Sports Content Strategy with MrRichardClarke: Exploring sports content, journalism, digital and social media

In 2023, one-day cricket enjoyed its 60th birthday. David Tossell has written a book on the evolution of the format. He describes those early days as “nicely naïve”. But, at the same time, they were the foundation for every major innovation in cricket ever since. These days, the 50-over game is under an existential threat due to the rise of T20. Can it survive, is it worth saving and what would be its legacy? We discussed all this and more on this episode of Sports Content Strategy Topics Why one-day cricket first started? Its early evolution The formative years of the Gillette Cup The influence of television on the growth of the game The cultural importance of the Sunday League The way it has changed the game’s tactics The importance of Pakistan and India’s World Cup victories The game that led to the Duckworth Lewis Decline and the need for T20 How T20 has affected 50 over cricket Where the 50-over game fits into the future of cricket The legacy of one-day cricket

Ricardo Fort has led the sponsorship strategy for brands at World Cups and Olympics. After a long, successful career with the likes of Coca-Cola and Visa, he has set up his own consulting firm. In this podcast, Ricardo gives straight answers to key questions in sports sponsorship and outlines how content fits in. This is a sophisticated 101 for anyone interested in working in the commercial department at a major sports organisation. Is sponsorship just about "hanging out with the cool kids" Does there always have to be a positive financial return? "The brands want to be relevant, most brands are irrelevant in the lives of people" Are brand sponsorship decisions emotional? The best sports sponsorship deal he did at Coca-Cola - The case study of the FIFA World Cup trophy tour Measurable and immeasurable benefits What are the Key KPIs and the less important metrics for sponsors? How can brands be sure about the impact of a sponsorship? Sponsoring a tournament or event as opposed to a team. What are the differences? Moving from badging and advertisement to 'clever content' The value of creating a content strategy that stands out The comparison between NFL and European football in accommodating sponsors In NFL, the owner gets the trophy before the players - what does that tell us? Why the fans police any over-commercialisation in Europe "All sponsors say they want data, but very few know what to do it." How can you make a partnership scandal-proof? How to do your due diligence and protect against future problems The fans' voice in sponsorship Sponsorship in gaming and the Alex Hunter deal

Alex Phillips does not look or sound like a revolutionary but his ideas could shake up football. He spent 15 years at Uefa, including a couple as Head of Compliance and Governance. He was seconded to the Asian Football Confederation for three years and now leads the World Football Remission Fund, a FIFA body administrating how money "stolen from the game" should be returned for its overall benefit. Phillips has been described as "the most influential football administrator you have never heard of". Certainly, he has an analytical eye and passion for reform. In this podcast, we discuss good governance, the ramifications of the failed Super League project, educating owners and fans, setting examples and, of course, content TOPICS His views on the Super League between its collapse and now - "a great fragmentation" Uefa's mistake of not making co-efficient qualification 'a red line' Having the same people governing conflicting tasks Why regulatory bodies are "not up to the job" Linking financial control to regulation and its inherent problems Not restricting finances but restricting player numbers instead Changing payers and coach's behaviour Using broadcasters to educate players and fans "Leadership time is often spent chasing money rather than on sporting issues" How to change a football reputation - the example of German refereeing The differing concepts of "cheating" The values of football's myths and stories. And why owners need to be educated How television does football's marketing job The challenge to retain younger audiences whose frame of reference is different The concept of scarcity in creating sporting interest - 'hats off to the Champions League?" Working properly with partners and sponsors to grow a sport Alex's three recommendations to grow football

The challenges facing netball are different to other sports. While we have seen growth in women's football, tennis and boxing in recent years, it has always occurred through the lens (or perhaps in the shadow) of established male forebears. Netball does not have this baggage. Its story, product and message can be tailored specifically toward women and girls. Claire Nelson is CEO of Netball Scotland and the Strathclyde Sirens. Her focus is to capitalise on this advantage and carve out a unique niche for the sport north of the border. In this podcast, we discuss the key areas in which she is concentrating - sponsors, player development, marketing, messaging, media deals and, of course, content. TOPICS The overall landscape of netball Adapting netball's story and building a sport and lifestyle brand Working against established cultural habits Why women's sport is "not a nice-to-have but makes economic sense" How the storytelling focus changes for a 'female sport' The untapped audience of women The differences in the female fan - different message, spending patterns and the 'guilt factor' Not limiting their vision to competition and 'bums on seats'. "There's sportainment and lifestyle" The Fast Fives concept Creating player pathways Comparisons with women's football. "The men's game has decided to invest more into the women's game" Moving to the Women's Super League from the 'amateurish' of environment leisure centres and into arenas The influence of the Commonwealth Games this summer The one thing netball most needs

For the past two decades, cricket has been trying to cross new boundaries. Previously, its global footprint mirrored its past as the game of the British Empire but, in recent years, countries like the Netherlands, Namibia and Afghanistan have risen to prominence In the next 10 years, the game will try to cross its biggest and most important new frontier - the USA. They have been awarded co-hosting rights for the 2024 T20 World Cup and a buzz is building around the chances of inclusion in the Olympics in Los Angeles four years later. Minor League Cricket started last season and its Major League big brother begins in 2023. Tom Dunmore is VP of Marketing for both tournaments. In this podcast, we discuss the story so far, the challenges they face and the vision for success. TOPICS Where is the landscape of cricket in the US right now? The reliance on the south Asian audience Why Major League Cricket is the ‘tip of the spear’ but they are looking to grow a sport ‘It is a unique opportunity but the USA is not afraid to take a deep dive and make a big bet’ The ‘feel’ of a Minor League Cricket game and having 3,000 fans at the final The 35 professionals brought in as mentors to raise the standard The authenticity and integrity of the game in the wide variety of US climate conditions Learning from the development of Major League Soccer - stadium build, fan experience, getting priority dates for fixtures, ownership models “We’ll be able to have world-class players right away, up there with the CPL and BBL” The different investment models Content strategy for franchises Using a YouTube influencer and video games as tools Being one of many ‘Major League” sports trying to get a foothold in the US Whose audience are they going to take? Is the push for the 2028 Olympics realistic?

Brian Jacks was a household in the UK in the 1980s. The pinnacle of the judo player’s sporting success came when he won a bronze medal at the Munich Olympics in 1972. But a few years later he would become much more famous as the UK and European champion in Superstars, a popular television programme that saw the best athletes of the day compete in events outside their niche. The show grew throughout the world to become perhaps the first modern example of how sporting heroes could cross into mainstream media, with all its financial benefits, through light entertainment television. Now living in Thailand, Jacks talks about his motivations, how he leveraged his Superstars fame, his rivalry with Daley Thompson and why he’d love to be a grappling coach in UFC Podcast partner: Sports Tech Match - Simplifying Sports Tech Procurement TOPICS Was his mental strength the key to his success, not his physical strength The importance of a challenge Making sure you have the grit to make his career ‘gambles’ pay-off Why Brian believes Team GB judo is ‘soft’ “You have to see what failure is to see what achievement is” Getting on to Superstars How he monetised his stardom Did you he enjoy the fame? His approach to Superstars - breaking down the problem? How do you find his ability to rise to a challenge? Would he have fancied turning to UFC? Coaching Neil Adams and punching him in the face as motivation before the biggest bout of his career The power of community in his success Being from a Black Cabbie family The rivalry with Daley Thompson Brian’s life now - his fitness, his hotel and charity work Feeding over 32,000 people who were starving as a result of the pandemic Running his apartment block business His ambitions now

Motherwell FC have lifted only one trophy in the past 30 years. However, off the pitch, they beat off competition from Manchester United, Everton and Leicester to win the Best Digital/Social Media category at the Football Business Awards this year. Grant Russell is the club’s Head of Brand, Digital and Communications. In this episode, he talks about the thinking, discipline and creativity that have gone into building a stand-out story for an otherwise overlooked Scottish team. This is a deep dive into content strategy and, like me, Russell believes in cutting through clutter with a strict, realistic yet progressive vision for storytelling. TOPICS “We exist to improve people's lives” is Motherwell's Twitter bio. What does that really means? Addressing key societal issues in the locality like male suicide and child poverty Asking deep questions about what defines a supporter. "We are all purpose-driven whether we realise it or not" Identifying you purpose and supporter ‘triggers’ at your club "Having done all this work the most important thing is never to deviate from your story" What stories did Motherwell leave out? Are the fans onboard? Are Motherwell ‘a club with a cause’ or ‘a cause with a club’? Building target audiences? And who did they decide not to target? Creating acquisition funnels and 'knowing when to pounce’? The advantages and disadvantages of combining the brand, communications and marketing functions The four narratives Motherwell focus on. ‘Hit one pillar and the guiding pillars underneath’. Handling the commercial imperatives and turning down the 'wrong' partners Calculating value per 1,000 followers The basis of the strategy - balancing data with feel/tone Defining a season narrative each year. "We know what we are. There is no point lying about it." The approach of the outside media to the club-created story Taking players out into the community and finding a story that fits with them The effect of Covid on the community spirit within the club Do the hardcore Motherwell fans get it? Using the colours to their fullest What is next on the agenda? The huge advantage of building trust The effect of winning a major award for content

