Brazil 2014 Will be the Worldwide Cup When it Comes to Marketing

Traditional sponsors – powerhouse brands that FIFA tritely refers to as ‘part of the Football Family’ – pay hundreds of millions to secure their place at the top table of this most global of sporting events.

But while that traditional marketing model might guarantee ubiquitous exposure through pitch-side hoardings, player and team endorsements, television tie-ins (this coverage is sponsored by insert name of bloated mega-corp here) and product exclusivity in stadia, there are more and more ways to crash the World Cup party at a fraction of the price. And they’re all happening online.

Second screen engagement is key

Regarding football, the marketing Holy Grail is all about ‘second screen engagement’ – the notion that fans will watch a game on a big screen while reacting to it on a smaller one, usually a tablet or smartphone.

According to Google, about 18 per cent of football-related searches during the 2010 World Cup final were done on a mobile device. Fast forward to 2014, and that figure had leapt to nearly two thirds (63 per cent) during a popular UEFA Champions League match.

Throw in mass reaction and interaction on social media – 16.5 million tweets during the 2012 Champions League final, three separate football games achieving higher tweets-per-second than the 2012 Olympics – and Brazil 2014 will be a second-screen experience like no other.

How can your company exploit the enormous online potential of the World Cup?

Big money will still win out at the World Cup – places at the top table are reserved, clutter-free and exclusive. But everything else is up for grabs. It won’t be about who can shout the loudest, but who is the quickest, smartest and most adaptable.

Tap into hot topics

At this late stage with only days till the first match, tapping into trends is the quickest, simplest and most cost effective way in.

As Brazil’s big day/month draws ever closer, the perennially popular game of predicting what will happen is gathering pace and it is a hot topic on many a fans lips.

Some have gone for the grandiose – Paddy Power enlisting (at presumably great cost) the services of Professor Stephen Hawking to promote their brand. Others prefer rather more simple but highly relevant tactics.

But it is recognising the next big thing online that is occupying the minds of the marketeers.

Jumping on the bandwagon right before it even becomes a bandwagon is the stuff of marketing dreams. And there’s plenty of people out there determined to make it a reality during the World Cup.

Plan for the expected and prepare for the unexpected

Twitter gives some sage guidance in their Twitter Academy webinar on how to build a World Cup presence. Suggesting that you join the conversation before, during and after the tournament with planned tweets but that you also prepare yourself to be able to jump on unexpected opportunities.

Monitor search trends to spot opportunities early

As Sam Zindel, data strategist at digital agency iCrossing, told Marketing Week, “If you’re engaged with users’ search behaviours then you’re able to spot opportunities before others, like advertising against a video that is about to go viral or driving up rankings. You haven’t got huge overheads because the ad formats are text driven.”

Guerilla Marketing with caution

And it will be about who can push the envelope without falling foul of Brazil’s draconian laws regarding guerilla marketing. Brazil does not take kindly to ambush marketing, with provisions in place far wider than those employed for the London Olympics. These days, guerilla marketing is a serious business wrapped up in frivolous clothing. In Brazil, getting it wrong could lead to serious repercussions – including a prison term.

Whatever happens on the pitch in the coming weeks, more of us than ever will be watching and more people than ever trying to convert our interest into cold, hard sales.

Brazil are being widely tipped to win the football battle. But thanks to the ever-changing and expanding online world, there might well be a lesser player with shallower pockets enjoying global marketing glory come the final on July 13.

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