,000 is freed for additional players.

So why wouldn’t they want to sell him? With David at the Galaxy the team is valued at about $100 million. This would fall by almost half, jeopardizing sponsorship for the club. Gate attendances would drop, merchandise sales lost. The impact would take some shine off the glamor club. Not to mention it may be difficult attracting a player of Beckham’s talent to replace him.

Taking a deeper look into his lucrative contract, Beckham may see some of those big bucks lost. Breaking it down at $50M a season, $10M is in his performance contract, $10M in merchandise sales, $20M in sponsorship and the last $10M in profit sharing from Galaxy. As you can probably tell $30M of that will be wiped instantly, however a move to Milan may see a similar performance contract and merchandise sales should still be in the same vicinity, as the Beckham brand is global. In terms of sponsorship, Beckham’s deals should stay relatively unaffected as they are worldwide companies. Any shortfalls of US specific marketing bonuses may be made up by new sponsors in Italy.  Italy, the home of fashion, presents a lot of opportunities. Despite David’s long list of sponsors, he still has some room for more. Fine living and luxury items such as fashion and cars are industries in which David may sign up with in Italy.

Obviously the move isn’t about money.  It’s about fulfilling his dream of trying to win a World Cup, and 2010 will most likely be his last chance. Galaxy have already dismissed AC’s first bid of between $10 and $20m, telling them to increase it. I guess time will tell whether they will.

The process of relocating a professional sports franchise is not an easy one.  That could be one reason why the Chargers have hired Wasserman Media Group (WMG) to market the team in L.A. and Orange County.  That specific market accounts for roughly 30% of the team’s luxury suites and club seats currently in San Diego. The LA Times has called the move “an initial step” toward relocation. But Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani claimed that the newly formed partnership “has nothing whatsoever to do with the team staying or going.”

Besides being known as one of the leading global sports management companies,  WMG’s website also states that consulting is one of the groups areas of expertise.  Specifically it states “WMG works with some of the largest and most successful companies in the world and manages their marketing strategies, develops strategic alliances, and drives innovative programs to elevate their brands.”  Does this suggest that WMG will create an alliance between Los Angeles and the Chargers organization?

Could Phillip Rivers and the Bolts be the next franchise to relocate, or is WMG really just located in a great place to help San Diego market its team?  San Diego’s success may suggest that this is only for marketing purposes or to bring in more revenue during the tough economic state.  WMG would be a great choice to market any sports team, as WMG represents many of the top organizations and companies in the world including David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy organization, A.C. Milan, many of the English Premiere League teams (Newcastle, Liverpool, Reading, Totenham, Rangers..), and almost every team in the NBA. Although WMG has dealt with many storied franchises, the Chargers would be the first NFL franchise on the client list.

On the other hand, the poor record the Oakland Raiders had the past several seasons could make them more of a candidate for relocation than the Chargers.  Owner Al Davis has shown his unpredictability last season, so with Oakland, anything is possible.  Maybe changing locations will help the team (Using OKC in the NBA as a comparison, maybe it won’t).  Signing Dynasty 2009 Draft Client Kevin Grant to strengthen the Raider defense could be a nice addition as well.

This was an extremely productive Transfer Window for all the obvious reasons but also because it greatly assisted in increasing the exposure of my company, Max Eppel Soccer Agency LLC (“MESA”), via the acquisition of new players.  This was an unexpected bonus (purely because my marketing/PR was necessarily placed on hold during the Transfer Window due to time constraints) but one which any Agent will appreciate because it shows that all the hard work really pays off.  Watching the company grow is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job. Please click on www.maxeppelsocceragency.com for more information on MESA.

On the same point, I would like to thank Darren and www.SportsAgentBlog.com because the 2 particular players that signed with MESA during this Transfer Window discovered my company through my previous contributions to this website.

The actual logistics of a day in my life during the Transfer Window are as follows.  A usual day begins at 5.00am PST wherein I make a cup of tea with tea bags specially brought over from England (even though I’ve been in the USA for just over 2 years and enjoy almost every aspect of American living I’m afraid I’ll never be converted to coffee!).  Once I’ve reviewed the previous day’s notes I ensure that I’m ready to go for 6.00am PST which is when the East coast soccer clubs begin their working days and is just after lunch in Europe.  I also remind myself before each call or email that these Directors of Soccer, Head Coaches and General Managers (“decision-makers”) are extremely busy people.  They will be totally inundated with calls from players, scouts and Agents at this time of year, as well as having to review hundreds, possibly even thousands, of Resumes and DVD’s.  It is important to get the presentation correct.  Be succinct, courteous and enthusiastic whether on the phone or via email.  A degree of persistence is necessary here as it is relatively rare to actually get hold of these people straight away.  Chasing the decision-makers is a major part of the Agent’s job and to take “rejection” personally is fatal.  I have a particularly thick skin which was honed through several years of representing clients in Court in England during my legal career – I had no idea at the time that making complicated legal arguments in front of a Judge would stand me in such good stead in the future.

Once the relationships have been developed between Agent and club it becomes a whole lot easier as the club begins to call you on the back of previous successful placements of players but this only comes with time and it can’t be expected from the outset.

