What Every Brand (and Football team) Can Learn From Arsenal

I am writing this a few days out from my team, West Ham, needing a miracle to avoid relegation from the Premier League for the first time in fifteen years.

And in a moment where it is fair to say our fan base is not particularly happy with the direction we are heading in, I can’t help but look at another team on a totally different trajectory.

On Tuesday night Arsenal finally got over the hump and became Premier League champions for the first time since 2004.

This success has not happened overnight. It is a product of smart and consistent decisions, both on and off the pitch, over a number of years that every brand (and football team) can learn from.

Putting the fans first

‘This belongs to all of us’ is the message delivered in the Arsene Wenger-fronted film Arsenal dropped once the title was confirmed. Perfectly landing the amazing job they have done in uniting a fractured club and building a bulletproof community. They have listened to the supporters and built a new Arsenal that fans are proud to be a part of. The club has empowered fans to tell the story of the season with them and given prominent creators the access they need to give a fan perspective in every moment.

The best brands put the fans first, always. Arsenal is a best-in-class case study of doing it authentically.

Building around the best people

Your brand values mean nothing if the people representing you don’t reflect them. The previous era of Arsenal had that exact problem, but Mikel Arteta quickly removed the ‘bad eggs’ in the squad. Instead, building his team around the likes of Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice - both total professionals and the exact profile of player every club dreams of having and young fans dream of being.

Investing in the right talent is critical for every brand. They are who fans really listen to.

Tapping into wider passions

Winning on the pitch is only one aspect of Arsenal’s recent success. They have solidified themselves as the club synonymous with fashion - giving new and existing fans more reasons to engage with and support the club. From Places+Faces and A-COLD-WALL, to NTS and Labrum, there is no club investing in fashion to the same extent, with each partnership strategically chosen to tap into different sub-audiences.

Audiences have multiple passions. So find ways to show up with credibility beyond your category.

Seizing the moment

Tuesday night was 22 years in the making and Arsenal were ready to act. Armed with a suite of well-produced content to celebrate the season, while also being on-the-ground at the celebrations to capture the moment in real-time. From a time-lapse showing the fans congregating at the Emirates, to lo-fi content of the celebrations, even fans at home felt like they were in the thick of it.

When your brand has something to shout about, do it. You never know when the next opportunity will be.

Whatever happens to West Ham on Sunday, I hope the club are studying the Arsenal playbook ahead of next season.

Alex Passingham is cultural strategy lead at McCann London