Beyond the Stadium: Southampton FC Kicks Off New Creative Agency...
After years of producing high quality content for the club and fans, Southampton has launched a creative agency to offer their expertise to the world...
Happy New Week,
Last week, Southampton announced that their internal creative team has now transitioned to a unique full-service creative studio offering their services to Southampton FC partners and local businesses. Something pretty innovative from a football club.
The creative studio, TURF, combines cutting-edge design and storytelling with a deep understanding of the fast-paced demands of sports and entertainment. The club's marketing team, known for producing eye-catching activations and end-to-end campaigns, is now ready to tackle any brief and craft solutions for new clients. Their dream team of designers, strategists, and creative thinkers is prepared to address the unique needs and challenges that come their way.
With the growing demand from fans for more engagement from clubs, having a dedicated team that's constantly focusing on creative ways to connect with fans in exciting and dynamic ways is crucial.
"TURF represents a new chapter in how we connect with our fans, partners, and the wider community through bold and imaginative storytelling."
Ashley Kirby, Brand and Creative Lead for Southampton Football Club
The Importance of a Strong Content Machine for Football Clubs
Football clubs are increasingly becoming more than just sports teams; it’s not just about what they’re doing on the field but what they are doing digitally too. This shift is driven by the insatiable demand of fans who constantly want to feel connected to their club. A strong content team is essential in this transformation, allowing clubs to produce a steady stream of high-quality content that resonates with their audience. It’s clear that Southampton have built their content team to the point where they are now able to offer their services beyond just the club.
Football Clubs and the New Business Model
To remain competitive and profitable, football clubs are diversifying their revenue streams beyond traditional sources like merchandise and ticket sales. By investing in the expansion of their creative team into an agency, Southampton is opening up additional revenue streams, tapping into new markets and opportunities.
Manchester City - City Studios
Man City is one example of a Premier League club that has successfully embraced this new revenue stream. During the 2021/22 season – they launched a new content hub unit delivering a range of services, including film making, live production, graphic design, photography and branded content. A purpose-built studio space that has facilitated over 30 branded projects this season for blue chip brands and partners such as PUMA, Etihad, OKX, Unilever, EA Sports, Amazon, Gatorade and Midea.
Sponsors are increasingly seeking greater value for their investments and demanding more from clubs. Producing exciting, rapid content that generates relevance and traffic for partners enhances the value of sponsorships.This highlights the need for a strong team or agency that can maximise value for sponsors.
Southampton is up to something interesting - by leveraging their brand and creative capabilities, they have opened up new revenue channels and strengthened their community ties. The football industry is in a fascinating position and it's exciting seeing all this innovation coming from clubs.