In the world of Sports, whether in clubs or events, merchandising is usually seen, in a very strict interpretation, as an important source of revenue. As pure income.
By Luis Costinha, Merchandising at Sporting Clube de Portugal
A vision that, although cannot be criticized from an economic management point of view, ends up being both valid and limiting from a brand perspective. A brand is first and foremost a business, but merchandising can play a much more active role in defining the personality plan of a brand and be approached from a much wider perspective. More than just idealizing products displaying symbols with a strong emotional connection to fans (those who both produce and consume this industry simultaneously), clubs can expand their view on merchandising, adopting a different approach that goes from the common idea of having "products in store" to position themselves as having "stores with stories".
These stories can often have more importance than the products themselves, being used to transform and enhance the brand culture. But it is important to remember that no matter how captivating the stories may be, if we don't carefully control the quality of products (materials and finishes), the shopping experience by fans is likely not to be repeated, given the frustration it may trigger.
Currently, inseparable from our daily lives and even with the benefits we all recognize, it is impossible not to dissociate the digital world from ephemeral content. That allows us, as a counterpoint, to consider physical products as more lasting and therefore, more capable of creating awareness, something that is used to show the pride of belonging to a specific cultural context and with huge potential to embrace and report on causes.
Merchandising can be viewed in two distinct moments. The first phase can be understood as "strategy made visible" (embedded in a global strategic plan) and the second phase, subsequently, as "stories made physical", materializing concepts and developing storytelling around products exposing brand values. Considering a brand as a sum of different perceptions, merchandising can be one of the most relevant touchpoints in the brand atmosphere of a club or sporting event and take on a disruptive role in bringing awareness to other causes or initiatives to the public. Merchandising can make use of the privileged media stage that sports provide, giving visibility to topics such as ecological awareness (through the use of ecological or sustainable materials or processes), social responsibility, gender equality, or racial equity and integrate them into a broader plan with a clear purpose.
One relevant example illustrating this different approach to merchandising is, among others, the Equality Collection launched by Sporting Clube de Portugal, the current Portuguese football champion. This move by the club aimed to communicate a message of respect for diversity. With this initiative, now in its second launch, it is claimed that our existence as persons goes beyond any characteristic, condition, or quality. The Equality Collection reminds us of a truth that society often tends to forget, that we are all different, each in our way, but in the end "we are all the same, we all want the same" (The Same - The Smile).
In addition to the relevant message that was intended to be communicated, graphically the focus was on the equals sign which is based on the visual language of the club. That is to say, there was a concern to remain within the brand atmosphere of the club, but at the same time not having it as limiting, on the contrary. This merchandising project respects the brand atmosphere but performs a re-interpretation. The club's game jerseys traditionally have green and white horizontal stripes and beyond that, the club's crest has also these stripes graphically represented. Although they have been given a different representation, the stripes are still there, the club's language remains intact but was used to create a stance on important issues in society.
What was done was working on an idea without forced or trivial characteristics assigned, basing the whole process on meaning and authenticity.
The fact of having as a goal to achieve a significant financial return through merchandising does not mean that it cannot be seen as one of the main communication vehicles of a club.
In other words, it should surpass the discipline of data entering the sphere of emotions. Brands end up being more present in our subconscious when they awaken our emotional side, and merchandising products can be the best ambassadors to achieve it.
Accepting merchandising devoid of vision or purpose, in the long run, does not favor brands or strengthen relationships between them and their fans.
The key is to be clear that not all brands have to follow the same recipes because each brand is a different ecosystem, with its assets and each one has its own story to tell.
They can take on references, but they must know how to identify the inherent ability to define their creative path. That is what makes this process a good challenge.
Let's write our own story!
Comments