Online Marketing For Sports Events: Digital marketing for almost all sectors of business and entertainment is big, big business and the scope for such marketing initiatives are virtually infinite, and this includes sporting events of all scales from local club fixtures to the soccer World Cup. In this article we’ll focus on some of the digital marketing functions that are being utilized to promote major sporting events and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in particular. Although you may think that an event like the World Cup needs next to no marketing, and this may be true in regard to the event itself, the official sponsors of such events are working hard to promote their brands in order to reach as many people as possible.
Online Marketing for a major sporting event, digital or otherwise, is a massive undertaking with too many elements to fully explore in a concise article so we’ll focus on a few areas that are familiar to most people and most sports fans!
Social Media Platforms
For online marketing purposes, social media platforms are a highly effective, if not the most effective, way to market a sporting event for a worldwide target audience. Whether it’s betting companies letting their customers know about the most up to date FIFA World Cup 2022 odds, a company selling World Cup memorabilia or an international sportswear manufacturer selling replica shirts, any digital marketing strategy that doesn’t include a social media campaign is basically a non-starter. In terms of the actual event itself, FIFA has a dedicated Facebook page that is full of information that is designed not just to promote the World Cup 2022 itself but also promote the country and region where it is being staged.
Paid Advertising
As previously mentioned the World Cup itself is known worldwide so it’s hard to imagine a digital marketing paid advertising campaign being used to promote the tournament itself but the governing body FIFA allows licensed partners to use their brand name which is of course a marketing strategy in itself. Type FIFA into the Google search engine and you will see paid advertising regarding the FIFA video game series amongst others.
Blogging/Bloggers
Although perhaps an understated form of marketing, blogs are quite effective when it comes to promoting sporting events, particularly if the publishers are affiliated to a team or country. For example, Brazil, the most successful soccer country on the planet, has several blogs pertaining to the national team and has a substantial following. The importance of multilingual marketing is also a substantial factor in marketing a worldwide event, with major languages such as Spanish, Arabic and Chinese amongst others prominent.
The overriding digital marketing medium for worldwide sporting events is social media with almost all stakeholders focusing heavily on this element. The immense popularity of social media is spread across all countries, cultures and classes and with estimated users in excess of 4.62 billion, its reach is virtually infinite. Whether you’re looking for your local badminton club fixtures or want the rundown on top tips for the golden boot at the FIFA World Cup 2022 you’ll find what you’re looking for on a social media platform. The advertising revenues banked by the social media giants are mind-blowing but on the other side of the coin the reach of the advertisers with a stake in the FIFA World Cup has never been longer.