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By Jasper Steendam, Director, Sales at Suzy
How my family’s Barça story turned into an insight about loyalty
I’ve been a Barça fan for as long as I can remember – not because I chose it, but because I grew up inside it. As a Dutch born kid visiting my grandparents in Catalunya every year, FC Barcelona wasn’t just a club; it was part of the environment. Each trip, the first thing waiting for me was something blaugrana (“blaugrana,” which is Catalan for blue and garnet, is the famous nickname for the Spanish football club FC Barcelona, aka Barça, and are the colors of their jersey): a jersey, a toy, a cutlery set, even a toiletry bag covered in Barça colors. Small things, but each one meaningful.
And one year, heading back home, my family ran into Dutch and Barça legend Ronald Koeman in the airport. He signed a scrap of paper I still have tucked in a drawer somewhere. At the time, I didn’t understand the magnitude – a Dutch kid meeting a Dutch hero who shaped a Catalan club. But now I see it clearly: identity was taking root long before I had the language to describe it.
Years later, Messi defined my adolescence. His iconic moments became emotional timestamps for me and my family. Today, my son carries around a small figurine of Lamine Yamal – one of the most extraordinary young talents modern football has ever seen. Yamal joined FC Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, when he was just seven years old, and quickly became known inside the club for his creativity, fearlessness, and maturity well beyond his age. He made his first-team debut at only 15, becoming the youngest player ever to appear for Barça in a La Liga match.
His rise didn’t stop there. In 2024, at just 17 years old, Yamal starred for Spain at the European Championship, becoming the youngest player to ever score in the tournament and helping Spain win the entire competition. Overnight, he went from promising academy prospect to a global cultural figure – a player many believe will define the next decade of football.
So last April, when Yamal – still only 18 – scored a Champions League goal against Dortmund, I celebrated so loudly that I accidentally woke my son from his nap. His first instinct was to reach for that tiny Yamal figurine, as if he already understood that the same teenager on his toy shelf was the one rewriting Barcelona’s future in real time.
It was a full-circle moment.
Loyalty doesn’t start with a conscious choice – it starts with absorbed identity. And that’s exactly how consumers relate to brands today.
Why the Messi-to-Yamal Era explains today’s rapid loyalty shifts
We are living in a moment where emotional connection spreads instantly. Legacy brands no longer have a monopoly on long-term loyalty. Emerging brands can generate cultural gravity faster than ever.
Lamine Yamal is the proof. Just 18 years old, he already has nearly 40 million Instagram followers. That kind of influence used to take decades, not months. Young fans from all over the world see him not just as a footballer, but as a personality, a narrative, a symbol.
His meteoric rise mirrors what’s happening across categories:
- A drink brand can go from unknown to cult-status in one summer.
- A creator-led beauty line can outsell legacy brands without a physical store.
- A startup can build a loyal community through TikTok long before it has national distribution.
This acceleration is the result of two forces:
1. Identity forms earlier
2. Cultural narratives spread faster
Barcelona’s transition from Messi to Yamal isn’t just a sports storyline – it’s a real-time example of how quickly loyalty can evolve in 2024 and beyond.
People don’t choose brands – They choose who they want to be
When consumers pick a brand today, they’re making an identity decision:
- Does this reflect who I am?
- Does this align with what I believe?
- Does this signal something about my taste or values?
- Is there a character or story I can root for?
- Does this fit the culture of my household?
Legacy brands used to rely on heritage to win these battles. But not anymore. Today, identity clarity beats legacy every time.
Consumers – from Gen Alpha to Millennials – gravitate toward:
- authentic stories
- consistent values
- creators or founders who feel real
- products that fit their life narrative
- communities that feel like belonging
Barcelona’s fandom works because it taps into identity. And identity is something any brand – young or old – can create.
What my family taught me about how loyalty really works
My Barça story grew from rituals, including annual visits to Catalunya, gifts from my grandparents, the time I got Koeman’s autograph, family group chats during matches, collective memories tied to Messi, and waking my son during Yamal’s goal.
These weren’t “marketing touchpoints.” They were emotional moments that created meaning. This is how loyalty forms inside households:
- Small emotional sparks → long-term attachment
- Shared rituals → brand meaning
- Identity → loyalty
No brand – legacy or emerging – should underestimate the power of small, emotionally charged moments. A thoughtfully designed unboxing, a message from a founder, a surprising act of delight, or a meaningful value stance can become the moment a customer says: “This brand is for me.”
Why identity is the new competitive advantage for every brand
Barcelona didn’t earn generational loyalty because of its age. It earned it because it stands for something.
Legacy brands can learn a lot from this:
- Your advantage is heritage.
- Your challenge is staying culturally relevant.
- Consumers want you to evolve – new stories, new characters, new rituals.
Emerging brands as well:
- Your advantage is speed.
- Your challenge is clarity.
- You can build identity in months if you tell a story people want to join.
A decade ago, heritage brands had a head start. Today, narrative-driven challenger brands can catch up – fast. Identity is a level playing field.
