Marketing Lessons from the 2010 FIFA World Cup

}july 15, 2010 by Douglas Idugboe

Now that the world's most watched sporting extravaganza – 2010 FIFA World Cup is over, it's time to reflect on the marketing lessons learnt from this very successful event. It's fair to say that along with Spain, the host nation South Africa and its people are the true winners of the World Cup for staging such a world class event with perfection.
Do such non-business events teach us business lessons? Of course, they do. All you need is some common sense and lots of ideas on how to apply it to your business. I believe that the 2010 FIFA World Cup is a great marketing success story. The event saw a number of innovative and unconventional marketing campaigns which have yielded fantastic results. Here's my take on the top marketing lessons to be learnt from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Be prepared

Despite being a staunch Twitter loyalist, I have to admit that the world's most popular micro-blogging site goofed up badly during the World Cup. While Twitter was smart to create an attractive World Cup site to attract more visitors, it just couldn't handle the massive user traffic. While Twitter had the perfect marketing plans in theory, their execution was far from perfect.

Speed Matters

Remember how Germany crushed England with the mesmerizing speed in their counter-attacks, a business needs to show the same agility when it comes to marketing. You need to think and act fast otherwise you'll be shown the door by your competitors. There is no scope for lethargy and if you are slow to start off the blocks, you are asking for trouble.

Good Publicity = Good Business

Several brands launched innovative marketing campaigns during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and managed to grab significant public attention. ESPN took a giant leap by offering a live streaming feed of World Cup matches to cable operators. The gamble paid off big time as the sports broadcaster witnessed a massive surge in its viewership.

Brand South Africa

When it comes to global sporting events like the FIFA World Cup, the host nation's reputation is at stake. If it all ends well, the host nation wins accolades; if it doesn't, it receives severe criticism. None the less, the FIFA World Cup was a great opportunity for South Africa to passively promote its ever-growing tourism industry. Thousands of soccer fans thronged the African nation in order to support their respective teams and enjoy South Africa's scenic beauty. Needless to say, the South African tourism industry has received a massive facelift courtesy the FIFA World Cup.

On the whole, the 'Brand South Africa' marketing campaign paid off big time for the host nation. The opening and closing ceremonies were outstanding and so was the tournament in general.

Don't be Loud

Whether it's the Vuzuellas during Word Cup matches or your company's marketing campaign, being loud just doesn't work. It is irritating and discomforting to public and does no good to anyone except making an unwanted noise. Similarly, a loud and pushy marketing campaign is of little use to a business and is likely to detract rather than impress your customers.

It would be unfair to sign off this post without the World Cup's biggest marketing hit of all times.

Waka Waka eh eh! This is time for Africa!

http://smedio.com/2010/07/15/marketing-lessons-from-the-2010-fifa-world-cup

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