Vijhay Vick: Content strategy for teams who win the league every year

Sports Content Strategy with MrRichardClarke: Exploring sports content, journalism, digital and social media

It is the content strategy problem we would all like to have. How do you create a story about a team that has won the league seven seasons in a row (and an eighth is expected to follow soon)? Johor Darul Ta'zim (or JDT) are a team on a mission. They were re-formed in 2013 with a new nickname, the Southern Tigers, under the guidance of the Crown Prince of Johor. They won their first title a year later and the AFC Cup (the Asian version of the Europa League) 12 months after that. They have gone on to dominate Malaysian football. But their tone on social media has brought them as much attention as their success. Now they are looking to internationalise their brand and grow their partnership portfolio with the likes of Aston Martin and Unicef. Vijhay Vick, the Head of Content, is leading their strategy. In this podcast, he discusses his approach to JDT's unique position.

TOPICS

The recent history of JDT

How they have grown on social media

Capitalising on the huge Indonesian market

Being brazen about their success

Why they are "the most hated team in Malaysia"

What would signing a world-renowned player like Radamel Falcao do for the league and the club?

Having a partnership with the likes of Aston Martin

The Malaysian League in general - crowds, TV audience, etc

The football audience is very split - some love foreign football, some love Malaysian football. They are very different groups.

How JDT's PR strategy has started to bridge the gap

JDT's social media strategy - "It's 80 per cent Facebook. The Twitter space is toxic."

Dealing with that toxicity on social media

The role of CSR in JDT’s strategy

The link with Unicef

His content and communications team at JDT

The kit reveal video that received a million views in two days

The crucial buy-in from the top

Being realistic about what JDT can achieve