Energiedirect.nl used its rights as PSV Eindhoven’s main sponsor to create a fan specific energy product for PSV supporters which included football and club related benefits as the utility sought to reduce churn and drive sales in the region.
Launched through a multi-channel campaign that spanned a stadium installation, pitch side LEDs, a series of festival events, a regional outdoor campaign, video work, social content and experiences and the PSV Energie product itself.
Territory: Netherlands
Agency: Triple Double Sportmarketing
Objectives
The activation’s primary objective was to reduce churn (slow the rate at which customers switch away from the brand) and the secondary aim was the directly drive product sales by extending PSV fan loyalty to the sponsor brand.
The strategy was that this would lead to greater regional market share and the proposition was developed to maintain brand preference.
Activation
The background to the initiative came in 2016 when energiedirect.nl replaced PSV’s long-time main sponsor Philips in a deal valued at between €4m and €7m per year.
Dutch challenger utility energiedirect.nl’s strategy was to become one of the country’s top three utilities: but it suffered from low brand awareness and low market share.
So to address these issues and realise its growth ambitions it partnered with football club PSV Eindhoven.
Football and PSV were chosen in the belief that they would provide the best platform to increase awareness and prominence, whilst also adding emotion and sympathy to the brand.
PSV was seen as a good match because the brand’s research found that it was a likeable club with a no-nonsense, direct and clear positioning which aligned with those of the energy company.
Reflecting this shared mindset and objectives and the degree to which the company and the club would work together, the deal came in the form of a performance driven contract with a final fee that depended on success metrics.
The Innogy owned utility’s main sponsorship deal ran between 2016 and 2019 after which it switched to be the back of shirt sponsor up until 2021.
Sitting at the core of the partnership was a joint energy product: ‘PSV Energie – born of unity’ was a utility services proposition offering benefits for PSV fans and which was co-created by the supporters themselves.
This ‘PSV Energie’ product was a green electricity and gas deal (offered at competitive rates) with additional PSV club related extra such as a 10 per cent fan store discount, player meet-and-greets, a ticket giveaway and even the chance to attend a BBQ with PSV players.
Some of these benefits were even provided by the club without reference to the existing contractual agreements and rights fees in order to boost the activation’s success.
The product was promoted through a campaign, developed by sports marketing agency Triple Double, which had a budget of around €90,000 (activation €30,000, content production €30,000, plus communication and PR €30,000).
The campaign launched in November 2017 during the annual ‘GLOW’ light art festival and the centrepiece at-stadium launch strand saw a giant power plug pointing at a power socket installed on the outside of the Philips Stadium.
This was supported at the ground by a free PSV tattoo promotion, while inside the stadium LED boards also amplified awareness of the PSV energy proposition.
A set of monthly surprise ‘fan experiences’ also enabled the marketing team continue to engage fans through ‘money can’t buy’ elements.
Plus an outdoor campaign ran across the Eindhoven region to give the product led proposition continued support and visibility.
There was also igital and social content – including video – running across PSV and energiedirect.nl platforms and the launch of specific of PSV Energie social accounts.
Outcome / Results
The results were measured in two silos: the primary objective was slowing churn objective and the secondary were sales related.
Churn:
- In the PSV fan region, energiedirect.nl reduced churn by 3.9 per cent compared to the rest of the Netherlands
- The brand valued this reduction in churn at €300,000.
- The two- and three-year PSV proposition shows 56 per cent less churn than other comparable energiedirect.nl acquisition propositions sold in the same channel
For the one-year PSV PSV Energie itself the results were even better.
- Churn was down 89 per cent compared to the comparable energiedirect.nl propositions
Sales:
- 2,700 PSV Energie contracts sold.
- 12 per cent of the total energiedirect.nl sales are directly influenced by the main sponsorship with PSV
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