Speaking “with” supporters. Not “to” supporters. The enormous, fascinating, in some ways new, opportunity, that A.C. Milan gave me, that is to be the new Community Manager of AC Milan Club, has realized one of my dreams as a child: to establish direct contact with my readers. Being a journalist and having understood the huge potential of digital and social communication at the right time has only simplified my task. Pasquale Campopiano, AC Milan Community Manager, explain us better which will be his role within the Company. What a better opportunity to clarify to everyone what lies behind this somewhat mysterious definition.

AN INNOVATION IN FOOTBALL

Because the role of the Community Manager, in football, is an innovation. In the sense that the person connecting the boundless community of the web and the Club, has usually been created by brands and factories that are very different from that of football. Also in this case the communication sensitivity of the new Chinese owner, of the management led by Marco Fassone and the communication area led by Fabio Guadagnini, made the difference. AC Milan since that fateful April 13, 2017, the day on which the closing was signed with the transfer of the shares from Fininvest to the Chinese, has changed pace, not just “skin”.

It opened up to the new communication dynamics, it chose to talk with its supporters, it removed those filters and those mediations that often characterize sports communication. And it as able to do so in a few simple steps: by activating its digital channels, allowing “live” and “user friendly” access to all its platforms and above all by approaching its people, with transparency. The summer of “let's move to formal things”, of a season ticket campaign close to the needs of supporters, a streamlined and direct communication, free from any external conditioning, represent a strong, innovative signal, which AC Milan’s world appreciated a lot. AC Milan broke the traditional communication patterns and from its media house located on the first floor of Casa Milan in Via Aldo Rossi, launched a new, clear message, directed to its people.

LISTENING THE WEB

My role fits in this context, the Community Manager is merely a mediator of the message that the club wants to communicate to its supporters and of the feedback that is matched by the boundless world of passion that is represented by AC Milan’s supporters. AC Milan’s Community Manager “listens” to the network, interprets its thoughts, establishes a direct dialogue with users and reports to the club the needs, the fears, the worries, the joys and the moods of AC Milan’s people. The English call it “sentiment”, perhaps a too simplistic to explain what lies behind that boundless universe represented by the cheer for the favorite team. The Community Manager interprets supporters’ sentiment, he draws up daily reports analysing data, posts, numbers and communication flows. The Community Manager lives on social media, he enters the most diverse forums, he visits dedicated websites and he reads everything he need to know about his reference world, the web community.

A BOUNDLESS WORLD OF PASSION

Try to close your eyes and to imagine how many millions AC Milan’s supporters every day tweet, write a post on Facebook or post a photo on Instagram, dedicate time to their great unique love by participating in discussions in forums or filling pages and virtual pages of blogs and specialized web sites; with a single common denominator, AC Milan in their heart. This is the Community, the web universe dedicated to two colors, the red of the fire and the black of fear. I rehearsed during the 14 long months of the closing: first as a journalist of Corriere dello Sport and then as a freelancer, I understood that the only way to explain to such passionate people the complicated mechanism of the acquisition and transfer of ownership of one of the most successful football clubs in the world, was exactly to explain it to them.

Le prove generali del mio incarico le ho fatte nel corso dei 14 lunghissimi mesi del closing: prima da giornalista del Corriere dello Sport e poi da free lance, ho capito che l’unico modo per spiegare a tanta gente piena di passione un meccanismo così complicato come l’acquisizione e il passaggio di proprietà di uno dei club di calcio più gloriosi al mondo, era appunto spiegarglielo. 

TALKING WITH SUPPORTERS

Talking with supporters. The social media did the rest. Opening up to the web and to all its potential users is a bit like opening up to infinity. And suddenly I found myself with almost 200 million contacts on all my official accounts. This means that, at least once, almost 200 million people have visited my “web”. To listen to the story I was telling, a true story: AC Milan’s transfer to the Chinese. When everything was done, it was so quick: from journalist to Community Manager, thanks to AC Milan. My mission has not changed in Casa Milan: I listen to everything fans have to say and I suggest AC Milan the communication strategies to increase the trust and passion of its people. Then again the English will tell you that these things are called sentiment, engagement, fidelity, retention and user experiences, I explain them like this: dear friends, AC Milan’s supporters, talk, have your say, AC Milan listens to you. And it is the first football club to do so.