Could brands bridge the gap in women’s football growth?
Here is why smaller brands are a perfect match for the women's game
I want to dedicate today’s post to Brock, the great substack tech support guy who saved me after I moved the newsletter to a custom domain (fan-cy) and it was temporarily down. Thank you again, Brock. And I hope you look like the Pokemon character like I imagine you do.
📝 On today’s edition, you’ll find:
🚀 A reflection on the reality of women’s football growth.
💘 The reasons why I believe the women’s game is a perfect match for medium and small brands to invest in.
6️⃣ Six benefits for brands who choose to do so.
🤓 As always, a few good links at the end.
Enjoy the read!
Women’s football is experiencing growth and success like never before. We read and hear about it everywhere; we’re all talking about it, and it comes up in this space quite often. The rise of the women’s game is great for good football.
However (🥲), just the other day, I was reminded to be careful not to let all this optimism distract us from the reality that there is still a lot to be done and changed in the industry. We can’t expect a decades-long disparity to be made overnight. The road is long, the challenges are big, and the whole picture is not glamorous. But here is also where opportunities lie.
A couple of weeks ago, I met a football from a women’s team here in Spain, and we had a great conversation about the industry and what the day-to-day of those in the thick of it looks like. She shared that, in her almost 15 years of experience in the top women’s professional football division, while it is evident that the times are changing for the better, there are still daily reminders of the (still) huge gap between men’s and women’s football.
We chatted about marketing and how frustrating it is that most brands seem to refrain from investing in women’s football at this stage. I’ve had this conversation so many times: why is it that, in this sector, the return is expected without the investment? How much longer will we be dwelling on this reasoning? There seems to be more to it, doesn’t it?
While this is incredibly disappointing, I believe it also makes for a fertile ground for those daring to act differently. In a time when so many brands are willing to be risky with TikTok dances even when they probably shouldn’t be, we need to see more of that boldness applied to risks that actually matter.
The gap between what women’s football is becoming and what it still is now offers valuable opportunities for brands to build authentic and long-lasting value.
The big brands are already on the case—as they should be—elevating the main names of the game into superstar status and riding along top clubs and their wins. The stage is now set for medium and smaller brands to step up, invest in a growing market, reach new audiences, and embrace the different benefits available to them.
Directly responding to consumers’ ask
Audience research and marketing trends continue to show consumers’ preference for brands that share similar values, address societal issues, fulfill their role of creating a better world and future, surprise and delight them in unexpected ways, and more. By investing in something that matters to the audience and has a bigger purpose and impact, brands create value and foster customer loyalty.
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