AC Milan was present at the South by Southwest (SXSW) event in Austin, Texas, over the weekend, and Chief Marketing Officer Tania Moreno provided some insights.
Moreno participated in the ‘From Goals to Touchdowns: Cultivating Brands Across Continents’ discussion, which was presented by Sportico journalist Asli Pelit and included the Chief Marketing Officer of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to a press release, Milan’s attendance at SXSW 2024 reflects the club’s strategic positioning as ‘a sports entertainment icon, capable of transcending the playing field, captivating the passions, especially of younger generations, living at the intersection of different worlds such as music, fashion, and lifestyle’.
This journey is accelerating under the ownership of RedBird Capital Partners, which bought the club from Elliott Management in 2022. They have been able to apply their knowledge of sports business and media, as well as their ability to construct worldwide brands and generate virtuous synergies.
Some of the important issues spoken by Moreno during Milan’s involvement at SXSW are listed below, as she provided insight into the numerous aspects that the Rossoneri are attempting to expand on.
Maintaining brand continuity and using Milan’s platform to promote positive themes…
“Keeping the brand consistent
The importance of representation in adapting to numerous platforms cannot be overemphasized. With over 500 million followers worldwide and approaching our 125th anniversary, AC Milan enjoys a privileged position in the football world.
“We guarantee brand rules are followed across all platforms, while tailoring strategies to each. When communicating with our worldwide fan base, cultural subtleties are essential. As a brand with a substantial platform, we recognize the need of leveraging it beyond engagement and revenue.
“We have a responsibility to spread the proper messages and actively participate in constructive change. Whether it’s speaking out against racism in sports or championing social causes, we realize the power of our platform to affect genuine change and shape a brighter future for the global community.”
On Milan’s primary markets…
“In addition to Italy, we have significant markets in the United States and the Middle East, each with its own set of potential. In the United States, we are extremely delighted to have a player like Christian Pulisic to help us increase our reach, but he is not our strategy.
“Our core strategy entails targeting a substantially younger demographic than other markets. We build true relationships and interact with this group by leveraging existing brand equity from relevant companies and categories.We launched an office in the Middle East at the end of last year and have some wonderful partners, such as Emirates, who help us to broaden our reach.”
Leveraging cultural trends.
“Cultural trends influence our expansion approach. From entertainment to fashion, our strategy goes beyond football to attract the attention of a new audience.
The audience may not be familiar with the sport.
“Our most recent Fourth kit launch was a perfect example of that, with over 60% of the audience engaging with our Instagram posts comprised non-followers, which demonstrated our ability to attract new demos beyond the realm of AC Milan fans.”
Regarding Milan and technology…
“We use technology to address business difficulties and enhance fan experiences. For example, to address issues such as racism in sports, we use AI to sift through social media comments and quickly detect and remove hate speech.
“In addition, we will use technology to personalize content on our website, creating unique experiences for our target audience. We’ve also experimented with AR-powered filters, including as our most current Fourth kit filter, which provides spectators with unique interactive experiences in our stadium.
“Using our huge collection of over 100 years of content, we are looking into AI solutions to tag players and streamline content development processes, ensuring that we offer interesting highlights and films efficiently.
“Our focus remains on solving real-world business problems through technology, rather than solely prioritising engagement metrics.”
Milan’s collaborations with the New York Yankees and YES Network, as well as its recent fourth kit launch with PUMA and Los Angeles streetwear brand PLEASURES (which broke records), and last summer’s pre-season tour, demonstrate the club’s growing visibility and impact in the United States.
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