VIDEO: Mark Goldbridge, Shebahn Aherne and TikTok's Arthur Guisasola explore the content creator effect and Gen-Z
I sat down with three experts at the forefront of connecting with younger audiences to explore the trends shaping sports coverage and fan engagement on digital platforms.
For brands and rights holders in sport interested in future-proofing themselves and unlocking new revenue streams, understanding how to connect and engage with Gen-Z audiences is vital.
Content creators are at the vanguard of connecting with younger fans, taking a data-driven approach and serving up authenticity on the social platforms which resonate with a new generation of fans.
As Euro 2024 approaches followed closely by the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, sports stakeholders will be looking to capitalise on a huge summer of sport to engage with their current and future consumers.
Last month, we gathered three true experts of this exciting, evolving space for a panel at SportsPro live in front of an audience of industry professionals, inside the Kia Oval.
Arthur Guisasola, International Sports Partnership Lead at TikTok, works closely with brands and rights holders in sport.
Arthur is knowledgable, passionate about enabling people with the power to create content and also has first hand experience of running social platforms for a major rights holder during his time at Atletico Madrid.
He says: “Authenticity and the ability to allow this community to co-create is so important. At TikTok we have a myriad of features - such as duet, stitch, respond to comment with a video - which allow you to integrate the community as well.”
Shebahn Aherne, is a broadcaster, presenter and podcaster, working with DAZN and talkSport.
Shebahn is an accomplished sports broadcaster and a true champion of women’s football. Her podcast, which she co-presents with her sister, Republic of Ireland star Ruesha Littlejohn, is a great example of how content creators are powering the growth of the women’s game on digital platforms.
She says: “Mainstream media need to open their minds to content creators. I have seen it myself. In radio we run off RAJAR diaries and I have never seen one myself. Whereas if you look at YouTube the analytics are incredibly accurate,”
And Mark Goldbridge is a YouTuber, presenter and the founder of The United Stand and That's Football.
Mark’s inimitable style of content and fan-driven coverage, has seen his audience grown phenomenally over the past few years. His channels The United Stand and That’s Football have two million and 1.3 million subscribers respectively on YouTube.
He’s hugely popular with Gen Z fans, with Manchester United supporters all over the world, in particular engaging with and sharing his daily content.
Mark says: “If I become scripted because I want an interview with a Manchester United player then we lose what we are building. People need to step into the real world. These footballers are giving us interviews because they have been following us for years, as teenagers watching us play FIFA and things like that. Football clubs need to step into that world and realise that you can’t control the media anymore.”
We covered a range of subjects including how brands can engage with content creators, why traditional media outlets are increasingly adopting a fan channel style approach as well as busting some myths around Gen-Z fans.
Let me know what you think of the discussion.
You can also listen to it on Spotify or Apple.
Which brands are going to win Euro 2024?
The Euros are kicking off in just a few days (hooray), and I’ll be hosting a free online webinar with some of the best and brightest in the sports sponsorship industry.
Lisa Parfitt, who heads up The Space Between Sports, Jeremy Edwards, the founder of Activative and strategic consultant Philip Rouwenhorst, will be joining me delve into the marketing trends and best activations we are seeing around the tournament.
Some of the subjects on the agenda.
After a very purpose-driven Euro2020, how will sponsors approach cause-marketing this summer?
Which partners are bundling their campaigns across the Euros and the Olympics - and is this the right strategy?
How are the big sports giants such as Nike and Adidas using this summer to establish their dominance, against some interesting challenger brands..
You can pre-register for the webinar on this link.
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