Ken Lambert: Vissel Kobe communications, stars and digital

Sports Content Strategy with MrRichardClarke: Exploring sports content, journalism, digital and social media

How he ended up in the J.League and Vissel Kobe

The international development role at FC Koln

The difference in communications requirements between Germany and Japan

The need to actively pitch stories in the J.League

The dominance of newspapers in the sports media market in Japan

The media requirements in the J.League and the organisation of the communications/media department at Vissel

How Vissel Kobe handled the signing of Andreas Iniesta

The strategy that links with parent company Rakuten

Their relative strengths on social media - most-followed J.League club on Instagram and previously top on YouTube

The international players’ influence on the club’s social media growth

How they use Viber internally and externally

The J.League’s plan to become the leading league in Asia

The influence of the DAZN deal on J.League clubs

Vissel Kobe’s first foray in the AFC Champions League - starting well, Covid, one team pulling out of the group, pandemic protection

Covid’s effects on the J.League as a whole
Lukas Podolski - Poldi’s Noise and how he turned it into a media brand, being “Farmer Smart”, using humour to help the team and charitable causes

Why the respectful approach of the media comes from the culture in the country

Where does the J.League need to strengthen in the next five years?