Fan Engagement: The NEW Holy Grail for Sports Brands
Sport is a universal passion. In every country and in every language, sport inspires like nothing else. It provides a constant source of conversation, community and connection.
Now in a digital economy worth over $4 trillionthe sports industry itself is undergoing dramatic change.
And not just on the field with improved player performance or data-driven recruitment, but also off the field through immersive and innovative fan engagement – like VR experiences, instant access to match highlights or real-time goal recordings. Simon Morris, Adobe Vice President Marketing EMEA & APAC, shares his insights on the new holy grail for sports brands.
Discover the partnership between FC Bayern and Adobe.
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The diversification of the modern sports fan
The acceleration of digitalization in sport has given all clubs and organizations around the world a sense of urgency to go digital, with much of these changes taking place in recent years.
With the convergence of physical and digital esports in esports, a new breed of fans has emerged, digital-first and always-connected.
I’m one of them, a season ticket holder for English football club Arsenal for 30 years. Like any modern day sports fan, I want to be constantly connected to my football club, whether it’s real-time team news, notifications about the latest transfer rumours, game ticket availability or the latest merch deals, all streamed to my device of choice.
Ultimately, delivering these experiences boils down to how well clubs understand their fans and how they can use that understanding to better personalize their content. That’s why data – and how we collect it – plays such a crucial role in creating the experiences that modern sports fans crave.
Building a global sports brand through digital experiences
As with any business, the need to continue driving growth and generating revenue opportunities for sports clubs is paramount – and digitalization is fundamental to that growth, transforming sports clubs into global brands that attract new waves of millions of fans.
For example, Arsenal’s fanbase is estimated at over 750 million people, so I often meet other supporters when I travel. These fans are just as passionate as I am and have the same desire to constantly feel connected to the club.
Many sports clubs attract new fans by playing friendlies and tournaments abroad, but they have retained those fans by engaging and connecting them through digital experiences, such as exclusive player interviews on social media or behind-the-scenes footage via dedicated club apps keep.
Redefining the digital sports experience
In response to the changing expectations and demands of the modern fan, many Adobe customers in the sports world are embracing the large-scale digital transformation currently dominating the industry.
For example the Spanish football club real Madrid are passionately restoring the community spirit of support for the legendary Los Blancos, but on a global scale. AAnother European football giant, FC Bayern, is too look over to Push the boundaries of how digital can redefine the fan experience and attract new audiences.
Both harness the power of data-driven, personalized experiences inside Adobe Experience Cloud — including Adobe’s real-time customer data platform — to meet and exceed the needs of millions of supporters worldwide.
Outside of football Major League Baseball in the United States is working with Adobe to bring a new level of personalized, seamless experiences to its millions of fans – and to bring the unique and traditional atmosphere of the stadium to people around the world.
Succeed in today’s digital economy
Even in our digitally-dominated world, as a people and as a society, we still crave creativity and personalized connections. And perhaps nowhere is this more embodied than in the world of sport, where we are inexplicably (almost inevitably) bonded to our favorite clubs and players for life.
Building these lasting connections will allow the sports clubs and organizations of the future to thrive – and it’s a really exciting time to be a part of it.