to the World Cup from OMD and PHD
The 2014 FIFA World Cup – the world’s biggest sporting event – is set to become the most mobile and social event ever, thanks to the technological developments that enable fans to interact with the games, footballers and brands in new ways.
Omnicom Media Group and its agencies OMD and PHD have set out to understand these changing consumer behaviours and attitudes to the World Cup, drawing on a number of research sources including media usage data, social monitoring and pre- and post- Snapshots research and covering topics such as spontaneous and prompted brand awareness, shifts in brand perceptions due to sponsorship recall and brand fit, the use of social networks, the mobility of interaction and content creation. The research provides a rich understanding of the behaviour not just of World Cup viewers but also of today’s consumer and the effect that sponsorship can have on brand-consumer relationships.
A notable insight to come out of the research is the rise in interaction with the event. While TV is still king, with 96% of EMEA respondents saying they would watch matches on live broadcast TV, a huge 82% plan to multiscreen, of whom a quarter would use their mobile to share their opinions and interact with online World Cup content.
Also highly relevant for brands is that the World Cup seems to attract audiences that are not as enthusiastic about local football competitions, such as local leagues; this is especially the case for many women, with 87% saying they are more likely to follow the World Cup in order to experience a big international event or keep up with a major event (versus 79% for men), while men are more likely to follow the event for the love of football (50% versus 32% for women).
The research included an OMG Snapshots quantitative online survey of 3,515 adults across 17 markets, an OMG Sonar study where two Brazilian Trendspotters in Rio and Sao Paolo analysed Brazilian interaction with the event, interviews with social media experts to understand how people and brands use social media to interact with the event, and an OMG social listening project in 10 languages to gather continuous information on how people interact with the event online, as well as what they are talking about.
Tyson Henly, Head of International Football at OMD and PHD’s specialist agency Fuse Sport + Entertainment commented, “We are seeing exceptional levels of consumer interest in the FIFA World Cup, evolving from a passive audience (TV-focused only) into an audience that wants to engage and communicate around the event (75.5% are ‘highly interested in the event’, while 56% said that they are likely to post a comment on a social network). This will challenge brands who want to optimise their association and complement their traditional sponsorship approach with the provision of ‘valued content’; that is, content that provides entertainment, knowledge or information to these newly engaged consumers. This content, combined with the way technology is harnessed, will become an increasing priority for a brand’s activation plans.”
ABOUT
Omnicom Media Group â (OMG) is the media services division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), the leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company, providing services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries. Omnicom Media Group includes the full service media networks OMD and PHD; the Annalect marketing technology unit; and a number of specialty media communications companies.
OMD Worldwide (www.omd.com) is a leading global media communications agency, with more than 8,000 employees across 100 countries serving the world’s high-profile brands. OMD provides a range of services globally including communications strategy, media planning and buying, digital execution, content creation, entertainment marketing, sponsorship and brand analytics. OMD is recognized for its global footprint, strategic integration and creative innovation. It has been acknowledged as Most Creative Media Agency by The Gunn Report for an unprecedented eight consecutive times; Adweek Global Media Agency of the Year for 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013; and 2002, 2005, 2009 and 2011 Media Agency of the Year by Advertising Age.
OMD Worldwide is a unit of Omnicom Media Group, the media services division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC).
PHD Worldwide is known globally as an innovator in communications planning and buying across broadcast, print, digital, mobile, social and emerging media. Built on a culture of thought leadership, PHD’s philosophy is “Finding a Better Way.” PHD is one of the world’s fastest growing and most awarded media and communication agencies, with over 3,000 staff working in over 80 offices worldwide.
PHD was named Global Media Agency of the Year 2013 at the Cristal Awards and Adweek’s Global Media Agency of the Year 2012. In 2013 PHD also received Agency of the Year accolades in the UK, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Shanghai, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Sweden, as well as winning eight Cannes Lions awards.
The PHD network is part of the Omnicom Media Group (www.omnicommediagroup.com), a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC).
