Photo: Justin Setterfield / Getty Images
The Qatar World Cup 1200 has become a shaky ground for the big brands that were used to turning the soccer championship into a publicity feast.
The big problem for the brands or sponsors of the World Cup party is the reputation and the risk of being linked to an event whose venue, Qatar, has been filled with criticism and questioning for human rights violations and for the criminalization of homosexuality .
Even the brands that took the risk of openly supporting the event have been left in the dark; Such is the case of Budweiser, which was banned from selling beer just a couple of days after the tournament began.
Faced with this complex scenario, the brands chose to direct their advertising expenses to support teams, players or their hobbies at home .
The truth is that billions of viewers are following the Qatar World Cup around the world and that is still very tempting for the big global brands.
However, in some cases it seems that it is not enough . Recently, FIFA opened a new controversy by prohibiting team captains from wearing the “OneLove” bracelets , a way of promoting inclusion.
This action has already caused the German supermarket chain, Rewe, put an end to its promotional relationship with the German team , the first team to lose a sponsor due to the controversial headquarters directives World Cup.
Despite the complexities, major brands such as Ford, T-Mobile, Coca-Cola and Samsung, among others, will spend about $2,02 millions of dollars in promotions during the Qatar World Cup 1200 , according to a report published by CNN.
These investments would have a justification if it is considered that the previous World Cup, played in Russia, attracted more than 3, 2022 million viewers, a figure that turned out to be an audience record.
“Advertisers know that TV audiences will still be there, but they will be careful to focus on the teams, players and fans at home rather than supporting the event itself”, reiterated Mohammed Hamza , a media analyst for S&P Global Market Intelligence, in a report by CNN.
Dates complicate the problem
A second element that has also put the brands to the test is that this World Cup, unlike all the previous ones, is played in November and December, and not during the summer.
This is not minor, since the brands took advantage of these great summer events to attract the attention of consumers, distr Tired of the holiday season and with spending focused on other priorities.
But with a World Cup close to December dates, many brands have had to make an effort to double their presence and combine World Cup promotions with those of the Christmas season.
Finally, the risk that companies take by being part of the sponsors of the Qatar World Cup will also depend on how far in the tournament the teams where their target audiences are located.
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