The Digital Challenge in Football: Strategies to Win Over the New Generations

In a panel moderated by Kike Levy, Head of NJF Sports and Media, the radical transformation of the football industry and younger generations’ communication styles and use of social media were analyzed. “Reaching and Engaging the Next Generation of Sports Fans“, the name of the panel, featured Roberto Monzani – Media House Director at FC Internazionale – and Ronan Joyce – Director of Digital Innovation D2C at Manchester United – sharing their insights on a crucial topic.

Football has changed not only in its technical and tactical foundations but also in how content is produced for a new audience. The generational differences between Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha are striking: compared to just ten years ago, consumption patterns have evolved, driven by the explosion of social networks and a pop culture – virtual and gamified – that often follows current trends and is far more direct. The question, then, is: what strategy should be adopted to effectively attract this new segment of the audience?

“We try to leverage algorithms by tailoring them to the architecture of different platforms. We change our tone of voice based on the target audience we are addressing”, said Monzani, who, over the years, has turned Inter’s Media House into a laboratory of creativity and innovation. In practice? Since its founding in 2017, it has sought to combine on-field content with off-field elements designed for high engagement. For instance, the celebration of Inter’s 20th league title included a collaboration with WWF, showcasing “Ext1nctionNumb3rs” on players’ jerseys – figures that clearly illustrate the current environmental crisis.

Flexibility, originality, and innovation are the key principles driving the communication strategies of the world’s most prominent clubs’ media houses. This is complemented by an omnichannel personalization of messaging, supported by data that facilitates the creation of increasingly dynamic and engaging experiences.

“At Manchester, we enjoy a wide range of commercial partners with whom we’ve launched exciting initiatives. For example, we introduced the ‘Fantasy United’ game on the Tezos blockchain – complete with special packages and a sticker book to complete collections. The game evolves based on players’ performances, and the audience response has been incredible”, noted Joyce, emphasizing how branded content is now a fundamental asset in any club’s communication plan.

In conclusion, today’s and tomorrow’s fans will need to be increasingly engaged through effective and comprehensive marketing funnels that are also unconventional. In an era where younger generations are shifting their allegiance from teams to individual players, the ability to reinvent communication strategies will be the key to any media house’s success. After all, how a story is communicated makes all the difference in the world. And we all love to be involved or feel at the center of the narrative.

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