Jeremy J Fugleberg

jfugleberg@argusleader.com

The Sioux Falls Thunder is Sioux Falls' latest professional sports team, a soccer club affiliated with the National Premier Soccer League, the fourth tier of U.S. soccer.

The Thunder may not have the history of the Canaries baseball team or the venue of the Stampede hockey team. But it does have a local main sponsor: Lemonly, an infographics, data visualization and video graphics design company based in downtown Sioux Falls.

The Sioux Falls Business Journal talked with Lemonly co-founder and CEO and John T. Meyer about his decision to sponsor the team, and what it mean for the community and Lemonly as a business.

Sioux Falls Business Journal: How did you first hear about the Sioux Falls Thunder?

John T. Meyer: "My younger brother who lives in Rochester (he's at Mayo right now), sent me a link. And my other brother lives in St. Paul, and he's like, 'hey, I just stumbled on this NPSL, fourth division league. There's a team in each one of our towns, we should become super fans. and I'm like, 'wait, we have a soccer team?' So I did my investigation which started on Facebook and went to Google.

"And the other wrinkle in the business-side – tech, soccer and community, where it all merged – this guy Dennis Crowley, who's the founder of Foursquare, he's a big soccer fan and has a team in New York. They're called the Kingston Stockade. He wrote a Medium post fully detailing how he and his buddies started this semi-pro soccer team. ... I said, that would be fun, so I just reached out to (the Thunder) and said, 'how can I help.'"

SFBJ: What's the value to your business of sponsoring the Thunder?

JM: "As far as a small advertising expense, I don't feel like if I've ever had some dollars go so far, because these guys are so, "we've been validated," and I'm just like, 'oh, I wanted to put my logo on your jerseys and help you guys out.' I think I've heard a couple of companies have called now, a little late to the game but want to get in, but that's good. Another business interest is, personally and as a business, I like to be a little different and make a different move ... I think it's different.

"About two percent of our business is done in South Dakota, so we're a little bit unique. Having this new office on Main and the rise of Main, people have heard of us a little more, but we're still a little bit different and that's OK with us. (The Thunder) do play in Minneapolis, and that could be a market. So there's maybe a little brand exposure, but we're not measuring ROI on this investment. It's more the community aspect.

"Brands have personalities in 2017. ... A micro investment in a soccer team has probably no return on investment for Lemonly - Services as an international design company, but it says something about what we believe in."

SFBJ: What kind of value does supporting soccer mean to the community?

JM: "I think there's an opportunity for a vehicle to build community. ... It's the reason that Queen City Bakery thrives or M.B. Haskett has such a loyal following, or we started One Million Cups and have 70 people every Wednesday get together and have a cup of coffee. People just want to get together. I think the narrative of us always being in our phones is rooted in some truth, but we're seeking opportunities to be physically in spaces with people and bond around interests or discussion."