The modern club must be terrified of losing fans.
Just as Jeff Bezos built Amazon on the fear of losing customers.
Clubs still think of the fans too much as something that exists and will never disappear.
Instead, the fan is a luxury for the club.
There is no industry where customers are so loyal.
The club must take advantage of this situation and not just exploit it.
There are many founders of sports tech companies that can help clubs improve their relationships with fans.
But at the root of it all, there has to be a shift in mentality.
🆕 The club must shift from asking 'what do I need' to 'what do fans need'.
The focus must shift to the needs and requirements of the fan.
❌ From “what I need” ➡ short-term wins
- I need to increase the prices
- I need to increase followers on Instagram
- I need to sell more shirts
- I need to use technology to monetize more
✅ To “what do my fans need” ➡ long-term triumph
- What experience do fans want at the stadium?
- Do fans want more pre-match entertainment?
- How would fans like the club shops?
- Are fans more interested in podcasts or newsletters?
- How do fans want to be more involved in the life of the club?
- How can I use technology to make my fans happier?
✅ The risk of not taking risks
The club is used to having fans in the stadium.
It’s a risk for the club not to think now about the relationship you want to have with your fans in 2030.
Steve Bezos created Amazon's success through customer obsession.
❌ It is not a long-term strategy to increase ticket prices while offering the same product.
👉 The goal should be to make more money, but you need to offer a product to the fans whose improvement overshadows the growth in ticket prices.
If the club uses the 'what do you need' as a way of thinking and acting, the fan cannot help but fall even more in love with the club.
The fan:
- Will feel part of the club's life
- Will want to interact every day of the week with his/her club
- Will consider the match an event and not just a football match
- Will be more inclined to spend
✋ Now I have three questions for YOU who are reading this:
1️⃣ What would you advise a club to do to improve its relationship with the fan?
2️⃣ Do you know of a start-up that can improve the club-fan relationship?
3️⃣ What don't you like anymore when you go to the stadium?
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