In the fast-evolving landscape of global sports, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) stands out for its commitment to growing the sport and creating a deeper connection between fans and athletes. At the helm of this transformative journey is Thomas Lund, Secretary General of the BWF, who has been instrumental in shaping the organization’s vision.
In an exclusive interview with iSportConnect’s Taruka Srivastav, Lund delves into the strategies driving BWF’s success—ranging from innovative digital campaigns and influencer collaborations to fostering global stars like Viktor Axelsen and P.V. Sindhu. He also sheds light on BWF’s efforts to balance tradition with digital transformation, expand into untapped regions, and build lasting partnerships that fuel the sport’s growth. We uncover how BWF is not just navigating the complexities of a global fanbase but also setting new benchmarks in sports governance and engagement.
What is the current vision for BWF’s brand, and how has this evolved over recent years?
The BWF Vision is “Giving every child a chance to play badminton for life.” This has been our position for several years, with minimal change to the wording.
What are the main goals of BWF’s commercial and communication strategy, and how do you ensure these align with the organization’s overall mission?
As part of this vision, we strive to get more and more people picking up a racket around the world. Our communications strategy sits not too far from this, whereby we aim at “Getting as many people talking about badminton as possible – with a focus on youth”, whether online via digital media platforms or through traditional means. While mass participation is very important to our sport, we know that the gateway to the masses and new fans is through our superstar athletes. We, therefore, have a huge focus on bringing these two vital stakeholder groups closer together – fans and players. The Marketing & Communications Department is very much geared towards supporting this and the promotion of our core commercial products, which generate the most eyeballs and attention – the BWF World Tour, BWF World Tour Finals, and BWF Major Championships. To increase this ‘Star Player’ impact around these events, we’ve also invested heavily in the digital and social media education of athletes, providing them with the tools and guidance required for them to be the global ambassadors we need them to be.
How does BWF position itself differently from other sports organizations to attract both global and local audiences?
We have been very conscious of our tone when facilitating this connection between fans and players. We’ve wanted a ‘for a fan, by a fan’ dynamic on platforms like Instagram and TikTok positioned well away from the traditional Federation voice. This is so our point of engagement with the younger fans is more authentic and caters their consumption habits and preferences. This includes engaging and replying to fans in their native language where relevant. This has not always been easy to maintain, and is hence why not all Federations try it, but we feel we have been able to strike a unique balance.
Badminton has a large fan base in Asia. How does BWF work to engage fans in other regions and make badminton a truly global sport?
Our approach through social media particularly is aimed at ensuring we have a global approach. Tonality and recognition of cultural differences and resonance is essential. The sport of badminton has a significant following outside of Asia, although much work is being done to increase the market share on traditional broadcast platforms. Establishing stars that transcend the game into multiple territories is another key factor to help open doors for us, and this links to some of the points above about ‘Star Creation’. Viktor Axelsen and Pusarla V. Sindhu are examples of two global stars we have right now who penetrate multiple markets. Getting next generational stars that are popular with fans worldwide is however essential for us to remain relevant in more places.
What are some innovative strategies BWF uses to attract younger audiences, particularly in the digital and social media age?
We have a robust Influencer and Content Creator strategy primarily focused on TikTok that we use to help us engage with a global audience, as well as to produce bespoke content to pockets of fans in North America, and other untapped markets. We’re also looking at facilitating special collaborations between our star athletes and professional TikTok publishers. We know that we can’t do everything ourselves, and we can’t expect to have a strong footprint everywhere immediately, so we’re currently partnering with other influential publishers and talent to help drive new traction for us.
How do you measure the success of your communication campaigns in engaging fans and driving growth?
We benchmark ourselves against other IFs, learn from them from a best practice point of view and strive to be better at all times. We have a track record of performing extremely well in this regards. We also have native and third-party measuring tools and software to track our KPIs.
What role does digital transformation play in BWF’s communication strategy, and how is it enhancing fan experience?
It is an ongoing process in the ever-changing world of the digital landscape and so it is an area we are working on daily to stay ahead of the curve at all times.
With the rise of OTT platforms, how is BWF approaching content distribution, and are there plans to expand beyond traditional broadcasting?
We are looking into all possibilities heading into our next commercial cycle especially in relation to what is happening in the digital landscape. Traditional broadcasting will remain a key pillar for an older audience, but as in the previous question, digital is essential to grasp, understand and act on in terms of content distribution, particularly for the younger audiences.
How do you balance the need for live event coverage with on-demand content for a global audience in different time zones?
We have several dedicated teams dotted around the world, plus our stable of Content Creators, that allows us to have the flexibility for an ‘always on’ content strategy.
What are some key criteria that BWF considers when forming commercial partnerships or sponsorships?
All commercial partnerships, whether media or sponsors, should be relevant to the continued growth of the sport at all times. Our driver is media relationships as through the broadcast platforms we are able to generate value for our sponsors on the BWF World Tour and BWF Major Championships.
How does BWF maintain relationships with sponsors and partners to ensure they gain maximum value from their association with badminton?
We are in daily contact with all of our commercial partners, whether direct through ourselves in Kuala Lumpur and on site at our tournaments, or through our partner agency Infront Sports & Media. Client servicing by BWF/Infront is an essential daily task and mantra.
Are there any recent partnerships you’re particularly excited about, and how will they add value for both BWF and the fans?
We value all of our partners regardless of the value of the deal with each. BWF does, however, enjoy several long-term partnerships, including with with TotalEnergies and HSBC, and they have contributed greatly to the progression and development of badminton over many years.
