It’s so easy for big sporting organisations to be defensive.
That’s what I was keen to avoid when I talked to the hierarchy at Aston Villa about ‘The Big Interview’ feature series.
I wanted to lead better brand storytelling and open the doors of the club more fully to the outside world.
I felt this would create open, proactive communications via strong storytelling – and also create positive sentiment for the organisation.
After agreement from the Board of Directors, ‘The Big Interview’ was born – an in-depth, feature-length editorial series with senior figures.
The series brought the big topics of the organisation out into the open so supporters felt closer to the company.
They ranged from player recruitment philosophies through to stadium expansion plans – with other popular topics like crest redesign and kit sponsorship thrown in.
I conducted in-depth features with the real big hitters, too.
They included Owner Tony Xia, CEO Keith Wyness, CCO Luke Organ and Director of Football Steve Round.
They all amplified readership figures on the official website and proved to be among the Top 10 performing articles over the two-year period that the feature spanned.
Reaction was excellent from supporters, too, who fully appreciated the proactive approach to news, views and updates.
You can check them out below.
Dr Tony Xia (Owner) – read here
Luke Organ (CCO) – read here
Steve Round (Sporting Director) – read here
Paul Brown 