In addition, globally, 46% of viewers expect to buy World Cup-related products, which for brands, both sponsors and those who join the conversation, represents a sales opportunity.
Hyundai is one of the automotive companies that is committed to exposing its brand in large spaces and advertising formats. Hence his recurring investment in television and his sponsorship of the greatest football event: the 2022 World Cup.
Juan Carlos Ortega, Marketing Director of Hyundai Motor Mexico, says that his relationship with FIFA was born in 1999, but this year, apart from the brand exhibition, Hyundai has other objectives as a sponsor.
“This particular World Cup has a very specific objective: to amplify the message of sustainability, under the campaign Goal of the Century. We want to unite the world inspired by the pure value of team spirit and togetherness created by the universal love of soccer. This communication is part of Hyundai’s mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, neutralizing CO2 emissions at all stages of its production and operation,” he explains.
In Mexico, the brand is amplifying the message with different tactical actions aligned to this initiative to bring 49 winners (customers, business partners and employees) to enjoy World Cup and national team matches.
As part of its sponsorship, Hyundai Motor will provide eco-friendly vehicles for national teams, VIPs and event officials during the World Cup. This is the first time that eco-friendly vehicles have been included in the official fleet of an event for FIFA. Of the total 592 vehicles, more than 50% are passenger and some of them will be eco-friendly models, including the IONIQ 5, Santa Fe Hybrid and the Elec City bus.
In addition to brand exposure, the manager believes that there is no sport in the world that reaches more people and crosses more borders and overcomes social differences than football.
“Mexico is the sixth country with the largest number of soccer fans. As long-time partners of different clubs, we have experienced the enormous impact of football over the years. It has the power to move and engage people around the world, generating greater familiarity and engagement with customers about your brand,” he says.
The relationship with FIFA is strategic. Amplify the knowledge of your brand and affinity, especially in a young brand such as Hyundai in Mexico, only eight years old. A sponsorship is usually a medium-long term relationship and that generates positive synergies for both parties, he adds.
The other side of the coin
However, there is another reading of the sporting event in Qatar. The Arab country is facing discrimination against women and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the reported deaths of several migrant workers -unofficial figures put the figure above 6,000 dead workers- who helped build the stadiums where the event is held. out the World Cup.
A few days before the start of the World Cup, the ambassador of the event in Qatar and former soccer player Khalid Salman classified homosexuality as mental damage and reiterated that it is an illegal act. Consequently, UN specialists pointed out that the Cup in Qatar has been a wasted opportunity to promote human rights in the world.
In this context, for some firms and personalities such as Shakira, Dua Lipa, Rod Stewart and Chanel, associating with an organization like FIFA that helps finance the Qatari regime, related to slavery, misogyny and homophobia, could work against them. .
The same is considered by the brewer BrewDog, which spoke out on social networks as an anti-sponsor brand of the soccer event and decided to donate the profits obtained from its Lost Langer product sold during the World Cup to causes that fight against rights abuses. humans.
“The coherence of the companies and organizations is revealed starting with FIFA itself, which punishes the Mexican fans for shouting ‘Puto’ in matches, but chooses Qatar and before Russia, where the rights of the LGBT community are protected. in check. There is a debate for the actors between short-termism or the generation of immediate financial results, and long-termism or the strategic construction of brands”, mentions Rodrigo Díez, CEO of the branding consultancy Padre Group.
The biggest risk brands could have in associating with an event like Qatar is inconsistency in their brand positioning, followed by a lack of consistency based on their values, says the brand-building expert.
For example, Adidas, which in the last two years invested in a campaign (I’m possible) to empower women and break down barriers. That added to the support and financing as one of the sponsors of the World Cup in a territory where human rights are systematically violated, is oppressive towards women and does not even contemplate their independence, it seems quite incongruous.
“It goes in the opposite direction to the attributes that they have been trying to develop for years; for a purely profitable issue they are ruining a long-term positioning that will generate a lack of credibility tomorrow when launching campaigns as I’m possible, or to want to approve or endorse a series of attributes that they want to build for their brand”, he concludes.