How a small football club became an Instagram star

FC Balzers is a football team from Liechtenstein that competes in the Swiss Second League. The club is currently experiencing a surge in popularity, becoming the Swiss club with the most followers on Instagram, even surpassing FC Basel. Professor Lorenzo Cantoni from the Faculty of Communication, Culture, and Society at Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) commented on this phenomenon during a segment on SEIDISERA (Rete Uno - RSI).

The success is attributed to Valen Scarsini, a young Argentinian influencer who aimed to help the Principality's team reach one million followers on Instagram. "Success on Instagram is an unexpected gift for the Balzers, resulting from a simple click on a phone. As such, there are no monetary or material goods involved," explained Professor Lorenzo Cantoni, who pointed out that what the team concretely receives is only a handful of seconds of attention. "This situation presents monetisation opportunities. The team should focus on identifying short-term interests that can be turned into profits, such as attracting more talented players. Additionally, they should seek a sponsor willing to associate their brand with this newfound success to gain recognition. Another possibility is for larger teams to invite Balzers for joint training sessions or friendly matches, although this will incur costs that may exceed the benefits of gaining more followers."

Nevertheless, the individual who will gain the most financially from this action is the young Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini, who is the driving force behind the team's success. "The paradox is that Valen Scarsini currently has fewer followers on Instagram than the Principality's club. However, in the future, he will be able to demonstrate his ability to grow an Instagram page with concrete evidence when presenting to companies."

Although the story of the Balzers seems to be a success story with a happy ending, it is not without its dangers: "The greatest risks arise from the illusion that a stroke of luck can lead to lasting success. It is crucial to recognise—as exemplified in the case of Chiara Ferragni—that popularity in this field should never be assumed or taken for granted."

The complete interview with Professor Lorenzo Cantoni on SEIDISERA (Rete Uno - RSI) is available at the following link (from minute 25:39, Italian only).