MATT CAIRNS, ELEVEN SPORTS MEDIA Connecting Fans with the Brand
Images: Eleven Sports Media fter celebrating a decade in the
seen them achieve commercial success at clubs
well as Eleven managing a range of commercial
industry, Eleven Sports Media
such as Middlesbrough, Newcastle United,
activations. With a strong focus on activation, it
have seen the evolution of the
Crystal Palace and Watford.
was quickly identified that brands, both regional
brand to fan experience within
While the basis for any successful partner
and national, were demanding richer branded
UK stadia first hand. Fans are demanding a
programme has always been to utilise available
content, access to high profile events in the
more connected, engaging and interactive
space on the club’s perimeter advertising
stadium and the use of bespoke partner IP.
environment, but rather than seeing this as an
boards, Eleven believe that the traditional
The new-look partner programme took a multi-
obstacle, clubs are using these opportunities
approach was in need of modernisation.
tier approach, with Leeds United’s commercial
to find new and innovative ways to drive
Eleven’s CEO Matt Cairns said: “We saw there
team managing ‘Digital Partners’ with titanium,
commercial revenues, creating additional value
was very little structure to most commercial
platinum, gold, silver and bronze levels. Eleven
for commercial partners and strengthening the
partner programmes and it was our strong
managed the lower tier under the title of Leeds
relationship between club, brand and fanbase.
belief, along with a few others in the market,
United Business Club.
Launched in January 2018, the new iteration
that the singular core principle of a tiered
Partners at every level are now able to
of the Leeds United Partner Programme has
partnership structure combined with the use
engage with the club’s fans at various digital
proven to be a huge commercial success for
of ‘segmented LED’ could glean much greater
touchpoints within the Elland Road stadium,
all stakeholders, the club’s commercial team,
revenues than what were being achieved.”
beyond the club’s official social media channels,
the brands associated with the partnership
Working with Leeds United’s commercial
and even with the local business community
and the fans who have enjoyed the award-
team, comprising of Stuart Dodsley and Paul
at exclusive events. Eleven had helped provide
winning content on Eleven Sports Media’s fan
Bell, Eleven worked to construct a partner
a fully-integrated partner programme which
engagement channels, StadiumTV and StatTV.
programme which built on the principles of
provided additional value and took activation
Eleven’s experience in constructing partner
LED exposure, but also included the added
to a whole new level by providing key insights
programmes by bringing together a range of
value of Eleven’s owned digital fan engagement
to the clubs, and campaign activation to the
digital communication channels had already
channels, StadiumTV, StatTV and StatTracker as
partners and brands who joined the programme.
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