Senegal- A Potential Marketing Venture for Chelsea
Executive Summary
As one of the most prominent sports clubs in the world Chelsea FC is always looking to expand their operations into new countries and ultimately gain the allegiance of more sport fans. This is evidenced as Chelsea have ‘over 500 Official Supporters Clubs based in over 100 countries’ (Chelsea, 2023). Nevertheless, a country they are yet to explore is Senegal, which in many ways is the ideal country for Chelsea to find a target market in. This is due to a number of factors such as: a limited number of competitors, the countries youthful demographic, with ‘a median age of 18.19 years old’ and the fact that Chelsea has many current and former Senegalese players, such as Nicholas Jackson, who could prove to be extremely useful assets when implementing promotional strategies. In recent years Senegal has proved to be a growing talent base for exceptional footballers, therefore the most effective entry strategy for Chelsea is to undertake a wholly owned subsidiary in the form of a football academy. Despite this being costly it will give Chelsea a ‘direct operating presence, which is completely under their control’ (Mariados, 2019). The main objectives of Chelsea through this marketing project is to increase the club’s following as well as the merchandise sales in Senegal. Using the academy as a platform Chelsea will be able to achieve this using various schemes, such as hosting events and community initiatives where current or former players are involved, helping to attract major awareness in the local market. Moreover, a digital strategy involving Senegalese themed content, as well as influencers, will also help to gain the allegiance of young Senegalese sports fans. Overall, this report will outline the most effective and efficient strategies in order to grow the brand of Chelsea in Senegal.
1 Introduction (Situation Analysis)
Since its inception in 1905 Chelsea Football Club has stood as one of the biggest Sports clubs in the world, and in recent years one of the most globally recognised sporting brands. In the past clubs of Chelsea’s stature were thought to only serve their local communities, with the majority of supporters hailing from these areas. However, this thinking changed ‘in 1980’s when football clubs changed their status from football clubs (FCs) to public limited companies (PLCs)’. This was because clubs now needed to produce revenue in order to operate, therefore ‘the need for sophisticated marketing approaches emerged to help clubs keep their customers (or bring others) in order to generate income and therefore to survive’ (Koshtaria, 2015). Over time this resulted in Premier League clubs, such as Chelsea, attempting to gain awareness of their clubs in international territories, with the goal of creating a larger and more diverse fan base. Overall, these schemes have been incredibly successful, with Chelsea having ‘over 500 Official Supporters Clubs based in over 100 countries’ (Chelsea, 2023). However, when considering international markets clubs have often neglected countries in the developing world, particularly in Africa. Therefore, this marketing report will focus on the potential to expand Chelsea’s operations into Senegal, a West African country with a strong football culture and a growing stature in the game. With a youthful population, growing Chelsea’s image in Senegal offers a unique opportunity to further improve the diversity of its fanbase with potential long-term customers, who’s allegiance may be undecided. A SWOT analysis for Chelsea entering the Senegalese market is illustrated below.
Figure 1.1- SWOT Analysis of Chelsea FC
Strengths (Internal)
· Reputable Brand Name: Chelsea is a well-established football brand with a strong global presence, contributing to instant recognition and credibility in Senegal.
· Diverse Player Base: Chelsea has an international roster of players (both former and current), many of which are Senegalese or North-West African. Utilising their popularity can boost the club's image and attract fans in Senegal.
· Success and Achievements:Chelsea has a history of success, winning various domestic and European titles. Highlighting these achievements can attract supporters.
· Digital Presence: Chelsea has a strong digital presence through its official website and social media platforms, with a ‘global social media following of over 100 million people’ (Marketing week, 2021). This can be used for targeted marketing campaigns in Senegal.
Weaknesses (Internal)
· Cultural Differences:Understanding and adapting to local culture is critical for successful international marketing. Failing to do this may lead to a lack of interest.
· Competitors: There may be competition from other football clubs in Senegal. Finding an advantage over these clubs may be challenging.
· Language Barrier: Senegal is a French speaking country, so effective translation is crucial.
· Purchasing Power: Economic weaknesses in Senegal might impact the purchasing power of the target audience. Any pricing strategy needs to consider the purchasing power parity within Senegal.
