Cup winner Sturm Graz is Social Media Champion 2023 in Austria
The SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz dethroned the FC Red Bull Salzburg and securese itself 2023 for the first time the Austrian championship title in the Social Media League of the International Football Institute (IFI). The Cup Winner 2023 celebrated thus the “Digital Double”. Second place this year was taken by Salzburgfollowed by Wiener Austria. Only sixth place went to Rapid, the WAC finished last in this ranking. The in Munich/Ismaning resident International Football Institute (IFI) independently and scientifically evaluated the official Social Media Accounts of the twelve First division teams over the entire Season 2022/23 the admiral Bundesliga away.
Christoph Oberlehner, Head of the IFI in Austria, congratulates the SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz on the title: “Congratulations to Sturm Graz for the Austrian Social Media Championship 2023! This championship title shows perfectly that, in addition to sporting success – which Sturm certainly had last season as Cup winner – it definitely also pays to invest in issues that connect your own club very directly with the public. Emotional, creative and credible – this is how the ‘Blackies’ further increased their already high follower numbers and achieved impressive interaction rates on almost all platforms. At IFI, we are researching and evaluating this because we are working with the Social Media Championship that there is much more to modern soccer than just the 90 minutes on the field. Particularly in order to bring the young generation closer to top-level Austrian soccer, the Bundesliga clubs have set up presences on the most important Social Media platforms now indispensable.“
(N) = promoted
Two arrows = more than two places difference to the previous year
Prof. Dr. Katharina Schöttlwho at the Private University Schloss Seeburg ( Seekirchen am Wallersee & Vienna) teaches, at the IFI the Department of Digital Communication directs and the IFI Social Media League responsible, to the outstanding Social Media Performance 2022/23 of Storm and on best practice in Austria: “I congratulate SK Sturm Graz on their championship title in the Austrian Social Media League 2023 of the IFI! An important building block of the Styrians’ success is their authenticity in communication. Sturm Graz has earned the Social media championship, as the association has succeeded in attracting a broad followers a high level of interaction on the most important Social media channels. This confirms the quality of the posts and shows that the club is succeeding in communicating with the various fan groups at a high level and thus extending the sporting success into social media as well. In the process, all multimedia functions of the Social media platforms are used on a channel-specific basis to convey the emotions surrounding the team digitally and thus bring the fan even closer to the action. Sturm has won the title in Austria against strong rivals such as defending champions FC Red Bull Salzburg and Austria Wien, which for years have been among the top clubs in the Social Media League count. The top three in Austria are distinguished by their increased and skilful use of moving image formats, by the fact that they have regular Collab posts on Instagram successfully underscore the partnership nature of sponsorships, as well as leveraging the reach of partners through this format, and that they also convey impressions outside of traditional sports coverage.“
The International Football Institute IFI published in Germany already since the Bundesliga season 2016/17 respectively to End of season the Social Media League. In Austria launched these Analysis with the Bundesliga season 2020/21. The evaluation is based on developed by the IFI, independent Social-Media Index (SMI) developed by the IFI. In the process since the 2021/22 season the five most important Social-Media- Communication channels of the twelve First division players (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Tik Tok) via in Sum 19 Key figures (zat BeXample Followers, interaction and growth rates, post-Hfrequency) Scientific analyzed and evaluated in a well-founded manner.
The champions of the social media league in Austria so far:
2021 LASK
2022 FC Red Bull Salzburg