A former Major League Soccer (MLS) marketer and commentator has challenged English rugby clubs to “think outside the box” to compete against rival sports for fans.

Talking at this week's (26/27 November) Rugby Expo event, Callum Williams, former club commentator and host at Sporting Kansas City, lifted the lid on how he helped turn the flagging franchise into a thriving football club over four seasons, and the lessons rugby could learn.

He highlighted Kansas City’s strategy of concentrating on fashion and merchandise, and making it “cool” to wear the club’s jersey as a way to increase local awareness and bring people to matches.

After rebranded, from the Kansas City Wizards to Sporting Kansas City in 2010, club executives made it priority to create a fashion brand, with the help of Williams, as well as develop a number of products, such as coffee and even ale, which was manufactured after the team won the 2013 title.

“Fans drinking the coffee and ale would potentially see us three or four times per day,” said Williams. “We became something that was almost unavoidable, but not annoying. We were there and we were embracing people.”

He said the strategy helped markedly increase Kansas City’s average attendance, which was around 9,500 in 2008. The team now regularly sells out its 18,000 capacity Sporting Park, with a large proportion of the fans aged 35 or under.

Williams highlighted the importance of getting players involved with jersey signings and appearances, as well as liberal marketing of club logos to break into the consciousness of local people who would not normally attend a rugby match.

“If you’re Leicester [Tigers] you’re going up against Leicester City, which is a tough ask as they’re doing well in the Premier League,” he said.

“Although they have one of the biggest fan bases in the league – we know there’s a hardcore base – but how do you get the others involved that aren’t really interested in rugby?”

He said that getting club logos out there “away from the comfort zones” would give the public a decision to make.

“Put your logo everywhere, be a little bit different. To the point where you’re saying to the general public: ‘We’re here as well and we’d like you to be involved. If you do, then great, if not you’re missing out’.”