- Integration of brand building and product activation at scale
- Promotions and prizes as key levers to drive consumer action
- Winning means owning consumption moments, not just visibility
01 Challenge
Imagine you run Coca-Cola’s sponsorships, one of the World Cup (1978) and the Olympics (1928) oldest partners.
In this World Cup year, the board expects a big result for a partnership that costs about USD 60m annually (Sportcal).
It will be the biggest edition of the tournament, with 48 national teams, and it will be held in the company’s largest market: North America (40% of revenues).
Also, the sector is moving fast, with new competitors making big efforts to attract consumers, and, unfortunately, there’s a war that makes it even more challenging.
Campaign impressions or press buzz will be secondary, business impact on sales, incremental revenues or profits is what will truly matter.
Otherwise, that money can be invested in a new plant, team or product next time.
Wow, that’s pressure. What would you do?
Let’s see what Coca-Cola’s plans are (obviously, based on public information).
02 Context
2.2 billion servings of more than 500 Coca-Cola brands are consumed daily in more than 200 countries.
Many multinational companies use sponsorship to accelerate their business goals. Today, Coca-Cola has a wide portfolio with hundreds of partnerships, including global (FIFA, IOC), regional (UEFA, CONMEBOL) and national (PSG, Liverpool FC).
All these partnerships provide frequent activation throughout the year, but require complex coordination and significant resources.
In the case of the World Cup, sponsors have a unique opportunity to drive global reach and local relevance across many markets.
So, the question is: how do you convert global attention into local sales at scale?
03 Plan
For the upcoming World Cup, Coke’s main goal is to celebrate fan passion by engaging through multiple touchpoints and being at the centre of the conversation.
As officially announced, “to have brand and product connection in the fan rollercoaster of football’s biggest stage”, being in digital spaces, local bars, or at-home watch parties.
So, what is the activation plan?
Brand Relevance
- Global Campaign. Creation of three films, the first named Bubbling Up (launched on Jan 27th), including a new Coca-Cola anthem featuring J Balvin.
- FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. The iconic exhibition across the world allows fans to feel football’s greatest prize up close, offering a great physical experience.
- Digital Content. Influencers, campaigns, promotions and event highlights on digital platforms will play an important part in the marketing mix.
- Strategic Partnerships. Collaborations with a legendary football manager, leading media channels and the well-known album creator Panini.
Product Promotion
- Travel to the FIFA World Cup. Through special editions of the product, fans will be able to win game tickets, video games, TVs and other prizes.
- Fan Fests and Events. Product and brand relevance in fan experience events like fan fests, music shows and match broadcasts in strategic cities.
- Distribution in Stadiums. As the Official Soft Drink of the event, multiple selling points will be established to refresh fans before, during and after the matches.
- Hydration breaks. The new 3-minute breaks at the 22nd minute of each half will offer multiple exclusive moments for Powerade throughout the matches.
Besides these strategic pillars, the beverages group will also have the chance to activate hospitality and ticketing programs with stakeholders, social projects for street sellers, and internal initiatives with employees.
Unlike recent sponsors such as Lenovo or Aramco, most fans recognise Coca-Cola as an official partner after decades of association, which will bring more attention and credibility to its activation.
After years of preparation, a few weeks will define the ROI of years of investment.
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