UEFA aims to drive fan engagement around Champions League final
18 May 2012
UEFA are taking their 2012 Champions Festival to a wider global audience using a variety of social media innovations.
The four-day football-themed event began on May 16 and runs up until the Champions League final between Bayern Munchen and Chelsea in the German city on Saturday. Platforms including Google+, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Foursquare will be used alongside a free Android smartphone application to share content from Munich with fans around the world.
The Foursquare campaign will engage supporters globally, allowing them to “check in” wherever they are watching the Champions League final by using the phrase “UEFA Champions League” as a shout and can unlock the official Foursquare Champions League final badge. Throughout the festival, photo booths with a direct link to Google+ enable those in Munich to share photos with friends, while former Chelsea full-backs Graeme Le Saux and Celestine Babayaro will be spending time at Google+ hangouts. The Android application offers interactive maps, schedules and special opportunities for those attending the festival, while fans further afield can follow a live stream of daily updates from Google+, Facebook and Twitter. UEFA are tweeting daily using the hashtags #championsleague and #championsfestival to further drive fan engagement.
Alexandre Fourtoy, UEFA’s director of communications, said: “Our goal is to engage fans in Munich, as well as those around the world, in the UEFA Champions League final festivities by using a range of digital platforms that are easy to use and interact with. We hope that the new Foursquare activation coupled with Google+ hangouts will bring the finals of the UEFA Champions League to life for those fans who can’t attend the event.”
