As the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals near, the passion for football translates into happening times for marketers
BusinessToday reports

If football were a religion, then the World Cup would be the once-in-four-years pilgrimage that devotees try every which way to make themselves a part of. It is estimated that over 30bn people around the world will watch the 2006 FIFA World Cup. And that's not counting those keeping track of matches over the Internet and getting updates through their mobile phones. It's no wonder then that the events on the field, which attract billions of fans, translate into marketing and branding pitches that span the length of the globe. According to The Chartered Institute of Marketing, a London-based industry body, advertisers and sponsors will spend at least US$1bn during the four-week celebration of the game. Clearly, the World Cup is a marke-ter's paradise, one that gives rise to branding and marketing strategies, offers, deals and wins that few other events can compare with.

Home run
Generate a buzz and then build on it – that's the idea for those on board the World Cup
promotions wagon. It's a concept that representatives of the official partners for the 2006 FIFA World Cup (See box: Field of Association) in the sultanate have understood well. Says Inshirah Bawazir, advertising and media executive, Emirates, "There's so much anticipation for the games that the excitement is already there." The excitement was converted into a promotion through a package from Emirates Holidays, which included air tickets, hotel bookings and match tickets.

Most of the companies on the official partners list don't really need to be introduced to consumers. What the World Cup does is offer a chance to cement the connection between brand and buyer. And it is never too early to start on that road. Six-year-old Salim al Rajhi won McDonald's Oman World Cup Player Escort raffle, which was open to kids between six to ten years of age. Says Ali Daud, owner of McDonald’s, Oman, “We are a family restaurant, and kids are a big part of our customer base.” World Cup-related toys, including FIFA-approved stopwatches and whistles, were also given away with McDonald’s happy meals.

Companies also came up with good deals for those who would be enjoying the game from the comfort of their homes. Mustafa Sultan Electronics, the distributors of Philips in Oman, launched a bunch of offers in consu-mer electronics. Plasma TVs and LCD TVs were offered at attractive prices, and there was also a promotional scheme whereby the purchase of any Philips consumer electronic item worth RO25 entitled customers to participate in a draw, the winner of which got two tickets to view a World Cup match.

Meanwhile, hotels and restaurants have converted themselves into mini match venues, with giant screens, football-friendly ambiences and lots of contests, throughout the World Cup period. There is a good range available for customers and viewers across Oman. From the Radisson SAS, where the floor of a specially constructed imported tent is turned out like a football pitch and the waiters serve guests in football outfits, to the Shangri-La's Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa, where overnight accommodation can be arranged at the Al Waha, including dinner and breakfast at its restaurants and even a 45-minute massage per stay – it makes for an interesting time for patrons as well as organisers.

Game theories
It's obvious that the most exciting World Cup campaigns are the ones that achieve the star touch. And connecting the biggest names in football with fans from the region was Pepsi, in association with Carrefour.

The joint promotion saw winners from across the Middle East, including Oman, on a three-day trip to Barcelona to meet football legend Ronaldinho. Almamoun Alshingiti, customer marketing manager, PepsiCo International, says the move is completely in line with the cola major's longstanding relationship with football.

But it's not all one big party off the field. Even as goals are scored, and fans rejoice and agonise, there is fierce competition between brands. While the official sponsors have paid the organisers big bucks to be part of the event, rival campaigners are making their moves too. And ambush marketing – riding piggyback without spending too much – has been a growing phenomenon in the World Cup, albeit one that FIFA is cracking down on. FIFA's lawyers will ensure that only its 15 sponsors use the words 'FIFA World Cup', the trophy logo, official mascot and emblem.

While only one team will go home happy from the FIFA World Cup, the nature of the marketing surrounding it is that there could be as many winners as there are companies. From increasing their market share to developing their image, it is all part of the plan for the companies involved.

And they don't really mind spending staggering sums of money – on sponsorship as well as leveraging. As the final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup nears, passions will be running high among players and fans, as well as the brand biggies who see this as the best of opportunities and challenges. And as this World Cup draws to its close, the four-year gap to the next one will surely be as anticipated as it always has been.