Chinese and technology companies are among the main supporters of the FIFA World Cup
The atmosphere of the World Cup is already starting to take shape this Friday (1st) with the definition of the groups for the world cup, which, for the first time, will take place in the Middle East and which will be played from November. In addition to some surprises regarding the selections that guaranteed the spot, this year’s edition shows some changes in the profile of the sponsors of the Cup in relation to the last two tournaments, in 2014 and 2018, played in Brazil and Russia, respectively.
Among the seven brands investing in the FIFA event are Singapore’s Crypto.com, Indian edtech Byju, Chinese Vivo (technology and cell phones), Hisense (appliances and electronics) and Mengniu (dairy and ice cream manufacturing) and American McDonald’s and Budweiser.
“It is a moment when companies more related to the technology area also see that football is a great way of communication for these brands”, says Fernando Trein, professor of sports marketing at ESPM Porto Alegre. He recalls that this movement follows what has already happened in regional events such as Uefa Euro, with the actions of TikTok, and also in some tournaments here in Brazil.
José Mauro Nunes, professor at FGV Ebape, makes a similar analysis and sees the emergence of new segments. “We are talking about cryptocurrency, technology and Southeast Asian companies in relation to 2014, when there was a large presence of Western companies”, he analyzes.
For the specialist, the location of the event, in the Middle East, and the presence of elites linked to oil also contributed to the change, which could represent an opportunity for these companies to seek visibility and attract potential investors.
In addition to global sponsors, the edition also has regional sponsors, a modality that debuts this year. Among them, Claro and Nubank and the Chinese UPL, of sustainable agriculture. It also has FIFA partners, brands such as Visa, Coca-Cola, Hyundai/Kia, Qatar Airways, Qatar Energy and Wanda, a multimedia conglomerate that operates real estate developments.
According to Amir Somoggi, managing director of Sports Value, the change in the profile of supporters also occurs because medium-sized brands prefer not to sponsor the event, as they see no return. A reflection, according to him, of the organizing entity not having expanded its deliveries in media and experiences, being very restricted to field properties and associations for licensing.
Data driven and digital, boosted by the pandemic, says the executive, have gained much more importance than broadcasting the game, that is, the content derived from the matches started to draw more attention.
“At the same time that you lose some traditional brands, on the other hand, you get new players. You already had solar energy heating and now you have cryptocurrencies and edtech”, explains the professional.
Chinese advance
In addition to the entry of new market segments, the presence of Chinese brands draws attention. Considering the global and regional sponsors and FIFA partners, the Asian country has the most representatives, five companies – Vivo, Hisense, Mengniu, UPL and Wanda. The United States appears in second place, with four companies: Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Budweiser and Visa.
Despite the differences in market value and relevance between the brands of the two countries from a global perspective, the process reflects the moment of expansion and opening of oriental brands to the world.
“The arrival of Chinese companies is a remarkable fact in terms of sponsorship and this should be repeated in the coming years due to the size of the market, the investments and the volume of resources that they move”, analyzes Nunes, from FGV Ebape.
Fábio Wolff, managing partner of Wolff Sports & Marketing, says he understands this growth as “natural”, since the investments of Chinese brands have registered expansion in the sports universe. “I consider it natural to notice the presence of Chinese companies in different events, not only in the World Cup, but in other world events and also in local events”, he adds.
