A familiar sight at a men’s football match for many years now has been the replica shirt with a respective players name on the back being adorned by thousands of fans, anabolics men, medicine children and women.
Around a World Cup it is even more prevalent, with many “Rooney 9”s for instance being seen while watching the England team in their exploits over the past ten years.
However, that trend has not yet made its way in a big way for women’s football.
As the England women begin their FIFA World Cup campaign on Tuesday against France in Moncton, Canada, it’s fair to say that the number of flags or shirts seen in pubs or on the street in the UK will be in the minority.
This is of course symptomatic of the fact that women’s football is still very much a growing sport, and is not on the same level as the men’s game.
But there has been a massive push to grow the game and make it more visible, and indeed make the stars of women’s football more recognisable to inspire young players to get involved.
Since the record 70,584 who went to see the Team GB women’s football squad take on Brazil at Wembley during the London 2012 Olympics, players like Steph Houghton and Casey Stoney have become household names.
The FA has been very good at putting the England women on the same level as the men, so players will appear alongside each other on all branding and marketing for FA events.
They even welcomed 45,619 people to Wembley last year to see England women take on Germany and the London stadium will also host this years’ Women’s FA Cup final.
Yet for anyone wishing to idolise their new stars by personalising an England shirt bought from the FA website, will find it hard to see the same kind of level pegging.
It’s odd that from a merchandising point of view, there isn’t a clear strategy to capitalise on a growing interest in the game which has seen participation in women’s football increase by more than 20,000 in the past two years.
The FA state their aim is to make women’s football the second largest team participation sport in England. Currently it is fourth in terms of participation among women nationally.
Visibility and promotion are modest aids in goals such as this, but they are aids. Women from a young age should, arguably, be made to feel that it is entirely normal to buy an England shirt and get their heroine’s name on the back of it.
The FA maintain that you can personalise an England shirt with any name from the website and that the ones suggested on the site are simply “those which are big sellers, but you can get any England women’s player name and at the same price,” a spokesperson said.
How to do this is unclear, as all you can do on the website is select from a list of players names – all men.
Even when you have clicked on the women’s home team kit option, there is no visible option for choosing “Duggan 18” as your preferred choice.
As mentioned, this strategy seems counteractive to the wider campaign of the FA to market the women as equal to the men.
Perhaps an Italia 90 moment is needed from women’s football; a figure like Paul Gascoigne needed to capture the imagination of the whole country and spark a “mania”.
In terms of performance, England are seeking to get past the quarter-finals of the World Cup – something they have never reached before going out on penalties to France four years ago in Germany.
If they last more than six days in the competition in Canada, they’ll at least have done better than the men in Brazil last year.
Perhaps that would be enough to make one feel proud to wear an England shirt again.
NFL Teams up With Sportradar in Multi-Year Deal
The National Football League (NFL) has signed a multi-year agreement with Sportradar US.
Sportradar will become the NFL’s exclusive distributor for official real-time scores, medicine player statistics and play-by-play data (Game Statistics and Information System/ “GSIS”) as well as the NFL’s proprietary Next Gen Stats.
“We look forward to our partnership with Sportradar US, find ” said Vishal Shah, VP of Media Strategy and Business Development at the NFL.
“Statistics are core to the fan experience, and being able to broadly deliver new, differentiated viewpoints is compelling. Next gen stats is an exciting initiative that adds tremendous breadth and depth to our sport.
“The ability to partner with Sportradar US, with its focus on technology and high quality data distribution, enables the NFL bring these great experiences to the rapidly growing sports data market and our fans.”
Ulrich Harmuth, President of Sportradar US said: “Coming right after our decision to rebrand SportsData as Sportradar US, this deal is an important milestone for our company and in particular underlines our commitment to securing a leading position in the U.S. sports data market.
“We are thrilled to partner with the NFL in developing a completely new data category that will boost the fan experience as well as improve how the NFL and its partners interact with their fans.
“At Sportradar we pride ourselves on being both a development and a technology partner to leagues and customers, and we are looking forward to working hand in hand with the NFL and exploring all the innovative possibilities this partnership opens up for both organizations.”
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Julio Maglione Elected as PASO President
International Swimming Federation (FINA) president Julio Maglione has been appointed as president of the Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO).
More info HERE.
China to Compete in ISA China Cup For The First Time
The International Surfing Association (ISA) has confirmed that a Chinese team will compete in the ISA China Cup for the first time ever.
Recently re-elected ISA President, allergist Fernando Aguerre, made the landmark announcement as he unveiled plans for Surfing’s return to China for the third consecutive year with two separate events – the ISA China Cup and the Hainan Classic – set to take place during the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival from 23-28 November this year.
