The G-P Customer Advocacy Team has the privilege of working with companies across a wide range of industries to share the inspiring stories of their accomplishments. Today, we’re particularly excited to share the story of how Kraft Sports + Entertainment (KSE), the organization behind the world-famous New England Patriots, has started to build its business operations in Europe.
In 2022, the Patriots seized the opportunity to enter the German market through the NFL’s Global Markets Program. By making Germany its official international home market, KSE is now free to promote and market the Patriots in all the same ways it can in the U.S. It’s a true turning point moment for both the Patriots and the league.
To promote the Patriots across Europe and establish a genuine connection with fans, KSE needed to hire a local expert with boots on the ground in Germany. Navigating a new market is no easy feat; the team was aware of the significant investment in time and resources needed to hire in a new country. Miranda MacKenzie, Director of Benefits, Compensation, and Systems at the Kraft Group & Affiliates, parent company of KSE, highlighted the distinctions in international HR regulations, stating, “New laws, new pay practices, new benefit programs – every country has different regulations to abide by.”
KSE chose to work with G-P as its Employer of Record (EOR) to fast-track the hiring process and navigate the various HR practices specific to Germany. As a pioneer and recognized leader in the EOR industry, G-P enables KSE to quickly hire, onboard, and manage employees anywhere in the world without needing to set up local entities.
Using the EOR services available as part of G-P Meridian Prime™, G-P’s premium growth and global employment package, KSE was able to make their first German hire while upholding their own strict standards in three ways:
1. Onboarding efficiently with compliance assurance
G-P’s HR expertise assures compliance with international legal and regulatory frameworks, making it easy for KSE to hire employees across different regions with confidence. From crafting contracts to implementing compliant pay practices and benefits programs, G-P Meridian Prime provides KSE with the assurance needed to recruit globally in alignment with local employment laws and regulations.
Using G-P's platform makes it easy to onboard employees, securely manage their information, ensure accurate pay approvals, and address employee queries. It also includes a wealth of information related to laws and HR considerations for each country — it's an essential resource
Miranda MacKenzie
Director of Benefits, Compensation, and Systems at the Kraft Group & Affiliates
2. Upholding the highest standards for employee support
KSE places trust and confidence in G-P to maintain the highest standards in supporting employees hired through G-P. The KSE leadership team emphasized the importance of partnering with an EOR that is dedicated to aligning with their principles for team member care, stating that a top priority was to find an EOR partner that would uphold their standards for employee treatment and truly collaborate with the team.
The most important thing about HR is making sure that we're caring for our most important resource as a company — our employees. With G-P, we feel like we were putting our staff in good hands.
Miranda MacKenzie
Director of Benefits, Compensation, and Systems at the Kraft Group & Affiliates
3. Scaling for future growth with confidence
The addition of an employee local to Germany has proven instrumental in engaging with and recruiting new fans, navigating cultural nuances, expanding business networks, and promoting the Patriots to cultivate a loyal following in this key market.
To continue accelerating global fandom, KSE recently expanded their global market efforts into Switzerland and Austria. The opportunity for further global expansion is laden with potential, and the KSE team is eager to engage with even more American football followers.
Hiring global talent through G-P is as easy as it is impactful – we’ve been able to build the best team to engage with our fans and clients in new markets on an organic level.
Joe Dorant
Senior Director of Sales Operations at KSE
Explore the full case study to dive into the details of how KSE is growing the New England Patriots’ international following and winning the hearts of American football fans around the world.
#GoPats!
