Godolphin

A bespoke, online gaming platform for horseracing fans

Sector

  • Corporate

Expertise

  • Digital development
  • Design

The client

Godolphin is the world’s largest thoroughbred horseracing and breeding team founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. Since it was founded in 1992, Godolphin has won more than 5,000 races worldwide.

The challenge

Godolphin sought to create a new online fan club platform through which it could communicate more directly with its horseracing fans. The brief for the Godolphin Fan Club was as follows:

  • A new member-only platform to sit in the main Godolphin website with a free sign-up process to collate details of club members 
  • A platform for Godolphin to offer members exclusive content, including insights and member-only promotions, and a means to showcase the people behind the brand

  • A platform that encourages exploration of the main Godolphin site by offering cross-links to existing relevant content such as horses in training, races, results, facilities and trainers

  • A platform to host an international fantasy horseracing league game in the main Godolphin website with a free sign-up process to collate details of club members

  • A platform for Godolphin to offer members exclusive content, including insights and member-only promotions, and a means to showcase the people behind the brand

  • A platform that encourages exploration of the main Godolphin site by offering cross-links to existing relevant content such as horses in training, races, results, facilities and trainers

  • A platform to host an international fantasy horseracing league game

The solution

CPL proposed a Drupal-based microsite designed using a 'mobile first' approach. The microsite uses a combination of bespoke content inputted through the admin interface, and existing content aggregated from Godolphin’s other channels.

A large part of the microsite build was the bespoke game engine needed for the Godolphin Fantasy Stable League. This processes real-time race data from the Racing Post, including declarations and results feeds. The initial purpose was for it to handle races and results information relating to the 60-plus Godolphin horses available for the first competition. This has since grown to handle 700-plus Godolphin horses (every horse that is currently in training), many additional leagues, and the ability to have multiple leagues running concurrently.

The game gives Club Godolphin members a chance to create their own stable of 10 Godolphin horses, allowing them to experience the ups and downs of racing as their horses compete in real races around the world.  

Members receive emails and online information designed to tell players about upcoming races, results, stable swaps and other league announcements. 

Since the site was launched, there have been other enhancements including a streamlined admin interface to create competitions and events, monthly winners and weekly bonus races.

The results

More than 35,000 members

Contributes to 40% of all main website traffic

Worldwide audience

Members from over 100 countries

Highly engaged fans

Competitions and offers sell out within minutes of going live

“CPL is, hands down, one of the best digital agencies we have ever worked with. They are consummate professionals, highly knowledgeable and well skilled. Their personalised service is where they stand out from others – ensuring all results and goals are achieved to the highest standards, on time and within budget. I would have no hesitation in recommending them.”

Digital Manager
Godolphin

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