EPL club Man City has partnered with Gaga Sports & Entertainment, a Bay Area technology startup specializing in social media consumer research, to create tools for its global fan development efforts. Using Gaga's social CRM platform, Man City has begun to post geographically targeted online fan contests and quizzes, with prizes ranging from free team jerseys to tickets and game-used memorabilia. Other social marketing efforts between the two entities are expected in the coming weeks and into the start of the club's next season in the fall. More critically, the contests come equipped with a series of tools designed to expand the club's Twitter and Facebook profiles, as well as a battery of analytic and database tools to help drive business along traditional revenue lines. In particular, the efforts are aimed at boosting and learning more about Man City's fans outside of the U.K. The club's profile has been on a sharp rise since winning the '12 Premier League title, its first league crown in 44 years.
A SOCIAL APPROACH: Man City Data and Insight Manager Andrew Gilligan said, "There are a number of big pockets of support we have, including Southeast Asia and South America, that we want to target with specific messages. We're looking to grow our fan base in those markets and find ways to bring them closer to the team, and social media is certainly part of that." Similarly, Gaga execs described the alignment as a "global data play." The company has worked on similar social CRM efforts domestically with pro and college teams including the NFL Oakland Raiders, NBA L.A. Lakers and Clippers, and Stanford University. Gaga Co-Founder & CEO Jamie Pardi said, "What we're trying to do is use social platforms to help Man City understand their fan base and do so at major scale, millions of fans around the world."
