The need to reinvent yourself
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 4:15 am
If football, with its centuries-old history, millions of fans, and shared rituals around the world, recognizes that it must reinvent itself… what organization can afford not to?
They're trying. And I'm not just talking about social media or content campaigns: the very format of the product is changing . The new Club World Cup , the new Champions League , with more teams, more matches, and a league-style system featuring high-quality matchups almost daily, responds to a clear logic: offering more spectacle, more narrative, and less downtime . It's a football that isn't just played: it's consumed, shared, and binge-watched.
The strategy is clear: if you're going to compete with Netflix, you have to be like Netflix. How do they do it?
More narratives : documentaries like All or Nothing (Amazon), series like Matchday (Barça Studios), or LaLiga: El Clásico explore what happens behind the pitch.
More excitement off the pitch : exclusive content, app interaction, phygital experiences , augmented reality, and customization for every fan.
More frequency and quality : relevant matches every week, without waiting for the final stages; new broadcast windows; global access.
But even with all this, they know it's not enough . That's why Carsten Cramer insists they must strive to remain relevant. Because the user doesn't wait. The user decides. And if you don't connect, you disappear from their screen.
Adapting, even if you're a football player, is no longer an option. It's a matter of cultural survival.
Learning for brands
The case of European football is not only interesting for what it says c level contact list about the sport, but for what it reveals about any organization that wants to remain relevant . Adapting doesn't simply mean being on social media, launching a flashy campaign, or redesigning your logo. Truly adapting involves rethinking the value you offer from the perspective of today's user .
Today, people aren't just looking for products or services. They're looking for experiences that fit their identity, that spark emotion, and that make sense in their hyper-connected routines . Therefore, brands that limit themselves to "doing the same old thing" with a renewed aesthetic run the risk of becoming invisible.
Adaptation requires strategic effort:
Listen carefully to what the user needs today, not what they needed three years ago.
Detect what excites you, what inspires you, what makes you stay.
Translate that understanding into coherent and memorable narratives, value propositions, and experiences.
The brands that are growing aren't those that obsess over their sector, but rather those that understand that their real challenge is gaining attention and building connections . Because in the attention economy, competition comes from everywhere... even where you least expect it.
They're trying. And I'm not just talking about social media or content campaigns: the very format of the product is changing . The new Club World Cup , the new Champions League , with more teams, more matches, and a league-style system featuring high-quality matchups almost daily, responds to a clear logic: offering more spectacle, more narrative, and less downtime . It's a football that isn't just played: it's consumed, shared, and binge-watched.
The strategy is clear: if you're going to compete with Netflix, you have to be like Netflix. How do they do it?
More narratives : documentaries like All or Nothing (Amazon), series like Matchday (Barça Studios), or LaLiga: El Clásico explore what happens behind the pitch.
More excitement off the pitch : exclusive content, app interaction, phygital experiences , augmented reality, and customization for every fan.
More frequency and quality : relevant matches every week, without waiting for the final stages; new broadcast windows; global access.
But even with all this, they know it's not enough . That's why Carsten Cramer insists they must strive to remain relevant. Because the user doesn't wait. The user decides. And if you don't connect, you disappear from their screen.
Adapting, even if you're a football player, is no longer an option. It's a matter of cultural survival.
Learning for brands
The case of European football is not only interesting for what it says c level contact list about the sport, but for what it reveals about any organization that wants to remain relevant . Adapting doesn't simply mean being on social media, launching a flashy campaign, or redesigning your logo. Truly adapting involves rethinking the value you offer from the perspective of today's user .
Today, people aren't just looking for products or services. They're looking for experiences that fit their identity, that spark emotion, and that make sense in their hyper-connected routines . Therefore, brands that limit themselves to "doing the same old thing" with a renewed aesthetic run the risk of becoming invisible.
Adaptation requires strategic effort:
Listen carefully to what the user needs today, not what they needed three years ago.
Detect what excites you, what inspires you, what makes you stay.
Translate that understanding into coherent and memorable narratives, value propositions, and experiences.
The brands that are growing aren't those that obsess over their sector, but rather those that understand that their real challenge is gaining attention and building connections . Because in the attention economy, competition comes from everywhere... even where you least expect it.