Manchester United x AIK

Task: The first case will be an analysis of the given Firm from different perspectives from
International Marketing reflecting the literature. The second case will also analyze the given firm
from similar perspectives but will also make a comparison between both and apply results of the
first firm on the second one.
1
st
step: nalyses of international marketing strategy of Manchester !nited
"
nd
step: Find options for local club to use it as an e#ample
$
rd
step: %oncrete marketing pro&ect
Schedule
Theoretical background
1
st
step
1. Finding sources
". 'utting data together sorting them out
$. (ee the business background
). nalyzing marketing strategy based on the concept of the value chain
*. (umming up
+++++++++++++++ " weeks
2
nd
step
1. Finding sources
". nalyzing current situation of the company and the environment , (-.T
$. %omparing situation in both clubs
). %omparing Man !td. (trategy with options
*. /ecommendations
+++++++++++++++ " weeks
Theoretical background
The best way to e#plain international marketing strategy was a concept of a value chain from the
te#tbook 01.21 M/34TI50 by 6.1145(45.
T64 71!4 %6I5
'rovides systematic means of displaying and categorizing activities. (hows how the value is
created. (implified8 the primary activities performed by a firm in any industry can be grouped into )
main categories. s seen at the slide a distinction is also made between the production9oriented
:upstream; activities and the more marketing9oriented :downstream; activities.
t each stage of the value chain there e#ists an opportunity to contribute positively to the firm<s
competitive strategy by performing some activity or process in a way better than the competitors.
ll internationally oriented firms must consider an eventual internationalization of the value chain<s
functions. The firm must decide whether the responsibility for the single value chain function is to
be moved to the e#port markets8 or is best handled centrally from head office.
1
st
step
Finding sources:
7yrocni zprava Man. !td.
Internet: browsers like msn.com8 google.com8 yahoo.com
%nn.com
2bc.com
Manutd.com
Ft.com
Putting data together sorting them out:
From about => articles we sorted out all the articles interested only in sport results and personal
affairs of ?avid 2ackham left with appro#. )> articles about Man !td. 2usiness activities.
Those articles we devided into groups concerning different activities or markets as follows
!s market
@apanese market
'artners and sponsors
.thers
et to kno! the business background o" Manchester United
A4stablished in 1BCB
A1) times winners of the league
AThe most well known soccer club in the world
A(uccessful D><s
ATurnover over E1$> mil
ATraded on stock e#change
#usiness acti$ities
AFootball9team
A%able network 9 M!T7
AFinancialFbanking institution
AMerchandise souvenier shops
AMuseum
A%onference and catering
A'opular free9email service
!pstream
/G? 'roduction
Marketing
(ales and
services
?ownstream
Anal%&ing marketing strateg% based on the concept o" the $alue chain
Manchester !nited uses its name as a brand and his marketing strategy is based on promoting the
brand covering all his other activities beside soccer.
'o(branding
Partnership !ith sponsors
In case of Man!td partnership with 2udwieser.
For increasing the brand awareness internationally as well as for higher profit the Manchester
!nited uses mainly those ) ways:
A.utlet stores
A2roadcasting
A'reseason games
AInternet
In different markets Man!td. applies specific strategies. I have analyzed strategies used to enter
sian8 mainly @apanese market and !( market from which the one for !( market would be
closely described for further use.
'artnership with 5ew Hork Hankees
Increasing the brand awareness
'lan to work together to develop a Manchester !nited pre9season tour of 5orth merica in ">>$
To satisfy the increasing demand from fans for information8 products and services
A(haring marketing information
A?eveloping sponsorship
A4#change in merchandising
A
?eveloping cross promotional programmes
A(haring sporting knowledge
)umming up
9 !nited is not only a soccer club but also a business
9 It is all about the brand
1arge fan base
-ell known
consumer brands

