Harnessing heritage to inspire growth

Warrington Wolves RLFC

Over the years, and despite success on and off the field, the Warrington Wolves brand had been diluted and become fragmented. The result was that the club had lost connection with its fans. Following the arrival of a new CEO and board members, the Club was about to embark on a period of change driven by an ambitious vision.

Partnership since 2012
Location Warrington, UK
Sector Sport

“We nailed it! We saw within a year the dial had turned; kit sales were up, ticket sales were up, our membership scheme and season tickets went up and we made a significant profit as well. Emotionally, the club changed. People bought into the brand, they didn’t just see the team being professional, they saw the club being professional. I would recommend Opportunus because they are passionate about business!”

Roger Draper

Chief Executive Officer

Warrington Wolves Opportunus Case Study
Warrington Wolves Opportunus Case Study

We identified the need to build a solid platform that was able to inspire and drive this change positively whilst also reconnecting the club with current fans and attracting new audiences by celebrating its success both on and off the pitch.

We identified the need to build a solid platform that was able to inspire and drive this change positively whilst also reconnecting the club with current fans and attracting new audiences by celebrating its success both on and off the pitch.

We conducted the clubs largest ever fan survey and engagement programme with all of the key stakeholder groups. The combination of robust quantitative data and qualitative perspectives gave us a definitive direction when developing the brand strategy. We defined three pillars that formed the foundations of the strategy and which become an integral part of the clubs new identity.

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It was clear from the outset that a new badge alone was not going to be enough to provide the club with the impetus it required and ensure it connected with fans over the longer term. The core message ‘Hardwired’ was created for all stakeholders to live by. It captured the ethos of the sport while also acknowledged the rich heritage of the club. Having become a mantra for the club ‘Hardwired’ has been instrumental in joining up all departments and initiatives throughout the club as well as driving social engagement.

Since the launch of the brand our partnership with the club has defined a new approach to strategic marketing, commercial proposition and its retail activities. The success of which have been evident in the transformation of the club’s off-field successes.

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