Gary Rowett
Personal brand strategy, podcast management and social growth for one of the most respected head coaches in the EFL.
Gary Rowett has built one of the most credible careers in English football management beneath the Premier League. When he approached Esben Studio, he was at an interesting moment. A new interim role at Birmingham City was incoming. A podcast was about to launch. And a private Instagram account with 300 followers was sitting dormant. We carved out the opportunity together. Gary had the credibility, the story, the access and the personality to build compelling personal brand. What he needed was a studio that understood both the football world and the content landscape - one that could take his voice and give it the platform, the strategy and the execution it warranted. We were commissioned to manage the full podcast operation for Breaking Lines - his new show with friend and colleague Dave Carolan, pulling back the curtain on dressing room culture, football management and performance. Alongside that we built and executed a personal brand strategy that transformed his social presence from a private account to a genuine destination for football fans, players, coaches and the wider sporting world.
Client
Gary Rowett
Year
2025
Services
Content Strategy, Personal Branding, Social Media Management
Building a podcast from the ground up
Breaking Lines was conceived as something the football world didn't yet have - a candid, insider view of what happens behind closed doors in professional football. Gary and Dave Carolan had the access, the stories and the credibility to make it compelling. What they needed was someone to handle everything else. We managed the full podcast operation end to end. Audio production and editing. Publishing across all major platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Clipping short-form content for social distribution to drive eyeballs to the episodes and listeners to the full show. Every piece of content was cut with platform behaviour in mind - knowing that the clip that stops someone scrolling on Instagram is what leads them to the hour-long episode that builds the rating. Growing a podcast in a crowded market requires persistence, quality and a clear reason to listen.
From 300 followers to 10,000
At first, the brief for Gary's personal brand was secondary. But it soon became our main focus. The ask: a genuine connection with football fans, a stronger professional profile as an established Championship head coach, and authentic content that wove the personal and professional together. We first logged into a private account and 300 followers. Within the campaign Gary had crossed 10,000 - with engagement from names including NFL legend Tom Brady, a signal of the kind of reach a well-executed personal brand can generate when the content is right. The strategy was built around Gary's character. Warm, knowledgeable, direct and deeply passionate about the game. Content that gave fans a real-life window into the world of football management - without crossing the lines of trust and confidentiality that come with the role. At the time of writing, Gary is now head coach of Leicester City. The foundation of content, audience and brand identity we built together gives him a platform to build on at every stage of what promises to be an interesting chapter in League One.
