Visa Unveils ‘Pep Talks’ Campaign to Drown Out The Negativity In Women’s Football

18^th April 2024, London: Visa, a world leader in digital payments, today announces a new campaign celebrating the growing support for women’s football, and the power of positive voices of support in countering the noise of detractors.

As a long-term supporter of women’s football and proud sponsor of UEFA Women’s Champions League, Visa will be bringing fans together digitally and enhancing their experience throughout the tournament with a digital FanZone experience, created in partnership with leading global sports entertainment platform, DAZN.

It comes as new analysis by Visa shows that, despite the increased visibility and positive momentum behind the women’s game, there has also been an increase in negative sentiment towards women players on social media. Comparing social media comments from the last two major international tournaments in women’s football, Visa finds that the number of total posts related to players doubled (208%), yet the proportion of negative comments only 9 percent of comments were negative.

To counter this and encourage fans to amplify their messages of support, Visa’s innovative partnership with DAZN focuses on encouraging participation in and engagement with UEFA Women’s Champions League through new interactive functionality for fans, including quizzes, live-chat and viewer polls. It will further be supported by Team Visa footballers including Chelsea star Lauren James sharing their own messages of support.

Kim Kadlec, Chief Marketing Officer, Visa Europe said: “Having supported women’s football for the past 15 years, we are proud of our work to champion success on and off the pitch. At Visa, we have seen the importance of increasing visibility, positivity and inclusion across all levels of the game. Visa champions women’s success in football, and in business – whether that’s at the start of their career or a new venture away from it. Through this campaign, we celebrate their achievements and reinforce positive support.”

Visa’s campaign will also be uncovering the impact positive messages of support from fans on social media has on women leaders, on and off the pitch. It underscores Visa’s commitment to championing women’s success in football and in business, shining a spotlight on positive reinforcement and the role of celebration as a force for good for women everywhere.

Lauren James, Team Visa footballer for England and Chelsea, said: "Women's football continues to grow, but it’s becoming more important for the noise from the fans to get louder too. My supporters have been with me through the highs, as well as some of the tougher times, which is why I’m excited to be partnering with Visa, raising awareness and celebrating women on the world stage.”

For more information about the campaign and Visa’s partnership of UEFA Women’s Football, visit: https://www.visa.co.uk/about-visa/sponsorships-events/uefa-partnership.html