OneFootball | Rebranding
Turning a Functional App into an Emotional Football Brand
Through Gen Z-focused cultural insight and co-creation research, I helped reposition OneFootball from a utilitarian app to an emotionally engaging brand. The work shaped voice, visuals, and identity - launching a refreshed brand that resonated with a new generation of fans.
The challenge
As OneFootball scaled rapidly to over 15 million MAUs, it succeeded in delivering football scores and news to millions, but struggled to establish itself as a modern, emotionally resonant brand. By 2019, the app was widely used but perceived as purely functional. The goal was clear: evolve OneFootball into a culturally relevant, emotionally engaging brand for Gen Z, the platform’s fastest-growing and most critical audience segment.
My role
As Head of User Research, I was a strategic partner in this brand relaunch initiative. I led all user research activities and worked closely with the Brand and Product teams, from research framing through to strategy development. I also managed the collaboration with our external agency partner, ensuring methodological depth and actionable insights. My role extended beyond execution. I was a central voice in translating fan insight into brand positioning, visual identity, and experience principles.
My approach
We ran a multi-method, six-month research initiative with a focus on Gen Z football fans across key markets. Through a mix of cultural insight work, qualitative interviews, media behavior analysis, and co-creation formats, we explored how younger fans engage with football, from identity and values to digital consumption and influencer culture. Research was integrated into key decision rituals across Brand and Product. I ensured that our findings didn’t just live in decks. They shaped the tone, visuals, and emotional core of the new OneFootball identity.
The impact
The research directly informed OneFootball’s new brand strategy and visual identity, resulting in a fresher, bolder, more Gen Z-aligned brand expression that launched in late 2019. It also positioned user research as a strategic partner for high-stakes, cross-functional work - a shift that led to deeper org-wide adoption of research practices. Our work drew attention across the industry, and I was invited to speak about the project at sports innovation and research conferences in London and Düsseldorf. The relaunch helped OneFootball redefine itself not just as a content provider, but as a culturally aware, emotionally resonant football brand.