Florentino Pérez has promised the return of José Mourinho to the dressing room and Enrique Riquelme has announced that he will sign Rodri and Erling Haaland. Those are the big names that are being heard in the campaign of the two candidates for the first elections that the real Madrid celebrate in 20 years. However, beyond the grass, the fight for members’ votes is also being waged in advertising.

The vote will take place next Sunday, June 7, at the Real Madrid City Basketball Pavilion, in Valdebebas, but the ecommunication and advertising strategies to tip the scales were deployed weeks ago and have turned the different media and channels into the playing field to decide the future of the Madrid club, which has the most valuable football brand in the world (1.9 billion euros), according to Brand Finance.

Florentino Pérez intends to revalidate his mandate and to do so he has built his speech on the history of milestones and the legacy worked during his leadership, but also on the broad possibilities that the future holds; an idea that has materialized in the slogan “A lot of history to make.” For his part, Enrique Riquelme is also relying on the same concepts, under the claim “Legacy and future”, but from the perspective of a new perspective and with a “David against Goliath” approach, with which he was running as a close and identifiable candidate, against the business colossus of the current president. A strategy similar to that followed by Banco Sabadell in the face of BBVA’s hostile takeover bid.

The campaign in prime time television

Its programs and different proposals have been presented over the last few weeks through social networks or through press conferences and interviews, but less than a week before the vote, the campaign has reached its peak on television. Specifically during Riquelme’s participation in “El Hormiguero”, broadcast on Antena 3; occasion that Florentino Pérez took advantage of to send his message to the audience.

The candidate met with Pablo Motos and, among other things, presented himself as an alternative to Pérez and announced his big signings, but the end of his speech was accompanied by an announcement from his rival. The current president capitalized on one of the most watched television spots on the Spanish media landscape and the public’s interest in learning more about Riquelme to launch his great asset, the signing of Mourinho, who was already coach of Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013.

He did it with a simple video that began with the sign “Dear members, this message interests you”, followed by the figure of the coach wearing the white club kit and saying only “Yes”. Afterwards, the poster “Vote Florentino 2026” and the campaign slogan were shown, to the sound of the Real Madrid anthem.
However, the Portuguese sports newspaper Record reports that Mourinho contacted Benfica, of which he is still coach, and assures that he has not recorded the broadcast video. Instead, it points out that the images have been generated by artificial intelligence.

Florentino Pérez carried out the same advertising execution on Telecinco, taking advantage of the simultaneous broadcast of the reality show “The Island of Temptations”, another of the most notable contents on the television schedule. In this case, the advertisement alluded precisely to Riquelme’s participation in “El Hormiguero”, but also included the fragment supposedly starring Jose Mourinho.

Florentino Pérez vs Enrique Riquelme, on social networks

Social networks are also witnessing the campaign of both candidates for the Real Madrid lessons. Both have created dedicated profiles on the platforms to send their messages to the club’s members and fans, but also to society as a whole, aware that this process will also be influenced by public opinion as a whole.

Following his proposal, Florentino’s campaign is combining the past successes of Real Madrid, with special emphasis on the awards and titles achieved and the great footballers who have shaped the team, with promises for the future. In addition, it has also launched its commitments to members, such as the promise of an exclusive and special t-shirt for members.

For his part, Enrique Riquelme has made transparency the center of his digital communication strategy, and in this sense, he has created a kind of log with which, in episodes, he shares with users the work process of his candidacy. In the first installment he revealed his figure, unknown to many, in more depth; while in the second he shared behind the scenes of his campaign. In the third, for example, he focused on “dismantling Florentino.”

The battle in outdoor advertising

As occurred with Joan Laporta’s campaign for the presidency of FC Barcelona at the end of 2020, outdoor advertising and street marketing are also playing a fundamental role in generating visibility and notoriety for each candidate. Thus, the medium is being capitalized by Pérez and Riquelme due to its direct impact on passers-by, but also due to its amplification on social networks.

The current president of Real Madrid has deployed several advertising banners at points near the Bernabéu stadium, such as Plaza de Castilla or Nuevos Ministerios. One of the creatives lists the big signings made in recent years under his leadership, such as Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, or more recently Mbappé. The image is accompanied by the name and slogan of the campaign; the promise to continue expanding the list, as well as photographs or illustrations by Florentino Pérez.

The places in which Real Madrid have been proclaimed champions of the Champions League over the years have also featured in a piece executed in the streets of the capital.

For his part, Enrique Riquelme has also used the external environment to try to gain the trust of his partners. One of the most striking actions was the placement of several vinyl buses around the Puskás Aréna stadium in Budapest, during the final match of the Champions League between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain on May 30.
“Rivals come and go. Real Madrid returns” or “Enjoy today. We will return” were some of the messages that could be read on the outside of the vehicles.