· Reputational Damage (Russia- Ukraine War): Links with former owner Roman Abramovic may cause reputational damage in international markets.
Opportunities (External)
· Youth Development Programs:Creating academies or youth development programs in Senegal can contribute to the growth of football and create a long-term fan base.
· Partnerships with Local Brands:Collaborating with local brands in can help to build strong partnerships within communities in Senegal.
· Events and Merchandising:Hosting events and selling merchandise can increase revenue and grow the club's presence in Senegal.
Threats (External)
· Negative Publicity: Any negative publicity or controversies, particularly with potential supply chains created in Senegal can have a detrimental impact on the club’s image.
· Laws and Regulations: Following local regulations and navigating potential legal issues may pose a challenge and could prove to be expensive.
The SWOT analysis above clearly demonstrates that if Chelsea were to initiate an international marketing project in Senegal, numerous benefits would be created, not only for the club however also for the Senegalese people. Over the last decade it has been proven that the Premier League and its clubs are an extremely popular attraction in international markets. This is evidenced as the ‘£1.1 billion that the Premier League generates from international (Non UK) markets, is comfortably the world’s highest earning sports league from media rights in non-domestic markets’ (Houlihan, 2016). This means that there is little risk that Chelsea could enter the Senegalese market without significant recognition and popularity.
Figure 1.2- Chelsea FC Total revenue from 2013/13-2021/22
(Statista, 2023).
Moreover, the bar chart above depicting Chelsea’s total revenue over the past decade clearly shows that the club is in a position to expand its marketing capabilities. This is demonstrated as the clubs revenue shows a trend of steady growth, meaning that there is little risk that revenues would decrease significantly enough to prevent a marketing project, such as bringing Chelsea to Senegal, from being feasible. Furthermore, the scale of the revenue created by Chelsea undoubtedly shows that the club has a high level of actionability, which is ‘the degree to which the organisation has sufficient resources to formulate effective marketing programmes’ (Hollensen, 2017). Therefore, Chelsea is in an extremely strong position to expand their brand and ‘go global’.
2 Target Market
Despite the fact that the national sport of Senegal is wrestling, ‘football has become extremely popular in the country ever since European club football started to be televised in the 1990s’ (FIFA, 2022). This popularity has been enhanced in recent years with the rise of Senegal’s ‘golden generation’ and their African Cup of Nations triumph in 2022. With the popularity of the sport at an all-time high growth of a football clubs’ brand in the nation is an extremely attractive proposition. However, before undertaking a significant project it is crucial to consider all of the positive and negative factors entailed by Senegal.
In a political sense ‘Senegal is one of Africa’s most stable countries. Since independence in 1960 there have been three peaceful political transitions’ (World Bank, 2023). Additionally, corruption is not a major issue in Senegal. Consequently, there should not be any ethical issues for Chelsea and Senegal should produce a conducive environment for Chelsea to conduct business in. As a developing nation the economics of Senegal are constantly evolving, however there is a strong trend of growth. This is evidenced as in 2022 the country achieved a ‘4.2% increase’ in their GDP growth rate’ (ibid.). Once more this shows the upward trajectory that Senegal are on and why it may be an attractive market to enter.
Furthermore, the social demographics of Senegal allow for further opportunities. Senegal’s population totals a ’16.7 million’ with a quarter of citizens ‘living in the Dakar region (0.3% of the territory)’ (ibid.). With such a large proportion of the population living in a concentrated area this presents a unique chance for Chelsea’s tangible marketing schemes to be seen by enormous numbers of people. Moreover, Chelsea’s target audience will comprise of young people, ideally from 14-26. This is extremely conducive with Senegal’s age demographics as the country has ‘a median age of 18.19 years old’ (Database Earth, 2023). Therefore, Chelsea will have an large target audience in Senegal, ultimately leading to an opportunity to gain more long term supporters of the football club.
The technological infrastructure in Senegal is crucial for Chelsea to consider, as online marketing initiatives and the accessibility to digital content are imperative in order to gain support from the target audience. This infrastructure is still developing in Senegal, however, there are clear plans for the growth of technology in Senegal. A scheme that demonstrates this is ‘the digital Senegal 2025 (SN 2025) strategy’ (Cruz et al, 2022), which has the vision of ‘digital for all uses in 2025 in Senegal’ (ibid.). Therefore, as there are clear plans to ramp up the use of technology in Senegal there should be no issues in Chelsea’s online marketing initiatives proving a success.
