Welcome to the family

The premise

HJK, also known as Klubi (“the Club”) is the most successful, famous, and popular football club in Finland. They had ambitious plans for growth and wanted to be more interesting in the eyes of partners and spectators. HJK chose Republic as a strategic partner to help them commercialize their products and to develop their marketing and communications, external and internal change included. HJK also wanted an advertising concept that would allow for considerable growth in the number of spectators and positive impressions while understanding the potential of the club and the sport itself.

The implementation

The strategy and concept created by Republic spoke to all of the most important target groups such as families interested in football, the club’s fans, their partners, and their junior players. HJK’s brand story, refreshed with a combination of marketing and commercial communications, was rewritten to be more family-centered and meaningful for a larger target audience. The focus was not only in football, but in entertainment and events which people enjoy for different reasons.

Through the family theme, the club’s influential and wide-ranging efforts can be made visible, using advertising and communications in which authentic club members and their stories play the main role. Support of the club is turned into something for the whole family, tying people and junior teams more strongly into the HJK family.

The results

The collaboration’s goal was to make HJK a positive topic, as well as a distinct and effective actor that leads Finnish sports discussions with its expertise. The monitored financial measurements for success were the increase in spectators and the commitment of partners.

The family theme can be seen in the development of HJK’s match events and services. The club’s home matches will be events for the whole family, offering memorable experiences for both committed fans and first timers. The collaboration models and concepts created for the club’s partners will create new commercial and content marketing opportunities. The advertising creates emotions with its authenticity.