HOW CAN YOU PROFIT AS A BRAND DURING WORLD CUP?
As we all know, despite the many controversies that followed the host country (exploitation of cheap labor, a large number of dead workers on construction sites, problems with LGBT fans in a country with homophobic laws...), this year's World Cup will be held from November 21 to December 18 in Qatar.
Although for the first time in history it is held outside the summer period, the expectations of the first man of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, are that the upcoming World Cup will be watched by over 5 billion people, which would be an absolute record in viewership since this competition has existed, while according to Wavemaker's estimate, revenues from advertising in the fourth quarter to reach a figure of £115 million, mainly thanks to the global football review.
For brands looking to use the World Cup to promote their products and services, this year's tournament schedule presents an additional creative challenge as it takes place close to the Christmas holidays.
Since football without followers practically does not exist, here is what you need to know about audience behavior, trends among football fans, and how to connect them with your brand in the best possible way. Because the World Cup is too good an opportunity to miss it.
Football followers are a dedicated audience
As the tournament is played outside the normal annual window, studies show that most fans will watch the games from the comfort of their homes, which means more time spent online - searching for content on the latest squads, commentary, trends, interviews, and World Cup gossip. The increased audience on news, sports, and web entertainment sites during tournament play is an ideal opportunity for your brand.
Fans love multitasking
According to Nielsen's World Soccer Report, 69% of soccer fans are likely to order food delivery during a match; 67% might as well check their email, and 60% are interested in playing online games. Moreover, 42% are interested in live betting, while in countries such as Australia, France, and America, this percentage is 50%.
Such insights represent an ideal opportunity for brands to connect with different fan profiles.
Online experience
After all the events related to the pandemic, people are returning to watching live games en masse. However, the data tells us that online content consumption is on the rise.
For example, the World Cup in Russia was watched live by 3 million people, while 3 billion people consumed content related to the tournament via Google or 5 billion via YouTube.
Fans love consumerism
Football fans love to shop, and the timing of the World Cup this year couldn't be more perfect for retailers. Since the championship takes place in November, it is closely timed around Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Cyber Sunday, with Christmas following shortly after the final game.
A global report from Football Collective shows that 1 in 3 fans plan to invest in additional technology to enhance their viewing experience at home.
World Cups are ingrained in the lives of football fans – four weeks of extraordinary glory, heartbreak, colours, sounds, smells, icons, and goals. Also, the World Cup is an ideal opportunity for advertisers to show their creativity, as aligning these memorable moments with the brand will definitely drive conversations and sales, while your brand will be remembered as part of the big football story.
Author: Borislav Latinović, Copywriter
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup_controversies
https://peekandpoke.com/blog/world-cup-promotion-marketing-ideas/
https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2022/discover-what-world-cup-fans-really-want/
https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2022/fifa-world-cup-2022-data-hub/
https://www.footballco.com/newsContent/a-global-portrait-of-world-cup-fandom-in-2022-1
https://www.contentgrip.com/world-cup-ads-marketing-examples/
2018 FIFA World Cup Russia report, and Google and YouTube internal data, Global, 2018.
https://www.outbrain.com/blog/world-cup-marketing/