A factor that Chelsea must consider when entering Senegal is to be environmentally conscious. The importance of sustainability is a growing consideration in Senegal. This is particularly pressing because the majority of Senegal is a classified as a semi-arid environment meaning ‘it is especially vulnerable to the effects of global warming’ (United Nations, 2023). As a consequence, Chelsea must be sensitive to this issue in order to gain the trust and ultimately the allegiance of their target audience. Moreover, Chelsea must adhere to the local laws and regulations when entering the Senegalese market. Nevertheless, due to foreign direct investment being such a strong driver of growth in Senegal, there should not be any major stumbling blocks in a legal sense.
As previously mentioned, it is critical that Chelsea focus their efforts on a target audience in Senegal. This audience can be clarified through market segmentation, ‘the process of dividing the market into customers with similar needs’ (Goyat, 2011). For Chelsea, this audience will compromise of young football and sports fans from the ages of 14-26 years old. This demographic will allow Chelsea to develop long term fans with the potential of a long-term consumer journey. As a world class football club in opening operations in Senegal, Chelsea should position themselves around quality. Highlighting the quality of their facilities, coaching, players, and operations throughout the club. This could be a major differentiator in driving support to the project as they will have a significant advantage compared to the local footballing infrastructure.
Figure 2.1- List of 15 largest football clubs in the world by revenue
(Deloitte, 2023).
The above list illustrates the 15 largest football clubs in the world according to revenue. These will likely be Chelsea’s competitors when attempting to gain supporters in Senegal. This is not only because they are the most recognisable football brands in the world but also because they will have the highest degree’s of actionability. However, if Chelsea are able to create infrastructure on the ground as well as in person events, they will have a significant competitive advantage over most other clubs in gaining loyal supporters in Senegal.
Nevertheless, the biggest competition that Chelsea will face in Senegal will be from Paris Saint Germain (PSG). This is due to the ‘PSG Academy Senegal Campus’ (PSG Academy Pro, 2023). This academy entails ‘a professional soccer training program and unique experiences in the seaside town of Saly in Senegal, the most coveted tourist destination in West Africa’ (Ibid.). This will be a great challenge for Chelsea because the PSG academy is a similar concept to Chelsea’s entry strategy (laid out in section 4.1), and moreover, PSG is a French speaking club and so may be able to better connect with their target audience in Senegal. Nevertheless, as the academy is based in Saly, and majority of Senegal’s population lives in Dakar (where Chelsea will be based), it is unlikely that this will significantly impact Chelsea, as they will have a competitive advantage in terms of location in relation to their target audience. Consequently, Chelsea’s quest for greater ‘awareness’ and ultimately a higher level of ‘allegiance’ in Senegal will not be significantly affected due to competitors (Funk and James, 2001). Furthermore, with PSG being the only major competition in a country of over 16 million people, Chelsea is in a strong position to enter the Senegalese market.
3 Marketing Objectives
The First objective of Chelsea’s international marketing program in Senegal is to increase the size of Chelsea FC's fan base in Senegal. This will be measured as a success the club achieves a 25% growth in the number of registered Senegalese Chelsea FC fans within the next 12 months. This objective will be achievable by creating a targeted football programs as well as by organising Chelsea events where current or former players will be in attendance. This is relevant to Chelsea’s long-term vision because by gaining more long-term fans the club will have more potential customers, allowing Chelsea to become a more economically sustainable organisation. This objective will be time bound by ensuring that the football programmes and events will be implemented within the next six months and by regularly assessing the impacts and adjusting strategies to meet the growth target which will be measured in one year’s time.
Additionally, another objective is for Chelsea to increase their merchandise sales in Senegal. This will be measured as successful by achieving a 25% increase of official Chelsea merchandise sold in Senegal. This will be achievable by partnering with local businesses and organisations in Senegal to promote the club and its merchandise. Moreover, organising events and activities in Senegal, with former and current players, to engage with fans and build a stronger relationship with the local community will be key. Chelsea will also offer discounts and promotions on merchandise to incentivise fans to purchase products. Once more this objective is relevant as Chelsea’s long-term strategy involves expanding its global fan base and increasing revenue from merchandise sales. In terms of a timescale, this objective is aimed to be achieved by the end of the 2024-2025 season, allowing Chelsea approximately 18 months to implement its strategy and achieve its objective.
