Internationalization, without losing identity and brand image linked to a specific territory, is one of the basic pillars in the growth strategy of clubs such as Deportivo de la Coruña, the Burgos, the UD Las Palmas or El Eibar, which also work in the challenge of monetizing the creation of a ‘premium’ content as part of a football industry that tends “more to entertainment than to the interest in the competition”.
With Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid as clubs with high international positioning for its history, prestige, world -renowned titles and players, the rest of the Spanish league teams works to gain market share in a football industry that lives its boom thanks to the digital environment that surrounds it.
In search of this growth and positioning as a brand, Spanish clubs are clear that internationalization and creation of ‘premium’ content are key.
“It is important to identify the local passion linked to football events and turn it into something global and authentic. Our great challenge is to turn the Burgos progressively and, for this, we use the knowledge of the nine media we have in Argentina,” he said during his talk at Sports Summit Madrid Alejandro Grandinetti, CEO of the Burgos and that from 2019 to 2023 was secretary of Tourism of Santa Fe (Argentina).
“The second Spaniard has containing the assistance to the Burgos brand, which is a soccer brand but city brand, ”he confessed.
Massimo Benassi, CEO of the RCD Deportivo La Coruña, stressed that for them as a club the most important thing is to “generate organic audience” to grow their hobby.
“We have started in Brazil and Venezuela with the League doing events and, apart from the fact that Abanca develops businesses in the country, we also take into account the immigration that looks at other places in the world. We have organized a week of mini concentration in London because, in addition to Peñas, at the level of audience in networks we have a lot of presence there and we will take advantage of two friendlies to develop actions,” he said.
The adaptation to the technological world, which is increasingly open between society, is another of the bets of Deportivo de la Coruña as a club strategy.
“To monetize our products as soon as possible, since last season, we have tried that in the stadium there are the least possible effective money. Not only because of the bank but because it is easier to create profiles and satisfy novel products to local fans, apart from the fact that we can also reach the casual fan differently. We believe that,” he said.
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Monetization of content creation, challenge of Spanish soccer clubs
Patricio Viñayo, General Director Las Palmas, stressed the importance of knowing “well the attributes that your own brand has to outline a coherent story”.
An example of the International Strategy of the UD Las Palmas is the link that maintains with the city of San Antonio, in Texas (United States), which was founded by 56 Canarian inhabitants.
“One of the most famous places in the city is the Plaza de la the Canary Islands. There are statues that commemorate when the first settlers arrived. That we saw and, as they have a team like the San Antonio Spurs, with five NBA rings and recognized throughout the world, we saw how to do a collaboration with the football club that crystallized in a match with the San Antonio FC (team of the USL Canary Islands Day, ”he said.
“We have armed the international expansion policy in this way and we have achieved that an expedition of San Antonio to come to the countryside. That helps to grow. We had a million followers in the digital community and now eight. That is only achieved if you look outside. There are six million followers captured outside the islands,” he said.
“We know that all this requires an investment, just like technology, but that they pay attention to you one in ten times that you suggest something to a follower is already a success,” he said.
In that line was Jon Ander Ulazí, CEO of Eibar, who highlighted the importance of “exploiting one’s own singularity” of a municipality that has just over 27,000 inhabitants.
“We have been the smallest population for seven years and we have tried to sell the motto that people come to know a different destination from the rest. There is also a job, by LaLiga, with social networks in different languages and Premium personalized content,” he said.
“We are seeing how the teams are more daring when generating more exclusive content, teaching even the interiorities of the stadium. The highest sales are not made by technological channels, except Real Madrid and Barcelona, but before the game. We believe that these sales channels with premium content will have to be made more attractive,” he said.
The Eibar manager put a singular fact as a case of success. Before the pandemic they had the visit of some fans of the Magdeburg. “They sympathized for some reason with us and what seemed like a flower of a day has become an extensive relationship and now every year they come to see a game and accompany us.”
“They are usually noticed because the German fans are very faithful and passionate. They come to Eibar, they decorate the hotel from top to bottom, they accompany us in the party and leave. That impact of people also creates a positive impact at the image and environment level but also an economic revenue for the small city for the expense they do,” he concluded.
With EFE information.
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