Preliminary review of business development opportunities and strategy planning for Russian Footbal Premier League

1. 2009

2. INTRODUCTION
Football as a major sport
in Russia today shows high
growth rates of all its
components: sports
performance, infrastructure,
investments and etc.
At the same time the Russian
Premier League is far below
by income level amidst
the leading football leagues
of Europe
*Source: „Main directions of RFPL development 2008‟

3. ANNUAL RAVENUE
Deloitte experts estimated Russian Premier League‟s revenue at €368
millions per 2009 year, the Russian Premier League estimated its own
annual revenue at €150 millions in 2008
2,5
2,5
2 1,664
1,622
Billions 1,5 1,532
euro
1 1,072
0,5
0,368
0
Premier
League Bundesliga
La Liga
Serie A
Ligue 1
Russian
Premier
League
*Source: Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance 2011 (track record up to the end of the 2009/10 season),
„Main directions of RFPL development 2008‟

4. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE
Average attendance of Russian Premier League is 2-3 times less
in comparison with “big five” European Leagues
45000 41802
40000
34150
35000
30000 28186
25000 24957
People
20000 20089
15000
13334
10000
5000
0
Premier
League Bundesliga
La Liga
Serie A
Ligue 1
Russian
Premier
League
*Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attendance_figures_at_domestic_professional_sports_leagues

5. CHALLENGE
The Russian Premier League
set up a business task to
increase annual revenue
by 2 times by 2012
*Source: „Main directions of RFPL development 2008‟

6. VISION

7. MAIN PREMISES
The League commercial revenue
growth is inseparably linked with
increase of the audience
volume and its qualitative
growth:
 Stadiums spectators
 TV watchers
 Internet and other media
users

8. MAIN PREMISES
Audience growth requires a
raise of attractiveness
of games as a sport
show and creating and
delivering the new League
image in the media

9. KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
For the successful development of the Russian Premier League with a
positive financial performance it is crucial:
1. Set up an efficient business management structure
2. Develop high-quality sports product in “sport plus show” format
3. Activate marketing rights in full
4. Build up a positive image in the media
5. Raise a brand awareness

10. BUSINESS MODEL
The Russian Premier League FINANCE
needs a clear long-term ORGANIZATION
development strategy
strong effective
to build a
business structure, MARKETING
empowered to control and
regulate all commercial and
non-commercial activities
of clubs
PURPOSE
TECHNOLOGY

11. MARKETING REGULATIONS
Rules of commercial
interaction between League‟s
clubs is to be formalized
in marketing regulations
of the League and binding on
all Clubs

12. MARKETING REGULATIONS
Unified marketing
regulations allow to avoid any
conflicts in commercial and
marketing area on any level
of management and help
to establish comfortable
business environment
for all partners and sponsors

13. PRODUCT
Not only sports details
(quality of play, sports scores,
etc..) determine audience's
interest to football,
but also many additional
components are very
significant for fans
as for consumers
of the product

14. PRODUCT
Convenient matchday
schedule – days and time –
is essential…

15. PRODUCT
Convenient and clear
system of ticket sales
including online sale is vital

16. PRODUCT
Well-appointed stadiums with
all modern facilities to provide
excellent game viewing
opportunities:
 No crush
 Security
 Comfortable seats
 Affordable food & drinks
 Friendly staff 
 Clean WCs 
 etc.

17. PRODUCT
Every game has to be a great
show:
 Opening ceremony
 Presentation of the players
 Excellent work of the
speaker
 Extra content on the
scoreboard
 Music, lighting, pyrotechnic
and special effects
 Interaction with the
audience (incl. digital)

18. PRODUCT
High quality TV and online
broadcast:
 Excellent picture (incl. 3D)
 Camera crew creative work
 Excellent work of
commentators
 Various video effects
 Full detailed statistics
 etc.

19. PRODUCT
The Russian Premier League official website is a complete, comprehensive,
easily accessible and constantly developing information web-portal
FIXTURES
& TRAVEL
GUIDE &
RESULTS PLANNER
MEDIA
VIDEO, PHOTO, TICKETS
TV
SOCIAL
MEDIA LEAGUE GAMES
EXPOSURE
NEWS STATISTICS
SPONSORS FULL
ACTIVITIES PROFILE APPS
SOCIAL
PROGRAMS
PLAYERS

20. PRODUCT
Complete and
convenient online
statistic service is one
of the significant official
website section (EA Index,
Castrol Performance Index
for Euro 2008, Hewlett
Packard & NBA …)

21. PRODUCT
League‟s web-portal
provides full service not
only as official online ticket
seller but also as a tourist
guide and travel planner:
 Tickets & availability
 Special offers
 Stadiums & cities info
 Travel guides & planners
 Special activities in Social
media
 etc.

