Iris Case Studies Barclays' Innovative Sponsorship Strategy for Women's Football

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	Barclays' Innovative Sponsorship Strategy for Women's Football Iris

Barclays' Innovative Sponsorship Strategy for Women's Football

Iris

Challenge	Barclays, a multinational investment bank and financial services company, was faced with the challenge of aligning its core purpose of being 'opportunity makers for people' with its sponsorship strategy. The commercial strategy team at Iris, a global creative innovation network, identified a gap in the recognition and support for women's football compared to men's. They saw this as an opportunity for Barclays to support its purpose while helping women's football gain equal recognition. The challenge was to convince senior stakeholders at Barclays to sponsor women's football and to develop a strategy, PR, and social content for the first title sponsorship of the FA WSL, Europe's first professional women's football league. Read More
About Customer	Barclays is a British multinational investment bank and financial services company, headquartered in London, England. Apart from investment banking, Barclays is organised into four core businesses: personal banking, corporate banking, wealth management, and investment management. Barclays' core purpose is to be 'opportunity makers for people', and they strive to align this purpose with their business strategies. In this case, Barclays was looking for a way to support women's football and provide equal opportunities for women in sports, aligning with their core purpose. Read More
Solution	Iris worked closely with Barclays' senior stakeholders to provide a compelling business case for sponsoring women's football. After successfully securing the sponsorship, Iris developed the strategy, PR, and social content for the Barclays FA WSL. They managed the announcement, negotiated messaging, and defined the media strategy with The FA's press office. To kick off the new season, Iris created an integrated campaign based on the insight that young girls' opportunities to play football are limited. The campaign highlighted the commitment Barclays and The FA have made to make football accessible to all girls in schools by 2024. This was supported by a 60” hero film, social media, OOH, and press. The campaign was activated with consumer PR outreach and sponsorship activations at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Challenge

Barclays, a multinational investment bank and financial services company, was faced with the challenge of aligning its core purpose of being 'opportunity makers for people' with its sponsorship strategy. The commercial strategy team at Iris, a global creative innovation network, identified a gap in the recognition and support for women's football compared to men's. They saw this as an opportunity for Barclays to support its purpose while helping women's football gain equal recognition. The challenge was to convince senior stakeholders at Barclays to sponsor women's football and to develop a strategy, PR, and social content for the first title sponsorship of the FA WSL, Europe's first professional women's football league.

About Customer

Barclays is a British multinational investment bank and financial services company, headquartered in London, England. Apart from investment banking, Barclays is organised into four core businesses: personal banking, corporate banking, wealth management, and investment management. Barclays' core purpose is to be 'opportunity makers for people', and they strive to align this purpose with their business strategies. In this case, Barclays was looking for a way to support women's football and provide equal opportunities for women in sports, aligning with their core purpose.

Solution

Iris worked closely with Barclays' senior stakeholders to provide a compelling business case for sponsoring women's football. After successfully securing the sponsorship, Iris developed the strategy, PR, and social content for the Barclays FA WSL. They managed the announcement, negotiated messaging, and defined the media strategy with The FA's press office. To kick off the new season, Iris created an integrated campaign based on the insight that young girls' opportunities to play football are limited. The campaign highlighted the commitment Barclays and The FA have made to make football accessible to all girls in schools by 2024. This was supported by a 60” hero film, social media, OOH, and press. The campaign was activated with consumer PR outreach and sponsorship activations at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium.

Impact #1	The campaign was a resounding success, with record-breaking audiences during the season-opening weekend at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium. The 60” hero film, which followed a passionate young girl observing her male counterparts play the game she loves, was well-received and ran across social media, supported by OOH and press. The campaign not only highlighted Barclays' commitment to making football accessible to all girls in schools by 2024 but also successfully positioned Barclays as a champion for equal opportunities in sports. The positive sentiment around the campaign further solidified Barclays' reputation as a company that supports and creates opportunities for all.

Impact #1

The campaign was a resounding success, with record-breaking audiences during the season-opening weekend at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium. The 60” hero film, which followed a passionate young girl observing her male counterparts play the game she loves, was well-received and ran across social media, supported by OOH and press. The campaign not only highlighted Barclays' commitment to making football accessible to all girls in schools by 2024 but also successfully positioned Barclays as a champion for equal opportunities in sports. The positive sentiment around the campaign further solidified Barclays' reputation as a company that supports and creates opportunities for all.

Benefit #1	263 pieces of coverage across Print, Online, Broadcast & Regionals
Benefit #2	242M total coverage reach
Benefit #3	100% positive sentiment

Benefit #1

263 pieces of coverage across Print, Online, Broadcast & Regionals

Benefit #2

242M total coverage reach

Benefit #3

100% positive sentiment

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Overview

Barclays' Innovative Sponsorship Strategy for Women's Football

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit