No need to be a football fan to understand the FIFA World Cup is one of the rare real global events which covers huge audience across the world and generate big involvement and investments from advertisers

Actually in 2018 (the last competition which happened in Russia) the FIFA World Cup has been a great success for advertisers that decided to hop on to it.
Indeed, the acclaimed sporting event brought together 4 billion cumulative viewers worldwide (1 billion for the final). A unique opportunity for advertisers to reach large audience in a very positive environment.

The 2022 edition will happen for the first time in the Middle East as Qatar will be the host country. We all heard about criticisms and difficulties this choice provoked (starting with the need to move the date to winter because of the scorching temperatures which happen in summer in this part of the world) but this is a life time opportunity for the brands to shine, locally, regionally and globally. It’s an unique business context even for the local advertisers, because it will impact all kind of industries,  hospitality, food and beverage, catering, deliveries, clothes, sport garments, home equipment, electronics equipment, tourism, … which will be boosted by a consumption increase.

To measure the importance of the event, here are 3 of the Middle East key figures concerning audience and advertising during the 2018 World Cup:

  1. 76% of Emiratis, 58% of Qataris, and 74% of Saudis watched at least some of the World Cup, resulting in 14,787 hours of TV coverage, and 16.4% of global coverage. 
  2. Second-screen activity during the World Cup skyrocketed and covered multiple business areas: social media, news websites, products, and services… 
  3. 2.4 billion were added to worldwide ad spend by the 2018 World Cup, which is an average +14% incremental ad spend due to this event only.

 

The beauty of the FIFA World Cup resides in the very wide audience covered by the event. In the Middle East, 8 out of 10 people watched at least some of the 2018 World Cup, proving that the football World Cup is an event everyone feels interested in.

In short, whether they are core sports fans, event enthusiasts, families, couples, group of friends, men, women, young, old, wealthy or not they will be covered by the FIFA World Cup.
So if you are an advertiser it’s a good move to grab this occasion to reach your target.

But to address your targets properly during this key moment, there are three important steps to follow: 

First, ensure perfect timing by placing yourself on the most important games when your target audience is most connected and focused. Focus on your target’s favorite team games. Attention it won’t be necessary the country of origin of your target because all countries are not represented during this competition, so very often the people are choosing a country of substitution. 

And pursue your campaign until the semi-finals and finals to maximize your visibility.

Then, bet on multi-lever activations on digital and traditional media to reach your targets and ensure maximum coverage: take advantage of the power of digital TV, video, display, search, social and more to adapt your message and touch the right people, at the right time, with the right format for various size of budget.

Lastly, innovate for maximum impact. Whether you already have a well-defined media plan to activate or are looking to build a fully integrated communication strategy, double your efforts to stand out from the crowd. Consider in-game ads, amplify your social media posts or opt for a 360° strategy. 

In short, FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar is the perfect opportunity for advertisers to reach their objectives and maximize their results. But to ensure the benefit, now is the time to prepare the campaigns to be ready in time.  So don’t hesitate to contact (digital) media experts (like Gamned ! 😉) if you need expertise to build your customized plan.