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20.6.2010 Nike "Ambushes" Official World Cup Sponsors

Nike, the global sportswear giant, has "ambushed" the official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup through its creative marketing strategy, a study has found.

The Nielsen Company analyzed English-language blogs, forums and social networks to assess the amount of buzz generated by the companies affiliated with the World Cup and their rivals. Nike was mentioned more often than any other brand, taking a 30.2% share of the online conversation prior to the tournament, despite the fact it is not an official sponsor. This was largely due to its "Write the Future" campaign, which features footballers like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo and a range of other well-known faces.  Alongside considerable TV exposure, Nike has forged an alliance with Facebook to give members of its target audience "insider status".

The full-length "Write the Future" video has generated 14 million views on YouTube since it went live in the middle of May as a result of these efforts.  Adidas, which is formally associated with the World Cup, garnered a 14.4% share of electronic word of mouth on the Web 2.0 services assessed by Nielsen.

Coca-Cola has previously described its position as a FIFA Partner as a tool to tap in to a "passion point" among consumers, was the subject of 11.8% of relevant internet chatter. It thus finished well ahead of Pepsi, which delivered a total of 2.5%, although its 'Oh Africa' ad - featuring players like Lionel Messi and Kaká - had generated more than one million hits on the web to date.

Sony, another company which has paid FIFA to secure official endorsement rights for the World Cup, followed in fourth on 11.7%.  The electronics manufacturer launched its new 3D TV sets at the start of the event and is filming games in this format, helping it secure much greater interest among consumers than Panasonic or Philips.

Elsewhere, Carlsberg, on 3.9%, has managed to "ambush" Budweiser in a similar fashion to Nike and Adidas, securing almost four times as many mentions as its rival beer brand.

B.L. 20.6.2010