What Every Brand Can Learn From Barcelona’s Loyalty Engine
Barcelona’s loyalty playbook is universal:
1. Stand for something (clearly)
Barcelona isn’t just a football club – it is built on a cultural and philosophical foundation that makes it instantly recognizable. Their motto, “Més que un club” (“More than a club”), is more than a slogan; it reflects the club’s identity as a symbol of Catalan culture, community pride, democratic values, and a commitment to playing with creativity and integrity. It signals that Barcelona stands for something deeper than wins or trophies – they stand for artistry, youth development, boldness, fluidity, and a way of playing shaped largely by Johan Cruyff’s philosophy. Cruyff, a legendary Dutch player and coach, is widely regarded as the architect of modern Barcelona – the person who introduced the creative, possession-based style of play that still defines the club today.
These values aren’t marketing messages. They are lived expressions of who the club is – and who it will always aspire to be. Brands win when they communicate their own philosophy with that same conviction, clarity, and consistency.
2. Build your “characters”
Messi and Yamal are more than athletes – they are emotional anchors who carry the club’s narrative across generations. A brand needs its own characters too: founders whose stories matter, creators who bring authenticity, customers whose journeys inspire, or advocates who humanize the brand. Consumers want someone they can root for – a face, a voice, a personality they trust.
3. Create emotional continuity
Barcelona evolves without losing its essence. The transition from Cruyff’s philosophy → Messi’s dominance → Yamal’s youthful brilliance all flows from the same identity framework. Every era feels completely new, yet still unmistakably Barça – built on creativity, courage, and an unwavering belief in its style.
Brands must embrace this same principle: gracefully move from legacy products to new innovations, from long-standing messaging to modern values, from old audience expectations to new cultural contexts. When evolution feels connected to your core identity, trust deepens and relevance grows.
4. Use symbols and rituals
Barcelona’s crest, colors, chants, matchday routines, La Masia stories, and distinctive style of play serve as emotional anchors that make the club instantly recognizable worldwide. These symbols become shorthand for what the club stands for.
Brands can replicate this through design cues, packaging elements, community rituals, digital experiences, and even the language they use.
Fandom is about more than fame or celebrity – it’s about familiarity and emotional shorthand, the cues that help people bond more tightly with their team or their brand.
5. Focus on households, not individuals
This is where loyalty compounds. My own fandom grew through grandparents → parents → me → my son. Barcelona intuitively understands that identity spreads through families, routines, shared viewing moments, and even small gifts passed down each year.
Brands should design experiences that resonate across family units and life stages – from kids who influence discovery, to parents who shape habits, to grandparents who pass down traditions. Challenger brands who understand how identity travels through households can unseat giants who focus only on individual targeting.
Where Legacy and Emerging Brands Often Get It Wrong
❌ They assume loyalty is earned through habit
Many brands still believe loyalty forms because consumers simply “get used” to them. But modern loyalty is built through meaning, not repetition. Consumers stay loyal to brands that reflect their identity – not the ones they’ve purchased the most.
❌ They over-invest in short-term campaigns
Flashy campaigns may create awareness, but awareness without emotional resonance rarely becomes loyalty. Consumers want a story they can follow, not just a promotion they can scroll past. Barcelona’s magic comes from narrative continuity – something brands must replicate.
❌ They focus on individuals instead of households
Brands often target consumers one at a time, ignoring how influence flows inside families. Decisions about food, entertainment, technology, travel, and even sports fandom are shaped across the household ecosystem. Household-based emotion – not individual targeting – is where real loyalty takes root.
❌ They underestimate how fast identity can form
Gen Alpha forms emotional attachments at lightning speed because their world is built on instant discovery and global content. A creator, athlete, or brand can become part of their identity almost overnight. Brands that move slowly or cautiously risk falling behind cultural momentum.
❌ They think history = loyalty
Legacy brands often assume decades of existence automatically translate to loyalty. But today, clarity, conviction, and emotional relevance matter far more than age. Emerging brands with strong identity can outpace heritage players in months if they communicate who they are with precision and heart.
The brands that win today behave like communities, not categories. They build belonging, not funnels. They create meaning, not just marketing.
And they understand that loyalty is no longer earned by time – it’s earned by identity.
Why research matters in an identity-driven market
To build identity-led loyalty, brands need real understanding, not assumptions. With Suzy, brands can:
- Test which emotional stories actually resonate - Stories succeed when they feel personal.
- Understand why consumers choose or reject your brand - Motivation is everything.
- Evaluate which creators or personalities truly influence behavior - Not all influence is equal – Suzy reveals the difference.
- Explore how families make decisions together - This is where long-term brand love is formed.
- Track cultural momentum as it develops - Identity shifts quickly. Suzy helps you respond in real time.
- Hear authentic emotion with Suzy Speaks - Consumers explain their motivations in their own voice.
Legacy brands use Suzy to evolve. Emerging brands use Suzy to accelerate. Every brand uses it to understand why people care – the foundation of identity.
What my son taught me about the future of brand loyalty
My Barça story stretches decades, but my son’s began last April – with a Champions League goal, a loud celebration, and a tiny figurine of Lamine Yamal.
Three generations.
Three eras.
One identity.
This is what every brand hopes to build. Not just awareness. Not just transactions. But belonging that compounds over time. Because true loyalty is more than a program. It’s a feeling. Barcelona taught me that. My family lived it. And now my son is carrying it forward.
So the real question for brands – legacy or emerging – is simple: What part of your story will people proudly pass on?
