Few things will turn a smile on someone’s face like a sporting event will. People tend to look at sports as the one thing they can count on when the going gets rough because no matter how bad it gets, their team will always be there for them to root for. With economies around the world suffering in recent years, a sporting event like the World Cup could not come at a better time.
The World Cup is uplifting to people in more ways than one. The tournament itself has often been referred to as the greatest show on earth. Many events may claim to be global in nature, but few (like the FIFA World Cup) actually are. When an event only occurs once every four years, like the World Cup, the anticipation for watching it can build to a near fever pitch.
What brings this tournament to another level is the fact that it is one of the few events that literally spans the entire globe. Over 200 nations divided among 6 regions compete in qualifying matches for the right to play in the World Cup. In June, 32 of those teams will descend on the nation of South Africa (the first time a completion of this magnitude has taken place on the African continent). So not only do peoples’ sports loyalties come into play, but national pride does as well.
With pride and love of the game on the line, an event like the World Cup gives people from all over the world something to rally behind. As polarizing as it can be, it is the perfect time for any number of businesses to step out of the doldrums and gain an immense amount of exposure on a global scale.
It might not get the reaction that it does if it was something that was obviously created and structured for marketing purposes alone. However, with the tournament schedule set in stone often years ahead of time that is definitely not the case with the World Cup.
“World Cup happens at pre-determined intervals. Recessions don’t! So the World Cup will certainly boost the adex (advertising expenditure) in 2010, and coupled with a recovering economy, it can lead to better things,” says Andreas Vogiatzakis, managing director for Omnicom Media Group.
With an audience as attentive as soccer fans, if a company is one that can draw a connection between itself and the World Cup, it stands to make a windfall. If it fails to make that connection than it takes the chance of getting lost in the clutter of all the advertisers that come with a 32 team tournament playing in nine cites over roughly a month’s time.
Many sports like to claim that they have a global audience. The National Football League, Major League Baseball, and the National Basketball League all crown their season ending champion as world champions yet competitors are almost entirely within the United States. Soccer (namely FIFA), on the other hand, ranks 202 national teams from every corner of the planet.
Events like the World Cup that bring together the people of the world regardless of political affiliations is just the polarizing event that marketers look for to try and create an audience for their product not only locally or nationally, but even on a global scale.
Tony Savarimuthu, chief executive officer of McCann Worldgroup Malaysia looks at the World Cup as an event that is perfect after a year field with strife and hardship for nations all over the world.
“People need a lift after 2009 and the World Cup is timely for brands due to the spirit and energy that this game brings to people everywhere.”
Breweries worldwide will especially look to do well since events like the World Cup are ones that fans like to watch with friends while enjoying a beer in a local pub. Mark Jenner, marketing director for Guinness Anchor Bhd looks at the World Cup as a unique opportunity to drive sales that comes only once every four years.
Budweiser will look for sales worldwide to see a significant boost; Budweiser is the official beer sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
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