The Brand Creation of an International Football Club

Sammanfattning: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate and analyze the brand creation process employed by international football clubs in relation to their brand identity. Methodology - The methodology for this paper utilizes a qualitative research approach with a multiple case study of four different football clubs, in support of a literature review, and with a proposed theoretical brand identity framework applied to the cases. The framework is based on a modified version of the Corporate Brand Identity Matrix to suit the identities of modern football clubs. Findings - Our research findings reveal several critical insights into the brand creation process of international football clubs. We identify core aspects that the clubs make use of to build and align their brand identity. These aspects encompass elements such as heritage, synergies, brand ambassadors and community pride. Practical Implications - Practitioners can make use of the findings in this study to apply the modified brand identity framework to inspire and boost innovation during the creation or alignment process of a football club’s identity. Improvement of the club’s brand strategy and an alignment in their brand identity can be used as an advantage by brand managers in the clubs in order to gain new fans and further expand the brand equity. Original/value - This paper is the first of its kind to make use of a brand identity framework and apply it to the brand creation of an international football club. Keywords - Brand Creation, Football Club, Club Ownership, Sports Branding, Brand Identity, Corporate Brand Identity Matrix Paper type - Research paper