4 Marketing Strategy & Programmes
4.1 Entry Mode Strategy
Given the objectives set out above, the most effective entry mode strategy for Chelsea is to embark on a wholly owned subsidiary, which will be a Soccer (Football) Academy. This is because it will allow them to have a ‘direct operating presence’ in Senegal (Mariadoss, 2019). This form of entry is ‘often complex and potentially costly’ (Ibid.), especially buying or renting a site as well as potential refurbishments. However, ‘it affords the firm maximum control, and it has the most potential to provide above average returns (ibid.). Therefore, this is the most effective method for Chelsea to enter Senegal, because rather than having to standardise or relieve control of their practises, they will be able to carry out glocalization. Glocalization is where an organisation ‘provides a global offer (brand, product or service), while taking local related issues into account’ (Grigorescu and Zaif, 2017). This will allow Chelsea to maintain their unique selling points whilst tailoring their products for maximum utility in Senegal. Therefore, by opening a wholly owned subsidiary Chelsea will be able to provide world class football coaching and facilities whilst ensuring that staff are able to speak French and tailer programs in many ways in order to provide the best possible product. If Chelsea are able to offer this they will be able to improve the lives of aspiring Senegalese footballers as well as gain many loyal Chelsea supporters who will partake in their own consumer journey with the club.
Furthermore, in conjunction with entering Senegal as a wholly owned subsidiary, Chelsea should also look to strike a contract manufacturing deal. This is ‘a supply chain arrangement where a manufacturer outsources at least some of its production process to independent suppliers’ (Wu et al, 2022). This could be extremely effective for Chelsea when looking to create and sell Senegalese Chelsea merchandise. This type of entry strategy for Chelsea merchandise could prove a huge success as there is little to no investment needed, it is cost saving and there will be no import barriers to overcome. Moreover, producing goods locally in Senegal will give Chelsea a competitive advantage in comparison to other high profile football clubs, which will help to further drive their long term goal of gaining more loyal supporters. Nevertheless, when implementing this strategy Chelsea must be extremely thorough and careful when selecting a manufacturer. This is because of the risks of quality control and more sinisterly poor labour practices. These issues could be seriously harmful to Chelsea’s image. Nevertheless, as long as Chelsea are vigilant when striking a partnership, a contract manufacturing relationship may be a very efficient route into the Senegalese market.
4.2 Marketing Mix Decisions
This section will outline the marketing decisions that Chelsea should take in order for a their academy in Senegal to be a success. If this is the case this will lead to a greater number of Chelsea supporters in Senegal and in turn increased merchandise sales from the Senegalese market. This section will outline decisions on the 4p’s of marketing: product, price, place and promotion. However, because in recent this concept has come under scrutiny as it is ‘not broad enough’ (Rafiq and Ahmed, 1995), strategies will be discussed to include the ‘extension of the framework to include, process, physical evidence and participants’ (ibid.).
Firstly, the product that Chelsea will be offering is the academy. The academy will offer high-quality facilities, training and education to young footballers in Senegal. The academy will also provide opportunities for players to showcase their skills and potentially have the chance join Chelsea’s youth teams.
Furthermore, academy’s services will be priced competitively in order to attract students from different economic backgrounds. Scholarships or financial aid will also be available to ensure talented players who cannot afford the fees have an opportunity to join the academy.
In terms of place, the academy will be located in Dakar, a site bought or rented by Chelsea FC. This is to ensure there is the largest talent pool of players possible, as one quarter of Senegal’s population is located in this area. Moreover, this will allow players to be able to travel more easily to the academy. Furthermore, Chelsea should also consider partnering with local schools to collaborate on transportation from schools to the academy as well as promoting the academy within schools to recruit talented students.
