Charlton Athletic and global football content and media company Footballco have joined forces on a new industry-leading sponsorship partnership that will give brands the opportunity to reach the coveted Gen-Z demographic.
The London club has been selected to partner with Footballco because of the Addicks’ position as the leading social purpose football organisation in the UK. The Charlton Athletic Community Trust is the biggest UK club charity; it has long been the foremost EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] club in the country, and it is ranked sixth in the English Football League for sustainability. Its Academy – which draws its players from the streets of South London – ranks eighth in England, whilst Charlton Athletic Women’s Football Club currently stands top of the second tier.
For its part, Footballco - which has a monthly worldwide audience of 800 million fans - is home to a range of global, local and community football content brands, including GOAL, MUNDIAL, INDIVISA and Front Three.
Footballco president, Stefano d’Anna, said: “Charlton Athletic is an extraordinary organisation that demonstrates the power of football to inspire hope and transform communities. Its position within the multi-cultural communities of inner-city London gives it a rich flavour of authentic street football, reflected in the back stories of many of its young players.
“We have done extensive research into what both Gen Z consumers and brands want from football. And the Charlton vibe is what it is all about: urban, diverse, fun, aspirational content which tells authentic stories without the pomposity that can be associated with professional football clubs. After hearing on the industry grapevine about the ambitions and purpose of Charlton’s new owners, we felt that this would be the right partnership to really crack the Gen Z audience.”
Global Football Partners (GFP) took over Charlton Athletic and Charlton Athletic Women’s Football Club in July 2023. GFP co-owner Charlie Methven said: “This partnership has been six months in the making, and we are delighted that it has come to fruition. The depth of Footballco’s research and market knowledge has impressed us immensely, and the choice of Charlton to be their first club partner is a great validation for all parts of our organisation, including our wonderful community trust, our brilliant boys and girls academies, as well as CAFC and CAWFC themselves. Our executive teams thoroughly look forward to working with Footballco to produce exciting new content which will re-define how football can engage with a new generation of fans around the world.”
The strategic venture will see Charlton and Footballco going to market together, combining the rich brand identity of Charlton with Footballco’s huge audience and deep understanding of fan behaviour. Unlike traditional approaches to sponsorships, Charlton Athletic and Footballco’s partnership will enable brands to leverage both entities’ offerings through a single package.
Comments
https://www.charltonafc.com/news/charlton-partner-building-bloc
I'm with you in that I'm not entirely sure what it all means, and what we can expect!
Did Paul Elliott write it?
The Building Bloc is a creative agency nestled in the heart of South London. Our mission is to help brands within the Sports & Entertainment industry authentically connect with diverse audiences by blending the power of Black and youth culture with innovative strategies, content production, and valuable insights.
With authenticity and cultural relevance at the forefront, we forge deep connections brands and their new target audiences, leading with a refreshing perspective on creative ventures.
https://www.thebuildingbloc.co.uk/
It's no secret that our crowds don't fully reflect the local population, I'd say about 85-90% of our fans are White British, and given the amount of multiculturalism in South East London, it's evident we don't have a huge influx of fans from the local area taking us up as their football team. Historically, many black people in London support Arsenal, in no small part to having a long history of iconic and influencial black players.
The future of our club probably depends quite a lot on attracting new supporters from the local area, so if it works I can only see positives from this
seems a lot of words that aren’t telling me much so far
Did they really say "fun"?
I think they've judged that wrongly .....
Nothing wrong with reaching out to a different potential audience as long as it actually works and/or they are paying us large amounts of money to try.
If we are paying them then I'm not so sure.
As for not understanding it, as the great poet Robert Zimmerman once wrote
"And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly aging
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand"
What the living fuck? Is this real life?