It is hard to not get caught up in the excitement of the 2014 World Cup hosted in Brazil. Every four years, the top football teams in the world come together to battle it out for a chance to be the champions of the world. Below are 5 lessons every marketer can learn from the World Cup.
- You Must Qualify to Make the “Short List”
Only 32 teams make it to the World Cup – actually 31 since the host team automatically makes it. Since 2011, these teams have been competing to qualify and have played more than 800 matches. Companies and brands also need to earn their place among audiences, within communities and on the search engines. While it is important to keep a big goal in mind, brands must focus on the small victories at first and develop messages and create content around long-tailed, refined terms that will directly meet the needs of those visiting their website and help drive SEO. - Prepare the Pitch
Brazil struggled to get stadiums and infrastructure ready for the influx of tourists leading up to the World Cup and to stray a bit from the subject, we all remember #SochiProblems right? Before you even write one word of content, develop a strategy to ensure success. Having a brand strategy document that states a company’s goals, mission statement, tone of voice, etc. will help keep messaging consistent. Also, identify a target audience and create a timeline for projects. - Assess Your Competitors
It is critical for players to know the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors. The same goes for marketers. A competitive analysis is key to differentiate yourself from the rest. Analyze their messaging, tendencies, and web presence. This will give your brand the advantage it needs. - Focus on the Goal. Don’t Let the “Noise” Get You Down
Flash back four years ago when players were struggling to communicate with each other over the roar of the vuvuzelas. Even without the noisemakers this year, players must rise above the noise of the crowd and criticisms from commentators and focus on winning the game. Big shout out to TEAM USA for disregarding the words of their own coach and defeating Ghana in their first game! Marketers must also tune out unnecessary and non-relevant “noise” as they climb their way to success. There are so many areas of marketing, so know your goals and focus your energy on the tactics that matter most. - Engage Your Audience. Create Emotional Connections
It is no surprise that when you place competitive sports on a global scale emotions will run high. After all, national pride is no laughing matter. For marketers, you must find ways to forge connections with your audience by telling your brand story and creating social buzz. Read our post What Makes a B2B Brand Strong? to learn about what traits customers care about the most.
For branding, content marketing and all other full-service integrated marketing, please contact Sagefrog Marketing Group at 215-230-9024 or visit sagefrog.com.
