FA readies marketing push for World Cup build-up

The Football Association (FA) is readying a marketing push to promote tickets for England’s pre-World Cup friendlies as it ramps up efforts to inspire the same level of loyalty fans place in their club teams and increase repeat visits to Wembley Stadium.

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Governing body moves forward with bid to drive more repeat visits to Wembley Stadium.

England are set to play four games at Wembley between now and next May after booking their ticket to the event in dramatic fashion last week. The first will be held next month (16 November) against Chile, followed by Germany (19 November) and Denmark (5 March). A send-off game at the end of the Premier League season (28 May) is also scheduled with the opponents to be finalised after the group stage draw.

The FA is pushing forward with plans to promote all four in the hopes of bolstering early efforts to create a sense of commitment among supporters.

It is using its “englandfans” database to serve targeted ticket promotions alongside offering priority access. Adverts and competitions for each match will span the organisation’s website, Facebook and Twitter channels alongside YouTube videos featuring England stars Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. Paid search will also be used to amplify awareness in the coming months.

Co-branded campaigns with sponsors such as Nike, Mars and Budweiser are also in the works with the organisation hoping the added reach sells out its allocation for all four games.

The plan forms part of a wider change to the FA’s ticket strategy. Whereas in the past some Wembley visitors have seen England play once and not returned, the organisation is pushing forward with efforts to increase repeat visits. Through a mix of increased shopper marketing and fan engagement, the organisation, in partnership with brand activation agency Dialogue, was able to stimulate high-demand for those fixtures this year involving lesser know teams.

The FA is looking to replicate the success of the ticket strategies of Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool FC moving forward. Both teams have focused the majority of their marketing efforts on core fans over the years to generate insight and create an atmosphere they can use to prop-up match-day revenues.

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