For years, Oliver Bierhoff was the successful manager of the German national soccer team. The marketing expert now advises the NFL club New England Patriots.
Munich – Oliver Bierhoff (56) supports the New England Patriots in building their brand in German-speaking countries. The former one DFB-Director speaks to our newspaper about the clever marketing of the National Football League, superstars and what football can learn from football.
The NFL returns to Munich after the premiere in 2022 and the two Frankfurt games last year. How important are the international appearances for the league’s ambition to make the sport popular worldwide?
International appearances are of central importance for the NFL. The games in Germany are an impressive example of how the NFL is strategically and especially long-term expanding its brand worldwide. For the fans here, it is a unique opportunity to experience the sport, which has long been a cultural phenomenon in the USA, live and with all of its emotions and stories. Local enthusiasm is the best way to sustainably increase interest and popularity.
The Patriots are one of the most popular NFL teams here in Europe.
You support the New England Patriots in expanding the market in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The Patriots played in Frankfurt last year and in London this year. What effects did the guest appearances have?
The Patriots’ guest appearances in Europe had a noticeable impact. The Patriots are one of the most popular NFL teams here in Europe. This is of course also due to the great successes over the last ten to fifteen years. The increased interest in the NFL and also in the Patriots is not only noticeable in fan growth, but also in partnerships and projects. London and Frankfurt as host cities were excellent platforms for making the fascination of football even more tangible in German-speaking countries.
Official games should also take place abroad in football, for example in the Spanish league. A clever idea?
When you see how successful the NFL is at organizing games like this outside of the US, you realize that this approach can be very effective in positioning a sport internationally. This could also work for football, but the tradition and loyalty of fans is even stronger in football. The key is to find a healthy balance and make it clear to fans that the goal is to position their league and sport internationally. Ultimately, it depends on how such games are embedded and what added value they create in the long term.
Two years ago Tom Brady was in Munich, last year Patrick Mahomes was in Frankfurt. How important are these superstars for opening up new markets?
Superstars are crucial when it comes to opening up new markets. They embody the best aspects of the sport and bring with them a huge amount of attention. For many fans in Germany who are just discovering football, such players are important identification figures. They inspire not only through their sporting achievements, but also through their personalities and stories. These players have a charisma that can be felt everywhere and particularly creates enthusiasm for the sport – especially in a market like Germany that is growing rapidly.
The NFL is great at using stories to create an emotional connection and appeal to new target groups.
The NFL does a perfect job of pushing the best stories in the media. The teams are sometimes followed by TV cameras throughout the season. Can sports that are often only in the spotlight during major events learn from this?
Absolutely, you can learn a lot there. The NFL is great at using stories to create an emotional connection and appeal to new target groups. The continuous media support of the teams, the proximity to the players and the diverse content – these are success factors that can also be transferred to other sports.
Oliver Bierhoff raves about the DFL’s central marketing
There is centralized marketing in the NFL. While football Germany is fighting over the allocation of TV rights, the NFL has signed a record deal worth 110 billion dollars. Can the NFL serve as a role model?
The central marketing of the NFL is an impressive example of efficiency and pooling of resources. Greater centralization could help negotiate better contracts and better target the global market. At the same time, you have to take into account the special structures and the strong fan culture in Europe. Adopting a model completely is difficult, but adapting and optimizing individual elements is certainly conceivable.
According to the NFL, there are around 19 million fans in Germany, around four million of whom follow the NFL intensively. Flag football, Olympic in 2028, is growing and introducing children to the sport. A field at the Flag Football Center in Düsseldorf has now been dedicated to ex-Patriots player Sebastian Vollmer. How do you assess the further growth potential of football in Germany?
The growth potential of football in Germany is huge. The enthusiasm is constantly increasing and the number of fans is growing – not least through initiatives such as flag football, which makes the sport more accessible and safer, especially for children. Projects like the Flag Football Center in Düsseldorf are important building blocks in getting a young generation excited about football at an early age. Of course, football remains the dominant sport, but football definitely has the potential to establish itself as one of the most popular sports in Germany sooner or later. With the right promotion and support, sport could take a permanent place in the German sports landscape in the long term. Interview: Philipp Kessler, Nico-Marius Schmitz
