Digital promotion of regional football club brand: specifics, tools, models

With the sports industry undergoing a digital transformation, regional football clubs face a systemic problem of inefficient use of digital communication channels, which leads to reduced fan loyalty and commercial appeal. The article, based on analysis of theoretical sources, semi-structured interviews with experts in sports marketing (n = 5), online fan surveys (n = 150) identified key barriers to digital promotion of regional football brands. Based on the data obtained by modeling and forecasting methods, an author model of integrated digital promotion of regional football brand was developed and tested, including three blocks: analytical, communication and content. The model’s validation results on the regional football club’s case showed potential for 27% fan engagement and 18% ticket sales growth. The model is optimal for a regional football club with limited financial resources.

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