The FA is "embarking on its first brand campaign
to try and convince fans to attend England matches more regularly as it
looks to bounce back from record low crowds at Wembley following a
disappointing World Cup," according to Sebastian Joseph of MARKETING WEEK. The governing body said that the "Together for England" push is a "step
change" in its marketing, "switching from specific activations for each
match to a single creative concept." It will span the England team's
"qualification campaign for the 2016 European Championship," which starts on Sept. 8, and could "extend to the tournament should the
team qualify." The campaign will eventually encapsulate some of the "wider behind the
scenes content the organisation began testing on fans during the World
Cup." Sponsors such as Vauxhall and Nike can "also use the platform to
support their own plans" (MARKETING WEEK, 9/4). MARKETING MAGAZINE's Brownsell & Charles reported Wednesday's friendly match against Norway, which England won 1-0, was
"attended by just over 40,000 fans, the lowest attendance" for an England
int'l since Wembley re-opened in '07. The initiative, created by agency Futureproof, will see the FA "consult
with supporters groups in an effort to help 'inspire' fans to get behind
the national team." FA Marketing Head Russell James said, "You could say our half empty stadium tonight is sort of representative of what that challenge is" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 9/4). THE DRUM's Natalie Mortimer reported James said that the new "Together for England" campaign will run for a "full
two years, marking a different tack for the governing body, which has
previously campaigned around individual matches." James: "Historically most of our campaigns have been game-to-game match
promotion but what we're doing differently here is looking to engage the
fans throughout the course of the season." The campaign will also see the FA create a "Club Wembley Private Box with a bespoke England theme that will be used for fan competitions for home fixtures." The campaign visuals focus on the St George’s cross with "fans and players images fused together to represent a sense of unity between the team and its supporters" (THE DRUM, 9/4).
