Barcelona
(20 Jul 2007)
FC Barcelona Training ‘Stage’ in Scotland
July 2007
Brief
• Already an established brand in Ireland, PLATINUM ONE’s next goal was to cement the brand and communicate the company’s services to the market in Scotland, the UK, Spain and wider-Europe.
Objectives
• Create an event, designed and delivered by PLATINUM ONE, to showcase the firm’s credentials in UK and Spain as one of Europe’s leading sports & event agencies.
• Provide the company with a unique brand positioning and commercial platform for the future.
• Deliver a ‘world-class’ event in terms of scope, profile, creativity and delivery, demonstrating all PLATINUM ONE’s sporting knowledge and networks; event and logistics excellence and multi-lingual and multi-country/marketing expertise.
• Drive a commercial return for PLATINUM ONE through creating an ‘asset’ the company would own and develop for increasing future financial and profile benefit.
Strategy
• PLATINUM ONE targeted the largest footballing property in club football – FC Barcelona – and persuaded them to choose Scotland as their pre-season tour destination.
• World-class training & accommodation facilities were provided for the entire FC Barcelona squad and Board of Directors in St. Andrews.
• Dundee United and Heart of Midlothian provided Scottish Premier League opposition for FC Barcelona.
Activity
• PLATINUM ONE managed every operational facet of their 5-day stay, including all travel, accommodation, food, transport, security, training facilities (including pitches) and media facilities.
• FC Barcelona participated in eight training sessions over the week and were personally greeted by First Minister, Alex Salmond, who met with the players and management.
• PLATINUM ONE took over Tannadice stadium (Dundee United) and Murrayfield Stadium (Heart of Midlothian) for each of FC Barcelona’s Pre-season Stage fixtures and managed all logistics, security, media conferences, football and event management requirements.
Results
• PLATINUM ONE’s marketing campaign ensured a total of 72,105 paying spectators across the two matches. The game at Murrayfield generated Edinburgh’s largest ever football crowd and the Tannadice fixture was a complete sell-out.
• The FC Barcelona Stage generated a £7m economic impact for the City of Edinburgh.
Media Summary
• Broadcast
-Every press conference was carried live on Spanish TV and edited interviews aired on SkySports News and many other national and international broadcast platforms.
-Both matches were broadcast live on Setanta in the UK and beamed out live to television stations in more than 100 countries.
• Newspapers
-All 4 daily Spanish newspapers and all the Scottish nationals and locals carried the latest from the training camp for the entire week.
-Pre-Stage interviews, articles and promotional competitions were carried out in advance of FC Barcelona’s arrival in Scotland
Over 80 Spanish media and 40 UK media descended on St. Andrews and attended two daily press conferences managed by PLATINUM ONE, during the week of the FC Barcelona Stage. The PLATINUM ONE brand received immeasurable equivalent media value from all the media activity outlined above.