Ed Warner has something to say. After a decade as chair of UK Athletics (including the 2017 World Championships in London) and a few years in his current role with GB Wheelchair rugby, he is well-placed to comment on the stresses and strains of running a modern sport. Warner wrote a book, Sports Inc, on the subject a few years ago and has just started a blog of the same name. In this podcast, we discuss many of the key issues required to steer a sporting ship towards success: leadership styles, funding models, changing content strategies, marketing, elite sport v participation, bringing in private equity funding and his open application for the role of ECB chair. TOPICS Why write the Sports Inc blog? What qualities do you need to run a sport as a leader and what qualities do you need in your executive team? "These jobs are advertised as 25 days a year but it needs three days a week!" "You have to be in love with the sport" In UK sport, is there a hangover from the amateur/blazer days? The success of lottery funding in the UK Changing the funding model for sport Equipping Olympic athletes for life on the back of their '15 minutes of fame' Using content to create an ongoing story that brings value and revenue The power of a focussed plan that targets the "right eyeballs" Why triathlon is crossing over successfully Allowing greater conflict in the sporting narratives. Or at least not being scared of it "Sport is theatre where you don't know how the story ends" Writing an open application for the role of ECB chair The Hundred - Ed likes it, I hate it The link between elite sport and participation. Ed's concerns for the future of rugby and cricket The private equity question - can an organisation properly innovate without them? But are their goals inherently different to sport? How to build back better after Covid-19 Learning from Barry Hearn

Given its increasingly strategic importance within sports business, it is surprising how many rights-holders produce sub-standard apps. To try and solve this issue, I spoke to George Crabb, Managing Director at The Other Media. This well-established digital agency have a rich history in working with rights-holders to create mobile applications of the highest quality. We collaborated to refashion the Arsenal app a decade ago but usage, connectivity, monetisation and the art-of-the-possible have moved forward rapidly since then. In this extensive podcast, we delve into the most basic questions in the field, explore how rights-holder should approach the development of their offering and what could be coming in the future Why do you need a specific app? "The answer lies with the growth of mobile use and functionality." For the clubs, it is about fan engagement and revenue The benefit of keeping fans in your ecosystem and the data play Why the app is the centre of the ecosystem now "Yes clients still come demanding a replication of the website" The key tool of push notifications Has ticketing via an app made a big leap made in lockdown and will it persist? What strategic issues does an organisation need to have in mind when starting the app process The problem of connectivity in stadia Bugbears - linking social media with your app, apps as a set of webpages - and ways around them Free, data and sign-up models Personalisation and segmentation of content - what is the state of the art? Integration with CRM systems The importance of content Price George's examples of best practice Creating community

It is the content strategy problem we would all like to have. How do you create a story about a team that has won the league seven seasons in a row (and an eighth is expected to follow soon)? Johor Darul Ta'zim (or JDT) are a team on a mission. They were re-formed in 2013 with a new nickname, the Southern Tigers, under the guidance of the Crown Prince of Johor. They won their first title a year later and the AFC Cup (the Asian version of the Europa League) 12 months after that. They have gone on to dominate Malaysian football. But their tone on social media has brought them as much attention as their success. Now they are looking to internationalise their brand and grow their partnership portfolio with the likes of Aston Martin and Unicef. Vijhay Vick, the Head of Content, is leading their strategy. In this podcast, he discusses his approach to JDT's unique position. TOPICS The recent history of JDT How they have grown on social media Capitalising on the huge Indonesian market Being brazen about their success Why they are "the most hated team in Malaysia" What would signing a world-renowned player like Radamel Falcao do for the league and the club? Having a partnership with the likes of Aston Martin The Malaysian League in general - crowds, TV audience, etc The football audience is very split - some love foreign football, some love Malaysian football. They are very different groups. How JDT's PR strategy has started to bridge the gap JDT's social media strategy - "It's 80 per cent Facebook. The Twitter space is toxic." Dealing with that toxicity on social media The role of CSR in JDT’s strategy The link with Unicef His content and communications team at JDT The kit reveal video that received a million views in two days The crucial buy-in from the top Being realistic about what JDT can achieve

