Leading the marketing team at Sport Lisboa e Benfica since the turn of the millennium, Miguel Bento, Commercial and Marketing Director, launched an ambitious digital transformation, culminating in the creation of a revolutionary pre-match entertainment concept called “Inferno da Luz.” This project not only redesigned the match-day experience for fans but also had a significant impact on the club’s commercial revenue and brand value. The digital transformation strategy focused on modernizing the stadium infrastructure and integrating advanced technologies to improve data collection and personalize the fan experience (customer-centric), facilitating the implementation of new fan engagement practices.
After a trophy-less season, SLB managed to consistently maintain a full stadium capacity through the marketing strategies implemented in recent years. However, Miguel Bento’s team questioned whether this would be enough. In recent years, several world-class clubs have invested in marketing strategies that are more brand-centric, while others have focused on more customer-centric strategies. Should the team reinforce the customer-centric strategy, switch to a brand-centric strategy, or complement the current strategy with brand-centric elements?
