What’s your name and position within the organisation?
Chris Gratton – Head of Sport and Entertainment, UK
My role is really two-fold – I lead our Sport and Entertainment offering as part of the Brand Marketing practice here in the U.K., so am responsible for driving our client delivery and growth across the network. I also lead EMEA for FleishmanHillard Sports, a key focus here is also overseeing growth in this area across the region and working with other regional counterparts to have a consistent offer globally.
FleishmanHillard’s sports group recently relaunched globally. Can you talk a bit about the reasoning behind that?
FleishmanHillard has long had a strong offering on a global scale but had largely gone under the radar previously and been guilty of not highlighting our own great work.
In regions like Asia and the US, FleishmanHillard already has a very strong presence and reputation within both sport and entertainment, but hasn’t told that story in the most effective way, which is ironic for a PR agency. Our relaunch is an effort to tell FH’s story the right way and build on our already strong regional offerings with a more formalised global one.
What challenges have you encountered, and what is your growth strategy moving forward?
Across EMEA and particularly here in the U.K., we have a slightly different history and challenge than in other markets. While we’ve consistently done great work, and built an arsenal of strong talent, the number of more established sports offerings in the region can make it a tough nut to crack.
Our short-term goal is really to raise awareness of the fact that we’re an option for sports and sponsorship clients looking for a global agency with a localised feel, and to enter their consideration set.
One of the most important ways we can do that is by championing the talented bunch we’ve currently got in our sports team. A real asset we have is the diversity of skill sets within the practice across a number of sectors and divisions. We have team members with a passion for consumer-facing content and developing comms activations that cut through with sports fans. We’re also continuing to promote the profiles of our team through industry events and awards as well, with one of our members named to Sport Industry’s NextGen 2019.
We’ll also look to continue to leverage the incredible advantage of having a close-knit global network. Particularly in sponsorship, which reaches a global audience now more than ever before with the accessibility of sport anywhere in the world through technology, it’s crucial to be able to pick up the phone and get insights and support from our global network of more than 90 offices.
Where do you feel that a traditional PR agency can add value to the sponsorship proposition?
Clients are looking for a creative approach to sports marketing and sponsorship. We have stellar creative capabilities which, alongside our very deep understanding of digital and social media, stands us in good stead when put through a sports lens.
What can be missing from the more traditional sponsorship agencies is the ability to drive news, drive coverage and provide an exposure for the sponsorship itself that cuts through in the wider news arena. This is something we have plenty of experience in in terms of traditional PR but also in sport and entertainment as previously mentioned, so this presents a unique opportunity to develop this offering even further in the hope that its two aspects will dovetail into something truly special.
What are the current trends within your business area, and how are they affecting how you work and how you deliver on strategy?
We’ve identified the fragmentation of the media market and speed of technology implementation as the two main trends currently affecting our business. While these won’t come as a surprise, finding ways to capitalise on them for clients is going to be crucial.
There’s no denying that the consumption habits of people are changing and that traditional news content is under threat. For the PR space, this fragmentation obviously presents a significant challenge, but if you work with a client to give them genuine cut-through with an interesting viewpoint that resonates with your audience, people are as receptive as ever to what you have to say.
We’ve seen a significant shift to sports fans, particularly in younger generations, adopting technology quickly. If teams and sponsors can take advantage and move equally quickly to give those fans exciting and innovative content they can really have an advantage in brand affinity and loyalty with consumers. The development and progression of video content as seen by the growth of companies like GoPro, also offers a huge opportunity for engagement. A very significant part of our job is to ensure we’re always coming to our clients with new ways they can leverage technology to tell stories in meaningful ways.
If you could offer one piece of advice to your clients, what would it be?
If you’re a brand thinking about getting into an area that people hold so dearly and passionately, you should only do it if you’re truly committed to providing value.
The power of sport to entertain, inspire, excite and unite is such an intoxicating prospect that every brand wants a piece of it. This means the space is cluttered and over-saturated. Many fans can’t even name a fraction of the sponsors of their teams – and if fans aren’t remembering your brand, the spend becomes pointless.
However, the fan passion for their game, team, city and favourite athletes is real and runs deep. These fans are undoubtedly savvy and fiercely protective – but for brands who can tap into that and offer something real, that fierce loyalty can yield incredible dividends. You cannot buy fan love – you have to earn it.
When we sit down with our sponsorship clients, the first thing we do is get to the heart of the real connection between their brand and the team or league they’re sponsoring. By finding the smartest and most unique ways to connect with fans, you can make an impression that will really last – and we’re looking forward to doing that with many more brands in the future.
Contact Chris Gratton:
e: chris.gratton@fhflondon.co.uk
w: https://fhflondon.co.uk/