Napoli’s foreign fan base has been growing exponentially during the last few seasons. This rising fan base recognizes the effort of the club in implementing an expansion strategy also in foreign markets. As Aurelio De Laurentiis stated “according to Nielsen’s research, Napoli’s fan base has drastically grown to 35 million in the last few years, with a huge presence in the United States, which accounts for 20% of the total. The number of followers (people that like watching Napoli play even if they support other teams) reaches up to 120 million.”
“These are great numbers” said De Laurentiis to the international press correspondents in Italy. “Since a few months ago, we’ve also created a department specific for international marketing development. Serena Salvione is the Head of the team formed by five people. Soccer enthusiasts sympathize with Napoli because it is a fresh team and located in the beautiful worldwide known city of Napoli.”
According to Nielsen’s report, among the 35 million supporters, 4.6 are located in Italy, 7.2 in the United States, 5.1 in Brazil, and 1.4 in Argentina. More than 15% of the 120 million followers come from the Unites States. Also supporters in China are dramatically growing, estimated at about 18 million.
In regards to communication, Napoli has introduced social media accounts in English, Spanish and Chinese, and plans are being made to include additional languages. In China, Napoli opened accounts on WeChat and Weibo, while captain Marek Hamsik has also opened a Weibo account. When it comes to content, Napoli is not just translating from Italian but also creating original content in different languages.
