Agencies and advertisers talk about consumer interaction in months with important commercial dates for brands
Another edition of the World Cup knocks at the door. After the qualifiers and the group draw, brands and agencies are starting to think of ways to interact with one of the biggest events on the planet and a sport that, cliché aside, remains a national passion.
In the 2018 edition, for example, held in Russia, the competition engaged almost the entire Brazilian population. Data from Kantar Ibope Media revealed that 90% of people watched at least one World Cup match. Four years later, expectations are even higher, given the expansion of digital, new forms of consumption and interaction with content.
Interest in competition, according to Visa, is greater than in the previous edition among its issuers, fintechs, acquirers or merchants. The brand, a FIFA partner since 2007, started to activate the sponsorship for this edition by bringing the cup that the champion of the competition will take home, and promises a series of promotional actions to bring the event closer to Brazilians, from “differentiated” experiences. – Visa shares are being developed by Fbiz and VMLY&R.
“The challenge is to stand out and be able to give our brand a space in people’s minds. The event has huge coverage, enters into conversations and popular culture – and being able to insert brands in a memorable way requires an excellent work of creativity both in the pieces and in the use of the media”, says Sergio Giorgetti, vice president of marketing at Visa. from Brazil.
Vivo, which sponsors the Brazilian National Team, kicked off by announcing Vinicius Jr. as its newest ambassador. “For the World Cup, we are building an optimistic positioning for Brazilians with several planned actions”, said Marina Daineze, director of brand and communication at the company. The operator intends to reinforce the role of the brand and presence in digital service territories.
This interaction goes beyond the game and the Cup itself, as the event also represents a moment of celebration – or crying, depending on the results – between friends and family. In other words, it opens the way for brands to find their spaces, whether in barbecue, beer or other activations and messages.
“It is very important that we are involved in the meeting, which can be through a sponsorship quota from a broadcasting rights holder, but also in the preparation for these events, in the planning of the host who will receive people in their home or, for example, , in bars”, says Victor Berto, Africa’s media director.
Opinion shared by Rafaela Queiroz, VP of BI media at DPZ&T. According to the executive, the agency is attentive to find ways to take ownership of the World Cup subject, without brands having the obligation to sponsor the event.
“This happens in a few ways: content projects that guarantee engagement with our target to generate conversations; actions that shield us and bring us closer to the conversation; respect for the consumer journey; delivering relevant content. Approaching the World Cup means taking ownership of the football theme”, he adds.
opportunities
Four years after the last edition and with the transformations caused by the pandemic, the World Cup in Qatar has the potential to generate exponential engagement.
According to Fabio Urbanas, VP of Media at WMcCann, brands, in addition to those officially associated, must find a more demographic ecosystem in media negotiations, which includes more affordable packages at game broadcasters and offers in different formats in more different communication channels.
“However, perhaps the greatest opportunities reside in the creation of initiatives by brands to participate in dialogues and sharing of information, opinions, videos and photos, in an organic and contextual way, which occur naturally today in social networks”, he adds, using as a reference the repercussions and memes generated from reality shows and football matches in national competitions.
Cup at the end of the year
The realization at the end of the year, between mid-November and December, unlike what happens in other editions, should also create new perspectives.
A reality that will demand planning and a greater creative challenge so that advertisers do not fall into the “common place of Santa Claus green and yellow”, according to Francisco Ferraz de Castro, director general of media at Jüssi. “Possibly, we will see brands integrating World Cup and Christmas campaigns. In this scenario, companies with less capital will need to invest more in long tail and in communications with more niche audiences, working more strongly in the customer context”.
The period will also be impacted by shopping occasions like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Therefore, understanding how to take advantage of this mix of dates will be “fundamental”, in the opinion of Berto, from Africa.
“We know that the event moves the market in less seasonal segments, but that will also have a different impact due to Black Friday and the proximity to Christmas, moments of high consumption in retail”, he explains. A favorable context for the sale of electronics , such as TVs, smartphones.
According to Léo Balbi, Chief Business Officer of VMLY&R, the Cup also offers many spaces for live marketing actions, especially with the improvement of the pandemic. “But it is important to remember that, even in this context, we have opportunities both in our universe and in the metaverse. If everything goes according to plan, 5G will already be implemented in all capitals and probably in cities with more than 500 thousand inhabitants”.
A scenario that can contribute to delivering a more complex immersion and interaction experience, creating more relevance at a time of recovery for many brands.
