Manchester City Football Club: Helping Gen Alpha dream big
Creating a breakthrough marketing platform to help Man City become the #1 soccer team in the U.S.
Project:
SVA Masters in Branding Client Work
Led by Andrew Miller (Interbrand) and Andrea Sullivan (Vayner)
Role:
Strategist, Copywriter, Researcher, Project Manager
Team:
Natalie Marques, Gloria Biggers, Sarah Fassberg
Context
In the SVA Masters in Branding “Pitch Perfect” course (taught by Andrew Miller, Chief Growth Officer at Interbrand and Andrea Sullivan, former CMO at VaynerX), students work with a real-life client to help them address an existing or emergent brand challenge and present a pitch to them at the conclusion of the semester. Our client was Manchester City Football Club, a highly successful English Premier League team looking to expand their popularity across the pond and become the most loved and #1 undisputed football club in the U.S. in the next ten years.
The Challenge
Develop and brand a marketing platform that will accelerate fan growth for Man City in the U.S. The platform must align with the existing Man City brand and values and be scalable and ownable.
Solution
Build fandom as early as possible by creating an educational and entertainment platform centered around underutilized mascots Moonchester and Moonbeam that appeals to Gen Alpha and their parents.
Although Man City provided data that the average U.S. fan picks their soccer team at age 19, our research indicated that this age would likely decrease in the coming years, as interest in soccer is steadily increasing among younger generations. As the largest demographic in history with a potential buying power of up to $5.46 trillion by 2029, Gen Alpha presents a key opportunity for Man City.
Through in-depth consumer research, we learned that this generation was uniquely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, lacking the skills to connect in person and build positive self-esteem. Parents are looking for ways to help their children build confidence and resilience.
Blue Moon will come to life through a children’s book, an animated Netflix series, immersive pop-up experiences, and brand partnerships that support both play and education, with the ultimate goal of helping kids dream big like former underdogs Man City. Because on Blue Moon, no dream is too big and no player is too small.
By transforming these mascots into characters, Man City can develop powerful relationships with this next generation of fans to help future-proof the brand. Characters build connections, creating lifelong loyalty that can help lend love and forgiveness even when the brand — or the team — is unable to live up to expectations.
So win or lose, Man City can build a legacy of love. And by getting these fans early, you can keep them for life.
The Results
Our team was selected as one of two winning teams by the client (CMO Nuria Tarré and VP of Partnerships Andres Gonzalez) and invited to deliver our pitch to COO Roel de Vries at the City Football Group NYC headquarters.