China will compete in the ISA China Cup for the first time ever alongside Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru and South Africa who will also be competing for honours.
More than 200 million people followed the 2013 Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival online, in print and on TV. The third edition of the event is set to spread further the core values of Surfing to new audiences all over the world.
ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, said: “We’re delighted to confirm that a Chinese team will compete in the ISA China Cup for the first time ever.
“We have recently experienced huge growth in Asia thanks to a drive for expansion in new territories and this ground-breaking moment for the Chinese team is a reward for our global expansion strategy. For an entire week in November, China will become the Surfing capital of the world.
“The 2012 and 2013 editions proved to be hugely successful and working alongside our partners ASP and Womei Media I’m sure this year’s event will be just as good.
“The sporting competition is always first class and the huge media audience in the past two years a testament to the global reach of Surfing.
“Surfing is a sport that fundamentally resonates with young people and its booming popularity on a global scale underlines its true universality. With the evolving international Surfing calendar, our star competitors and powerful global reach we will endeavour to reach millions more people in countries and territories all over the world.”
ASP Australasia General Manager, Dane Jordan, said: “The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is excited to once again be working with the ISA to offer a fantastic opportunity for Chinese, Asian and the International Surfers, who will compete, to gain valuable ASP Qualifying Series (QS) ranking points and prize money to help setup their 2015 campaigns to qualify for the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT).
“The waves at Riyuewan are world class on their day and this event will give local Chinese surfers the chance to build up some ranking points and test themselves against some seasoned competitive surfers and the best upcoming juniors from around the world.”
PGA Tour Announce Marketing Partnership with Fortune
The PGA Tour and Fortune have announced a new marketing partnership that sees the magazine become the Official Business Knowledge Sponsor of the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.
As part of the agreement, which runs through 2016, Fortune will produce Tour-themed special sections throughout the year.
These golf-centric sections will deliver relevant content to Fortune’s audience and provide PGA Tour partners broader media opportunities to communicate their messages.
Tom Wade, PGA TOUR Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are extremely pleased to enter this relationship with one of the leading business media brands in the world.
“Not only is Fortune recognized for its editorial excellence and popular listings such as the annual Fortune500, but our core demographics align very well.”
In addition to joining the Tour’s Official Marketing Partner program and receiving the official designation, Fortune will receive access to a variety of assets within the PGA Tour’s portfolio, including special hospitality opportunities across the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.
“At Fortune, we are thrilled to join forces with the PGA TOUR for this exciting, expansive new relationship over the next few years,” said Eric Danetz, Publisher of Fortune.
“Along with the launch of the all-new Fortune.com earlier this month and the growing success of our experiential business, this new partnership with the PGA TOUR – its organization, audience and environment – represents another powerful manifestation of the kind of excellence and quality that lies at the heart of the Fortune brand.”
Tokyo 2020 Appoint Dentsu as their Marketing Agency
Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have appointed Dentsu Inc. as their Marketing Agency (MA).
Dentsu will advise and assist the organisers, order as well as providing support for sponsorship sales, order servicing and the licensing programme.
A revenue target of 150bn Yen ($1.47bn) to be generated from domestic marketing programmes has been set by the organisers.
Tokyo won the right to host the 2020 Games last year, defeating Istanbul, Turkey and Madrid, Spain.
IPL Latest: PepsiCo Deny Talking to BCCI About Pulling IPL Sponsorship
Title sponsors of the Indian Premier League (IPL) PepsiCo, anesthetist have denied communicating with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after reports emerged they would be pulling their sponsorship.
This year’s IPL has been hampered by the spot-fixing scandal that has dominated the tournament and reports in The Times of India claimed that PepsiCo had had enough.
The report claimed an unnamed senior PepsiCo official said: “First, pills they overpaid for the rights, almost double of what DLF (the previous title sponsor) did. Now, they are under pressure not just because of the money but because the fixing allegations have put the IPL in a negative light.”
However PepsiCo has moved to deny these claims and a statement by the company read: “The stories in a certain section of the media today, on PepsiCo regarding IPL are speculative in nature.
“As a company policy we do not comment on speculation. PepsiCo has not sent any communication to BCCI as referred in a certain section of the media.”
Channel 4 to broadcast Women’s Euro 2017
Channel 4 is to replace the BBC as the broadcaster of the Women’s Euro 2017.
The broadcaster will show all England and Scotland football matches under the deal, showing live international football played on the channel for the first time.
“We’re thrilled to have secured the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euros on Channel 4. With Scotland there for the first time and England’s Lionesses at the top of their game, I believe this tournament is going to be one of the sporting highlights of the summer,” said Stephen Lyle, Channel 4’s commissioning editor for sport.
