Arabian Gulf League
The journey of AGL fan engagement
The Arabian Gulf League (AGL) is the top professional football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The League was founded in 1973 as the UAE Football League and was renamed to what it is today in 2013-14 season. Fourteen clubs compete in the League that operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the UAE First Division. UAE Pro League Committee - that holds all the commercial rights - realized that the league was still operating traditionally and needed better recognition and connectivity from millennial and Gen-Z fans.
How can AGL bring unmatched engagement & brand loyalty from millennial fans?
As we embarked on meeting this challenge, we knew that a deep study of the fan demographic was the answer. And sure enough, immediately after our user study, we could quickly identify the problem of fan abandonment that was not because of the branding of Arabian Gulf League but more because of the lack of a more connected platform for the league’s fans. Team Vinfotech created a fan engagement platform (web and mobile) loaded with pre, live and post-game features to help fans stay connected always.
Client's challenges & our solutions
AGL needs new users/fans/followers.
We will help you get initial set of users within a few weeks of launch so as to create a brand buzz.
We also want to keep our existing followers engaged.
Our fantasy gameplay would ensure that existing and new fans keep coming back to the platform.
We mainly want to promote league branding.
We will allow interesting gaming features such as prediction games, quick fantasy games on the platform where fans can participate in and stand chance to win some cool AGL apparel and merchandise. Other sections such as predictions and media galleries help fans stay close to the league and its brand.
How do we ensure player recognition?
Our fan engagement platform will highlight top performers from the league as well as throwing light on their journey from being street players to professional footballers. Along with it, there will be a special mention of the region or city where these players come as it will give fans feel the connect in a very different way.
I want to increase my knowledge of Arabian Gulf League games and players.
I want to start playing fantasy football games based on AGL.
I want to know about AGL players like their off- field and on-field activities, ranking etc.
I want to keep in touch with live updates of the real games, play fantasy games and know about players.
Keeping in mind AGL’s targeted demographics and other operational barriers; our Business Analysis team did their research and came up with an exhaustive plan to implement and integrate a high-end customized engagement platform without affecting their existing digital presence. This platform was loaded with tools(features) that not only ensured bringing new fans to the leagues but also ensured retaining their existing followers.
Market research
We studied UAE sports market while understanding the various aspects of fan engagement platforms in terms of legal compliances and ways to turn AGL better than its competition.
Engaging with users
Our user demographic profiles spanned across UAE. We carried out a small online and offline survey of AGL fans along with aspiring fantasy sports players. Our questionnaire comprised points about their incomes, education, awareness about different leagues, their favourite national, local and global players. This helped us foresee the brand we were building.
Business assessment document
In consolidating our findings and accommodating the vision of the web application, we detailed on aspects such as revenue models, payment gateways, easy transactional exchange among others.
Creative workshop with the client
We started with understanding UAE Pro League Committee and their expectations from the project. The Committee had a solid plan in place and they were determined to charm AGL fans.
Wireframing
We had to balance the liking of old fans with new fans so had to create relatable wireframes suitable for both. Our wireframes gave the Pro League Committee the confidence that the fan engagement web application would be a one-of-a-kind yet no less competitive than its counterparts in the UAE.
UI design
We worked on two crucial aspects when it came to design thinking. One, our UI had to look competitive yet easy to use in order to balance fans, fantasy games players and new visitors. Two, both the UI and UX had to smoothly accommodate payment processing for paid fantasy games along with the option of winning prizes, checking news feeds and buying merchandise.
Front-end development
Our experience in creating fan engagement platforms helped us do the client-side development quickly. We did quality analysis for user experience along with working on various other aspects of the platform. We also provided consultation on getting initial set of users.
Development
Our developers also looped in a fan volunteers along with taking constant inputs from the committee as they engaged into the development of Arabian Gulf League’s fan engagement platform.
Testing
Time, as always, was crucial for us and we had to test the beta version early so the client could launch the platform sooner. We launched the beta first and the final immediately after taking some more feedback from potential users.
