Marketing the World Cup – The Secrets to Success
by Jen Pearsall
But what about here in America? Because soccer is not our national sport, marketers focusing on domestic sales and brand awareness may have difficulty justifying expensive marketing spend during the World Cup. Although more Americans are tuning into the games each year – in 1998 the U.S. ranked 23rd in World Cup viewership, but by 2006 leapt to #8 on the list – soccer viewership still pales in comparison to American football, baseball and basketball. So the big question is – how can companies that spend huge amounts of money on World Cup marketing (official sponsorships can top $300 million!) ensure that their marketing investment resonates with the American audiences – and produces ROI?
Check out how two of the biggest brands in America are leveraging their sponsorship of the World Cup – and ensuring it makes an impact here in the United States.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is no stranger to making the most of its World Cup sponsorship – the company has been sponsoring the tournament since 1978. However, 2010 marks the first time the soft drink brand is focusing its sponsorship on the general public, not just the Hispanic community.
First, Coca-Cola is infiltrating every aspect of the brand – including merchandise, the web, social media and more – with World Cup messaging and imagery. You’ve probably seen the World Cup-themed cans and soda bottles in the grocery store, but what about its YouTube channel initiative? Coca-Cola’s ”Longest Celebration” lets fans upload videos of themselves celebrating the World Cup, with the best videos earning cool prizes, including tickets to World Cup matches and Coca-Cola branded merchandise. And because the YouTube channel unites fan experience videos from around the world, Americans have the unique opportunity to enjoy the international camaraderie that only a sporting event can evoke. Just as we have seen with many of the company’s past campaigns (like this recent one), Coca-Cola’s “Longest Celebration” successfully evokes emotion to bring people together – hopefully with a coke in hand.
Nike
Although the United States team will be sporting Nike jerseys on the World Cup playing fields, the brand is not an official World Cup or FIFA sponsor. (Adidas wins that honor) However, this hasn’t stopped Nike from affiliating itself with the World Cup. For example, Nike recently introduced a three-minute advertisement called “Write the Future.” Per Nike, the powerful advertisement “takes people on a journey that dramatically captures that one moment…when one strike can bring a nation eternal happiness, while bringing others to their knees.” It’s a powerful piece meant to clearly evoke emotion from its audience.
Although the advertisement has been played around the world, it clearly targets U.S. audiences, as evidenced by appearances by American pop culture icons Homer Simpson and Kobe Bryant. Claiming that the ad is "among the best [commercials] [they’ve] ever done,” the spot has done more than just win Nike a ton of buzz – it has evoked American excitement for the World Cup. This has helped the spot garner much media and consumer attention – proving that a central message and an integrated marketing and public relations strategy results in the biggest bang for your buck.
So when it comes to leveraging a World Cup sponsorship in the United States, who are the real winners? Simply put, they are the brands that tailor their message to American audiences, ensure consistent brand exposure in the media and focus on what the World Cup is all about – giving people something to cheer for.