September 15: Manchester City have extended their partnership with experience management company Qualtrics, expanding a relationship that started with fan surveys into something closely linked to commercial growth at the expanding Etihad Campus.
Qualtrics has been City’s official experience management software partner since 2021, providing the technology used to collect and analyze supporter feedback across match days, ticketing, hospitality and other parts of the club.
No length or value has been disclosed for the new deal.
What has changed since 2021 is the size of the operation that Qualtrics is asked to measure. The city is in the midst of a £300m redevelopment of the Etihad campus, with the new Medlock Square bringing together an expanded stadium, a 401-room hotel, a museum, a larger club shop, restaurants, hospitality and events space designed to operate all year round.
This gives City many more customer touch points than a traditional day business and much more data to work with.
Qualtrics will now extend into these new areas, with AI-based analytics used to process feedback from fans, hotel guests, visitors and business partners on a larger scale.
Mark Lambert, vice president of marketing and partnership operations for City Football Group, said the information collected will become increasingly important as the campus expands.
“Creating exceptional experiences is central to our approach, and Qualtrics’ technology has helped us turn feedback into action. As the Etihad campus continues to grow, with our new food and beverage offerings, Medlock Square and the new Medlock Hotel, the data and insights we gain will play an important role in shaping the future experiences we deliver.”
The original 2021 deal was largely framed around post-match surveys and an understanding of the supporter journey, including catering, retail and facilities. City later added live commentary via QR codes and iPads, as well as overseeing the ticket and merchandise purchase process online.
So the latest extension is less about adding another tech sponsor to the roster and more about what City are building around the Etihad. If Medlock Square is to become the 365-day business the club hopes it will be, then understanding who’s using it, what they’re spending on and where the experience falls short will be that much more valuable, with Qualtrics in hand as the golden ticket to that information.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
