Santa Monica Surf is an elite youth soccer club and developmental program on the Westside of Los Angeles with 22 coaches and over 500 athletes across nearly 40 teams. Albert Racca, coach, youth camp counselor, and social media director, saw the value in building a unique and cohesive social media presence to attract membership and widen the club's footprint in neighboring communities.
When Albert took the reins of the club's social media accounts, he knew he wanted to do something different than the status quo. His goal was clear: create a professional look that was representative of the caliber of the program and consistent across all digital channels — from social media to the website and beyond.
This would not only attract more talent in the Santa Monica area, but also catch the eyes of neighboring communities to draw in new members.
"I think that being able to recruit is one of the biggest challenges we face. How are we able to get more players from East and Downtown LA?"
While the parent organization for Santa Monica Surf provided some graphic templates to use, Albert wanted a way to localize the club's brand and distinguish it from the other national clubs.
But what he found in tools like Canva were templates not really designed for the soccer space. He needed something that established a professional look and feel that was representative of what parents, fans, and athletes experienced at the club and came to expect from an elite organization.
And being that the club was geographically locked to local talent, outreach to neighboring communities would require committed effort — and even necessitate bilingual outreach. So the solution had to be easily editable for multiple audiences.
"We were using Canva and sometimes other tools. They felt very gimmicky and cartoony. They didn't seem professional. Not as a club like Santa Monica should be in the templates and content we were putting out.”
After trying out other tools, Albert was recommended to Gipper by a peer. He was instantly captivated by the breadth of plug-and-play templates available and how easy it was to update colors and photos. He could finally create the engaging brand he wanted.
What's more, Gipper's easily editable text fields meant he could create graphics in both English and Spanish — allowing him to better reach underserved talent in nearby communities.
"Sometimes athletes don't have the means to come out and play. We offer programs and help for those players. That's where Gipper comes in. Now we're able to share information via social media with those players and their families — in two languages. And sometimes it's the template that catches their eye and not necessarily even the information.”
Since using Gipper, coach Racca has elevated Santa Monica Surf's social media presence. What's more, with easily exportable graphics, he's been able to unify the club's brand across the website and print materials for maximum engagement.
"It's important for us to create not only a good time, but an experience at the club, in a concise and clear way. Gipper provides a peephole into that experience with its graphics, effects, and templates. It provides a level of professionalism and the tools needed to make our social media content as clear and engaging as possible. Now we're seeing higher engagement ratios. Gipper has definitely been a plus in getting kids out.”
