Fan-Driven Impact: Co-Creating Purposeful Initiatives

Sport evokes emotion in its consumers like no other industry. Sports fans are a unique breed with an intense passion for their favourite team giving rise to some inexplicable consumer behaviour. They are willing to splurge on watching their team play even if it leads to debts in the long term! Forbes estimated a whopping $56 billion spent by Americans in a twelve-month period on sporting events. In the UK, a Premier League football fan can spend anywhere between £700 - £1000 per year on their favourite club and travels almost 2000 miles a season!

"You can change your wife, your politics, your religion.. But never, ever can you change your favourite football team" - Eric Cantona

Fan loyalty is the driving force behind this culture. While mainstream sport often receives widespread attention, many fans are also devoted supporters of their local clubs. These fans contribute to the growth and sustainability of smaller clubs, showcasing their inclusive love for the sport beyond the top-tier leagues.

It is not surprising that fans associate a strong identity with their team and foster a sense of community tied with it.

Power your strategies with the Fan Loyalty fuel

Fan loyalty, a powerful and unique aspect of sports culture, provides a platform to harness the passion and commitment of supporters, transforming them into engaged advocates for positive social impact. There's a distinct opportunity for co-creation, where clubs can actively involve fans in shaping initiatives. It can act as a catalyst for positive change when the involvement aligns with the values and purpose of the organisation. Co-creation fosters authentic and inclusive engagement, allowing fans to shape purpose-driven initiatives actively.

Benefits to the Clubs:

• Enhanced Brand Loyalty: Co-creation strengthens brand loyalty, creating a community of passionate advocates for the club's mission.
• Increased Relevance: Purpose-driven initiatives born from co-creation resonate with fans beyond the sport, enhancing the club's relevance.
• Sustainable Growth: Co-creation fosters innovation and adaptability, contributing to long-term sustainability and growth.

Benefits to Fans:

• Empowerment: Fans feel empowered and valued when their voices are heard, fostering a deeper emotional connection.
• Sense of Belonging: Co-creation cultivates a sense of belonging among fans, creating a tight-knit community united by shared values.
• Fulfilling Impact: Fans experience the fulfilment of making a meaningful impact beyond the game, contributing to societal causes.

How to Co-Create?

Co-creation is a powerful way to engage fans and harness their passion to create a positive social impact. By involving them in the design and decision-making process, organisations can boost and maximise their purpose of meaningful impact.

Here are some steps, based on a design thinking approach, to effectively co-create with your fan community:

• Empathise: Understanding Fan Perspectives

Listen to your fans and deeply understand their perspectives and pain points to get a grasp of the issues that impact them.

• Define: Craft a Meaningful Problem Statement

With clarity of the situation in mind, come up with a concise problem statement of the social issue you seek to address.

• Ideate: Collaborative Idea Generation

Collaborate with your fans and encourage a diverse set of ideas to develop a culture of open collaboration and inclusion. Your fans will feel empowered and motivated to contribute if you keep them involved throughout this process.

• Prototype: Transforming Ideas Into Reality

Fail forward and fast. Try out the ideas quickly, developing prototypes or small-scale experiments. The aim is to produce inexpensive, scaled-down versions of your ideas.

• Iterate and Improve: Continuously Enhancing Co-Creation

Gather feedback and work to produce an improved version of the prototypes at speed. This leads to an iterative process, where you can return to previous steps to refine further.

Case Studies

1. FC Barcelona - "Barca Innovation Hub"
   
   Objective: To create and promote new innovative products and services through their sports innovation and knowledge centre, with a commitment to better people's lives.

Approach:

• Created in 2017, aligning with the club's overall strategy of using innovation to transform the sports industry.
• Collaborate with experts to design their R&D projects, co-create innovation projects with start-ups, and invite professionals from around the world to conduct a knowledge-sharing environment.

Impact:

• Conducted six editions of the Annual Conference that acted as a knowledge-sharing platform for professionals from around the globe.
• 120 countries reached, with 70% active adoption growth of their content.
• The initiative fosters a sense of community and shared purpose among fans, players, and researchers.

2. Liverpool FC - "Red Neighbours"

Objective: To support local schools and residents and uphold the club's value of "You'll Never Walk Alone".

Approach:

• Worked with the local residents to collaboratively define the key focus areas in the community: Poverty and education, Elderly community, Physical activity, and enhancing the lives of young people.
• The club staff work together with a diverse group of people - from local residents, schools, and community groups to other key stakeholders to support this program.

Impact:

• Hosted a Christmas party at Anfield for over 400 pensioners, and schoolchildren
• Played a vital role during the pandemic by reaching out and helping vulnerable people with food and other supplies.

3. Real Betis - "Stuffed-toys tradition"

Objective: To ensure that disadvantaged children don't go giftless at Christmas.

Approach:

• Started as a charitable campaign in 2018 by the club to positively impact the lives of children.
• Supporters saw the transformative value in this campaign and collaborated with the club to make this an annual affair by raising awareness on social channels.

Impact:

• In 2022, around 14k toys were collected and distributed among children across different regions.
• To raise awareness, both the club and the fans utilise their digital presence to co-create value by promoting the campaign.

The truest way of rewarding your fans' loyalty is to make them part of your decision-making process. Ultimately, they are the ones whose lives will be impacted by the services you offer, so what better than asking them what exactly they want! It's time to trust them and draw from their passion to fuel your purpose in making the world a better place.

Get Involved: Be Part of the Co-Creation Movement!

As a sports enthusiast, you have the power to make a difference in the world through co-creation. Participate in your club's surveys, attend focus groups, or share your ideas on social media. Together, we can shape purpose-driven initiatives that create a lasting positive impact on society.

Join us in making a difference today!