Barça sees big brand potential in U.S. market, according to a comprehensive study

FC Barcelona announced on Thursday the results of a brand study that it commissioned and which was carried out by the prestigious agency KantarMillwardBrown. Among the study’s highlights were results pertaining to the United States, a market the Club has long touted as highly strategic, and which the study confirmed holds an enormous potential for future growth.

The study was carried out during the month of September 2017 and consists of 12,400 online interviews among men and women who follow sports in 10 strategic markets: Catalonia, Spain, the United States, China, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, India, Japan and Indonesia. The bulk of those interviewed were over the age of 16. The remainder of those interviewed were minors between 10 and 15 years of age.

The study, which has provided an objective evaluation of the Barça brand’s current situation, concluded that it is not only the most followed brand in world football, but it is also among the world’s best-known sports brands. The Club’s big-time players, its unique style of play, and the Club’s values ​​were what the fans valued most. Moreover, those attributes, according to the study, are especially attractive to female fans. In a traditionally male-centric environment, the proportion of women is growing at a rapid pace. In the markets of Catalonia and Spain, for example, 40% of FC Barcelona’s followers are women; 42% in China; 44% in India, and 40% Turkey.

While in Catalonia and Spain the fans are much more segmented according to age, in the rest of the Club’s strategic markets Barça’s fans tend to be very young. In the United States, 76% are under 35 years old. The proportion of those under 35 in other markets is as follows: 61% in China; 63% in Brazil; 66% in Mexico; 58% to Japan; 67% to Indonesia; 67% in Turkey; and 74% in India. Among fans between 10 and 15 years of age, Barça is their favorite Club.

Huge opportunities in the United States, China, and Japan 

The study concluded that in the football industry’s emerging markets — such as the United States, China and Japan — there is still a long way to go. FC Barcelona, however, holds a privileged position in these strategic markets and the Club has emphasized its desire to take the lead in football’s future growth.

Knowledge of the Club’s core projects

One of the study’s objectives was to assess what people knew about the Club’s various projects beyond the world-famous first team. The most well-known is the Barça Foundation which, through its programs in 53 countries and agreements with organizations such as UNICEF or UNHCR, is becoming a vehicle that is helping explain the Club’s credo of ‘More than a Club’ to the rest of the world. After the Foundation, other elements of the Club that are known worldwide are the Club’s renowned academy, La Masia; the Barça Innovation Hub; the FCBEscoles; the Women's team; and the Espai Barça.

New brand architecture

Parallel to this study, FC Barcelona has begun work to configure a new brand architecture, which calls for the brand to be known in two ways: FC Barcelona and Barça. The term ‘FC Barcelona’ will be used for the institutional sphere, and to identify the entire sphere of football, including the first team, Barça B, the women's team, and La Masia. It will also be the expression that will be used for Club’s services aimed at members and fans.

The term ‘Barça’ will be used for all other professional sports and amateur sports. It will also be used for Club areas like the Barça Innovation Hub, BarçaTV, the Barça Schools (formerly the FCBEscoles) and the Barça Legends. The Foundation will become known as the Barça Foundation.