Hi there!
I know it’s been a while, and we have much to catch up on. I was going to say that I am working to make up for lost time, but the truth is, this time hasn’t been lost. I’ve been keeping busy working on different projects, but I have missed this space dearly and want to get back on track and timing over here.
I thought it would be nice to come back with a different kind of read for your weekend, so dive in.
Can you name the most ignorant thing about you? Something you’re not proud of, that has no logical explanation behind it, and you can’t possibly defend it from any angle, but because it’s not really hurting anyone except a small piece of your ego, you just stick with it? Well, I can.
I don’t wear green.
I don’t owe any piece of green clothing or anything green, really, to say nothing of a very dark (second-hand) green parka. These shades of green which are so dark that they almost become another nameless color, I can stand. And that’s about it. Green is bad. Green paired with white? That’s a big fat no, sir. A green and white football club? You lost me.
(If you’re here reading this, I assume you understand why. The inflictor of such sentiment in me shall not be named.)
Recently, I have made an exception, though. Since I became more immersed and involved in the world of the good football, Real Betis Balompié slowly made its way through the hostile paths of my mind and became a club I genuinely like. Last week I paid a visit to its house in Sevilla and, if you all would excuse me, I would like to address them a short letter in today’s newsletter.
Dear Betis,
When I heard I was going to Sevilla, I already knew where I wanted to go the most: your house. I really wanted to see where the magic happens firsthand. And by magic, I mean the ins and outs behind the scenes of transforming a traditional football club into an innovator in sustainability and brand strategy. Of managing to stand out in a dull, mostly lifeless industry because of good initiatives and ideas. In a nutshell, the football AND branding nerd in me was very excited.
Being at your green and white grounds felt a bit weird, given my strong feelings towards those colors, but the welcome of your people quickly eased that out. From the receptionist to the security guy, and the people at the store who let me charge my phone, plus the great Rocío and her friend Cristina, everyone there was super nice and friendly. I hope you know that your people do a great job bringing to life your ambition of being good to the world. And I have to tell you, Emilio is the best stadium tour guide I’ve encountered so far. Not only was he great and fun, but his passion for the club was contagious, and exploring the different corners of your grounds through his eyes made the experience much better.
The next day, I got to experience one of your matches, and it was probably the closest I’ve felt to the football experience from back home here in Europe. Your fans did not stop singing and yelling and giving the other guys a bad time. I found myself in the middle of a noisy green and white crowd and not hating it. Cheering for Hector Bellerín (The Good Footballer he is) and Vitor Roque (the biggest bond we now share) was only obvious, you won, and I had a great time. Also, a jersey personalization deal showing on the screen immediately after the goal is scored? Such a great idea.
Now, as a brand & impact consultant (ahem), I have some feedback to give, or else I wouldn’t be doing my job.
While everything else exceeded my expectations and even positively surprised me, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed for not getting to see much of what made me like you in the first place. There wasn’t really any mention or reference to your sustainability and impact efforts during the tour or the game. I did see the Forever Green brand around, but if I didn’t have previous knowledge of its impact, I would have left without knowing it. Maybe that was the case for those with me on the tour. Can you imagine how proudly and enthusiastically Emilio would have told us about it if that was part of the experience? How much fonder of you we would have left feeling? Anyway, I think you have great material in your hands to become an even more known and liked football club around the world. Heck, if you could hook me, of all people, a green and white hater, opposer, antagonist, imagine how many more fans and admirers you could gather around you because of your good green ideas!
I hope you keep daring to be a different and kind club and that you won’t shy away from communicating it however you can, reverberating and expanding your impact even more.
With gratitude and a tad of dare,
Heloisa
THE GOOD LINKS
🟢 Speaking of Betis, this short text by Mundial is worth the read.
💃 This article on female athletes at the NYFW on
📕 A beautiful new book on the influence of black players on football.
📸 This stunning campaign for Newcastle Utd Women.
🍿 Something to add to your watch list (hopefully this WILL be watched).
😎 This cool photo of Pelé.
👏 What Portuguese football did as a response to the wildfires here and here (ES).
3️⃣ In case you missed it, the new FC Barcelona third kit, celebrating women’s football (I still don’t fully understand how but I’m on board!). It’s green, but for a good cause?
Really good piece