playermaker
TYPE / Technology, Content strategy
DATE / JUL 2024 - OCT 2024
Playermaker engaged Sport Science Agency to help build and deliver a more targeted B2B content strategy, one that would clearly articulate the value proposition of its wearable technology within professional football clubs and elite academies.
The objective was not to change perceptions, but to strengthen the brand’s positioning within a highly specific audience outside of senior first team environments: academy directors, youth coaching leads, and performance directors responsible for shaping long-term development systems for all stages up to U18s. These decision-makers demand credibility, clarity, and proof of impact. Playermaker needed support in translating its technical capabilities into a compelling performance narrative that aligned with the everyday realities of elite football environments.
SSA’S SOLUTION
SSA delivered a strategic and insight-led content approach focused on storytelling, operational clarity, and football-specific credibility, which would be replicable across Playermaker's wide partner network of elite professional clubs and academies.
We began with a multi-phase discovery process, initially on an internal basis with the sales and partnerships team at Playermaker to identify the short and long term goals, and understand what the specific restrictions were in being able to achieve those. Off the back of this first phase, we built out a number of flexible, strategic assets which could be utilised in either a plug-and-play model internally, or that could be handed to an external agency partner to deliver, which included a customer journey matrix, an audience-driven messaging and communications strategy and a structured content calendar designed around the seasonal buying cycle of clubs and academies.
We then undertook an extensive information-gathering phase externally, including stakeholder interviews, performance mapping, and insight-gathering sessions with senior staff at Club Brugge, one of the most forward-thinking academy models in European football. This included conversations with Head of Video Analysis, Pieter Vanhoef, Academy Performance Analyst, Kenneth Vandesteene, and Academy Director, Jarno Verheye.
From this, we developed a full suite of performance-led content designed to:
Clarify the value proposition to key stakeholders within elite academies
Showcase the operational integration of Playermaker across departments and age groups
Demonstrate clear ROI in areas such as return-to-play, player understanding, and long-term development
Support marketing activation and sales enablement through high-quality content assets like blogs, quote banks, and social copy tailored for B2B decision-makers
Rather than simply promote features, our content translated how Playermaker works in practice, and why it matters to those responsible for talent progression and performance outcomes.
KEY OUTCOMES AND IMPACT
Defined B2B messaging framework anchored in real use-case insights from an elite European academy
Multi-channel content suite developed to support Playermaker’s marketing team across digital, sales, and campaign activity
Improved clarity and resonance across value proposition materials aimed at coaches, analysts, and directors
Enhanced lead generation support and customer advocacy through case-led storytelling built around real user experience and operational success
Positioning uplift in how Playermaker is perceived as a performance tool, not just a data product
Why Playermaker Trusted Sport Science Agency
Playermaker’s success depends on how well its technology integrates into the performance and development frameworks of top-level football clubs. That required a partner who could not only speak the language of sport science, but who also understood the internal dynamics and commercial levers within elite football.
SSA’s ability to distill complex operational value into credible, compelling content enabled Playermaker to strengthen its message and grow its footprint in one of the most competitive markets in sport.
CLIENT’S VIEW
"Working with SSA was a seamless experience from start to finish. Their deep expertise in the sports performance industry, particularly at the elite level, was a major reason we chose them, and they exceeded expectations. Their unique blend of performance and commercial insight meant we could have sophisticated, nuanced conversations without needing to simplify or translate. They embrace the complexity of this industry and consistently deliver clear, actionable insights."
PAUL BOANAS - SALES DIRECTOR, PLAYERMAKER