Summary
In 2017, we undertook a non-participant consumer research project for the Birmingham County Football Association. The project undertaking was due to the County FA’s Inclusion Action Group identifying that there is a need to understand how to engage underrepresented groups in football.
Approach
Therefore, we worked with the County’s FA team and its partners across Birmingham and surrounding areas to understand underrepresented groups views towards football. This was done by distributing surveys to the target groups and conducting five focus groups with individuals from the unrepresented populations: women, girls, young people, and those suffering with poor mental health.
Outcome
The finding from the surveys and focus groups helped us understand what would encourage underrepresented groups to engage with football and how the County FA can adjust their products and practices to make football more accessible to all. This allowed viable recommendation to be made to the County FA’s to promote football to unrepresented groups.
| Juned Mohammed, Birmingham County FA: “Sports Structures, produced a piece of work that was thorough, detailed and extremely informative. In addition, the report that was produced was extremely user friendly, bespoke, and relent to the outcomes. The insight gained from the work will enable Birmingham County FA to better understand non-consumers, their needs, expectations and any cultural/traditional/ religious needs.” |
Impact
One of the key drivers underpinning the need for non-consumer research was that Birmingham County FA wanted to increase their brand strength and revenue streams. Birmingham County FA wanted to ensure that as a business operating in the modern business landscape, they gave themselves every opportunity to be sustainable. A fundamental part of that is understanding the current consumer market (their needs, aspirations, issues, growth potential) and the non-consumer market (the people that did not engage in their products and services). One of the aspects they wanted us to explore was how they could diversify products and services so that they could increase their market share and create a better relationship with their consumer market (which would ultimately lead to creating a stronger brand). We were the vehicle that has helped achieve this understanding and benefit Birmingham County FA in short and long-term to reach a wider audience.
| Juned Mohammed, Birmingham County FA (Clubs and Leagues Manager): “They were the vehicle that we would use to deep dive into the hearts and minds of the non-consumer and allow us to gain that valuable insight which we cold utilise to commence the product review and diversification process.” |