Chapter 11: Developing and Managing Products

At Mancheter United and any other sports team, their most valued product is the players. Manchester United has one of the most famous academys in the soccer world. Famous Man United players that were brought up from the academy are players such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, who are still playing for the club at the ages 38 and 37. They are both legends at Manchester United and over the years, despite the evolving play of the game they were both able to adapt to the changes and still find a spot in the first team.

Mancheter United's academy is famous for its scouting agents, coaching staff and the best facilities. The academy is great for training young players that have a dream in becoming one of the starting eleven. As a soccer player at a young age one can focus more on soccer, eating, sleeping and dreaming of only soccer at the academy. Definitely the competition is tougher compared to competitive leagues outside the academy. Though the academy players can become like machines being an expert at what they do. Of course the academy is not just for any kid who wants to be a soccer player but they have to have a great amount of potential as well. Kids have to request a tryout and depending on how the tryout goes they will be allowed to enter the academy.

Chapter 16: Integrated Marketing Communication

Manchester United communicates with their consumer in many different ways. Some ways they communicate is through their website, emails, Facebook, and the mass media. On Manchester Uniteds official website, you can find nearly everything about the team from player's profiles, schedules to ticket prices. In having such a diverse fan base, Manchester United's offical website is available in 6 different languages. On Facebook you can add Manchester United on your friends list, allowing instant notification from Manchester right on your news feed. Manchester United uses the popular social networking sites in order to better inform its audience of game schedules and recent news on the team. As a consumer you can subscribe to Manchester United in order to receive emails for different kinds of sales promotions and special events they are having. Emails are sent constantly nearly every two weeks advertising new products, prices and events. Consumers can also receive information on Manchester United by just changing the channel to MUTV (Manchester United TV) to find all the recent news on the team as well as footages of games, highlights, and what goes on behind the scenes.

Chapter 10: Product Concepts

Manchester United sells all kinds of products but the most popular product is by far the jerseys. Man United is on the top of the global shirt sales chart with an average of 1.4 million official replica shirts each year in the past five years. On Man United's official website, investor relations says that "over 5 million items of Manchester United branded licensed products were wold in the last year, including over two million Manchester United jerseys." On the official Nike online store, Manchester United is advertised by stating that this jersey is an essential for the serious athlete and fan.

This year Manchester United has been advertising, "superior athletic performance, lower environmental impact." Manchester United's replica shirt is constructed by DRI-fit fabric, which is 96% recycled polyester, that keeps you dry and comfortable on the field or in the stands. This fabric is made from 23% lighter fabric with a 20% stronger knit structure, comparing to previous years. The jersey also features laser-cut ventilation to promote localized cooling. This years jersey is the most environmentally-friendly jersey so far, reclaimed or discarded plastic bottles are melted down to produce new yarn and converted into fabric to create this high performance jersey. On another environmentally-friendly note, the recycling process saves raw materials and reduces energy consumption by an estimated 30% compared to manufacturing virgin polyester. On the inside of every shirt collar there is a motto embroidered: Forged in Industry, Striving for Glory. This motto pays homage to the city's industrial history and the jersey itself features the iconic gingham check that hailed form Manchester's famous cotton mills.