FC Zenit Day at HSE University: Marketing in Sports and Career Opportunities
On May 30, Zenit Football Club Day was held at the small hall of the HSE Cultural Centre. Representatives of the club Kirill Lata, Advisor to the Chairman of the Board on International Affairs, and Irina Lebedeva, Head of the Strategic Marketing Department, met with students and university staff. They discussed the specifics of football marketing, FC Zenit, and the career opportunities it offers.
Zenit is a football club from St. Petersburg, playing in the Premier League. It is the most award-winning club in the recent history of Russia (27 awards since 1992). This year the club celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Opening the meeting, Dmitrii Kuznetsov, Director of the Higher School of Law and Administration, Chairman of the Expert Council for the Development of Professional Qualifications at the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education, presented the master's programme in International Sports Management, Marketing, and Law implemented at HSE University. This programme is designed for a new generation of sports managers and lawyers, capable of making effective managerial decisions and regulating the activities of organisations in the sports industry.
‘The programme actively works in all sports areas and is the best in the post-Soviet space. We also implement a minor in sports management, and I am sure that our partnership with such great clubs as Zenit, Spartak, and Lokomotiv will open up new career prospects for our graduates,’ said Dmitrii Kuznetsov.
Kirill Lata thanked HSE University for the opportunity to address event participants. ‘It is a great honour for us to join you today. Zenit Days are conceptual meetings that we hold at leading universities in St. Petersburg and Moscow. By communicating with students and teachers, we represent our club and provide information about career paths and development opportunities that we offer,’ said Lata.
FC Zenit representative also noted that following the results of Zenit Days organised earlier at other venues, four new employees joined their administrative team in various positions. ‘Therefore, we can say that this is not only an educational event, but one that brings practical benefits to both our club and applicants,’ summed up Kirill Lata.
Irina Lebedeva spoke on the topic of marketing in sports. ‘This industry has very specific characteristics. It’s better to learn about them before diving into the industry; this will help you avoid mistakes and do your job more efficiently,’ said Lebedeva. When asked what the football club primarily sells, the speaker replied ‘Emotions’.
‘Our club has three main strategic goals. Firstly, to maximise revenues from Gazprom Arena, which includes match and non-match activities. Secondly, to develop a global position that allows us to increase our audience, and, finally, to increase revenue from sponsors,’ said Irina Lebedeva.
An equally important component of the marketing strategy is the consistency in the logo and the colour scheme of the football club. ‘Playing with communication is not welcome at FC, because football fans have a high level of attachment to their club. Therefore, it’s better not to change the primary colours that are associated with the club. Such changes often cause a storm of emotions,’ noted Irina Lebedeva.
There is a strong bond between the football club and its fans. ‘Today you can order food delivery via Samokat, tomorrow¾via Yandex.Eda. You may be currently subscribed to Okko, and then you switch to Kinopoisk. But if you support Zenit, you are unlikely to ever support Spartak. This choice is made once and for all,’ explained the speaker. In her opinion, third-party brands come to sports for various collaborations because only in sports can they achieve a certain emotional connection.
Who is the main competitor of all football clubs? ‘This is any entertainment site that a person is willing to go to and spend money on. We are fighting for a person's attention, for their 2–3 hours on a day off,’ says Irina Lebedeva.
Kirill Lata also told the participants why it’s necessary to be friends with other clubs on an international level. He stresses that there are two main goals—sports and finances. As for FC Zenit, the club signs partnership agreements with international clubs and sports organisations. ‘It's not essential, you can live without it. But it's a good feature because such agreements set the context, which is why we have recently started signing cooperation agreements with our partner clubs. A roadmap is formed as part of the agreement, and it allows us to effectively structure joint activities,’ added Kirill Lata.
During the meeting, participants could ask the guests questions about their sports careers and football. For example, Rinat Khisyamov, Associate Professor at the Higher School of Law and Administration, asked how one can appreciate the work of the marketing department if the club did not win the championship. ‘The attendance KPI is something we can be responsible for, while sports results are completely out of our hands. However, it's all about the narrative, how to present information, and a lot depends on how we build communication the following season,’ explained Irina Lebedeva.