The Messi Era: An Analysis of Inter Miami’s Merch Strategy

21 Sep, 2023 By Samantha Warren 376 Views

2023 is a year that will go down in Inter Miami history forever.

In case you (somehow) haven’t heard, they welcomed Lionel Messi, one of the world’s most iconic football players, to their team. Unsurprisingly, this sent shockwaves across the sports world and caused a flurry of excitement among Inter Miami fans.

The club quickly capitalized on this opportunity by shifting its merchandise strategy to leverage Messi’s global appeal.

Today, we’re going to analyze these changes and investigate how they altered Inter Miami’s marketing efforts.

Turn Your Brand Into a Nationwide Sensation with Scrappy Apparel!

free quote


The Backstory of Messi’s Transition to Inter Miami

Messi’s surprising move came after a highly successful career at Barcelona, where Messi became the club’s all-time top scorer and won numerous titles, including multiple UEFA Champions League and La Liga trophies. He also played for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) before transferring to Miami.

The transition was announced in the summer of 2023, marking a new chapter in Messi’s illustrious career. In his announcement, Messi expressed excitement about the new challenge and the opportunity to play in the United States, a market where soccer has been growing rapidly in popularity.

Inter Miami, co-owned by former football superstar David Beckham, has made strides to become a formidable Major League Soccer (MLS) force. The acquisition of Messi is seen as a strategic move to elevate the club’s global profile and competitiveness. The owners believe that Messi’s experience and skill will not only help the team on the pitch but also boost its brand value.

Messi’s move to Inter Miami has been met with immense excitement and anticipation, both from fans and fellow players. As one of the greatest players of his generation, Messi’s arrival promises to bring a higher level of competition and visibility to the MLS. His presence in the league is expected to draw more international attention to American soccer, thus helping to grow the sport in the country.

Inter Miami has welcomed Messi with open arms, expressing their delight at having a player of his caliber join their ranks. The club believes that Messi’s influence will be instrumental in achieving their ambitious goals and further establishing their presence in the MLS.


messi jerseys

Messi replica jerseys available on the MLS Store.

Marketing Powerhouse Messi’s Impact on Merch Sales

Since Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami, the club has experienced a remarkable surge in merchandise sales. As one of the most recognizable and admired names in football worldwide, Messi’s influence extends well beyond the pitch—he is a marketing powerhouse.

Upon the announcement of Messi’s signing, Inter Miami’s official website saw an unprecedented spike in traffic, with fans from all over the world rushing to purchase the team’s jersey with Messi’s name and number on the back. This resulted in the club’s online store temporarily crashing due to the overwhelming demand.

Within just 24 hours of the announcement, Inter Miami reported record-breaking sales of Messi-branded merchandise. This surge in sales has had a significant impact on the club’s revenue. It also showed the immense marketing value that Messi brings to the table.

Messi’s arrival has increased Inter Miami’s global visibility. The club’s merchandise is now being sold and worn in countries all over the world, effectively turning their fans into walking billboards advertising the club.

@aventuramall You want it? We’ve got it 🔟⚽️ And selling quick! #messijersey #intermiamicf #soccertiktok #Miami #MLS #LionelMessi #messi10 ♬ original sound – InterMiamiCF

The Aventura Mall took the opportunity to advertise Messi’s jerseys on social media to encourage fans to come buy.


A Unique Strategy: Selling Past Season Kits

Inter Miami’s merchandising strategy took an innovative turn following Messi’s arrival. In a creative move, the club decided to start selling previous season kits bearing Messi’s name and number. This unique strategy was a response to the overwhelming demand for Messi-branded merchandise and the desire of many fans to own a piece of football history.

Selling past season kits also had another unexpected benefit—it allowed Inter Miami to clear old stock, making this strategy a win-win for both the club and the fans.

The success of this initiative has shown that innovative merchandising strategies can pay off, especially when they tap into the passion and nostalgia of fans.


Launch Your Own Wildly Successful Campaign with Scrappy Apparel’s High-Volume Manufacturing and 3PL Capabilities

If you want to launch an insanely successful apparel campaign like Inter Miami did with Messi, it’s critical to find the right manufacturing and fulfillment partner to work with.

Scrappy Apparel is an industry leader in high-volume apparel solutions, catering to established brands that require large, ongoing apparel orders. Whether you’re an influencer, corporate entity, or e-commerce brand, we’re ready to support you with our end-to-end manufacturing and fulfillment solutions.


Manufacturing Capabilities

When we say “end to end,” we really mean it. You can count on our team to take your orders from concept to completion. We offer a variety of services, like screen printing and sublimation, to create garments your customers will fall in love with.

Scrappy Apparel is more than just another manufacturer—we are a team of apparel experts with the experience and resources to scale your brand to the highest level. If you need thousands of garments in a matter of weeks, we can make it happen. We provide the hard work and horsepower to ensure your brand’s success.

Our 3PL Program

“What makes Scrappy’s 3PL program so special,” you ask? Well, first of all, it’s tailored specifically for the apparel industry. Enjoy dedicated warehouse space, product and SKU integration, custom packing slips, shipping labels, and online store integration without any implementation fees.

We prioritize compliance with vendor and final destination requirements to maintain positive relationships. Once our rigorous quality control checks are complete, we manage all logistics. This includes check-in at the fulfillment center, fulfillment of e-commerce shipments, shipping to other 3PL warehouses for expanded distribution, and delivering bulk shipments to retail stores or tour venues.

Our program is designed to enable fast, efficient, and accurate order fulfillment. We use advanced technology to track your inventory in real time, giving you instant visibility into the status of each order. All e-commerce orders placed before 12:00 PM (EST) are shipped the same day, ensuring fast and reliable delivery to your customers.

Our comprehensive approach ensures a seamless high-volume apparel production process, helping brands scale and meet market demands.


Make the Switch to Scrappy Apparel!

It’s time to make waves in the market with your garments. Our team at Scrappy Apparel will make your next apparel launch a massive success!

Ready to Begin Your Project?

free quote

Define your style with custom apparel created exclusively for you.

Request Pricing Schedule A Call