Alison Kervin is a pioneer in women's sports journalism. She was the first female editor of Rugby World and the first female sports editor of a UK national newspaper. Kervin's eight-year spell at the Mail on Sunday has just come to a close so he has started up a media agency for athletes. Oh, and she is a successful novelist too. If she was editing this piece, undoubtedly 'the line' would centre on her gender-based breakthroughs. After all, that is why she was awarded an OBE. But Kervin's spell at the Mail has coincided with huge disruption in the newspaper industry, sparked by digital transformation. She reveals the skills and knowledge she has had to acquire for the 'new' media age and the core abilities every storyteller still requires. TOPICS Writing a sports reporting book back in the 1990s What has changed and not changed in sport reporting The skill of a sports writer. Does it garner respect? The feature writer's evolution. What worked and what did not for her. Coping with the management of athletes in modern sport What qualities meant it was she who made the key breakthroughs as a female sports journalist Did the door slam behind her? Is the lack of female sports journalists down to confidence? The growth of digital in newspapers since she took over at the Mail on Sunday sports editor in 2013 Concerns of speed being much more important than quality in the digital age The problem of SEO-based 'churnalism' driven by clicks The shortening of feedback loops The difficulty of shareability How does Alison measure the success of female sports journalism these days? Writing novels under the pen name of Bernice Bloom - mimicking the box-set mentality Starting a media agency - knowing what a journalist would want * This episode of Sports Content Strategy is brought to you by the Digital Marketing & Analytics for Sports Professionals - Your road to digital excellence in sports. Online course starts August 31

The use of data in the analysis of sporting performance is well-known but not yet universally employed. Many teams say they are going all ‘Moneyball’ but few truly follow it through. Often, decision-making is still emotional, made without evidence and based on the eye rather than the numbers. Poker has become viewed as a Petri-dish for strategic thinking based on probability which, if applied correctly, can provide long-term success. Dan Weston is a former professional gambler and poker player. He was also one of the UK’s top slot-machine players in his young days. Now, he is applying his shrewd statistical knowledge to cricket as recruitment analyst of Leicestershire CC and the Birmingham Phoenix. In this podcast, he discusses his career, his current work and the move towards game theory. TOPICS His role at Leicestershire Dan’s Table of Justice Using poker as a ‘thinking process’ The trend for ex-pro gamblers to run Premier League football clubs… and run them well “Poker is a long-term skill game but short-term luck game.’ Proving the case for giving him a role at a cricket club How his content helped this process Taking the emotion out of decision-making The importance of accountability The myth of ‘the eye’ How to build a squad Dealing with Drafts Why fans and the media need to fully understand an evidence-based strategy LINKS

Sarim Akhtar's face has become synonymous with anger but he is actually a very happy chap. However, when the television cameras momentarily caught his expression at a cricket match two years ago, the Pakistan fan was furious after his team had dropped a catch. Within hours, the anonymous meme-makers had pounced on the picture and spread it around social media. He has been 'Insta-famous' ever since. How should you react in this situation? Ignore it, embrace it or just make as much cash as you can? Then there is your family and work colleagues. And what about those occasions when you become the face of something you know nothing about. Then there is the real question at the heart of the matter - as the subject of a sports meme does Sarim have any idea why his one happened to capture the world's imagination. Topics How the meme happened Why he was actually suppressing anger When the meme really took off Getting thousands of Facebook requests overnight and why he got scared at first "My meme is not an awkward moment so perhaps I can embrace it more than some." He has never made a meme and was not a social media person The versions of the meme he has enjoyed the most What people say when they contact him The person who wanted permission to put his face on their credit card Making money - a Coca-cola ad in Pakistan and why he has got more advertisements The promo for the Pakistan Cricket Board His family's reaction What happened on the two-year anniversary of the meme Did it sum up the moment for Pakistan cricket Will he ever get tired of it? Has he ever thought why it happened to him? Is he happy it happened?