The academy and Chelsea as a whole will be promoted through a variety of different channels. Social media will play a major part in this; however, this will be covered in the following sections. Nevertheless, as social media is not yet a staple in Senegalese society, more traditional forms of promotion may prove most effective in attracting players and parents to Chelsea’s academy. Local newspapers, radio stations as well as billboards will allow help to gain more awareness and publicity about Chelsea’s project in Senegal. Moreover, when promoting Chelsea as a whole and attempting to gain more loyal supporters it is crucial that the club take advantage of their current and former Senegalese and African players. Hosting events and community initiatives with the likes of Nicholas Jackson, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and Didier Drogba will be a major catalyst for increased support in Senegal as well as work wonders in promoting Chelsea’s academy in Senegal. Chelsea have used similar promotional strategies before, creating ‘multiday global fan tours, featuring watch parties and community initiatives with appearances from Chelsea legends and celebrity fans’ (Chelsea, 2023). Using this tried and tested approach will undoubtedly help to exponentially increase the awareness and support for its academy and the club as a whole.
When considering people, Chelsea should hire experienced coaches and staff members who are committed to developing young talent. Chelsea should also train its staff to provide high quality support to the students in order to foster a culture where wellbeing is put first. Moreover, when hiring new staff Chelsea should look to hire French speaking coaches as this will allow for players to easily converse with staff and have a more enjoyable and beneficial experience. Additionally, Chelsea may also want to look at including local coaches to ensure cultural understanding and effective communication.
To ensure that Chelsea’s Senegal academy is up and running in a timely manner, Chelsea should develop a streamlined process for providing training to staff and enrolling players. This enrolment process could be carried out with an online registration system, making it convenient for parents and guardians to sign up their children. When selecting players it is crucial that Chelsea implement a transparent merit-based player selection process, emphasising fairness and equal opportunities.
The physical evidence of Chelsea’s academy in Senegal will be evident in various different forms, and may prove to be a great help in the club realising their overall marketing ambitions in Senegal. Firstly, Chelsea’s commitment to excellence will be seen if they club is able to develop a state of the art facility with top-notch training equipment and infrastructure. This will be crucial in attracting top talent to join the academy . Moreover, providing Chelsea merchandise such as bags, water bottles and in particular kits will not only give players a sense of pride and belonging, yet also showcase the brand throughout Senegal. This will bring a greater awareness of Chelsea’s academy as well as likely increasing the popularity and allegiance towards the club, Chelsea’s ultimate objective.
4.3 Digital Communication Plan
4.3.1 Digital Communications Situation Analysis
In modern marketing digital communication and particularly the use of social media is essential. This is an area that Chelsea have looked to exploit, and in fact have thrived in. Chelsea has been able to gain a substantial audience and in turn reach, this is evidenced as ‘Chelsea owned digital channels have a combined reach of more than 200 million’ (Dixon,2020). This is an extremely strong figure, even in comparison to their competitors in the football industry. Moreover, with this strong following Chelsea has access to data analytics for understanding audience demographics and behaviours. This means that they are able to tailor their content in order to achieve the maximum engagement of their fans, ultimately allowing Chelsea to convert their followers into customers. In addition to this Chelsea’s access to players allows them to release regular high quality content which is unique to their digital channels and cannot be replicated. Much of this content can be found on the clubs 5th stand app which is a jewel in Chelsea’s digital arsenal, standing as the ‘the fourth most popular football club app in the world (Marketing Week, 2021). Therefore, Chelsea are in an extremely advantageous position when it comes to their digital communication channels.
Nevertheless, for this advantage to have an impact on Chelsea’s marketing objectives it is crucial to consider the state of digital communication within Senegal.
Figure 4.3.1.1- Total Transaction Value of Digital Commerce in Senegal from 2017- 2027 (Prediction)
(Statista Market Insights, 2023).
The above graph illustrates ‘all of the consumer transactions made via the internet which are directly related to online shopping for products and services in Senegal’ (ibid.). This is important to consider as it depicts the scale of digital commerce in Senegal. The graph shows that in 2023 $460 million was spent online, which is a relatively low amount for a country of Senegal’s size. However, the graph clearly demonstrates that the total value of digital commerce is increasing yearly at an exponential rate. This growth in digital communications and technology is also seen as there are ’10.19 million internet users in Senegal’ and ’17.4% of the total population are social media users’ (Kemp, 2023). Therefore, despite modest numbers Senegal’s digital capacity is constantly improving and this will allow for digital strategies and campaigns to be a success in Senegal, with continued growth in the future.
