For over a century, Al Ahly SC has been more than just a football club; they're a cultural phenomenon, it is the only sports club brand with 16 campaigns on the INSITEOPEDIA. This passionate fanbase that reaches 46M followers across their official social media which is almost half of Egypt's population, fiercely loyal and vast in number, hasn't escaped the keen eye of marketers. Savvy brands recognize Al Ahly SC as a marketing goldmine, a chance to tap into the most dedicated audience in the African continent and achieve a winning edge in the Egyptian market. The number one in Africa by FIFA's ranking was awarded the Egyptian Football League title, just a few days ago to crown to a fruitful season for the Reds in almost all sports and games. Al Ahly is the only Egyptian football team that will join the first FIFA Club World Cup 2025 alongside another 31 football teams of the world masters. Al Ahly has a record of 44 national league titles, 39 national cup titles, 14 national Super Cup titles, 12 CAF Champions League, 8 CAF Super Cup, and the count goes up to 151 titles... No wonder the club has tens of millions of passionate fans! Before delving into Al Ahly's recent strategic partnerships, it's astonishing how a sports club has managed to attract such a diverse range of high-profile sponsors. Over the past two decades, Al Ahly has achieved a remarkable feat by securing sponsorships from all three major telecommunication companies in Egypt - Vodafone, WE, and recently Etisalat by e&,- as well as two leading banks, SAIB and FAB Misr right after. This extraordinary accomplishment, unmatched by any other sports club in Egypt, Africa, or internationally, underscores Al Ahly's enormous marketing value and ability to attract top-tier brands. This article thoroughly analyzes the strategic partnership between brands and Al Ahly SC, exploring the secrets behind why companies cling to this footballing titan for marketing success. Why do brands choose Al Ahly specifically to represent them? The Biggest Fanbase and Brand Loyalty: Al Ahly is one of Africa's most successful and popular football clubs, boasting millions of passionate fans. Partnering with the team allows brands to tap into this loyal fanbase and gain instant brand recognition among a large audience segment. Positive Brand Association: Al Ahly is associated with success, excellence, and national pride. By aligning themselves with the club, brands can benefit from these positive associations and transfer them to their products or services. Effective Marketing Reach: Al Ahly has a significant presence across various media channels, including TV, social media, and their stadium. Partnering with the club allows brands to leverage this reach and get their message in front of a large audience. Across Demographics: The vast number of Al Ahly supporters inside Egypt includes every demographic segment of the market, this fanbase is highly desirable by almost every brand. Partnering or sponsoring the club puts brands at the top of the market. Unconditional Loyalty: Football fans, particularly Al Ahly supporters are very loyal to their team and aware of every action that favors their team's brand name, they understand that every brand that supports their team is looking for their support back, and Al Ahly fans are smart enough to follow every call-to-action (CTA). Happiness Connection: Football evokes strong emotions in fans. Associating brands with Al Ahly's victories, titles, and outstanding achievements, helps brands to create a deeper emotional connection with the market in general, and their consumers/customers in particular. Examples of Successful Partnerships 1- E& Egypt A remarkable campaign that used the popularity of the sports club to promote its financial service and mobile app, Etisalat Cash, features four of its football team, Marwan Attia, Kahraba, Akram Tawfik, and Wessam Abou Ali. The chosen players are young to target the same age range segments and raise awareness of using the e& Cash application. Moreover, the popularity of the players will allow the brand to be introduced to other classes since Football is the most popular sport in Egypt. E& Egypt made a strategic and audacious move by adopting red, a signature color traditionally associated with a key competitor, as its brand identity. By aligning with Al Ahly SC, the original owner of this iconic hue, e& not only leveraged the club's powerful brand equity but also positioned itself as a bold and confident challenger in the market. 2- Shell A great example to show that emotional direction is the secret ingredient of a successful campaign, the utilization of the ad copy and the visuals makes the campaign ooze with warm feelings which is the main campaign’s objective. Shell's campaign was a celebration of 10 years of sponsoring Al Ahly SC, the copy was a great ad which was “whoever brings us joy, we'll keep back them up along with 7 players of Al Ahly SC from Volleyball, Handball, and Football teams. 3- Coca-Cola Speaking of the emotional connection, Coca-Cola’s OOH campaign is an example, using heartfelt direction along with the appearance of sports club stars like Hossam Ghaly, Mohamed El Shenawy, and the former trainer Manuel José, was a great addition to make the audience connect between those popular icons, the red jersey and the beverage that was always a companion during sensational moments like cheering. With daily sales of 1.9 billion bottles, Coca-Cola's $7.2 billion Egyptian market share (Statista) hung in the balance during the boycott crisis. The brand's strategic alliance with Al Ahly proved instrumental in safeguarding its position, demonstrating the undeniable commercial value of the club's iconic status. Because of Al Ahly There is another approach that is using Al Ahly's players as brand ambassadors in an indirect way of attracting the club's fans, using the appearance of one player from Al Ahly, such as in Energya's campaign using Mahmoud Kahraba as their brand ambassador, Percy Tau as an ambassador for TAW TAW cake, and Hamdi Fathi for Dettol. Brands leverage Al Ahly players for various strategic reasons, including their immense popularity, positive public image, and even the opportunity to create engaging and memorable campaigns through unexpected partnerships. 117 Years of Passion: How Al Ahly Transcended Sports to Define a Culture Let’s admit it, Al Ahly since 1907 has always been a phenomenon among all the other Egyptian brands. Global brands usually deploy Al Ahly as an ambassador for their brand name to guarantee a successful execution to the Egyptian market and community, in a proven historical record, Al Ahly is the fastest way to dominate the Egyptian market. Al Ahly's influence is undeniable, but it's a microcosm of a much larger trend. They embody local pride, inspire generations, and create shared experiences that transcend social and economic barriers. This emotional connection makes sports clubs a powerful tool for brands of all origins. A well-crafted campaign can leverage this passion to sell products and build a genuine and lasting bond with the audience. Al Ahly is the only sports club in Africa that can carry many global brands to their audience in the region, indeed, it can even be the password to the brand's crisis management, Al Ahly is a sports club that won the trust of tens of millions across the globe. It is the African club of the century, It is Al Ahly.
