Sport & Entertainment

Fan-shop activation and newsletter leads for Hertha BSC

Hertha BSC wanted to use the emotional connection in the fan shop to convert anonymous walk-in customers into digital CRM contacts — without putting store staff to work on IT tasks. The solution was an UpReach Compact terminal in fully autonomous kiosk mode: fans photograph themselves, receive their personal autograph-card layout in the club design and, in return, leave their email address with a GDPR-compliant newsletter opt-in. No IT intervention, no supervision — the kiosk runs autonomously on match days and opening days.

More than 200 B2B brands from across Europe trust UpReach — from agencies to enterprise corporations.

The initial situation

Fans want to buy shirts in the fan shop, not fill in forms. The motivation to share data has to be driven by a relevant, emotional incentive — a generic newsletter promise is not enough.

The set-up had specific operating requirements: on match days, fan-shop traffic is heavy and the sales staff fully occupied. The terminal has to run fully autonomously in kiosk mode — including an automatic restart after a power interruption — without a single technical request being put to the staff.

Space was limited: the fan shop is fully occupied. Any solution had to stay under 1 m² of floor space and be integrable into the store layout.

The UpReach solution

UpReach installed an UpReach Compact terminal in the fan shop as an interactive "autograph-card generator". The concept taps fan psychology directly: creating an official autograph card of yourself is an irresistible incentive for club fans.

The flow: a fan photographs themselves in front of the terminal. The UpReach software immediately overlays the club's official autograph-card layout onto the photo. To receive the personalised autograph card as a physical instant print, the fan fills in a short form on the touchscreen: email address and GDPR-compliant newsletter opt-in.

The terminal ran in full kiosk mode: locked operating-system access, automatic restart after interruptions, content management via the cloud CMS remotely. The store staff had no technical tasks.

Setup & Logistics

Lead time four weeks: two weeks for interface design and brand adaptation (autograph-card layout in the club's corporate design, colour scheme, logo integration, kiosk-mode configuration), one week for print integration and kiosk-mode parameterisation, one week for compliance alignment with the club's data protection officer.

Transport in a flight case. Set-up by an UpReach technician. Briefing of the store management on the cloud CMS for campaign monitoring and remote content adjustments — no IT support required on site.

Continuous operation: the terminal is designed as a long-term installation in the fan shop. Maintenance intervals can be planned remotely via the cloud CMS. Print-paper monitoring by store staff (the only operational task).

Results by the numbers

Kiosk-Modus

fully autonomous operation

< 1 m²

floor space

IT requests to the store staff

The terminal became a permanent interaction point in the fan shop. Fans who would normally leave the store after their merchandise purchase stayed longer and engaged playfully with the club brand.

The decisive ROI lay in CRM growth: the system continuously generated verified newsletter sign-ups. The club converted anonymous walk-in customers into identifiable digital contacts for targeted ticketing and merchandising marketing.

The store staff reported not a single IT intervention. The autonomous kiosk mode handled the peak load on match days with no support. That was the central requirement — and it was met.

Key takeaways from this setup

Exclusivity drives conversion: a generic photo is not enough in the fan context. The chance to create an official autograph card of yourself is an irresistible incentive for fans — because it works directly with the emotional club connection.

Autonomous operation is the core requirement in retail: store staff have no time for IT tasks. The terminal has to run fully autonomously in kiosk mode — including an automatic restart after a power interruption.

Data gate as standard: every physical output a club produces should generate a digital contact. A photo with no lead in return is wasted budget.

Minimise the footprint: every square metre in premium retail has an opportunity cost. Under 1 m² of floor space is the precondition for a long-term installation in well-frequented stores.