Man City tries to win over NY crowd with Ear to the Ground
Man City Football Club has worked with Manchester events agency Ear to the Ground to hold two trendy bashes in New York aimed at winning over new American fans.
Ear to the Ground first took over a midtown Manhattan diner and branded it as the official MCFC meeting point to coincide with the team playing in a profile-boosting pre-season tournament in New York.
The diner hosted the city's "media and influencers" and provided discounts to fans of the Premier League's big spenders.
The agency then curated a live event featuring familiar faces from the Manchester and New York music scenes at the trendy High Bar on the rooftop of Hell’s Kitchen.
Hacienda DJ Mike Pickering and hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa performed sets as part of a ‘DJ battle’ with each representing their respective cities.
The event was attended by "over 600 opinion formers, media influencers and VIPs" and gained coverage in the New York Times, Time Out New York and other traditional media, according to Ear to the Ground.
And it "created a buzz and significant coverage in hipper lifestyle and music magazines, online and on blogs reaching far beyond a traditional sporting audience," the agency added.
Ear to the Ground came up with the event concept, sourced the venues in Manhattan and secured the DJs at the request of Manchester City FC.
It formed part of a wider marketing campaign that included the sponsorship and launch of a community pitch in Harlem and fans being treated to an open top tour to watch a game.
The activity is all part of City's ongoing effort to reach out to new audiences through "non-traditional marketing opportunities" to build up brand loyalty "outside of the traditional sports arena".
Steve Smith, MD of Ear to the Ground, said: “The ambition of Manchester City Football Club to be seen as more than a sports platform was manifested in every part of their tour and the creation of a comprehensive masterclass in marketing.
"We were really pleased to support that with cultural events that generated credible lifestyle PR which transcended a sports readership and helped attract New York hipsters to the MCFC brand.”