How Watford FC uses Blinkfire Analytics to optimize & value sponsorships

Since the Pozzo takeover of Watford FC during the 2012-13 season, there have been key club developments in both strategy and vision, leading the club into a new age. Premier League regulars since the 2015-16 season, Watford has built a proactive marketing strategy, adding value to their brand and boosting revenue potential by connecting with new fans, stakeholders, and sponsors.

Watford lives as a Challenger brand within the soccer industry, challenging the norm and gathering a loyal following of fans by creating a unique offering. Watford might have fewer resources compared to other teams, but they are ambitious and spot gaps in the market to find better ways of delivering what fans want. They live by the words - “Creating History, Respecting Our Past”.

During early COVID and the pause of the 2019-20 season, Watford experimented with new ideas and carried many forward to the Championship season. Changing consumer habits during lockdown allowed Watford to changer their commercial offerings across digital channels. As a Blinkfire Analytics customer since 2018, the club knew the platform and Customer Success team would unlock valuable insights to help them develop new strategies.

With COVID and no Premier League, Watford adapted quickly. The club created new offerings to stay relevant for new audiences and kept existing fans engaged, informed, and educated.

Watford’s brand positioning is a club based on tradition plus a modern and proactive approach towards innovation. Watford used Blinkfire’s social media analytics to develop activations on new platforms as a value-add for commercial partners by appealing to new fans with disruptive and creative content.

The best example of this was Watford adopting an aggressive TikTok strategy to capture the market. Watford promoted their partners through video in a unique and fun way. Year-to-date, TikTok is Watford’s best channel for social growth, increasing its audience by more than 80%.