Wimbledon inks tie-up with Uefa to get football fans watching tennis as it ramps up global digital strategy

This development comes as Wimbledon ramps up efforts to engage with more people globally. Wary of appearing “stuffy” and exclusive, it’s been working hard to introduce the brand to different markets – namely China, the US, and South East Asia – as well as broaden its fan base at home in the UK through partnerships with different platfroms (like Snapchat).

An overhaul of its apps as well as an update on the overall digital strategy was given at the All England Lawn Tennis Club today (15 June).

Speaking to The Drum Alexandra Willis, head of communications, content and digital at the AELTC said: “Our strategic vision is to be the pinnacle of the sport but in a way that celebrates our traditions and is true to the brand.

“If we want to be a leader we need to make sure we innovate and make sure we offer the same experience to the millions of people around the world who can’t be at Wimbledon. Digital is our gateway to do that.”

Summer of Sport

And the brand has some stiff competition for eyeballs this year with its clash with the hugely popular Euros. But rather than try and convince people to turn off from football, Willis saw this as an opportunity to engage people globally that might not have been exposed to or taken an interest in Wimbledon.

For the first time year it will use a Cognitive Command Centre which has integrated IBM’s Watson and hybrid cloud technologies. This centre will ingest social media feeds around the world to automatically understand, reason and learn the most relevant and emerging topics of conversation as they relate to Wimbledon and other major sporting events.

These insights will then be handed to the Wimbledon’s digital editorial team to create content or serve related articles, posts and images. For example, the Cognitive Command Centre could identify emerging conversations around a Swiss football game at the same time as a peak in interest around a moment in a Roger Federer match.

Apple TV and Live Streaming

In another first, Wimbledon has also launched its own app for Apple TV. Willis promises this will not act as a rival to media partner BBC, but rather give fans a myriad of content (not just match replays) such as match statistics, player information, interviews, radio streams which is available any time they want.

Last year, Periscope was a new tool marketers were beginning to test, though the live-streaming nature – while appealing to Wimbledon – was also a concern. One year on, Facebook Live has become a firm fixture in news feeds while broadcasters – such as BT Sport – have embraced live streaming matches straight on the platforms in an effort to reach more people.

Wimbledon’s audience is becoming increasingly digital with mobile website visits up 125 per cent to 5.6m last year, while followers on Facebook and Twitter have also leapt, 55 and 74 per cent respectively.

On Facebook, it’s video content is proving particularly popular with views up a massive 1120 per cent to 61.3 million over the past 12 months.

As a result, Willis is no longer worried about the impact of live-streaming – in fact it is open to it – but nevertheless remains cautious about how quickly it overhauls its strategy to adopt them.

“We’re hostages to what happens in the market,” she explained, adding that trying to be ‘first’ as opposed to moving with your audience is a risky move. “We want to use it in a meaningful way.”

Apps and Chat Bots

For the time being, honing its iOS and Android apps has been the priority. Two new features have been added this year; ‘Plan Your Visit’ and ‘Create My Story’.

The former – with Wi-Fi on site still a challenge – aims to help fans attending the tournament to make the most out of their day. The app will be able to identify first time goers versus those that have been several times, allowing Wimbledon to serve up personalised content, hints and directions.

This latter then encourages attendees to record their experiences with photos or videos. Within the app they can use the posts to to stitch together a Wimbledon story which they can share on their on social channels afterwards.

With Bots a hot topic among marketers, Willis revealed she too has been considering how a chat functionality could be integrated into the app. The bot would be able to answer the basic questions it gets on things like when the ballot opens or when tickets go on sale. It’s working with IBM on this now and anticipates that a full roll out could happen in the next year.

Global marketing campaign

Finally, this week has seen Wimbledon roll out its first marketing campaign since appointing McCann as its creative agency earlier this year. A short film showing the highs and lows of the tournament has already gone live – with significant spend behind it – while a number of shorter videos will run across its online properties and social channels.

These shorter videos aim to show “the lighter side” of Wimbledon and give a behind the scenes glimpse at preparations. The first film, called ‘The List’, shows the little things Wimbledon organisers have to do to keep the grounds looking good.

Globally, it's targeting the US this year in a bid to introduce more Americans to the brand. China is also a key market and it has been working with WeChat on a game which helps them understand the quirks and traditions that make Wimbledon different to other tennis tournaments.