Once I have spoken to the relevant decision-maker and he identifies to me what type of player the club is searching for my job is to then send them appropriate Resumes with DVDs wherever possible.  A degree of judgment now becomes necessary.  There is no point, generally speaking, sending the club players who have not yet played to a high enough standard as they simply won’t be selected and my reputation suffers.  The other side of that dialectic is not to send them players who are already playing at a higher level than that particular club because more often than not the player will not want to sign a contract.  Remember, an Agent’s job is to always act in the best interests of his client.  This must be balanced with establishing a solid working relationship with the decision-makers – not always an easy task.

I can’t be certain without checking how many calls are made and emails sent out per day during the Transfer Window but it’s probably well over 100.  What is exciting is that one never knows which call or email will be the start of the process that clinches the next deal.  There is nothing more rewarding than watching the deal take shape, especially for a dedicated soccer man such as myself.

Once the decision-maker has received the Resumes and DVDs it is then a question of giving them a reasonable amount of time to review the contents and then chasing politely but firmly until a response is given.  This is an important part of the deal-making process.  One doesn’t want to come across as too pushy, but again, it has to be balanced with the fact that a major part of an Agent’s job is to place players at clubs.

If there is interest in the player it then becomes a question of deciding whether the player is good enough to sign a contract with the club immediately or, as is more common, he is invited for a trial.  Once the preliminaries are completed it is then down to the player to perform well during the trial which is of course something the Agent has absolutely no control over.  One thing to be aware of is that not every player will necessarily want to go to every club to which a trial has been arranged on his behalf.  It is crucial to check with your player before undertaking all the work or run the risk of looking unprofessional to the club and indeed your own player by arranging a needless trial.  Whether the trial goes well or not, you will be hearing about it.  If it goes well, the negotiations begin and terms are agreed prior to signing the contract.  If it is unsuccessful, well, it’s straight on to the next one.

By now the day has grown long and most days during the Transfer Window I didn’t move from my desk until 11:00pm on the basis that the daily administrative duties have to be carried out.  Taking careful notes on every phone call made or received, as well as each email sent or received, is a very important, and time-consuming, part of the job and something which I have learned from being a lawyer for over 6 years.  Ultimately, it saves time, though.  I have a file on every club and player with which I deal to ensure that both I and MESA are able to provide the best possible service to all parties.

To sum up – the days are long, with the emotional highs and lows in full swing.  I take my job very seriously in terms of professionalism; this includes staying in regular touch with my players as the deals progress.  For any aspiring Agents out there – remember that you have the players’ careers in your hands and this is not a responsibility to be taken lightly.  The most rewarding part of a long day’s work is knowing that I have acted diligently on my clients’ behalves and that I am doing everything in my power to ensure their careers progress accordingly.  When a deal gets signed off I can assure you that the feeling is worth all the hard work.  I don’t recommend getting into this profession unless you share a passion for the sport which serves as a bridge to success.

Max Eppel is a soccer Players’ Agent Licensed by The FA (England). He owns and manages his own California-based company, Max Eppel Soccer Agency LLC. For more information please visit www.maxeppelsocceragency.com.

CAA only recently jumped into the field of representing soccer players in 2007, when David Beckham came to the U.S. CAA was in association with Beckham’s Manager, Simon Fuller, and was in charge of international marketing for Beckham.  Since Beckham came to CAA, one of the English Premiere Leagues top teams, Chelsea FC, has also become a CAA client.  Chelsea and others are looking to break into the growing American soccer scene.

Gestifute was founded in 1996 by FIFA agent Jorge Mendes.  Mendes is now in charge of the many high profile clients and coaches.  He is looking to find the talented youth players in Europe and is now expanding to America.  Gestifute also represents player and coaches like Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea/Portuguese National team), Anderson (Manchester United/Brazilian National Team), Nani (Manchester United/Portuguese National Team), Deco (Chelsea FC/Portuguese National Team), Ricardo Quaresma (FC Porto/ Portuguese National Team), and 2002 World Cup-winning head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari (Chelsea FC).

This is a great thing for American soccer players and fans.  It shows that American soccer is finally accepted overseas and that foreign teams are looking for talented American soccer players.  Soccer is seen as a global sport that has been played all over the world for centuries, but America seemed to be late in catching on.  Football, not Futbol, has been the sport Americans are known for around the world, but that is beginning to change.  The emergence of Major League Soccer (MLS), an American soccer league, has now given domestic and foreign players an arena to play in.  Many great Americans develop in the MLS and others are now playing at great clubs overseas (Beasley, McBride, Onyewu, Donovan did but went back to the MLS).

Before the last World Cup, the USA was ranked as high as 8th in the World. The USA is now ranked 30th in the world (as of the most current FIFA rankings last month), and many young US players are playing overseas.  I witnessed this first hand as one of my Roanoke Star Premiere teammates, Danny Karbassiyoon, went abroad to London and played for Arsenal FC after high school.  Danny was nasty and had the ability to play at any level, being one of the first American born players at Arsenal.  He is now the head scout for Arsenal in the US.

