Liverpool has been urged to remain true to their heritage in order for the club to increase their brand around the world.
Simon Middleton, a brand strategy expert and author of the best selling book “Build A Brand in 30 days”, is in no doubt that Liverpool are in a far healthier position now compared to where they were when last winning the league championship in 1990.
Though there has been criticism in the past that Liverpool have missed opportunities to bolster revenue and fears that the failure to bring in silverware might impact on their ability to compete on and off the field, Middleton sees things differently.
He says history stands for so much when it comes to promoting a brand and, thanks to all the drama Liverpool have experienced and the trophies they have won, Middleton is in no doubt the Anfield brand will continue to flourish.
“Liverpool FC, even to a football outsider, is not only one of the great brands of British football, but one of the world’s great sporting brands in any category,” he said.
“I think Liverpool have achieved this by embodying the four principles of branding, which all great brands have in common – being authentic, being distinctive, being compelling and being excellent.
“Being authentic means being true to who you are and not pretending to be something else.
“It's to do with roots, heritage, a sense of place and values: and Liverpool have these qualities in abundance.
“Being distinctive means telling your own story, not imitating, offering an experience that is qualitatively different to competitors. In a world of sameness, Liverpool FC, like the city itself, retains its true distinctiveness.
“Being compelling means offering an emotional impact, coupled with a sense of narrative, even of myth. Liverpool has that too, arguably more than any other club. And being excellent speaks for itself.
“You can claim all the other things, but you have to actually be excellent to be a great brand. Liverpool is clearly that too... the most successful club on the pitch in British football history.
“And the wonderful thing about great sporting heritage is that if you have decades of success then a few seasons of more modest results, whilst disappointing for supporters, do not undo the magic of the brand.”
But how does Liverpool continue to improve their brand while the club remains in a period of uncertainty under the ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett?
“My recommendation would be for Liverpool to always be authentic, distinctive, compelling and excellent – and to focus on those things rather than the brand pecking order,” said Middleton.
“That way they will continue to be the great brand they have been since the concept of branding was even invented.”
While Manchester City and Chelsea are investing billions to become global entities, Middleton feels they will continue to play second fiddle to Liverpool because neither club has a dramatic history, one that strikes a chord with fans around the world.
“Brand is about meaning,” he explained. “About making powerful meanings that resonate in hearts, minds and imaginations. So becoming a bigger brand for Liverpool – and to be long-term sustainable – means strengthening that meaning around the world.”
Middleton, who has helped Barclays, Deloitte, British Airways and sandwich-chain Pret A Manger improve their brands, has watched the Premier League’s brand mushroom in the last decade but he has warned that there is a danger of it being damaged.
“Clearly Premier League football is huge in every sense,” he said.
“But I also think it is vulnerable. The behaviour of some high profile players threatens the brand of football. The billionaire owners. The proportion of foreign players.
“The perception of success being something that is bought and sold, and achievable simply through money. All these things undermine the brand of football itself in the long term, and I think they go against the spirit of what Liverpool FC is about.”
Simon Middleton, a brand strategy expert and author of the best selling book “Build A Brand in 30 days”, is in no doubt that Liverpool are in a far healthier position now compared to where they were when last winning the league championship in 1990.
Though there has been criticism in the past that Liverpool have missed opportunities to bolster revenue and fears that the failure to bring in silverware might impact on their ability to compete on and off the field, Middleton sees things differently.
He says history stands for so much when it comes to promoting a brand and, thanks to all the drama Liverpool have experienced and the trophies they have won, Middleton is in no doubt the Anfield brand will continue to flourish.
“Liverpool FC, even to a football outsider, is not only one of the great brands of British football, but one of the world’s great sporting brands in any category,” he said.
“I think Liverpool have achieved this by embodying the four principles of branding, which all great brands have in common – being authentic, being distinctive, being compelling and being excellent.
“Being authentic means being true to who you are and not pretending to be something else.
“It's to do with roots, heritage, a sense of place and values: and Liverpool have these qualities in abundance.
“Being distinctive means telling your own story, not imitating, offering an experience that is qualitatively different to competitors. In a world of sameness, Liverpool FC, like the city itself, retains its true distinctiveness.
“Being compelling means offering an emotional impact, coupled with a sense of narrative, even of myth. Liverpool has that too, arguably more than any other club. And being excellent speaks for itself.
“You can claim all the other things, but you have to actually be excellent to be a great brand. Liverpool is clearly that too... the most successful club on the pitch in British football history.
“And the wonderful thing about great sporting heritage is that if you have decades of success then a few seasons of more modest results, whilst disappointing for supporters, do not undo the magic of the brand.”
But how does Liverpool continue to improve their brand while the club remains in a period of uncertainty under the ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett?
“My recommendation would be for Liverpool to always be authentic, distinctive, compelling and excellent – and to focus on those things rather than the brand pecking order,” said Middleton.
“That way they will continue to be the great brand they have been since the concept of branding was even invented.”
While Manchester City and Chelsea are investing billions to become global entities, Middleton feels they will continue to play second fiddle to Liverpool because neither club has a dramatic history, one that strikes a chord with fans around the world.
“Brand is about meaning,” he explained. “About making powerful meanings that resonate in hearts, minds and imaginations. So becoming a bigger brand for Liverpool – and to be long-term sustainable – means strengthening that meaning around the world.”
Middleton, who has helped Barclays, Deloitte, British Airways and sandwich-chain Pret A Manger improve their brands, has watched the Premier League’s brand mushroom in the last decade but he has warned that there is a danger of it being damaged.
“Clearly Premier League football is huge in every sense,” he said.
“But I also think it is vulnerable. The behaviour of some high profile players threatens the brand of football. The billionaire owners. The proportion of foreign players.
“The perception of success being something that is bought and sold, and achievable simply through money. All these things undermine the brand of football itself in the long term, and I think they go against the spirit of what Liverpool FC is about.”
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