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This week, Wired868 looks on in awe as the big teams prepare their 2014 World Cup strategy. And we mean Adidas and Coca-Cola; not Argentina and Spain.
Plus some Brazilian love for fat cats, FIFA’s plan to make the crippled walk as part of its pre-World Cup show and a further examination of the samba between protesters and the local police force.
Brazil president Dilma Rousseff (left) and FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
(Courtesy Fabrice Coffrini/ AFP)
The challenges and opportunities for brands to break Brazil
By Sam Feasey (Goal.com)
2014 is dominated by a single sporting event – the Fifa World Cup.
In 2013, brands were starved of a true global super-show where they could flex their marketing muscle, but as the kick-off in Sao Paolo, Brazil draws closer, we can expect both official and non-official partners to up the sponsorship ante.
Brands such as Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa, Continental and McDonald’s have all invested in a shared total rights package worth £5.5 billion in commercial revenue over its four-year cycle for Fifa.
So what are the challenges and opportunities that await the heavyweight family of brands in Brazil?
The Fifa World Cup is an unrivalled space for brands. To put things into context, at this year’s World Cup, the partners will have access to communicate with over 50 per cent of the world’s population.
Four billion fans will tune in on television, as well as a multitude of digital and social media channels. It’s a monumental chance for brand exposure, as well as a battle for interest and space.
So how can they rise above the clutter?
(Courtesy Chiba Yasuyoshi/ AFP)
Brazil is a country full of colour, energy and passion. For brands to achieve their objectives, it is imperative they tap into these values. If they ignore them in favour of commercial keywords such as leadership and professionalism, they will not flourish.
Adidas, and their excellent ‘All In’ strategy, have already set their stall out to tackle Nike’s long-standing supremacy in the South American territory. At December’s launch of the official World Cup match ball, the Brazuca, the German sportswear giant crowd-sourced the opinions of over one million fans in Brazil to help name the ball.
Additionally, the clever PR stunt to give all Brazilians born on its launch day a free ball was a cute local activation strategy that tapped deeper into the innate passion for football in the host nation.
Click here to read more.
And here are some more intriguing reads:
Rolly pollys wanted: Fat cats will have a whale of a time at the Brazil 2014 World Cup since obesity is recognised as a disability in the South American nation and the stadia will all have special seats for XXL fans.
A doctor’s note or recommendation from Mr Killa is mandatory.
Click here to read more.
FIFA will allow a paralysed child to walk (for at least a few minutes) to kick a football at the ceremonial opening of the 2014 World Cup. Eat your heart out, Pastor Cuffie.
The amazing moment will be carried out thanks to a mind-controlled exoskeleton suit, which was designed through the collaboration of a small army of scientists and would probably go on the market soon for a small fortune.
Our advice to the child who gets to test it out as part of a World Cup gimmick? Run straight home!
Click here to read more.
If you can’t beat them, join them. Brazilian security forces are using undercover agents to infiltrate anti-World Cup protest groups to ensure the smooth running of the tournament, which comes just five months before President Dilma Rousseff faces the electorate in a bid for re-election.
The Brazil police still retains the right to beat them, of course.
Click here to read more.
Renowned Brazil-based sport writer, Tim Vickery, looks at the persistent World Cup protests and the cost of the Government’s failure to discuss the tournament with civil society.
Click here to read more.
“[It was a] poor decision [by Michelle-Lee Ahye to shut down her social media accounts]. The PR people will tell Read more
If FIFA and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) were practising good governance, including fair and transparent electoral processes, would Mohammed Read more
Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis hopes to help the local sporting body to more than double Read more
Hopefully, the Brazilian football federation will locate the black box one day. Never in the history of the World Cup Read more
England was left tottering on the brink of elimination from Group D today after mad genius Luis Suarez bit twice Read more
Brazil got its 2014 World Cup tournament off to a confident start yesterday with an emphatic victory against plucky but Read more
