South African rugby legend Percy Montgomery gets out his phone, opens the Swysh app and sees a queue of requests for personalised video messages. He reads the first brief, films a custom video for about a minute, presses send and it goes straight to a fan by SMS and email. He knows that he’ll make someone’s day. Simple, rewarding and convenient.
A personalised video is the new autograph. It’s how the modern-day athlete is engaging with their fans. All made possible by Swysh.
Home to top sports stars from all over the world, Swysh has recently opened its doors in South Africa and has quickly attracted some fan favourites from a variety of sports. From superstars like Cheslin Kolbe to legends like Percy Montgomery, Swysh gives fans the chance to book their very own personalised video message for any occasion.
With the quality of talent available, it’s no surprise that the South African fans have flocked to the website, particularly with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day around the corner. While typically used for a gift to celebrate an occasion, a Swysh personalised video is also used to motivate, teach and inspire fans of all ages.
Swysh expands to South Africa
Starting in Australia in 2020, Swysh has expanded to welcome sports stars from New Zealand, the UK, the US and more recently, South Africa. The Founder of Swysh, Michael Roth, said that the growth in South Africa has exceeded all expectations.
“The first few South African sports stars to jump on Swysh included the likes of Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe, so it’s not surprising that we’re seeing strong demand here,” Roth said.
“We’ve been chatting to talent in South Africa for a few months now and the calibre of talent that has joined Swysh has been incredible. It’s not just the current superstars either. The legends have been really popular with stars like Christian Cullen. Matt Burke and Andrew Mehrtens getting plenty of requests from the fans”.
South African sports stars are quick to join Swysh
Rugby legend Percy Montgomery was among the first South Africans to join Swysh, saying it gave him a new way of connecting with fans.
“I love connecting with the fans and Swysh gives me the opportunity to do it conveniently from anywhere in the world,” Montgomery said.
“It’s enjoyable for us, special for the fans and Swysh makes the process easy for everyone.”
Swysh – how the idea became a brand
Sports fans have always enjoyed a special affinity with their favourite athletes, yet despite so many advances in technology, they still had very limited ways of personally interacting with their favourite sports stars.
“People had to either wait in a long line after a game to snap a quick selfie or rely on a chance meeting in the street. This is a special encounter for those lucky fans, however it only caters for very few and certainly isn’t possible from the other side of the world” Roth said.
After conversations with a group of leading athletes, Swysh saw a gap in fan engagement and the early demand quickly proved the concept.
“Social media is not set up for direct engagement. Fans can slide into DMs but will very rarely get a reply and talent often get overwhelmed with messages which they can’t reply to. Swysh introduced a win-win and we’re seeing it work for both athletes and fans. On top of that, at least 10% of every video since inception has raised funds for charity which is something we’re very proud of”, Roth said.
As for what’s next, Swysh says there are some big names to come.
“In our home market in Australia, around 2,000 sports stars use the app to engage with their fans via personalised videos,” Roth explained.
“The team is having some really exciting conversations in South Africa, so if you haven’t seen your favourite on Swysh yet, watch this space.”
Book your Mum a personalised video message this Mother’s Day on Swysh.
The post The New Autograph : How Rugby Stars are Making Mums Feel Like the MVP this Mother’s Day appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
#Sponsored | A personalised video is the new autograph. It’s how the modern-day athlete is engaging with their fans. All made possible by Swysh.
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