Changing the game: How exceptional™ is helping Green Football drive sustainable change through data

Football is the most popular sport on earth – but popularity can be a double-edged sword. The game has a huge impact on the environment, from the carbon emissions released during the construction and operation of giant stadiums, to the air miles stacked up every year by fans travelling all over the globe.

Last year, exceptional™ teamed up with Green Football Weekend, an initiative focused on making football more sustainable. We provided powerful analytics that helped the campaign reach over 27 million people on social media, with 87% of fans reporting that the campaign raised their awareness of the environmental impact of their personal actions. 

To top it off, Green Football Weekend was awarded Campaign of the Year 2024 by the British Association for Sustainable Sport. That was a fantastic win – but there’s always more to do.

So what’s next for Green Football? 

For a start Green Football Weekend is no longer Green Football Weekend. Renamed Green Football, the initiative is now operating year-round to make the sport more sustainable. 

In their latest campaign, Green Football’s Great Save, they’re tackling one of the game’s most wasteful habits. From March 11th to April 2nd, Green Football is inviting fans, clubs, and players to take action on an issue many overlook: the waste generated by discarded football kits.

Roughly 100,000 tonnes of sportswear ends up in UK landfills every year. That’s the equivalent to 951 football shirts each minute. Green Football’s Great Save encourages people to pass on, sell, or reuse their old football kits, instead of throwing them away or letting them gather dust in a drawer. 

Football clubs are also invited to join in by hosting kit exchange events, creating opportunities for fans and players to donate unwanted kits to those in need. Not only does this reduce waste, but it also gives those who might not otherwise have the means to buy a kit the chance to own one. It’s a simple yet powerful idea: diverting football kits from landfill and reusing them, all while supporting communities who may not have the means to get involved in the sport otherwise. 

However, for Green Football to truly gauge the success of this campaign and drive even greater positive change in the future, it’s essential that its impact be tracked and measured. When it comes to sustainability, having solid data to back up your actions is everything. 

That’s where exceptional™ comes in

We’ve partnered with Green Football to create their new website, greenfootball.org, and a robust system for tracking the impact of their campaigns. Our analytics track a wide range of vital metrics, from the number of kits donated, sold and reused, to survey results and even the number of shout outs from players and clubs. These insights aren’t just numbers – they are vital to understanding how Green Football can keep making an even bigger impact in future campaigns.

At exceptional™, we’re always looking for ways our skills can help amplify the good in the world.  By setting up systems to track and measure the success of Green Football’s initiatives, we’re helping them make data-driven decisions that will lead to even more impactful campaigns. Improving audience targeting, for example, means they can reach the right people – those who are more likely to donate, sign up, or take actions.

But it goes beyond that 

The goal isn’t just to engage fans in a one-off action – it’s to create lasting change. Green Football’s Great Save isn’t just about recycling football kits – it’s about making sustainability a core part of football culture, changing the mindset of fans, clubs, and players so that reusing and recycling becomes the norm, not the exception. 

Through digital marketing and data analytics, we’re helping Green Football to connect the dots between the actions taken and the results they produce. Each data point is a reflection of the larger picture – more kits saved from landfills, more people taking action, and a growing network of clubs and fans working together to make football more sustainable.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned at exceptional™, it’s that “good” doesn’t have to be an abstract concept. It can be smart, measurable, and materially impactful. We’re helping Green Football make a difference – and, together, we’re showing the world that sustainable football is both essential and possible. Want to get involved? Visit greenfootball.org to see how you can play your part to change the game.

Wondering how we can help your business? Email me at [email protected]