As the anticipation around the world cup heats up, my first week as a Tangerine /
Juice-ling draws to a close with the first match this afternoon.
Training and Preparation
Decked out with our very own St.George’s flag, world cup timetable - and suitable amendments to social media profiles – I am now an official member of the team, and the office is buzzing with excitement around the tournament. What’s more, with the construction of a beach (complete with giant TV screen) outside, it’s safe to say that there is no worry of anyone missing out on the excitement.
Kick Off
The action is in full swing as the tournament gets set to stand in the media spotlight for the next four weeks. However, as fans arrive on our office-side beach, another world cup is well under way, with brands competing for a slice of the world’s attention both on and offline.
Ex-footballing legends are hot on the agenda, with big name brands such as the Royal Mint working with celebrities like Sir Geoff Hurst to front campaigns, in the hope of capturing the nation’s attention and scoring a winning goal for their reputation.
However, recent research published in PR Week found that despite an investment of hundreds of thousands of pounds, some brands are still failing to connect with football fans.
Moving Goal Posts
As yesterday’s shock Mirror redundancy announcement demonstrated, the goal posts are moving and we are starting to see traditional media integrating with more online platforms.
Many publications now have an equal or greater online following than print readership, with social media applications like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube creating a more accessible and immediate platform for brand reputation management. The goal posts of traditional campaign management have moved, and the popularity of social media has created a new opportunity for brands to connect with their audiences.
Star Player
For example, Nike’s “Write the Future” campaign, which features ambassadors Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo, has already received over 14 million online views, seeing Nike boost its share of pre-world cup buzz to 30.2%, compared with official sponsor Addidas which sits at 14.4%.
Already the viral video has been posted on Blogs, Twitter and Facebook, receiving positive comments and recommendations from key influencers across the world with just a click of a button!
Who will be crowned Champion?
With so much attention online, it will be interesting to see how Nike’s competitors react to the brand’s investment in online activity.
In particular, sponsor Addidas will be looking to capture additional buzz to compete with Nike and capitalise on its sponsorship online. However with England’s first game on Saturday, amplification of Nike’s campaign is set to get stronger and their share of buzz increase.
The question is, how will Addidas react and will the brand ensure a high return on investment for its world cup sponsorship?
