Samsung and The Elephant Room Empower Community Football Clubs Through Creativity and Tech

Samsung UK has partnered with The Elephant Room to devise a major new grassroots football campaign that will empower Sunday league teams to become champions of creativity and tech.

The Grassroots Academy will provide local community support for local teams by helping five clubs to learn vital creative and digital skills through Samsung technology, elevating their clubs’ brand and content, amplified through Samsung channels.

Grassroots football beats at the hearts of communities all over the country. But it's in trouble.

More than 5,000 grassroots football clubs will cease to exist as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, a new report has warned. The study found that 96% of clubs in the UK have seen a reduction in income in the last year.*

There are 43,000 active clubs in the UK and, according to the research, 12% say closure is inevitable.

Clubs need help to thrive and so Samsung is working with the London based agency to empower clubs everywhere to raise their game through creativity and Samsung technology. To win likes, fans and followers.

East London’s Baiteze Squad has grown a huge following both online and in real life through their creative use of content, digital platform and tech skills through its brand and content. The Elephant Room approached the recently crowned Champions of England team to help kick off the project and to share that expertise and know-how via the Academy with other Sunday league clubs.

Running from late summer, The Grassroots Academy will see Baiteze plus other experts from football and tech hold face to face and virtual masterclasses and workshops on how to harness the power of Samsung technology, create epic content and build a community. Creating epic content for its community was central to the success of Baiteze. Samsung want every club involved to experience this same empowerment and are providing each club on the Academy with a Galaxy S22 Ultra smartphone and Samsung Z Fold3 to ensure they have the very best technology to achieve that same goal. The Academy will help provide the clubs with the ability to cultivate and share storytelling content which will elevate clubs  enabling them to unlock their potential and boost visibility.

The Grassroots Academy campaign launches via a social Media campaign which includes an energetic launch film featuring Baiteze directed by Sau Ali. Football teams can apply to be one of the five clubs by showing Samsung their club in the most creative way, all wrapped up in a 60 second film. Films should then be shared on Instagram using #SamsungGrassroots and tagging @SamsungUK by 25th July 2022 to be in with a chance of winning a place.

The Grassroots Academy is open to all UK-based registered adult football clubs with sessions running late summer. The training will cover how to create a brand, content creation, digital publishing, how to build a following and product training.

Amy Campbell, director of corporate marketing at Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland, said, “We are excited to be launching The Grassroots Academy which will help the community Football teams with additional creative and tech skills to help grow their brand and following.

As an agency partner, Elephant Room offers incredible guidance in how brands can be more inclusive and play a more meaningful role in our audience’s lives. We’re delighted to be partnering with them”

Dan Saxby, managing director and co-founder of The Elephant Room added, “We’re delighted to partner with Samsung, helping them play an authentic and meaningful role within communities across the UK. This campaign will deliver inspiration and innovation for the many grassroots teams across the country under threat. We’re also proud to be partnering with Baiteze Squad, a community club who have achieved so much on and off the pitch. Their story will inspire other teams that technology and creativity can help them not just survive, but thrive.”

The Elephant Room is working with Samsung UK to bring an inclusive approach to its UK brand communications, as part of Samsung’s commitment to #DoWhatYouCant promise, building cultural credibility with young people across the UK.

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* Report: The Final Whistle For Grassroots Football