- Kylian Mbappé is, right now, one of the most profitable brands in football; a bet towards the future
- His possible signing would be one of the most wise marketing moves for Real Madrid
- Will the merengue club be able to sign him?
Kylian Mbappé is the footballer of the moment, his name is everywhere and he is, right now, the player who could give the final blow to a transfer market that has been truly crazy.
Every year around this time, the world of football and marketing experience a very important day; Clubs -especially those of great prosapia- spend millions of dollars, euros and even pounds sterling on players who are having a good time or who, failing that, are a great bet on the future.
More than investing in players, teams look to their brand, their image. The investment by a player is also, in several cases, a marketing investment, a marketing move that, if it works, could help save the finances of the club team or further increase the power of the brand.
A transfer market for history
In this transfer market we saw an example of how a single player can generate a lot of noise in marketing. I am speaking, of course, of the case of Lionel Messi, the Argentine who arrived at Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (PSG) and who, in just seven minutes, sold more than 150,000 shirts with his name on the back.
In turn, the case of Messi, when he arrived at Barcelona FC at the age of 13, was a bet on the future, a strong investment that, in the end, placed the Catalan club at the top of not only football but also success. commercial. ‘Lio’ Messi managed, in conjunction with his rivalry with Cristina Ronaldo and her CR7 brand, that both Barcelona FC LaLiga and even Real Madrid raised their bonuses and their numbers.
After the signing of the Argentine by the Parisian club, it is estimated that Barcelona will lose around 137 million euros in its income, which translates into 11 percent less in terms of the value of its brand.
The issue of Messi is already past and today we have to talk about another phenomenon player in terms of marketing, although not at the same level as Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
It is about the 22-year-old Frenchman, Kylian Mbappé, who is, right now, in the crosshairs of all sports media and, of course, marketing. Why? Because there is talk of his very possible signing for Real Madrid in a market that was already a real marketing bomb.
Rumors suggest that it is a matter of hours – taking into account that the market closes on August 31 – for the young promise of world football, Kylian Mbappé, to reach the most winning club in Europe, owned by one of the businessmen most influential and controversial of the last 20 years (Florentino Pérez).
Beyond his numbers on the court, what the Frenchman has done in terms of his image and his brand is noteworthy. Although he is not a great marketing star like players like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and even Neymar Jr., the player’s bet, in that sector, is towards the future.
Kylian Mbappé, a bet on the future in marketing
Mbappé, so far, is associated with five brands: Nike, Hublot, Good Gout, Bulk and EA Sports. Far from being a personality who is all the time in the media or on social networks, Kylian’s strategy is more of a low profile. Of course, this compared to those players who win huge sums of tickets.
To mention one example, his association with Hublot, a watch brand that also sponsors former Brazilian player Pelé, and with Nike generates income of 4 million euros a year for the footballer.
Another of Mbappé’s strategies is to create alliances with brands that share different values. Such is the case of its partnership with Good Gout, a brand of bio food for young people that in 2020 had a turnover of around 18 million euros and its projection for 2022 is to generate 6 million.
Now, the case with Bulk, a Japanese brand of beauty products for men, which has Kylian Mbappé as one of its main brand images. He is a young player, he is an athlete and, somehow, he is not involved in shady or controversial issues as many athletes usually do. And that is the market that the Bulk brand seeks to conquer.
Finally, since last year, Mbappé is the image of the cover of the EA Sports soccer video game, FIFA. In the 2021 edition and in the next one to come out, 2022, the Frenchman has positioned himself as the main image of the game, which has connected with the new generations of football and video game fans.
Now, in case his arrival at Real Madrid becomes official, with all the machinery that the “merengue” club means, the Frenchman’s numbers and his associations with other brands could rise to very high levels. Without a doubt, Mbappé is a bet on the future, and Florentino Pérez’s club knows it, and that is why they are bidding for him. Will it succeed?
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