FIFA’s Digital Marketing improves customer engagement, sales and retention now and the 21st Century

FIFA’s use of Social Media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube in the Marketing process and campaigns is very bold, organized methodical and innovative for a non-for-profit association.

FIFA is a non-commercial, not-for-profit association that uses significant funds in developing the game of football/soccer around the world, organizing its own international competitions and drawing up regulations for association football/soccer.

This legal status as a not-for-profit association has helped FIFA to develop into a multibillion dollar company.

The current partners of FIFA listed for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia^TM are Adidas, Coca Cola, Hyundai, KIA, Qatar Airways, Wanda group, Gazprom and Visa.

The current FIFA sponsors are Budweiser, Hisense, McDonalds, Vivo, HANDSHAKE FOR PEACE, FIFA FOOTBALL FOR HOPE, and FIFA.com. If you are interested in applying to be a sponsor for the next FIFA World Cup^TM in 2022, please click on the following link that will lead you to FIFA’s sales department email address. Become a sponsor email address (sales@fifa.org)

The above listed companies dominate advertising boards, receive free tickets and have the privilege of inviting guests at special rates and have rights to use the World Cup Logo exclusively.

FIFA is effectively using Digital Marketing to advertise and sell tickets for the future World Cup events, such as 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia^TM. FIFA fans can apply for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia^TM tickets using the following link apply for tickets. Soccer fans can also check prices in US dollars by clicking check prices.

Benefits to Partners

FIFA’s Marketing platform reaches millions of people in over 200 countries worldwide this is done through the support of commercial affiliates providing vital services and product support for the entire event’s operations.

The standard rights package includes:

• Use of Official Marks
• Exposure in and around stadiums, in all Official FIFA publications and on official website, http://www.fifa.com
• Acknowledge of sponsor support through an extensive FIFA World Cup sponsor recognition program
• Ambush Marketing protection
• Hospitality opportunities
• Advertising/promotional opportunities and preferential access to FIFA World Cup™ broadcast advertising

Partners can also tailor their sponsorship according to their Marketing strategies and needs. They can individually use the official logo and create composite logos allowing them to be creative in their Marketing strategies.

In order to watch the video, FIFA has granted permission via YouTube

Marketing

FIFA’s Marketing team includes 60 professionals from 18 countries bringing an array of expertise within the sports business industry. The Marketing team also draws experiences from different FIFA World Cup^TM events.

FIFA’s Marketing division currently includes a number of sub-divisions such as Brand and Marketing Communication, FIFA Marketing Russia, FIFA Quality Concept, Hospitality, Licensing, Marketing Alliances, Marketing Event Management, Production, Sales, Strategic Development and Ticketing. The Marketing division is also committed to the following objectives:

1. Identifying “rights packages” for sponsors and delivering those rights ensuring maximum return on investment
2. Increasing fan excitement/experiences by promoting FIFA events increasing value for host nations, host cities, members, FIFA, sponsors and key stakeholders
3. Delivering premium hospitality at FIFA events creating unique guest experiences
4. Organising tailor made Marketing events/programs and enhancing fan experiences at FIFA events
5. Managing brand identity for FIFA and FIFA events

Marketing Programs

FIFA’s mission statement is “Develop the game, touch the world, build a better future” and continuously creating Marketing programs that allow fans to be a part of FIFA’s events.

The Marketing programs ensure FIFA’s visibility for their brands and Marketing assets. One of the best examples of making its events more accessible to fans is FIFA Fan Fest™. The concept was introduced in 2010 World Cup South Africa^TM with 6 international cities that were part of playing host to FIFA’s viewing event. Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Rome, Paris, Berlin and Sydney were cities that provided residents and tourists access to FIFA Fan Fest™ a great venue to watch and listen to all 64 matches, experiencing the South African flavor including the sounds of the famous vuvuzela a true FIFA World Cup™ experience in South Africa.

FIFA’s Marketing initiatives

In order to confirm the importance of Football as a widely accepted and most important sport worldwide, FIFA carried out a Marketing research campaign that provided facts and figures that confirms with facts the power of Football worldwide.

FIFA developed a comprehensive market research program that provided insights and tracking trends in 15 markets worldwide. This allowed FIFA to track the success of events around the world as well as the performance of the commercial affiliates’ brands.

Market Research Survey Areas:

Consumer Research

• Allowed FIFA to understand where and why people love football and FIFA’s events.

Event Research

• FIFA’s events attract millions of visitors and FIFA is always looking for ways to improve tournaments, the feedback received from event participants or from those that visited a FIFA Fan Fest™ is very important and valuable as it captures fans experiences in real time and information received can be used to make improvements in the next event.

Media Research

FIFA looks at two key dimensions

• Events and Commercial affiliates in the media, and how football fans around the world engage and follow the game
• Regularly monitoring all media coverage around events, especially TV broadcasting, fans voices in social media channels and how FIFA is portrayed on Social Media networks

  

In order to watch the video, FIFA has granted permission via YouTube

 

Interview with Sam Sgro, November 19, 2017. Marketing Manager at Robert Bosch Inc. Automotive Division (retired). Sam Sgro has over 35 years Marketing experience with various employers

Describe how marketing using social media can contribute to business performance for organizations.

Social media can be used as an effective marketing tool by companies in industries that deal directly with the end consumer, or whose branding makes them close to the end consumer even though they are a few steps removed in the distribution channel. Talking directly with the end consumer is a marketer’s dream where the ideal situation is knowing exactly what the consumer’s needs are, what the consumer’s limitations are (price, quality, availability, location), and how to get the goods to the consumer. Decisions on what the product or service is, how well it is designed and built (high end or low end), what’s the best way to get the product to the consumer (distribution method), what price point should it be, and how much back-up support is needed to service the product, all of these types of questions can be made much more confidently if the marketer has information at his/her fingertips that social media could help define and refine.

The decisions made on how to market a product/service will have both a direct and indirect (consumer image), impact on the financial performance of the company. Every aspect of the marketing program has specific financial implications that effect the revenue as well as the expense side of the financial statements.

Lessons for Others

In my opinion FIFA uses a modern approach to Marketing and Social Media in great part due to their significant/positive financial performance as a non-for-profit association. FIFA is more open and flexible in their use of Social Media for Marketing. FIFA’s open culture in Social Media Marketing means FIFA is willing to have their Social Media activities scrutinized by external audiences. FIFA is innovative and modern in their digital Marketing activities and doing an amazing job in advertising world soccer events years in advance. Engaging digitally in real time with consumers, fans, players, sponsors, partners, and building lasting relationships is the secret to their success.

This open approach is uncomfortable for many non-for-profit associations or organizations that do not have the financial budget to maintain the level of communications and public affairs necessary to conduct ongoing professional Marketing and Social Media activities.

If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site, please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Program Director, Social Media for Business Performance.

---

References