Every four years, a sports event takes place that draws the eyes of the globe. It’s estimated that the 2006 World Cup final between Italy and France had a global reach of some 638 million, with 322 million actually tuning in to watch the event. Few occasions provide marketers with such a huge captive audience, and it’s no wonder that some of the world’s biggest brands will be using the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil to promote their wares this summer. Most companies won’t have the budget or the contacts to negotiate print advertising at the World Cup stadiums or screen TV adverts during half time, however, so how can the rest of us tap into a global audience of hundreds of millions? Content marketing has the answer.
Real-time social media marketing
Real-time social media marketing is a relatively new form of content marketing, and as such it’s something of a hit and miss affair. Companies follow popular live events as they’re happening, reacting to real-time occurrences in an effort to link their brand, products or services to relatable real-world events. Perhaps the most obvious example of this process executed successfully is the Oreo Super Bowl tweet in 2013 – an event we’ve covered in some length on the Crowdbait blog.
Analysis of the tweets Oreo sent during the 2013 Super Bowl reveals that most went more or less unnoticed, and only one truly captured the imagination of the captive audience. The key here is persistence, and the World Cup will provide a far greater opportunity for real-time social media marketing than the Super Bowl. While a Super Bowl lasts for a few hours (or a full day if you count the preamble and postgame analysis) the World Cup lasts for a full month, and it’s all anyone will be talking about at the time. Watch the biggest games and look for a window where you can link your brand to real events. The luckiest and savviest marketers will tap into memes as and when they occur.
Related content
Your blog and news feeds will also provide ample opportunity to tap into the popularity of the World Cup this summer. Football fans will be hungry for World Cup-related content, and you ought to look to provide it for them. Looking at your industry or sector you might feel that it’s difficult going on impossible to relate your blog content to the events of the World Cup, but talented content writers will be able to consider the bigger picture. The World Cup isn’t just about football – it’s about culture, national pride, rivalry, victory and defeat. There’s even more to it than that.
If your company works in the field of architecture or engineering, you could link your blog content to the World Cup stadiums themselves. If you work with international students, you could talk about the traits of fans from around the world. It’s eminently possible to link your blog content to the events of the World Cup – you just have to get a little creative!
Multimedia engagement
Written content isn’t the only way to get involved with the World Cup this summer, however. The majority of contemporary audiences like businesses that don’t take themselves too seriously – a sense of fun and frivolity can go a long way towards fostering a sense of brand loyalty. Will your company be screening games in the office this year? Tweet pictures of your employees huddled around the TV during the biggest games. Considering an office sweepstake or after-work World Cup five-a-side tournament? Post video content to Vine and Instagram to keep your followers in the loop. Rather than making you seem unprofessional, audiences will be able to relate to the human aspect of your business through such examples of multimedia engagement.
The FIFA World Cup in Brazil is a great opportunity for brands to reach out to their customers and ride on the coattails of one of the world’s most popular events. Here at Crowdbait we’re full of great marketing ideas to help your company tap into the World Cup, and have the skills to see those ideas come to fruition. Why not get in touch with us today and see how we could help?