1
Challenge
EV Zug needed a structured, market-driven strategy, but lacked clarity on who their fans were, how they behaved and how to translate audience insight into a growth plan.
Case study
EV Zug
Increasing Attendance at Women’s Games Through Audience Strategy, Player Engagement and Activation Planning
The Breakaway supported EV Zug with a structured audience and activation project designed to understand potential fans, identify player-led storytelling opportunities and translate research into practical growth initiatives for women’s ice hockey.
2
Insight
Tailored audience research conducted with YouGov identified two broad segments of women’s sport fans in Switzerland: men 35+, with a relationship to ice hockey and motivated by action and competition; and women 18–34, drawn to the inspirational angle of women’s sport.
3
Solution
A strategy integrating market segmentation and player-led storytelling, positioning EV Zug as a team with a clear identity, relatable personas and storylines aligned with audience motivations.
4
Action & Results
Defined two core fan personas with motivations and content preferences; mapped players’ off-the-rink interests to storytelling angles; co-designed activations anchored in those insights and created a strategic framework for marketing, fan engagement and sponsorship development.