Inter Milan’s Media Content Director, Giuliano Giorgetti, was recently interviewed in Soccerex about the club’s attempts to establish itself as a media company.
He went into depth about the club’s need to connect with its audience and the ambitions for the brand, and talked at length about their new “Inter Media House”
As the distinction between media, entertainment and sport continues to be blurred, the biggest clubs are finding ways to balance providing the best experience for their fans while exerting as much control over their brands and content as possible.
One of Italy’s most prominent football clubs for over a century, Inter Milan, has always been innovative in the way it markets itself through initiatives such as the Inter Channel launched in 2000.
The club launched Inter Media House in September 2017 and its “aim is to provide fans with a unique, immersive insight into all things Inter.” This includes a personalised app, expanded TV offerings and virtual and augmented reality experiences.
The importance of Inter’s renewed focus on its media wing was emphasised by Giorgetti in the interview, saying “It’s very important, because football clubs are turning into modern entertainment companies. As part of this transformation, the ability to create engaging content is becoming a strategic factor in terms of gaining a competitive edge.”
Inter Media House was built around four main action areas: “producing content, distributing content, boosting engagement and overseeing innovation.”
Of particular importance are the fans overseas, in markets not traditionally associated with the Italian club. Tailored approaches to local social media are vital and Giorgetti says, “the aim is to create engaging content for our fans – it’s important that they feel part of the club despite being geographically distant.”
He also emphasized how Inter’s sponsors can benefit from such an approach to tailored content. The relationship between sponsors and fans can be very lucrative if managed well, and the Inter Media House facilitates this through branded content and interactive formats exclusive to the fans.
This approach is by no means exclusive to Inter Milan, with most of the major clubs now offering a media service in some way. However, the dedication shown by Inter in establishing the Inter Media House sets a new precedent for how clubs interact with their fans. Traditional media companies will be watching very closely.