Tottenham Hotspur targets junior fans with Moshi-Monsters style game

Tottenham Hotspur is launching a Moshi-Monsters-style game in a bid to convince junior fans worldwide to support the club over its more successful Premier League rivals.

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Tottenham Hotspur claims it is the first Premier League club to launch a gaming platform for kids.

The “Tottenham Turfies” gaming portal marks a shift in the club’s marketing strategy from targetting older supporters. While it has attempted to reach younger UK fans through grassroots activity in the past, the North London outfit claims the gaming hub will “reach out to the next generation of fans around the world”.

The platform launches today (7 August) and lets kids create their own “Turfie” which they can then use to play games, earn prizes and interact with their friends’ avatars. Players can also convert the game’s virtual currency into real-life rewards such as tickets to club “Fun Days”, stadium tours and Spurs merchandise. Additional rewards will be offered to players who complete physical challenges through the club’s grassroots initiatives.

It targets 7-10 year-old children who have yet to decide on what team they will support. Kid-friendly sponsors such as Under Armour will be able to develop content for the hub in the coming months.

Emma Taylor, marketing director at Tottenham Hotspur, says the club has identified the demographic as a key factor in its plans to expand the brand overseas.

The platform will be promoted through children’s’ gaming sites and the club’s own channels throughout the course of the season.

Rival clubs such as Manchester City have made attempts to target children online in the past, however Spurs claim this is the first time a gaming portal has been created.

Taylor adds: “The sites that sports brands like Spurs tend to launch are more junior versions of their main sites with repurposed content.

“If you look at the template of brands like Bin Weevils and Moshi-Monsters that are no longer just in the digital space then that’s what we’ll be moving towards in the long-term. Through licensing we can move into merchandise and really look to grow the Turfies characters.”

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