LAFC and Dr. Mark Pearson, in affiliation with the University of Southern California’s Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice, announced today a special partnership which allows the Club access to utilize research and behavioral studies with the goal of better serving the Los Angeles and LAFC community.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Dr. Mark Pearson and USC. It’s an honor to partner with one of the most respected Universities in the world to better understand our passionate fan base and better serve our community. We want to be better at all we do, and Dr. Pearson and USC will help us get there.” said LAFC EVP of Corporate Strategy and Operations, Benny Tran.
“We are approaching our 5th season in 2022, and we are more committed than ever to connecting with our fans and learning why they love LAFC and what’s important to them on and off the field. The more we understand this, the more memories we can all create together representing Los Angeles.” added LAFC EVP of Brand & Community, Rich Orosco.
The partnership will begin with a behavioral study entitled The LAFC Love Study which will focus on brand affinity among LAFC’s passionate supporters and fans and the convening power of soccer as a sport, culture, and community adhesive. Additional topics for exploration include equity issues as it relates to how the Black & Gold can improve its engagement with fans at Banc of California Stadium and within the local community.
“We are extremely excited to partner with LAFC in this kind of research. Very seldom do you see sports organizations work with academic institutions towards the goal of building stronger community. LAFC’s grassroots success in a global city like Los Angeles is compelling and interesting from a behavioral and social development standpoint. They really want to continue to listen and hear their fans. We can’t wait to get started,” said Dr. Mark Pearson.
This one-of-a-kind partnership with Dr. Pearson is just the beginning of a long-term relationship with the university, which will start with a survey and subsequent in-person group sessions over time. The Club was recently featured in two case studies through USC’s Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies entitled, LAFC: Tackling Intolerance, and Kickoff: The Launch of Los Angeles Football Club. Both studies were written by USC Marshall School of Business Professor Jeremy B. Dann. Each case study featured first-hand interviews with LAFC supporters, staff and players. The published case studies can be viewed here.
