News
‘English football’s Big Four must be united’
Dave Roberts May 21 2008, 11:54am
Fluid's Tom Howgate argues that Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool must work together in the licensing arena.
One of the leading experts in football licensing has told Licensing.biz that he believes the Premiership’s ‘Big Four’ - Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool – are failing to maximise the commercial potential of their brands – and will only truly do so when they work together.
On the day when Man Utd and Chelsea play in the Champions League final, Fluid Brand’s Tom Howgate has issued a call to arms for our greatest clubs to become as dominant on the High Street as they are on the field.
He commented: “Football is far and away the country’s favourite sport, these are the world’s most successful and popular clubs; brands with almost universal spontaneous awareness. And yet they have less High Street distribution than a stuffed cat, a celebrity chef or this year’s latest boy band.
“I believe passionately in what has become known as a multi-club approach and the need for the clubs themselves to play a more active role in a co-operative and co-ordinated way to support the licensees in the development of relationships with retailers. The only way to reach the holy grail is for the clubs themselves, in particular the Big Four, to work together to find a way of establishing relationships directly with the key retailers and for the retailers to abandon their prejudices, fixed mindsets and perceived logistical obstacle courses and get behind these Great British brands.”
To read the full article, click here.
