Cricket is big business in India and with the World Cup here once again, everybody is set to follow the excitement. Teams are gearing up to play their best, fans can’t wait to see their favourite players in action and big brands are getting ready to ride this wave with their marketing strategies. Who will be the winner this time around?
Let’s take a look at some of the strategies that can be used to up the marketing game in the playing field during one of the world’s biggest tournaments.
#1 Emotion
Brands can do a wonderful job igniting passion in fans for their favourite team. This is an excellent opportunity to write a song full of positives and build hope that they will bring the world cup home again. Using inspiring music and smart activation on social media, it is possible to turn the brand song into an anthem and thus kindle enthusiasm.
#2 User-generated content and participation
Does your brand come in multiple flavours or varieties? You can invite consumers to participate in a competition to decide which one is the world champion among them. This is consumer participation at its best. You can create social media buzz, get consumers involved in the brand beyond just consumption and generate massive PR too. An added bonus, you can get consumer feedback through this activity on what really works and what doesn’t.
#3 Cross-media campaigns
As a sponsor, instead of following a typical signage approach, a brand can deploy a multi-media campaign getting fans involved in the excitement of the game. Invite fans to share information about the players and the best story can then be splashed across social media platforms. Conduct quizzes via text messages and the right answers with the name can be displayed on digital screens at the venue in real time, to be seen by thousands.
#4 Social media-led campaigns
Build excitement on social media by asking fans to predict winners and the best players. Track the game in real time across all digital channels and change stats as the game progresses. Fans can participate in a worldwide real-time voting system to try and predict the winning team and the Man of the Match.
#5 Celebrity
Using a cricket celebrity always works. However, instead of promoting your brand or product outright, make the promotion about the sportsperson. Is there a story around the sportsperson that you can use? This will generate more eyeballs among fans. And remember, the cricket celebrity need not be a current player, but can be someone who has long retired but still evokes nostalgia among fans.
#6 Grassroot initiatives
Take the game to the fans. Develop a marketing strategy that focuses on areas that the players of the teams originally come from. Make the people part of the strategy and inspire them to participate in creating the message that goes out to their team player. This will do wonders for brand equity and the recall value of your brand.
#7 Guerrilla tactics
If you are not an official World Cup sponsor it does not mean that you cannot get noticed. Try some ‘ambush marketing’ to cut through all the promotional noise around the world cup. Reach the fans where they are: catch them in bars and pubs where the games are being telecast; have flash mobs converging at the venue of the matches. This will create a buzz and get people talking about your brand.
#8 Sports-led campaigns
Does your brand have any sports connect? The World Cup is a splendid opportunity to reinforce those credentials and make its voice heard on a global platform. Start small, at local cricket grounds, and then take the game to the big players. Try and get your brand to the actual players where people watching them can see it clearly. Share the clips from these moments on social media and talk about your brand helping improve the teams’ performances.
Conclusion
The World Cup is a splendid opportunity for brands to get seen and talked about on a global platform. Whether you choose to be a sponsor or not, these strategies can help you do just that.
