#btsia Shortlist Focus: #whatif
Brand: Women in Football
Agency: Synergy (ENGINE Sport)
Entry: #WhatIf
Category: Diversity and Inclusion Award
Tell us about yourselves…
Women in Football is a network of women, working in the football industry, who support and champion their peers. Eventually, our goal is for WiF to no longer be required, but until that time we will share our professional expertise with other women trying to work in football, challenge discrimination wherever we find it and raise awareness of the brilliant women who play such valuable roles across the industry. Creating a more diverse industry will only make it stronger and, the fact is, anyone who is not part of the solution is part of the problem.
We are hugely thankful to Synergy & Engine who worked on a pro-bono basis to come up with the #WhatIf campaign. The brief was to help us celebrate our 10th anniversary, but the campaign ended up delivering so much more: it showed that great marketing itself can be part of the solution.
Why do you think you made the shortlist?
“The Insight – If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Everyone in the sport industry has the power to take concrete actions – big or small; in their professional or personal lives – to make sure that they are part of the solution.
“The Creative Mechanic – Transforming WIF into #WhatIf gave us a powerful and simple creative hook that not only challenged people to think what they could do to be part of the solution but gave them a consistent way to articulate their pledges as part of the bigger campaign.
“The results – We could never have imagined the sheer number and scale of the pledges that were made as part of campaign or the reach that it achieved. But none of that matters compared to all the brilliant #WhatIf pledges – big and small – that have been delivered across the industry, helping all of us take another big step towards a stronger and more diverse industry.”
What made this year fun?
There is always something special about working on a campaign with a purpose. But talking about discrimination too often feels like a negative, because it usually involves difficult discussions and unspoken criticism. The power of #WhatIf is that it gave WiF a positive vehicle to highlight inequality and drive change. It gave people a mechanism to create a positive impact for us all, and as a result, the whole industry queued up to support us. What could be more rewarding than that?
Who’s your MVP?
There are too many to mention, but Leanne Ayin and Lucy Pepper from Women in Football deserve special shout outs for all their tireless work to turn #WhatIf from an idea on some Powerpoint slides to a campaign that had such a positive impact in the real world.
And #WhatIf also owes a huge debt of gratitude to Jacqui Oatley. From hosting our events to engaging her network and amplifying our content, it was her support and commitment that helped make it famous
How do you plan to celebrate?
If we are lucky enough to win, we would dedicate the award to Vikki Orvice. A founding member of Women in Football, no one has done more to champion the cause of all women in football. She was on this journey from the very beginning but her recent death means she won’t be around to see how it ends.
The BT Sport Industry Awards are the largest commercial sport awards in the world and an unrivalled showcase for the best of the sector’s output. This year’s Awards will see the industry come together for its night of the year on Thursday, 25th April at Battersea Evolution.
SILVER TABLE PACKAGES HAVE SOLD OUT! Book your table NOW.
