As European football clubs step up innovative partnership approaches, CLV Group’s Neil Joyce argues that, if they want to capture the hearts (and wallets) of global fans, they need aim higher than t-shirt sales. If they're not targeting younger and US audiences, football clubs are missing a trick says CLV Group's Neil Joyce / Emerson Vieira via Unsplash The 2024 summer of sport is in full swing, not least with the Uefa Euros generating football fever and a surge of sports-related brand collaborations. There’s plenty for football fans to get excited about.
Puma’s global campaign featuring both football and Olympic stars is a first for the brand , – with creative that reinforces the speed and excitement of sport. Elsewhere, English Premier League winners Manchester City recently announced a partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment . And luxury partnerships like German footballer Jonathan Tah’s collab with fashion brand MCM offers fans the opportunity to engage with clubs in a premium way (the capsule collection offers leather weekend bags for a cool €1,300); David Beckham’s recruitment as ambassador for Chinese tech giant AliExpress will help both to tap into new customer markets.
Football, in other words, is starting to look at new collaborations to unlock new audiences – converting undecided and new generations of fans not through tried-and-tested approaches, but through innovation. How innovative partnerships bring new audiences Brand collaborations are.
