The Chelsea Football Club Helps trivago Kick the Brand Into High Gear

When we at trivago first began talking with Chelsea Football Club (CFC) about a business relationship, of course we were optimistic. But this season has surpassed even our best hopes. Watching the Chelsea men’s team lift the Champions League trophy, the ultimate prize in club football just a few days after the announcement of trivago as the club’s official training wear partner was the best way to kick off our partnership with the club.

Everyone at trivago congratulates all the players, coaches and staff for such a successful season.

However, when it comes to our relationship with Chelsea and, in my experience, sport sponsorships in general, the true value of the partnership is built upon so much more than just the results on the pitch. We are especially thrilled about becoming part of the CFC family because we know our two brands make a great strategic match, much like a pair of world-class midfielders who consistently raise one another’s games.

A shared passion

To succeed in anything in business or life, you need a passion and a purpose. In CFC, we at trivago have found a partner that inspires a similar passion in people all over the world. Both sport and travel are such powerful factors in our lives because they motivate us to extend ourselves outside of our everyday world. Being together with people that matter to us, experiencing unique moments together, exploring new destinations on away matches or huge victories in national and international competitions – football is bringing joy into our daily lives as travel does. They are outlets for us to break away from our daily lives.  That feeling of wanting to go led us to our “Let’s Go” partnership theme.  After months of lockdown, the need to “go” away from our homes to travel and enjoy passions, such as football, seemed like the perfect way to express the partnership.

It’s also wonderful that CFC is a truly inclusive, global organization – from the youth teams and academy to the league/league cup champion Chelsea FC Women and the men’s team. trivago is, too. Not only does our metasearch cover 190-plus countries, but we also have a diverse group of talents from over 70 nations. Overall, the drive to experience something bigger than oneself matches perfectly.

Enabling our vision

Our CFC sponsorship is also the perfect springboard for the trivago brand as we emerge from the pandemic. When Covid-19 essentially shut down travel in 2020, we found ourselves with an unprecedented opportunity to take a deep breath and reimagine what travel and travelers would look like in the new normal. Reinforced an entrepreneurial passion and hundreds of innovative talents, we set out to make trivago more engaging for more people.

We are transforming trivago by building on our world-class accommodation solutions to offer a broader array of what travelers want. The recent launch of trivago Weekend and our new collaboration with TUI Group to offer travel experiences are just two examples of how we are expanding the trivago value proposition. And that expansion gives us the opportunity to work with CFC to reimagine how people can be immersed in our brand.

CFC helps to move trivago beyond our digital landscape to interact with users in the real world. Our first project was turning Stamford Bridge into Stamford Beach for a day for journalists and other influencers. In the near future, Chelsea fans and trivago users will have access to exclusive monthly Money Can’t Buy experiences offered all round the world . These will include opportunities to meet the players, travel with the team to away games , enjoy the exclusive trivago suite at Stamford Bridge and more. (Watch the trivago and CFC social channels and our partnership landing page for more details)

Passion, inclusivity, innovation and a commitment to excellence. Chelsea and trivago share all these traits and more. When we direct them toward a common goal, there’s no way we can lose. Let’s go!

–Jon Armitage, CMO