4.3.2 Digital SMART Objectives
The objective of Chelsea’s targeted digital communication strategies is to simply increase Chelsea's digital presence in Senegal. This will be measured as a success if the club is able to achieve a 30% growth in Senegalese followers across all official Chelsea FC social media platforms within the next six months. This will be achieved by launching a Senegal-specific content series, including localised posts, player features, and behind-the-scenes content in order to resonate with the local audience. Moreover, collaborating with Senegalese influencers to improve Chelsea’s visibility will also help in making this objective achievable. This objective is relevant to Chelsea’s overall ambitions as it will help to gain the allegiance of more international football fans who have the potential to become lifelong customers of the club. This objective will be time bound by implementing a comprehensive Senegal focused digital communication plan within the next three months, with regular adjustments throughout the timeline. Before being ultimately measured as a success or failure within six months. In addition to this another objective of the digital communication strategy is to increase Chelsea merchandise sales in Senegal. This objective is outlined fully in section 3.
4.3.3 Digital Strategy
In order for Chelsea’s digital strategy in Senegal to be a success they must create an online value proposition, this ‘helps to distinguish an e-commerce (or social) site from its competitors’ (Chaffey, 2020), for this to be effective it ‘must be developed for a target audience’ (ibid.). As the target audience for Chelsea’s digital strategy is 14–26-year-olds, an effective way to create this is through the use of influencers, particularly Senegalese influencers. The ideal candidate for this would be Khaby Lame, a Senegalese born influencer who is the most followed individual on TikTok, with over 160 million followers. By producing Chelsea themed content with influencers such as Khaby, the club have a greater chance of resonating with the local target audience and in turn gaining more awareness and support.
Moreover, to further resonate with the local audience the club should produce culturally relevant content and promotions, emphasising Chelsea’s commitment to local values and traditions. This should be done on newly created separate social media accounts for ‘Chelsea in Senegal’, as this will allow for more targeted content in comparison to their main channels. Moreover, Chelsea should attempt to drive followers to their 5th stand app, which is for global audiences to keep up to date with all levels of the club, as well as their website. This is crucial as it will allow Chelsea to contact their new fans via email and carry out ‘customer relationship management’. Central to this is the club being able to ‘ensure that the offerings and interactions deliver ongoing value to customers and are delivered consistently’ (Nelson, 2023). Therefore, Chelsea will be able to personalise offerings so that their customers are gaining more utility, meaning they are likely to have an increased sense of allegiance with the club.
The content that Chelsea could produce on their newly formed Senegalese channels may include highlights and in-depth analysis of Chelsea FC matches, emphasising key moments involving Senegalese players. Moreover, the club may showcase individual Senegalese players with interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and personal stories to build connections with the local audience, for example this could be done with Nicholas Jackson. Moreover, conduct polls, quizzes, and interactive challenges to encourage fan participation, generating a sense of community and involvement, which will increase the local engagement with the Chelsea. Lastly, content showing Chelsea’s involvement in local community projects, charities, and grassroots football development initiatives in Senegal will also help to endear supporters.
4.3.4 Digital Tactics and Actions
Figure 4.3.4.1- Editorial Calendar (Example week)
Day/ Platform
5th Stand App
Monday
· Host a poll or quiz about Chelsea FC's history in Senegal.
· Exclusive interview with a Chelsea FC player about their experiences in Senegal.
Tuesday
· Share a video of Chelsea FC players embracing local customs in Senegal.
· Launch an interactive challenge for fans to submit their football skills videos.
· Video highlights and goals from the Senegal Academy.
Wednesday
· Fan engagement post - Ask followers about their favourite Chelsea FC players or moments.
· Senegalese cultural elements integrated into Chelsea FC merchandise.
· Short documentary (10 minutes) highlighting a Chelsea players background and route into football.
Thursday
· Behind-the-scenes glimpses of the academy's training sessions.
· Share photos/videos from a recent community outreach program in Senegal.
· Short documentary (10 minutes) highlight achievements and success stories from the Senegal Academy.
