Insight & Analysis
This candid reaction highlights a critical insight many brands overlook: fans expect their club’s identity to remain front and center. When partner logos or sponsor names dominate too much of the design, it can feel like the club itself is being sidelined—eroding the emotional connection supporters have worked hard to build. Through our face-to-face conversations and AI-powered sentiment analysis, we uncovered not just that “too much sponsor branding” was an issue, but why it matters emotionally:
- Emotional ownership: Fans view merchandise as a tangible expression of their allegiance. If the club’s badge or name is hard to spot, the product feels less authentic and less “theirs.”
- Perceived value: Overly prominent third-party logos can make items feel more like advertisements than fan gear, reducing the perceived worth and likelihood of purchase.
- Trust & loyalty: When branding choices clash with fan expectations, it can create lingering doubts about how much the club truly respects its supporters’ voice.
These deeper learnings would not emerge from a simple checklist or rating scale—they come from listening in context, probing follow-up questions, and then using AI to surface patterns across interviews.
Key Takeaways for Brands & Clubs
- Balance is critical: Ensure partner logos complement rather than compete with core club identity. Prototype designs with real fans in interactive sessions to catch issues early.
- Emphasize authenticity: Merchandise should feel like an extension of the fan’s own passion, not a billboard. Even subtle tweaks (logo placement, size, color contrast) can make a big difference.
- Iterative feedback loops: Rather than waiting until after launch, integrate rapid in-person feedback cycles plus AI synthesis to guide design decisions in near real-time.
- Invest in deeper understanding: Moving beyond surveys to conversational interviews reveals the “why” behind reactions—transforming raw data into strategic actions.