[Click out all the content from MrRichardClarke here] Contrary to popular belief, the New York Cosmos are still alive. Gone are the glitter-strewn days of the late 1970s when Pele played on the pitch, Mick Jagger watched from the packed stands and then, afterwards, they partied together at Studio 54. The old North American Soccer League soon crumbled under the weight of its own excess. However, its leading team gained an enduring legend. I spoke to official club historian David Kilpatrick about the incredible origin story of the Cosmos, its brief spell in the limelight, its troublesome rebirth and how, just maybe, there may be a route back to centre stage. TOPICS The genesis of the Cosmos - Atlantic Records, two Turkish brothers, Gotham Soccer Club and the New York Generals The impact of the 1966 and 1970 World Cups Cosmos is short for Cosmopolitan like NY Mets is short for Metropolitan Chasing Pele - "George Best did not turn up and Henry Kissinger helped" Adding Carlos Alberto, Giorgio Chinaglia New York in the late 1970s - financial problems, the 'Son of Sam' murders and the need for glamour The power of Chinaglia at the Cosmos The retirement of Pele The global tour - Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia London - and the tax dodge that helped Why the Cosmos became the first US soccer brand Warner's problems, a failed video game for ET - Extra-terrestrial and the sale of the club "I'm with the Cosmos" - the phrase that got you into Studio 54 The reboot for the NY Cosmos after the documentary "Once in a Lifetime" Why they did not join MLS "The most successful franchises in MLS are those who have embraced their NASL history." Did the Cosmos win battles for the ‘soccer family’ in the US? The influence of the Cosmos in the early American World Cup squads Steve Hunt - seven games for Villa, sold to the Cosmos, played with Pele, went back to the English top flight. Does this prove the standard of the NASL? The problem of TV ratings in NASL back then and MLS now The pro/rel issue and the Cosmos Can global leagues create a route back for the Cosmos? Why the introduction of New York City FC hurt the new version of the Cosmos What is the future of the club? The legal case to try and align North American soccer with global football Is there still a fanbase out there for the New York Cosmos?

Rob Moody runs a YouTube channel with over 900,000 subscribers and holds an important influence over the agenda in his sport but he has never made a penny. If you are a cricket fan with access to the internet, it is highly likely you have seen one of his videos. Robelinda2 is the ‘go to’ channel for the rare, unusual or controversial moments in the game. His archive has received over a billion views in its 10-year existence by curating niche cricketing content that is appetising to fans and acceptable to rights-holders. His one-man mission has been so successful that, these days, major players and executives offer their support whenever he suffers a copyright strike. Moody will say there is no strategy behind his channel, I disagree. His ideas are perfect for his niche, he looks at metrics and experiments constantly. One recent change saw a 10-year-old video move from 170 views to 80,000 in just 48 hours. However, the Australian expects his channel to be shut down soon. This is an unusual digisport success story. Yet, there are many lessons to be learned. TOPICS His unhappiness at conventional cricket highlight edits Curation – why produce a 32-minute video of all Glenn McGrath’s boundaries The long list of requests and how he handles them His stats since lockdown - 200k increase in subscribers, 249m views in 12 months The Steve Waugh run-out video and how Shane Warne got involved The value of heritage content and why it is not considered by many channels Ignoring all good practice in YouTube channel-building - apart from the headlines How changing the title of a 10-year video saw it go from 170 views to 80,000 in two days “I have pushed the envelope and been as offensive as I can possibly be just to see what would happen” Does the flak affect him? Catering for older cricket fans Why his channel is living on borrowed time His process for dealing with takedown notices Have the broadcasters tried to learn from Robelinda2? (The answer is only once and only briefly) Pushing against the norms of YouTube

Content strategy, the cookie apocalypse and other disasters Like a great drummer, a sports content strategy should be tight and consistent but happy to improvise when required. Many content leaders have been caught out by changes in Facebook's algorithms over the years and, in recent months, Google and Apple have introduced fundamental alterations that will have knock-on effects for almost everyone in the digital space, not just the sports industry. Recently, a blog by Johan Junker entitled the Cookie Apocalypse caught my eye. He is a deep thinker on content, sports business and the future. His company, Antourage are trying to solve some of the issues. But there are plenty more to discuss. This is a long theoretical discussion and we don't have all the answers. In fact, we are just trying to see if our questions are in the right areas. TOPICS The main weakness in sports content strategy right now Why OTT platforms only worry about dwell time Our brains are not built to have more than 200 relationships in real life so how can we have a relationship with 10,000 brands? The 'Cookie Apocalypse' blog Losing the obsession with big numbers Why the sports industry is old-fashioned in harnessing the power of personality The advantage of a robot posting content - because it is talking to a robot initially. This allows you to reallocate 75 per cent of your content staff to jobs that matter Get the human content team to craft emotional stories Why sports marketing will change fundamentally in 2022 Why credibility will be crucial for personalities and influencers going forward Are sports rights-holders REALLY struggling for compelling content Definitions of ambassadors and the role they can perform Quality v speed (and what is quality anyway)? Share value vs pushing your product The opportunity created by the pandemic - where are you going to invest your time? Being the mayor of your village Johan's recommended products

