This article was originally published in the Brand Finance Football 50 2022 report.
Interview with Marc Armstrong.
Chief Partnerships Officer, Paris Saint-Germain
In the last ten years, Paris Saint-Germain has become one of the most powerful clubs in Europe. Having become a regular in the final stages of the Champions League, the club reached the final for the first time ever in 2020. In one decade, its directors have developed a club whose aim is to shine in all domains.
Since Paris Saint-Germain was acquired by Qatar Sports Investment, the club has continuously grown its revenue in order to provide its football team with the resources it needs to fulfil its ambitions. In order to do this, Paris Saint-Germain has rolled out a bold and creative strategy, which ties in with the values of the club’s home city, Paris.
Becoming the benchmark football lifestyle brand
A veritable trailblazer, Paris Saint-Germain always has a surprise up its sleeve and has made a name for itself as the benchmark lifestyle brand in the world of football. The club caused a sensation thanks to its innovative collaborations with fashion designers such as Christelle Kocher or Manish Arora, icons from the world of music such as the Rolling Stones or Prince, and avant-garde designers such as 3.Paradis, Bape, Commune de Paris, and more.
Its master stroke was undeniably the exclusive collaboration with global lifestyle brand Jordan, as part of the long-term Nike partnership, which marked the first collaboration between two key brands from football and basketball. The famous “Jumpman” logo is featured on selected shirts every year, as well as on many clothing items and accessories. Paris Saint-Germain’s lifestyle collections sit at the crossroads between sport and fashion, with a pioneering spirit that enables the brand to conquer new audiences worldwide.
PSG as a global brand
This trend went hand-in-hand with the development of merchandising and the internationalisation of the Paris Saint-Germain brand. The level of income generated by the sale of products is now almost six times higher than prior to the change in ownership. In the meantime, the club has expanded across all continents, developing an unparalleled distribution network with stores in North America (Los Angeles and New York), Asia (Tokyo, Seoul, etc.) and the Middle East (Doha), adding to its stores in Paris and the surrounding area.
With its strong and unique brand identity, Paris Saint-Germain has been able to boost the value of its brand and welcome new premium and international partners. During the last sponsorship drive, which began with the signing of ALL as the club’s shirt sponsor and the renewal of the long-term agreement with Nike, Paris Saint-Germain’s shirt was deemed one of the highest-value sports shirts in the world.
Innovating for the future
Today, young people wear Paris Saint-Germain-branded clothes in all corners of the globe, which shows that, more than ever, it is the club for the new generation. It boasts more than 160 million followers on social media, making it one of the most popular sports clubs online. It is particularly popular on the social networks favoured by young people. On Instagram, Paris Saint-Germain is the French company with the highest number of followers (over 59.1 million). It is also the football club that has generated the most views on Tik-Tok (more than 1.97 billion). These figures reward the club’s ambition to constantly innovate, renew its codes and offer its fans a comprehensive experience. The club’s popular and economic successes contribute to a shared mission: to be in a position to invest in ambitious sporting policies for the long term. In 2023, the Rouge & Bleu’s teams will take up residence in a cutting-edge training centre, befitting the club’s astonishing development.
