With the FIFA World Cup round the corner, marketers are warming up to the biggest spectacle on earth
It’s an event like no other. Almost the entire planet tunes in from their homes, restaurants, bars, streets and theatres to watch the most awaited spectacle, once in four years. The FIFA World Cup is here and it promises to be bigger than ever before. What does this mean to advertisers and broadcasters? How do they harness the immense potential of a rapidly-growing fan base in a country the size of India?
To discuss just this, in a storyboard special, “Marketing Playfield”, Forbes India and Sports18 brought together a list of eminent panellists that include Deepika Warrier, Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo; Sujatha Kumar, Head of Marketing - India & South Asia for Visa; Dilen Gandhi, Regional Marketing Director,Health, Reckitt South Asia; Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Capital; Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands and Anil Jayaraj, CEO of Viacom18 Sports.
The once-in-four-years sporting extravaganza
Few sports can claim to have the tag of being truly global. Football perhaps can stake that claim with ease. The game’s popularity has caught on in India too. It’s not just in small pockets of the country like Goa, Kerala, West Bengal, which have traditionally been the football crazy states”, said Ms Warrier. “The FIFA world cup is literally a festival of the beautiful game. And more so after covid, there is almost a heightened sensitivity of consumers out there wanting to maximise every experience”.
Fans want to be part of a global community that partakes in the once-in-four-years extravaganza. After the pandemic, Ms Warrier estimated that there would be a lot of pent up energy waiting to be unleashed after the pandemic offering brands an opportunity to disseminate their marketing messages.
“We're expecting a huge leap between the previous World Cup and this one as the interest level in football among consumers has more than tripled since the last season. A lot of female spectators are getting interested. It's actually becoming a wholesome family experience to watch a match together,” said Ms Kumar.