Real Madrid and public relations: applying the circuit of culture to organizational values

ABSTRACT

Real Madrid is one of the leading sport organizations in the world in terms of finances, fans and awards, a status gained in large part due to its values. Using a critical/historical method, this paper examines the role of public relations in how Real Madrid communicates its values with club members and international fans, focusing on the years 2000 to present. For that purpose, this article uses the circuit of culture and its five moments – regulation, production, consumption, representation, and identity – in the creation of shared meaning. The circuit provides an organizing and conceptual framework that places public relations practice in a dynamic negotiation of power between the organization (Real Madrid) and its stakeholders (mainly international fans) that is context specific and constantly changing. The study concludes that Real Madrid has been able to embrace a set of universalist values and thus find massive success to break away from its older, local and national identity, all without alienating its Spanish fans.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Ross, Winn, Wood and Hammond, Bullseye. Football money league 2019, 5.

2. Brand Finance, ‘Football 50 2018. The Annual Report on the Most Valuable Football brands’.

3. Mandis, The Real Madrid Way: How Values Created the Most Successful Sports Team on the Planet.

4. Ross, Winn, Wood and Hammond, Bullseye. Football Money League 2019, 5.

5. Mandis, The Real Madrid Way: How Values Created the Most Successful Sports Team on the Planet.

6. Mandis, The Real Madrid Way: How Values Created the Most Successful Sports Team on the Planet, 89.

7. Curtin and Gaither, ‘Privileging identity, difference and power: The circuit of culture as a basis for public relations Practice’.

8. Du Gay, Hall, Janes, Mackay, and Negus, Doing Cultural Studies: The Story of the Sony Walkman.

9. Zhang and Pitts (eds.), The global football industry. Marketing perspectives.

10. Kennedy and Kennedy (eds.), Football suporters and the commercialization of football: Comparative responses across Europe.

11. Cleland, A sociology of football in a global context.

12. Porter, May and Kierman, Football, community and sustainability; Duke and Crolley, Football, nationality and the state.

13. O’Brien, ‘“El Clasico” and the demise of tradition in Spanish club football perspectives on shifting patterns of cultural identity’; O’Brien, ‘Globalisation, tradition and cultural identity in Spanish football: Reflections and observations’.

14. Andrews, “Being special: The rise of super clubs in European football’.

15. Olabe, ‘La comunicación digital del FC Barcelona y del Real Madrid CF y su percepción por los periodistas deportivos’.

16. San Eugenio, Ginesta and Xifra, ‘Peace, sports diplomacy and corporate socia responsibility: a case study of FC Barcelona Peace Tour 2013ʹ; Ginesta, San

Eugenio, Bonet and Ferrer, ‘Global football in the US market. The internacionalization of FC Barcelona and its media coverage’.

17. Xifra, ‘Soccer, civil religion, and public relations: Devotional-promotional communication and Barcelona Football Club’; García, ‘Nationalism, identity, and fan relationship building in Barcelona Football Club’; Gómez-Bantel, ‘Football clubs as symbols of regional identities.’

18. Kiernan and Porter, ‘Little United and the Big Society: Negotiating th gap between football, community and the politics of inclusion’; Torchia, ‘An alternative football club in a liquid modernity: FC United of Manchester.’

19. Hassan and Hamil, ‘Models of football governance and management in international sport’; Hamil, Walters and Watson, ‘The model of governance at FC Barcelona: Balancing member democracy, commercial strategy, corporate social responsibility and sporting performance.

20. Campos, ‘Interview with José Angel Sanchez Real Madrid Club de Fútbol’s General Marketing Director’; Blanco Callejo and Forcadell, ‘El Real Madrid Club de Fútbol: La aplicación de un modelo empresarial a una entidad deportiva en España’; Martínez-Jerez and Martínez de Albornoz, Hala Madrid: Managing Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, the Team of the Century; Urrutia de Hoyos, Kase, Marti Sanchis, Opazo Bretón, ‘El mapa estratégico del Real Madrid: El arte de construir una marca’; Quelch, Nueno and Knoop, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol; García, ‘Real Madrid Football Club brand building strategy. Applying a relationship management model to a sport organization in Spain’; Baena, ‘Online and mobile marketing strategies as drivers of brand love in sports teams: Findings from Real Madrid’; Mandis, The Real Madrid Way: How Values Created the Most Successful Sports Team on the Planet.

21. Martínez-Jerez and Martínez de Albornoz, Hala Madrid: Managing Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, the Team of the Century

22. Lustig and Koester, Intercultural Competence. Intercultural Communication across Cultures.

23. Rokeach, The Nature of Human Values.

24. Curtin and Gaither, International Public Relations. Negotiating Culture, Identity and Power.

25. Sarabia-Panol and Sison, ‘International public relations and the circuit of culture: An analysis of Gawad Kalinga.’

26. Han and Zhang, ‘Starbucks is forbidden in the Forbidden city: Blog, circuit of culture and informal public relations campaign in China.’

27. Scherer and Jackson, ‘Cultural studies and the circuit of culture: Advertising, promotional culture and the New Zealand all Blacks.’

