New City Owners Want Brand Expansion

The new Arab owners of Manchester City have devised a strategy document that will see the club’s brand expanded into a range of new markets.

The Abu Dhabi United Group, which is in the process of completing a £220m takeover of Manchester City, have drawn up a 83-page strategy proposal entitled ‘A New Model for Partnership in Football’.

The plans revolve around widening the commercial potential of the club by undergoing a major brand overhaul and expanding into a variety of new market sectors including financial services, fashion, retail, transport, communications and the food industry.

The document outlines that the club should look to become a brand similar to Richard Branson’s Virgin Group with interests in a number of different commercial ventures.

Some of the ideas include deals with Tata, the Indian car manufacturer, for ‘Citycars’ and China Mobile for City branded phone cards, a range of new energy drinks by Red Bull called ‘City Powered’, ‘City Energy’ and ‘City 24/7’.

Others include food outlets under the name ‘City Eating’ and a range of credit cards dubbed ‘Citycard’.
It is believed that the proposals have not been put into action as yet through definitive approaches to the partnering brands mentioned in the document.

ADUG is run by the ruling Al-Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi with Dr Sulaiman al-Fahim, the prominent Middle East businessman fronting the takeover.

ADUG brokered the takeover deal, buying out previous Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra, on the eve of the transfer deadline day during which they also funded the £32.4m purchase of Robinho from Real Madrid.