TOPICS What has changed in the last three years? The first book coincided with the introduction of GDPR? Looking back how has that rolled out? The differing approaches of sports organisations to GDPR, particularly Manchester United Why you should never take anyone out of your database? The importance of the win-back plan What has developed over the last 10 years? The move against personalisation, and why Fiona disagrees Adding in psychological info and the problems with Net Promoter Score The concept of “Jobs To Be Done” Talking about the R in CRM The importance of marketing to young fans and the restrictions around the world Marketing in different countries The inclusion of social media in your CRM ecosystem. The problem of scraping data The ambitions of big and small clubs. The difference in framing “Technology is not a silver bullet” - The 80:20 split. Spending 80 per cent of your resources on the people The next three years in CRM

TOPICS Why digital is the second industrial revolution Why control of the customer relationship is crucial The battleground that has been lost to the social media companies by sports Putting 'goodwill on the balance sheet' The role content plays in your strategy The current sports commercial model - ad-hoc and unstrategic "Sponsorship will become cashless. Partnerships will be partnerships" Comparing the average of season ticket holders in different sports around the world The importance of reengaging with communities post-Covid The purpose-driven approach behind brand The reaction to Covid and how it will be led by price or quality What specifically is being pushed forward because of Covid The importance of a clear communications strategy Why the future belongs to "marketers and value creators not salesmen" The widening split between rich sports and poor sports

The development of "football groups" is a relatively recent and controversial phenomenon. The pioneer has been City Football Group, which started with the acquisition of Manchester City and has since bought significant stakes in clubs in the United States, Australia, India, Japan, Spain, Uruguay, China, Belgium and France. The Red Bull group has been constructed a different way, with the energy drink company taking over teams in Salzburg, New York, Brazil, Ghana and, most controversially, Leipzig between 2005 and 2010 after earlier forays into F1 and extreme sports. Both groups have been criticised for throwing money at footballing success but the Red Bull clubs are often dismissed as a marketing exercise and labelled with one of the most damning words in the supporters’ lexicon - plastic. Last year, Karan Tejwani published Wings of Change: How the World’s Biggest Energy Drink Manufacturer Made a Mark in Football. In this podcast, we discuss the business the meaning and the lessons behind Red Bull’s football story. TOPICS Why did they get into football? After going with his local club Salzburg, why did Dietrich Mateschitz expand to New York, Brazil, Ghana and Leipzig? The marketing link in India and Goa Is it just about selling drinks? Why are they so criticised? The particular criticism of RB Leipzig - the name and the ownership structure Why the German fans have maintained a special intensity around RB Leipzig How have RB Leipzig grown off the pitch and are they popular in Saxony? Are the East German roots of RB Leipzig are a factor too? The importance of Ralf Rangnick to the RB Leipzig story? His three Cs - Capital, Concept and Competence Getting success in taking players out of Africa The common philosophy across all the clubs on the pitch Are RB Leipzig the No1 and the others just feeder clubs? Their reaction to the criticism The comparisons to Man City and City Football Group Is there a difference with other brands backing clubs? Fiat and Juventus, Phillips and PSV, VW and Wolfsburg etc? Does their lack of history allow a culture of speedy innovation? Would and should RB Leipzig get into a remodelled European Super League if it were to be introduced? Why have they not moved into SE Asia? Are the Red Bull group inspired others? Have all these football acquisitions actually grown the Red Bull brand? What would the reaction be in German football if RB Leipzig won the Champions League?

How he ended up in the J.League and Vissel Kobe The international development role at FC Koln The difference in communications requirements between Germany and Japan The need to actively pitch stories in the J.League The dominance of newspapers in the sports media market in Japan The media requirements in the J.League and the organisation of the communications/media department at Vissel How Vissel Kobe handled the signing of Andreas Iniesta The strategy that links with parent company Rakuten Their relative strengths on social media - most-followed J.League club on Instagram and previously top on YouTube The international players’ influence on the club’s social media growth How they use Viber internally and externally The J.League’s plan to become the leading league in Asia The influence of the DAZN deal on J.League clubs Vissel Kobe’s first foray in the AFC Champions League - starting well, Covid, one team pulling out of the group, pandemic protection Covid’s effects on the J.League as a whole Lukas Podolski - Poldi’s Noise and how he turned it into a media brand, being “Farmer Smart”, using humour to help the team and charitable causes Why the respectful approach of the media comes from the culture in the country Where does the J.League need to strengthen in the next five years?