The MLS may have salaries that are a lot less than foreign leagues, but the money will only increase as soccer grows in America.  The EPL and other foreign leagues pay soccer players just as much as the NFL pays its players.  It would certainly be worthwhile for American agencies to invest in soccer, however an agency would need international “connections” overseas to do so.  The partnership between CAA, one of America’s leading sports/ entertainment agencies, and Gestifute might be the spark that ignites the fire.

The merger between CAA and Gestifute proves to solidify the statement that American soccer is growing.  The international community is now starting to recognize American players and accepting them and encouraging them to play internationally.  With the arrival of Beckham, the MLS has picked up and gained fans and approval by other players.  This merger is a great sign for soccer in America.  I expect other American sports and entertainment agencies to add soccer to their sports divisions.  It is not only marketable overseas, as Americans are catching on and the amount of talented American soccer players will only increase.

In the past, it was often viewed that the ‘Big 4′ (MLB, NBA, NFL and the NHL) would be an ideal career choice. However, these are not the only sports that American athletes should now consider. A new player has emerged.

Everyone has heard how little the chances are that a student athlete will make the leap to the Big 4. Not to mention the fact that if you are drafted in many of the leagues, your contract is not guaranteed. Sure there are feeder/development/summer leagues that may pay well, but not nearly as well as this overlooked sport.

One has to look at the emergence of Soccer as a lucrative option for an athlete deciding what sport to pursue. While some sports in the Big 4 are left stagnant, Soccer through the MLS continues to grow in strength, heightened primarily by the acquisition of David Beckham.

So why would an athlete choose to pursue Soccer over the more traditional sports?

Firstly, Soccer is known as ‘The World Game’. There are professional leagues in the majority of countries throughout the world. This gives a soccer player more avenues of opportunity. If a player has fallen out of favor in one particular country, he may be able to ply his trade in another. This is impossible for the NFL/AFL, bar the CFL. Also, baseball and ice hockey opportunities are limited outside of the US. The only exception would be basketball, though there are a lot of leagues that have restrictions on international players. Continuing with the global scale that soccer operates on, the marketing and endorsement opportunities are far greater. Beckham is far more recognizable worldwide than Peyton Manning or A-Rod.

A topic of discussion lately on this site has been rookie payment scales in American sports, something that soccer (outside of the US) does not succumb to. A player can be paid any amount without restriction. Not to mention globally soccer is free from a draft, allowing players to choose who they want to play for.

What about salaries? Although not reaching the current lofty scales of the NBA and MLB, Kaka, the highest paid soccer player still made a little over $15 million last season. [Football’s top 50 rich list]

This is all without stating the obvious that there are 11 players on a soccer pitch compared to hockey and basketball’s starting 5.

So will we see a new player emerge alongside the ‘Big 4′?

Participation has increased at a rapid rate, with nearly 14 million people under 18 playing the game across the United States. [Source] While still a distance from the 23 million playing basketball [Source], the increased opportunities of playing professional soccer will no doubt see that gap reduce in the long term.

Here in the USA, the MLS mid-season Transfer Window is rapidly approaching and I have been busy preparing for what always promises to be a hectic schedule. The Window is open from June 15^th – August 15^th.

In terms of what an Agent does immediately preceding this time, I can of course only speak from my own experience. Here is an overview:

• Confirm that all the Representation Agreements between Agent and player are up-to-date.
• Speak to the players and ensure they are happy where they are, or, if there are grievances, listen carefully and present them with realistic career advice.
• Ensure that all Resumes are current. If not, obtain the relevant statistics and add them to the document. Nothing looks worse than presenting a club with a Resume and then not knowing, for example, how many games one’s client has played this season, or how many goals he has scored.
• Make certain that all the DVD’s are readable and that any links to YouTube, etc., are correct.

Relating back to the technology point made above, one of the biggest and most beneficial changes I have noticed in my time as an Agent is soccer’s increasing willingness to embrace new ways of making the placement process more accurate and more efficient. By accurate, I mean that clubs no longer have to rely on making a judgment based purely on the examination of a player’s physical and sporting statistics included in his Resume and then invite him for a trial or even sign him only to discover that he perhaps was not quite the player they supposed him to be. And as to efficiency – I mean that with the advent of the internet and email there are now so many ways to get a DVD or video clip in front of a Chief Scout or Manager in hardly any time at all. Only last year, I was mailing DVD’s all around the world. This year I have uploaded most of the video clips onto a central website, and from there I can burn DVD’s and deliver them to the clubs almost immediately or send them the password and login information and they can view it for themselves instantly.

Several clubs with whom I deal will not look at a player without video footage, as they simply don’t want to take the risk. Because of this, it is very important to ensure one’s DVD library is current and well-stocked.

Technology adds a much-welcomed element to what used to be a laborious process. It can certainly add a frenetic element to being an Agent, but then, if you’re not willing to have such pressures in your work life you shouldn’t consider becoming an Agent!

Max Eppel is a soccer Players’ Agent Licensed by The FA. He runs his own California-based company, Max Eppel Soccer Agency LLC. For more information please visit www.maxeppelsocceragency.com.