2023-12-20 08:08:29
The talk was hosted by the archyde news Network and the Creative Region as part of the “Spot On” project, which showcases Upper Austrian creative professionals. Two Linz agencies, two Bundesliga clubs, two rebranding projects: Fredmansky was responsible for the rebranding for SK Sturm Graz, while Nest was commissioned to repaint LASK. “It’s an incredible appreciation when someone like that comes to you and wants to work with you,” says Florian Knogler, founder and managing director of the creative agencies Nest and Zunder, regarding the LASK mission.
The fact that two big names from Austria’s top league chose two agencies from Upper Austria for their rebranding is significant for Upper Austria as a creative location. Upper Austria is a powerhouse with enormous quality in the areas of creativity, market communication and .
How can rebranding be approached for traditional football clubs – both almost 120 years old? How do you involve stakeholders, how do you deal with the many fans and their opinions and emotions? How do you stay true to traditions and yet make clear, innovative statements? An undertaking with challenges.
Re-staged and modernized
In both cases it was a rebranding with some specifications: the colors, for example, had to remain untouched. At both LASK and SK Sturm Graz, black and white are inextricably linked to their identities. Nevertheless, elements should be restaged and modernized. At LASK, the logo should be presented as a clear sender, the coat of arms should be strengthened and the merch line should be relaunched, explained Thomas Kern (Marketing LASK).
“We have to fill the stadium – that was the briefing,” said Knogler. The new stadium has 19,080 seats compared to 5,000 in the former stadium in Pasching.
SK Sturm Graz wasn’t regarding rebranding in the classic sense either: “It wasn’t regarding changing the brand. The aim is to establish new services and improve the user experience. It was also regarding tidying up and sorting what was already there and good,” says Marco Steiner.
You can’t simply ignore the opinions and sensibilities of the fans. If in doubt, the fans are right. Telling them what their identity should be doesn’t work. This is a question of respect.
Half of good branding is strategic groundwork
So what does it take for good (re)branding? A mixture of courage and caution, respect and good preparation. Because change is never easy. As a creative, you also have to overcome your own vanity, said Steiner with a wink. “And ask yourself what the point of what I’m doing is good.” The visual expression of a brand is only part of the whole. A lot is also happening on a content level and an experience level. “You also have to go where it hurts. What are my customers’ real needs? Understanding that is crucial.”
However, criticism and headwinds in the wake of change are nothing to be afraid of – on the contrary, that’s part of it.
Change is very difficult for many people. Although there was a headwind quickly, it was gone just as quickly. The opinion of the new design also partly depends on the success achieved in the game and can change quickly. You have to get over it.
For the rebranding of the LASK, Knogler looked intensively into its history and traditions. The self-confessed football fan’s first journey into the project took him to the stadium, which was still under construction at the time. “We looked at the construction site. It was simply important for the whole office to feel what was happening there and where the journey was going. We then delved deep into the past. How did LASK communicate in the past? How did he develop? What can you do? What can you do?”
Half of good branding is strategic preparatory work, Marco Steiner confirmed the statement of his industry colleague. Because only those who know the history, successes, challenges, milestones, customers, etc. of a company or club well can work authentically.
Strong increase in club members, full stadium
Thomas Kern: “What makes me most happy is that the performance we are currently having and the way we appear outside has already brought measurable results. We have managed to fill the stadium well on a regular basis. It wasn’t just a rebrand – we embraced the paradigm shift. It is something different to play football in Pasching or to say in Linz: Dear families, dear children, you are welcome!”
You can also feel the impact of the rebranding at SK Sturm Graz. At the beginning Sturm Graz had around 3,500 members. The initial goal was 5,000 members. The club now has 12,000 members.
Appeal to clients: revise pitch culture
Another important aspect emerged clearly from the talk: the relationship between agencies and their customers also plays an important role in every branding project and can significantly influence its results. For both football clubs, the collaboration with the respective agencies is designed for a longer term – a great success for Fredmansky and Nest and an extremely strong signal for the Upper Austrian creative industry.
Thomas Kern emphasized: “Agencies are often seen as pure suppliers, and that’s not okay – creativity and marketing are at least as important in football as sport.”
Towards the end of the panel, the two creatives made an appeal to (future) clients. While Knogler positioned himself once morest the prevailing “pitch culture,” Steiner agreed with him with one comment: Pitches are fundamentally important, but they should be presented differently. His appeal to future customers: “Get to know the people!” This was also empowering Thomas Oberngruber from Network archyde news: “We are actively dealing with the topic of pitch culture. A survey is currently underway, and in advance there was an in-depth sounding board with agencies. One goal is to give clients options so that they can work even better with creative minds and achieve better results.”
Establishing long-term collaboration clearly benefits from values such as respect, appreciation and courage. The working atmosphere between the client and the contractor should be placed more in the foreground – there should be no ‘imbalance’. You can see that this was a ‘match’ by the results and what is to come.
Doris Lang-Mayerhofer, Linz City Councilor for Creative Industries, regarding the process: “Two Linz agencies carried out a rebranding for two Bundesliga clubs. There was also an event with the creative industry to discuss which processes are important in the rebranding of a sports club – and what that does to the external image and its fans. My thanks go to the Creative Region and Network archyde news, who make these collaborations visible.”
Linz is a venue for creative excellence and a model example of pioneering collaboration.
© Holzer project team & speaker “Spot On” – Thomas Oberngruber, Michaela Scharrer (Creative Region), Georg Tremetzberger, Florian Knogler, Marco Steiner, Patrick Pix (Network archyde news).
Via network
We are colorful, there are many of us, we are a community with over 4,000 member companies, which indirectly employ around 21,200 people in Upper Austria and, as a creative powerhouse, generate a turnover of 1 billion euros. With a share of 500 million euros in gross value added by the member companies of the specialist group, we make a significant contribution to the Upper Austrian economy. We communicate both internally to our member companies and to our business partners. As a corporation under public law, we have a voluntary strategic planning committee with the 18-member specialist group committee.
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About the Creative Region
Upper Austria’s creative industries employ more than 20,000 people and generate value of more than 1.3 billion euros. Since 2011, the Creative Region has been bringing together what will still make Upper Austria strong and innovative tomorrow: it positions, networks and supports companies from design, film, photography, , software, games and much more. As a network node between creative professionals, SMEs and industry, it enables access to new knowledge and new approaches. A core competency of the creative industries is their problem-solving skills: This innovation potential is strengthened by the Creative Region through a wide range of consultations, coaching, workshops, innovation courses, networking events and internationalization offensives.
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