What can brands learn about loyalty and creating a sense of belonging from football teams?

Back in 2012, I was on film shoot in Thailand. And after a very long day filming, I was desperate to watch the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Liverpool. Due to kick off 11pm Bangkok time.

So, I asked a taxi driver to take me to a place to watch the ‘Big Game' After falling asleep, I woke up to find myself, heading out of the Bangkok into the middle of nowhere. A little worried I checked my phone. No signal.

20 minutes nail biting minutes later, we pulled onto a dirt track and my heart began to race.

Then all of a sudden, the taxi was surrounded by a sea of blue. As thousands of local Thai fans started headed to a large stadium to watch the game on a big screen.

That evening, I had one of the best football experiences of my life. Even though I didn’t speak the language. It didn’t matter one bit. I had an instant connection.

Looking back at that experience it got me thinking. What can brands learn from major sport teams? How do they create a sense of belonging?

How can brands create an emotional connection?

Football is an entire industry that is driven by emotions. And depending on who you support, you can experience many different types of emotion. The excitement of match day, reliving an incredible goal, signing a star player, all differ massively from losing a Cup Final or being relegated.

And it's these emotions that ultimately shape fan behaviour, having a huge influence on engagement and participating and whether we will click through to the shop to order the new kit or not.

In fact, football triggers many emotions, pride, anger, stress and of course joy, as dopamine is triggered telling your brain that you are having a good time. Flooding the body and allowing us to lose our inhibitions. Or in my case, hugging a complete stranger in Thailand.

Now obviously traditional brands are not sports teams, and by the very nature of advertising they are usually interrupting the entertainment rather than creating the entertainment, that people have tuned in to watch.

But over the years there have been some brands who have made it their absolute mission entertain the audience and trigger an emotion, rather than overload them with too much information. Brands that people look forward to watching. Brands that create an event through their creativity. Brands that are distinctive.

Brands that tell stories

Brands that give us an adrenalin rush

Brands that capture our imaginations

Brands that bring pure Joy

Brands that move us

It’s no surprise that these spots are some of the most loved ads of all time. That connected in culture. Making people feel an affinity towards those brands. And creating that first step in belonging.

Without triggering some kind of emotion how else will you make someone remember you? Let alone become a fan.

How can brands create belonging?

A football clubs’ greatest assets are their players and many of them now have huge followings in their own right. With Messi having 164 million followers on Instagram compared to Barcelona with 95.6 million.

As a result, football clubs and National teams have started to ramp up their in-house film and content capability. Using their players to keep fans engaged between games. Showing behind the scenes at training. Creating exclusive interviews with players. Allowing fans to ask their favourite player a question. Often across numerous digital platforms like Tik Tok and instagram. As well as their own app where they can capture user data.

This level of engagement also gives Football Clubs a great opportunity to show their fans what else the Club stands for outside of the game. Inviting fans to join their players and make a difference in their community. As well as supporting their players own initiatives.

By having an ongoing conversation with fans in this way, they create an even greater sense of belonging. And fans feel like they are a part of something much bigger. As human beings that need to belong is a powerful thing, it gives us instant affiliation, allowing us to share moments and create an instant social connection with other fans.

And it makes great business sense too, the passion runs so deep that fans can’t wait to wear the brands colours to show that they are part of the team, creating a sense of shared identity. I belong to this club and what it stands for.

It’s no surprise that many brands try to build a community around their own brand values and make people feel like they belong.?This is something that brands like Apple have always understood, thanks to the ultimate first team coach, Steve Jobs

As well as brands like Brewdog or Patagonia, that have used their purpose to create a tight-knit community, where people feel connected by making a positive impact on the world.

But making people feel part of a community organically can take time. And without a lack of professional footballers to call upon, many brands try to tap into ready-made communities by using influencers. Which can work very well when it is authentic. Just ask Gym Shark.

But if you are not careful it can feel too forced and as a result a tight-knit community can begin to lose its sense of identity.

How can brand make people want more?

As a result of the pandemic, and the rising number of brands offering their products online, people can now buy whatever they want on their phone, whenever they feel like it. These new 'micro shopping moments', mean that people are shopping on their phones whilst watching TV, commuting or at work.

What’s great about being a Football Club and having to stick to a very tight TV schedule is that they know exactly when someone will be engaged in their brand. Down to the last minute or when the Champions League music begins to play. Whether it is watching the build-up and analysis. Watching the game itself. Or watching the post-match highlights. As well as travelling to the game when we eventually return to stadiums. Everything runs like clockwork, give or take injury time.

And knowing when people are engaged in the brand, when fans are on an emotional high, creates the perfect moment for an email or push notification showcasing the new kit. Or a social post on Weibo, in Beijing 5,000 miles away.

The brand is no longer interrupting a fan, they are adding to their experience. Giving fans more of what they love. And ultimately more ways to feel a sense of belonging. I would bet my old Puma Kings that shirt sales go up after a big win.

Again, some of the most successful brands in the world understand the power of timing their message. Take Apple as an example, just like a football club everything is timed to perfection from the keynote speech to leaked tech reviews, right down to the product film and the ECRM blast. Everything is timed to create maximum hype, making you feel part of an exclusive club and as result you go online or queue up outside a store for their latest tech. Without the need for a hard sell.

3 take outs

Think about the journey you want to take people on over a season / campaign.

Make it entertaining - How will you get people excited in the first place? What emotion do you want to create? Remember, the more entertaining you make it, the less of an interruption it is.

Create belonging - How can you use ongoing conversations and content to make people feel like they belong? How can you make people feel part of the journey? Using content to bring people closer to the brand and answer questions they might have.

Make them want more - Think about the timing? How can you use it to enhance an experience? And rather than just sell, how can you make your fans want to buy?

Personally, I don’t think a brand will ever be able to totally re-create the loyalty created by a football team. But I would prefer a brand to try, rather than interrupt me and try to sell to me in every channel.

When they do that, I stop being a fan.