With Bundesliga matches postponed by the coronavirus crisis, Borussia Dortmund hosted a digital fan viewing party to keep their fans engaged and entertained despite the absence of action on the pitch.
Instead of the derby game against Schalke 04, BVB teamed up with digital agency partne Mailman to host a live-stream digital online fan party with fresh football club content ranging from a user generated content juggling challenge, a fan reporter vlog and a documentary on Dortmund’s China office.
The club also incorporated 12 of its official commercial partners in China as well as digital broadcaster PP Sports through ads, cross-platform promotion, jersey auctions, and branded content.
Outcome:
This two-hour virtual fan party was attended by 2.9 million fans in China and it achieved 1.2 million hashtag reads and more than 7,500 in engagement. At its peak it attracted 110,000 livestream viewers.
Comment:
This is the first football club online fan party we’ve come across and adds a fresh perspective on how sports teams are turning to digital and social to keep fans entertained and engaged despite the absence of action due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In terms of regional priorities beyond its domestic market, Dortmund has been focusing on the Asian market for a few years now: it opened its own office in China in 2017 and last November BVB partnered with DAZN to create a 2019/20 season social campaign for Southeast Asia.
While Dortmund was also an early mover when it came to activating on TikTok (see case study).
Links:
Borussia Dortmund
https://www.instagram.com/bvb09
https://twitter.com/BlackYellow
https://www.youtube.com/user/bvb
Mailman
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