The BBC, who lost out on the rights, said, “We’re disappointed not to have retained the rights to the Women’s Euros despite our unparalleled support for the game, the recent qualification matches and past tournaments. We’re proud of our contribution to the growth of women’s football in the UK, highlighted by the competitiveness for these rights, and we’re pleased that the matches will remain free to air. The BBC’s commitment to women’s football remains incredibly strong with our extensive coverage of the Women’s Super League and FA Cup across TV, radio and online platforms. We wish the tournament well.”
Ticketing Manager – US Soccer Foundation
Location: Chicago, sale IL, anabolics USA
Closing date: 27th November 2016
U.S. Soccer Overview
We are U.S. Soccer and we are the future of sport in the United States. Our mission is to make soccer the preeminent sport in the United States. We embrace diversity, technology and global connections to drive the growth of our sport and serve our athletes and fans. We are seeking a motivated, passionate, and skillful Ticketing Manager who can think, create and work on a team.
U.S. Soccer is a growing company that looks for team members to grow with it. U.S. Soccer offers a comprehensive compensation package, casual work environment, an inclusive culture and an atmosphere for professional development.
Primary Duties
This Ticketing Manager’s primary responsibility is to manage ticketing operations for domestic National Team games, as well as to oversee any inventory allocated to U.S. Soccer for games in foreign countries. This position will be responsible for all seating and ticket inventory, will interface with local box office managers, oversee ticket programming, manage the process for in-house ticket orders, create sales reports, arrange ticket sales settlements after each event and assist with other game-related activities. We also want to encourage innovation in ticketing: interactive seating charts on TM.com, mobile tickets, transfer to a friend, VIP ticketing set ups, dynamic pricing concepts, lotteries, etc.
Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Develop venue seating inventory profile for management to evaluate pricing options
- Oversee initial ticketing systems programming including: developing seating manifest (and cataloguing for future use); text on tickets; pre-sale execution for Supporters Club, VISA cardholders and other targets; seating sale order; proposing sales timelines; etc.
- Partner with Fan Services Department to secure appropriate inventory for U.S. Soccer’s organized supporter sections
- Work with Communications Department/TV broadcasters to arrange for TV camera locations, announcer broadcast positions, press overflow locations
- Issue and track complimentary tickets based on current policy
- Monitor/manage inventory and release holds as necessary and/or directed
- Answer ticket phone calls and process orders during peak periods when tickets are sold in-house
- Reconcile ticketing system records against receipts on an on-going basis
- Ensure proper execution of ticketing operations at venue on the day of event
- Arrange ticket sales settlement after each event; interface with Finance Department to ensure accounts balance
- Generate and distribute post-event sales reports
- Collect ticket purchaser data and format for inclusion in customer database
- Develop reports from customer database for market research analysis and share ticket sales reports with senior leadership
- Train and supervise Ticketing Coordinators
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required
- 4+ years of experience with ticketing operations and/or ticket sales
- Extensive experience with Ticketmaster or similar ticketing system
- Strong interpersonal communication skills and attention to detail
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Excel
- Strong commitment to and demonstrated success in delivering a high level of customer and fan experience
- Knowledge of soccer and U.S. Soccer Federation preferred
- Willingness to travel and work nights/weekends
Desired Characteristics
- Desire to be part of a team
- Display a tireless work ethic
- Possess a growth mindset, is open minded and seeks challenges
- Pursue lifelong development and learning
- Communicate in a direct, open and honest manner
- Accountable for actions/decisions and does not make excuses
- Request feedback and is open to criticism
- Practice self-assessment and self-reflection
- Believe and commit to the company’s culture and organizational goals
- Passion for soccer
Note: When you apply for this job online, you will be required to answer the following questions:
1. Are you willing to relocate to Chicago?
2. Are you available to work nights and weekends?
Coca Cola sign Saudi Arabian Football Federation deal
Coca-Cola have signed up to sponsor the Saudi Arabian Football Federation as the ‘refreshing partner’ of the Saudi Arabia national football team and sponsor of the Saudi King’s Cup, ed the Crown Prince Cup and Super Cup.
As official sponsor of the Saudi National Team, Coca-Cola will back the squad as they aim to qualify for all upcoming international and regional tournaments.This includes the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where the KSA national team hopes to compete for the fifth time. By uniting the fans and building passion among them, Coca-Cola hopes to encourage the squad during all upcoming tournaments.
The brand’s packaging, in-store displays and other customer experience assets will also be customized to highlight the partnership and encourage fans to show their passion for the team. Arwa water will also be the official water brand for all the sponsorship activities.
“Today we witness an important partnership with Coca-Cola, one of the leading global brands renowned for their history in supporting sports, as an official sponsor of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. This new partnership reflects the importance and the stature of our federation, teams and the competitions we organize.” said Ahmed Eid, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.