Staying connected both on and off the pitch

For German Club, Borussia Mönchengladbach (BMG) football is more than just a game, and it’s easy to understand why. The ‘beautiful game’ has over a billion global fans, with German supporters reported as having some of the strongest attachments to the sport. BMG is one of Europe’s most established football clubs. Founded in the 1900s, they achieved their most successful years in the 1970s by winning the Bundesliga (Germany’s primary football competition) five times.

Anyone who follows football knows that during a 90-minute match, anything can happen. That’s why it’s crucial for Borussia Mönchengladbach to share moments in real-time so its thousands of global fans don’t miss them. “Speed is important in the game of football, both on and off the pitch,” Johannes Feldges, Head of Marketing at Borussia Mönchengladbach explains. That’s why he wants to keep BMG’s fans instantly updated: “The fans are the life blood of our club, creating an electrifying atmosphere.”

BMG’s digital approach so far has gained them nearly a million fans on Facebook, 390,000 fans on Twitter and has seen them generate 250,000 app downloads. During a regular Bundesliga match, the club will tweet 45 times, which will generate 430,000 impressions on average, and its Facebook posts per match will reach more than two million fans. Also, back in 2014 Borussia was also the first Bundesliga Club to launch on Snapchat, appealing to their younger, more mobile fans. These digital platforms keep fans updated whilst on the move, so it’s important for BMG to share content as quickly as possible. Johannes says: “What happens inside our stadium, has to be told to the world. We make sure we have caught the moment, moved the moment, and shared the moment, instantly.”

With Dropbox Business, Johannes explains the Borussia Mönchengladbach photographer shares images instantly from the side of the pitch, to the digital team, who then post the content onto various social media platforms during the nail-biting match. The importance of collaborating at speed cannot be understated, as Johannes says: “Just like the players, we need to be pitch ready too.”

To find out how your business can collaborate at speed, try Dropbox Business free for 30 days.