'romotion together
(haring customers
Marketing worldwide
Manchester
'artners
9 ?ifferent strategies in different continents
.utlet stores8 2roadcasting8
'reseason games8 Internet
9 'artnership with market9leading companies in different fields
9 difficulties to find player with certain Iualities on bareable wage level
9 Financial plans and development
2
nd
Step
Finding sources
Internet: browsers like msn.com8 google.com8 yahoo.com
%nn.com
2bc.com
Ft.com not so useful
.fficial webpage8
personal interview with assistant %hief of commercial and sponsor and e#pert in sportmarketing
'onterporar% histor%
AI3 + llmJnna Idrottsklubben
;The public sport club;
AFounded 1BD1 by Isidor 2ehrens
A1BD= began to play soccer
A1D>> won their first premiership Kwinners for 1> timesL
A6ockey8 soccer8 bandy8 bowling8 floorball
The club has been Iuite successful in football during the past few years. In total8 they have won the
(wedish league ten times8 the (wedish cup seven times and represented (weden in the 4uropean
cups several times. 5owadays8 they are known as one of the best teams in (weden.
s football has become very popular in (weden since 1DD) when the 5ational team finished third
in the -orld %up8 :0naget; has a lot of opportunities to increase their popularity and enter the sport
business.
SWOT analyse
First of all8 we have done a (-.T9analyse to see good and bad sides of I3 in order to better
understand the club<s situation and from that8 come up with new ideas and recommendations to
them.

)trengths *eaknesses
5egative revenues
'revious bad
reputation
2ad hockey team
5ot enough
Iualifications
for Int. league
'opular only in
(tockholm
0ood organization
The biggest club in
(weden
The highest avg
attendance
per game
0ood team 9 good
scores
Today8 the club has very well structured organisation. Taking the e#ample from big soccer clubs8
they are implementing new methods how to work with and train the youth teams. lthough they
have negative revenues they invested huge sum into their training field in 3arlberg and they have
bought very e#pansive players over last few years. (till they are popular mainly in (tockholm.

+pportunities Threats
It is very important for I3 to have a good relationship with the media. s we can see with the
Manchester !nited that is the communication channel that influences public perception of the club
the most. -ithout publicity in media such as newspapers8 T78 radio and the internet Manchester
!nited could never be so successful like they are now. The Manchester !nited commercials proved
that use of players in media promotion is vital. 6owever8 good results are essential.

Manchester Global, AIK Local
"To compare AIK with Manchester United is like comparing an apple with an orange.
'eter @ohansson , ssistant %hief of commercial and sponsor
For the first sight8 the 2ritish club is so much bigger than the I38 if it comes to economic policy
as well as to sport. Manchester !nited started developing itself and obtaining successes many years
ago and conseIuently they are today one of the most famous teams in the world. .ne of the main
reason which allowed them to grow that much was the cultural background of 4ngland with a long
tradition in football. %omparing to I3<s situation in (weden8 the popularity of football increased
&ust recently and together with global increase of popularity opens to I3 options to profit form it.
-e can see those two clubs in two different stages of development. -hen Manchester !nited can
focus on the downstream activities like global marketing strategies8 I3 has to put firstly effort into
the upstream activities8 which means mainly into training and obtaining good results on the field.
fter managing those they can drive their attention off9field. It is cheaper to train own players than
buying them.
'ossible decrease interest
in
football
2ad results
5ot the most popular
(wedish
0ood relationships with
media
!se of players in media
promotion
Increase in popularity of soccer
ttracting families8 first time
Recommendations
Increase awareness of the brand
'artnerships with (candinavian %lubs
0ood results
Improve image in media
!sing the e#periences of Manchester !nited and after analyse of the situation of I3 we came up
with these recommendations.
s far as we are concerned8 the most important thing right now is to increase the brand awareness
of the club8 not only of the football team.
.ne way how to achieve this ob&ective is to cooperate !ith the t!o other biggest "ootball teams
in )candina$ia , 2rMndby and /osenborg. This partnership can make interest for media in all three
countries. Further more8 they might also cooperate on the upstream and downstream activities.
'erhaps8
(haring marketing information
?eveloping sponsorship
4#change in merchandising
?eveloping cross promotional programme
(haring sporting knowledge
%ooperation of youth teams
%amps
'reseason games
lthough I3 doesn<t Iualified to International leagues8 this way can be introduced abroad and
spread its popularity outside (tockholm.
5evertheless8 the most important thing are the games8 without good results I3 will not ever have a
chance to e#pand abroad.
nother big step to take is to move from sponsorship to partnership and choice of the right
sponsorFpartner. The biggest sponsor of I3 is Nbro8 which is a (wedish brewery. (ince the
(wedish alcohol policy is Iuite strict8 it is hard for I3 to do good advertising campaigns together
with Nbro. In (weden it is not Iuite accepted to mi# sport with alcohol and such advertising could
give them bad fame. s Manchester !nited developed suitable strategies for each market8 I3
should follow the specifics of (wedish market. There has to be further research done to choose a
good company as a partnerFsponsor.