Globalisasi industri olahraga, terutama pada sektor sepak bola, membuat persaingan antarklub semakin ketat. Keadaan ini menekankan pentingnya pemanfaatan saluran digital marketing communication seperti media sosial untuk mengelola brand equity, hal yang krusial bagi keberlangsungan dan kesuksesan jangka panjang sebuah klub olahraga profesional. Penelitian ini menganalisis pemanfaatan media sosial oleh klub sepak bola Real Madrid untuk mempertahankan brand equity mereka. Dengan menggunakan metode analisis konten, pengamatan utama dilakukan selama bulan Oktober 2024 pada empat media sosial milik Real Madrid, yaitu X (n=357), Instagram (n=220), YouTube (n=18), dan TikTok (n=36) yang mencakup isi post dan komentarnya. Sebagai acuan analisis, penelitian ini menggunakan konsep Customer-based Brand Equity (CBBE) yang telah disesuaikan ke dalam konteks olahraga. Konsep ini mencakup dua kategori komponen, yaitu brand attributes dan brand benefits. Penemuan penelitian memperlihatkan usaha Real Madrid dalam mempertahankan brand equity melalui penerapan seluruh komponen CBBE, yaitu team success, star player, head coach, brand mark, management, history and tradition, culture and values, event's image, sponsor, fans, stadium, fan identification, escape, social interaction, emotions, dan entertainment pada media sosial yang diteliti. Selain itu, konten media sosial Real Madrid juga menunjukkan komunikasi yang konsisten, informatif, serta memiliki asosiasi yang positif di mata para penggemar.

---

The globalization of the sports industry, especially in football, has heightened competition among clubs. This study explores Real Madrid CF's use of social media in maintaining brand equity, highlighting the crucial role of digital marketing communication in the globalized sports industry, particularly in the football sector, for the club’s long-term success. Using the content analysis method, this study mainly observed four social media owned by Real Madrid, namely X (n=357), Instagram (n=220), YouTube (n=18), and TikTok (n=36), which included the comments along with the posts, during October 2024. As a reference for the analysis, this study uses the Customer-based Brand Equity (CBBE) concept that has been adapted to the context of sports. This concept includes two categories of components, namely brand attributes and brand benefits. The research findings show Real Madrid's efforts in maintaining brand equity through the implementation of all CBBE components, namely team success, star players, head coaches, brand marks, management, history and tradition, culture and values, event's image, sponsors, fans, stadiums, fan identification, escape, social interaction, emotions, and entertainment on the studied social media. In addition, their social media content also shows consistent, informative communication and positive associations in fans' minds.