28. Curtin and Gaither, ‘Contested notions of issue identity in international public relations: A case study.’

29. Ciszek, ‘Bridging the gap: Mapping the relationship between activism and public relations.’

30. Curtin and Gaither, International Public Relations. Negotiating Culture, Identity and Power.

31. Du Gay, Hall, Janes, Mackay, and Negus, Doing Cultural Studies: The Story of the Sony Walkman.

32. Curtin and Gaither, International Public Relations. Negotiating Culture, Identity and Power, 38.

33. Ibid., 39.

34. Ibid., 40.

35. Curtin and Gaither, ‘Privileging identity, difference and power: The circuit of culture as a basis for public relations Practice’.

36. Curtin and Gaither, International Public Relations. Negotiating Culture, Identity and Power, 40.

37. Curtin and Gaither, International Public Relations. Negotiating Culture, Identity and Power.

38. Tajfel, ‘Experiments in intergroup discrimination’; Tajfel and Turner, ‘An integrative theory of intergroup conflict’.

39. Bairnier, Sport, nationalism, and globalization: European and North American perspectives; Harris and Parker, Sport and social identities; Giulianotti, Globalization and football.

40. Mandis, The Real Madrid Way: How Values Created the Most Successful Sports Team on the Planet, 15.

41. Kase, Sáez and Riquelme, Transformational CEOs: Leadership and Management Success in Japan.

42. Martínez-Jerez and Martínez de Albornoz, Hala Madrid: Managing Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, the Team of the Century.

43. Kase, Urrutia de Hoyos, Martí Sanchís, and Opazo Bretón, ‘The proto-image of Real Madrid: Implications for marketing and management.’

44. García, ‘Real Madrid Football Club: Applying a relationship-management model to a sport organization in Spain.’ 287.

45. Mandis, The Real Madrid Way: How Values Created the Most Successful Sports Team on the Planet.

46. Blanco Callejo and Forcadell, ‘Real Madrid Football Club: A new model of business organization for sports club in Spain.’

47. García, ‘Real Madrid Football Club: Applying a relationship-management model to a sport organization in Spain.’

48. Campos, ‘Interview with José Angel Sanchez Real Madrid Club de Fútbol’s General Marketing Director,’ 239.

49. García, ‘Real Madrid Football Club: Applying a relationship-management model to a sport organization in Spain,’ 290.

50. Ibid.

51. US Census, ‘Fact for features: Hispanic Heritage Month 2018.’

52. AS, ‘El Madrid se lanza a la conquista de Asia.’

53. Petrikova and Sorokova, ‘Economic and psychological aspects of importance of Real Madrid brand in marketing communication.’

54. Jiménez, ‘El Real Madrid amplia negocio: “Ahora también somos una empresa de contenidos”.’

55. Ibid.

56. Trullols, ‘Web, televisión propia y redes sociales. El Real Madrid a la conquista del mundo.’

57. Baena, ‘Online and mobile marketing strategies as drivers of brand love in sports teams: Findings from Real Madrid.’

58. Beer, ‘Inside Real Madrid’s game plan for digital domination.’

59. Trullols, ‘Web, televisión propia y redes sociales. El Real Madrid a la conquista del mundo.’

60. COPE, ‘Los museos más visitados de España.’

61. Ross, Winn, Wood and Hammond, Bullseye. Football money league, 5.

62. Mandis, The Real Madrid Way: How Values Created the Most Successful Sports Team on the Planet.

63. Real Madrid, Real Madrid 2018/2019 Annual Report.

64. Sky Channel, ‘Manchester United sells more shirts than any other club in world football.’

65. Quiroga, Football and National Identities in Spain. The Strange Death of Don Quijote.

66. Foer, How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization; Lowe, Fear and Loathing in la Liga. Barcelona, Real Madrid and the World’s Greatest Sports Rivalry.

67. Burns, De Riotinto a la Roja: Un Viaje por el Fútbol Español 1887–2012.

68. Méndez, ‘Sebastián dice que “no hubo forma” que el Barça promocionase España.’

69. Diario Madridista, ‘Florentino Pérez: “El Real Madrid no necesita ponerse la bandera en la camiseta para decir que somos españoles”.’

70. Espinosa, ‘El Real Madrid renuncia a la cruz de su escudo en el Golfo.’

71. Carlin, Los Angeles Blancos: El Real Madrid y el Nuevo Fútbol; Valdano, Fútbol: El Juego Infinito.

72. Rodríguez-Pomeda, Casani and Alonso-Almeida, ‘Emotions’ management within the Real Madrid football club business model.’

73. OKDiario, ‘El Real Madrid no necesita ponerse la bandera en la camiseta para decir que somos españoles.”

74. Kennedy and Kennedy (eds.), Football suporters and the commercialization of football: Comparative responses across Europe.

75. O’Brien, ‘Globalisation, tradition and cultural identity in Spanish football: Reflections and observations’.

76. García, ‘Real Madrid Football Club brand building strategy. Applying a relationship management model to a sport organization in Spain.’ 289.

77. Xifra, ‘Soccer, civil religion, and public relations: Devotional-promotional communication and Barcelona Football Club.’

78. Interbrand, ‘Mejores marcas españolas 2019.’