When news broke that Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were buying Wrexham AFC in 2021 it seemed like a fever dream to most. A glitch in the matrix? An elaborate hoax? No, they were very real and very committed.
Fast-forward to the spring of 2023 and the club have secured promotion to the EFL League Two, playing some great stuff on the pitch. Off the pitch they’ve also excelled in ways that perhaps no one envisioned.
Whilst their marketing efforts grow with each passing week, we take a look at what the co-owners have done incredibly well in their early tenure, building the brand alongside the football and executing their marketing communications strategy effectively.
Authentic storytelling
At Cairn we’re suckers for storytelling and Wrexham’s recent journey has had us gripped.
Completely comfortable telling the tales of fictional characters on the silver screen, the Wrexham story would be a little different. It’d be real for the Hollywood co-owners, and it’d be totally authentic, playing out in front of their eyes.
Football fans are no passive audience either and would also want to play their part. Wrexham’s new ownership knew this and included them from day one, bringing that intangible authenticity.
Shortly after purchasing the club, a TV series was in the works and in August 2022 “Welcome to Wrexham” was released on Disney+. Those watching would quickly realise that this wasn’t to be the ‘Ryan and Rob show.’ Instead, the focus would be firmly on the team, fans and local area.
This was no vanity project either. Grossing almost £4 million, it became a global hit (especially in the US). And while fans in Wrexham had already bought into the new ownership, now new fans from across the world began to visit the town and attend matches at The Racecourse Ground, keen to watch the story unfold in person.
Owners of Wrexham’s Turf Hotel said: “The impact of the show has been absolutely huge for the whole town. Wrexham is absolutely thriving. It has had a huge impact on dozens of local businesses.”
Savvy social media decisions
A crucial tool to document the club’s journey, Wrexham’s social media was supercharged under the new ownership.
More video, more imagery and more behind-the-scenes footage, the club’s social media team were quick to jump on trends and got the tone pitch perfect. They ensured they were sharing content on a regular basis that covered events on match day, overall news, as well as engagement-driving posts, which fostered interaction.
When it came to social media, the Ryan and Rob effect certainly helped boost the numbers, with videos involving the actors significantly outperforming more run-of-the-mill club posts.
In another move which raised eyebrows, the club re-signed retired Premier League goalkeeper and ex-Wrexham player, Ben Foster, 18 years after he first played for the club. Ben’s contract would be short with the sole focus of getting the team ‘over the line’ and promoted. His second tenure was of course successful and, in true Hollywood style, included a crucial penalty save late in the season.
Ben is an established social media influencer in his own right, with successful channels containing on-pitch match content filmed through a Go-Pro. This all added to the drama and story of Wrexham’s season, helping boost interaction on social media along the way. His video I SAVED a 96th Minute Penalty on the GO-PRO!! had 3.9 million views within three weeks.
All in all, the club’s efforts have resulted in the addition of over 2 million followers in a short space of time. As of May 2023, Wrexham AFC had 519,000 followers on Twitter, 899,000 on Instagram, 244,000 on Facebook and 1.3m followers on its most popular social media account, TikTok. Back of the net!
Precision partnerships
Sponsorship is a huge part of football, and the club has signed kit deals with the likes of TikTok, VistaPrint, Expedia and Aviation American Gin (another of Reynolds’ side hustles). High-visibility partnerships like this have helped bring in revenue but have also played their part in driving the Wrexham brand.
Additionally in early 2023, American band Kings of Leon were confirmed to play Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground, bringing two huge shows to the venue and generating a buzz around the local area. Of course, keeping Wrexham devotees and locals a priority, early-access tickets were available to supporters and local people first.
This was again a further example of getting the fine balance right between building your brand and keeping followers happy.
The co-owners have enjoyed a successful start to life and we’re looking forward to seeing how they fare in the EFL, and what comes next from a brand-Wrexham perspective. Want to tell your brand’s story? Why not get in touch with our team and start the conversation.
References:
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/welcome-wrexham-documentary-rakes-430000-25923219
https://theonlinerule.com/from-the-racecourse-to-hollywood-the-digital-revolution-of-wrexham-afc/
