‘Monetising’ is very much a buzz word these days. In the next phase of their commercial strategy, Manchester United are determined to monetise their fan base ‘and put that into a moneymaking machine’ in the words of their commercial director, Richard Arnold talking to the Financial Times.
‘Monetising’ is very much a buzz word these days. In the next phase of their commercial strategy, Manchester United are determined to monetise their fan base ‘and put that into a moneymaking machine’ in the words of their commercial director, Richard Arnold talking to the Financial Times.
He reckons that the money that the Premiership champions can make from exploiting their fan base will dwarf the income it has been getting from sponsorship deals, itself very substantial. Up until now these deals have been the main source of expanding commercial income and have included the £80m shirt sponsorship deal with Aon and the innovative £40m training kit deal with logistics company DHL.
In recent weeks United have closed several deals with credit card companies that will enable United to earn income directly from their fans around the world. The club makes money when the Manchester United branded cards are first activated, during their general use and whenever the user incurs charges.
The club’s customer database stands at 11 million, giving it a quantity of data comparable to a Boots loyalty card or Tesco clubcard. However, Mr Arnold acknowledged that cracking the Chinese market – ‘a hugely important piece of the puzzle in our commercial success’ – was complicated and time consuming.
However, the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) questioned whether the Glazers really understood the fans. ‘The problem with their ownership model is the fans don’t feel a sense of ownership,’ said Duncan Drado of MUST. ‘They feel a sense of exploitation.’