22. PRODUCT
Create its own or partnership
network of stores for sale
of certified merchandise
of the League (like „NHL
powered by Reebok‟)
 Good quality
 Wide selection in stock
 Ability to order online

23. PRODUCT
line
Make its own
of collectibles
and memorabilia:
 Jersey cards
 Figurines
 Albums
 Posters
 etc.

24. PRODUCT
Use football players like
brand ambassadors
of the Premier League
in media - charismatic
personalities, bright,
interesting, smart
and popular among
the wide audience

25. PRODUCT
new
It‟s high time to create
entertainment football
projects using various
digital media platforms
in collaboration with various
media and production companies
- games, reality shows and etc.
It reveals new commercial
opportunities in addition to the
income from traditional TV and
sponsorship rights

26. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Improvement and development of the product will enable the Premier
League to discover additional niche to attract sponsors from various
business fields:
 Online statistic services
 Certified sports merchandise
 Catering
 Tourism
 Hospitality
 Social and charitable projects
 etc

27. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Partners of the League can
communicate with a wide
audience of football fans and
make them to become theirs
own fans
They can use fan sites to fuel
interest, to find out what
consumers think, and to come
up with new products that the
company might be able to sell
the fans

28. BRAND
Strong, powerful and filled with emotions brand is essential for the
successful development, promotion and for implementation of all marketing
initiatives of the Russian Premier League

29. BRAND
The new modern brand
of the Premier League will:
 Strengthen its reputation
 Correct the image
 Create the target audience
loyalty
 Attract a more wide
audience

30. BRAND
First step towards a new brand
of the Russian Premier League
is creation of new modern
visual identity, which
reflects new brand values
and is true to the audience
insights and mindsets
Description of all the elements
of the new brand as a whole
and formalized standards of use
in all media is to be enclosed
in brand-book

31. COMMUNICATIONS
To win over new audience
and to form desired loyalty
the Premier League needs
following:
 Use all available channels
of communication
 Deliver relevant messages
to all target groups
 Obtain ultimate share
of voice
 Manage reputation

32. COMMUNICATIONS
Main target groups:
 Football community: clubs,
players, agents, sport officials,
etc.
 Media: not just sports, but
also lifestyle and business, etc.
Fans: active fans, stadium
watchers and the TV audience
 Business community:
sponsors and partners
 Political community:
the first person in the country,
officialdom

33. COMMUNICATIONS
Strategic communications plan includes:
1. Segmentation of the target audience
2. Communication objectives for each segments
3. Messaging strategies translating brand towards the audiences
4.Insight generation and creative solutions
5.Channels planning

34. COMMUNICATIONS
For maximum coverage, penetration and engagement of the audience the
League has to use the entire spectrum of communication tools:
SOCIAL
CROSS RESPONSIBILITY
SPECIAL
PROMO Engagement in various
PROJECTS social programs and
In various business
Branded content in fields community funds
various media
BTL,
ATL PR GR DIGITAL
CRM

35. CONCLUSIONS
No doubts, targeted, long-term
and continuous marketing
activities of the League will
raise up the quantity and
quality of football audience,
and therefore will lead to an
increase in commercial income -
from the sale of TV
and sponsorship rights, and new
commercial products and
services

36. RECOMMENDATIONS
To successfully meet the challenges facing the League today it is required:
1. Analyze the current structure of the league and develop a more
effective business model with the legal and financial assessment
2. Develop a strategic communications plan, aimed to form new positive
image and attract the widest audience
3. Create a new modern brand identity reflecting new brand values
4. Constantly develop the product - make it more spectacular, more
affordable and comfortable, create more new interesting services
for football fans
4. Use the interests of the League audience as a source of income,
and constantly examine for new forms of commercial opportunities

37. CONTACTS
Dmitry Terentiev
dterentiev@mail.ru
mob: +7 925 051 17 90
skype: dmitry.t75
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