Friday
· Share and celebrate fan-created content - artwork, chants, or videos.
· Preview of an upcoming Chelsea FC match with a focus on a Senegalese player.
· Exclusive interview with Chelsea player(s) previewing the weekends match.
Saturday
· Instagram live of the academy’s matches/ training matches.
· Constant updates of Chelsea FC matches.
· Post-match interviews.
Sunday
· Post-match analysis of Chelsea FC.
· Showcase standout moments from recent Senegal Academy matches.
· Thank Senegalese fans for their ongoing support and engagement.
· Chelsea FC match highlights.
The above figure depicts an editorial calendar for Chelsea’s digital marketing strategy in Senegal. The content listed above is aimed to interest as well as resonate with Senegalese fans. By incorporating the local culture and projects into posts, it is intended that Senegalese fans feel a part of the Chelsea community and in develop a stronger allegiance to the club. Moreover, constant updates and ‘hyperactivity’ on social media during matches, both for the Chelsea first team as well as the Chelsea’s Senegal academy, is a strategy that Chelsea have implemented before and is aimed to increase engagement during matches. In the past ‘this hyperactivity has paid off, as they reached the highest engagement rate on twitter amounting to 13% for one single post’ (Morris, 2019). Therefore, the content strategy illustrated in the editorial calendar above should have the potential to allow Chelsea to achieve their digital objectives.
4.3.5 Digital Communications KPIs
A Key performance indicator can be defined as ‘a quantifiable measure of performance over time for a specific strategic objective’ (Qlik, 2022). KPI’s are extremely important to use as you can track the progress of a strategy and amend this strategy if it is not achieving the intended result. Based on Chelsea’s communication strategy and objectives, firstly to increase Chelsea’s digital presence in Senegal a KPI would simply be the number of new Senegalese followers. Additionally, the amount of engagement on posts (e.g. the number of comments) from Senegalese supporters would be another key metric to track.
Furthermore, for Chelsea’s second digital objective, to increase merchandise sales in Senegal, KPI’s would include the number of purchases from Senegal. Additionally, the amount of new Chelsea mega-store accounts from Senegal as well as tracking data from the clubs website relating to the number of visitors from Senegal each month.
5 Budget
Figure 5.1- Budget
The figure above shows an estimated budget for Chelsea’s marketing strategy. All of the estimated figures are based on similar products, services and salaries in Senegal. However, due to a lack of reputable data local merchandise sales could not be accounted for. Nevertheless, the figure above shows that over time the marketing strategy of entering Senegal will lead to increased revenue and eventual profits for Chelsea. The initial spend of $1.5 million on facility expenses (majority on land acquisition), is expensive but it will allow Chelsea to directly run the Senegal academy, ensuring it is world class and follows Chelsea’s commitment to excellence. Moreover, this cost will fall comfortably within the clubs budget given that ‘Chelsea spends on average £10 million per year on marketing’ (Al Raisi, 2023). Therefore, Chelsea entering Senegal using this marketing approach may be a realistic ambition.
6 Monitors & Controls
Implementing monitors and controls is extremely important, this is as it will allow Chelsea to see whether the marketing strategies are going to plan and if they are on track to achieve the desired objectives. In terms of the promotion of Chelsea’s academy a control measure that will be implemented is the cost of promotion for every applicant. This entails working out how much promotion is needed in order to attract a player to the academy and will demonstrate whether the performance is in line with budgeting. As this is fairly simple and realistic to monitor, these figures could be examined on a weekly basis. This will ensure that the promotional activities are having the intended impact and will allow for amendments if this is not the case.
Similarly, another control that may be implemented to ensure that the digital strategy is on track to reach its objectives is monitoring the engagement on social media content. Once more the cost that each engagement has theoretically had can be calculated. If these figures show that engagement in Senegal is not on track to increase by 30%, actions can be undertaken, such as an alteration in the type of content shared or a lowering of the digital marketing budget. This control may be measured once a month. Furthermore, if a change in strategy is needed the editorial calendar can be examined and altered. By using these controls the progress of Chelsea’s marketing program in Senegal can be measured in real time, allowing for any potential issues to be ironed out and giving Chelsea the best possible chance of successfully gaining a significant allegiance from their target audience in Senegal.
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