Young people are a key target for international federations. To attract them, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) has commissioned an investigation at the Two Circles agency, the results of which have just been published. Three strategic imperatives are mentioned to ensure the long-term popularity and growth of biathlon: meet young fans on social media, create online communities to stimulate fan enthusiasm and highlight the personality of the athletes to strengthen fan engagement.
Since 2022, the IBU has seen a 300-400% increase in reach, views, and engagement on social media. Last season, IBU's social media channels generated 17 million commitments. The IBU has also hired an “athlete content creator” last season to allow biathletes to improve their presence on social networks. A solid foundation on which the organization intends to build to go even higher.
« We are very proud of the work accomplished over the past three years to drive record engagement on IBU digital platforms and help athletes tell their inspiring stories, explains Christian Winkler, IBU communications director. But we know there is still a lot of potential to exploit. Biathlon has all the ingredients for capture the imagination of the next generation, but we must continually adapt the way we present and share our sport. This white paper provides practical information and clear guidance to enable us to continue to build on our recent successes and find ways to expand our reach and attract tomorrow's fans towards biathlon. »
