Lessons From The Greatest Show On Earth

By Sandeep Joseph

The World Cup has ended, and while we suffer from withdrawal symptoms, and feel that the next installment in 2030 is very far away, there is still, in fact there is always, an opportunity for some learnings.

In the tongue in cheek tradition that can sometimes be extremely painful, where  even the tying of a shoelace can result in profound philosophical LinkedIn learnings about dealing with adversity and how loops can be good for management, let’s take a look at what transpired in this 104 game gargantuan and longest World Cup ever, to see what marketers and advertisers can learn.

1. More can mean more moolah:

Brands should consider going bigger, to create more excitement and buzz. This year’s World Cup was the biggest ever, with 48 countries qualifying. FIFA’s bold gamble reversed 96 years of elitism, in a sense.

With only 32 teams being the largest number of participants thus far, the new format led to more unpredictability, more watches to watch for audiences, more surprise heroes and villains, and just overall more moolah for FIFA.

If you are a marketer, who is stuck in BAU or quests for ROI, do consider how going bigger, placing bigger bets, can help grow your brand.

2. A Vozinha will rise:

Let me introduce you to Vozinha. He is the bearded breakout star of this Cup. He  did not sign his first professional contract until he was 25 years old. Instead of playing in top-tier European leagues, the journeyman goalkeeper spent years grinding in smaller leagues across Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Portugal. He was born Josimar Dias, but earned the nickname “Vozinha” (which translates to “little granny” in Portuguese) from childhood friends who used to tease him for “running back to his grandmother” whenever he lost a street match. As Cape Verde, an island nation of 500,000 people made its debut against the mighty Spain, Vozinha made 7 saves to enable a goalless draw.

His instagram following exploded, from less than 30,000 to 29 million in 1 month,  and FIFA ensured his mum could come see him play his next game. When Cape Verde finally bowed out after a courageous display against Argentina, he was friends by then with Lionel Messi and his island nation was expecting billions from tourism.

Brand managers need to find their Vozinhas: undervalued, authentic assets, sometimes with beards, sometimes without, who can help drive interest with authentic human stories and capture the world’s imagination.

3. Stay happy, stay Haaland:

Erling Haaland terrorizes defenses in the Premier League, but seems like a fearsome yet bland scoring machine. This World Cup changed all that. Haaland won the social media game, with his goofy personality, cowboy hats, a stuffed “drunk” raccoon in his hand carry luggage, funny facial expressions and sheer joy while his country went deep in his first World Cup, after 28 years of hurt. He gained about 32 million new followers, and became more followed than any Premier League team.

When asked how Norway would play against France, he shrugged and said “they will probably win anyways”. He masked his true drive, put Brazil to the sword, and gave England an almighty scare too. He led his country’s Viking chant of “Ro” and the supporters rowing action became the iconic meme and moment of the World Cup.

Marketers, it makes sense to find your brand’s Haaland. Upset the conventional with humour and a different lens, and you may end up with unexpected results! Don’t be afraid to challenge your cherished icons and traditional methods.

4. Roll with the Rules

FIFA is very strict about the usage of its logos, its sponsorships, and tries very hard to prevent brands from hijacking its showpiece event. So it had strict guidelines restricting brands who were not official sponsors. Even though Levi’s sponsors stadiums, they were asked to cover their logo. The stadium was temporarily renamed the San Francisco Bay Area stadium, instead of the Levi’s stadium.    

Cue marketing magic: the brand wrapped up its iconic “batwing” logo, which ironically created more awareness from the brand, as imagery of the wrapped up yet unmistakable logo spread globally.

Marketers need to create within the guidelines, and use the power of people’s curiosity and humour to cut through. Don’t talk at consumers, persuade them with personality and engage them to win.

5. It’s not coming home, if you retreat

Finally, the saddest learning if you are an England supporter, is that retreating doesn’t drive success. The island nation was leading against the previous champions, and went into a shell after they scored their 55th minute goal. Messi magic and Argentinian resilience shone through, and they lost 2-1 within normal game time.

The pundits pontificated, the newspapers railed against fate and Thomas Tuchel, thor coach. But they should have taken a leaf from the book of Spain, the eventual winners, who didn’t rest when they were ahead against France, but pushed on to score a second and guarantee success.

Marketers need to not rest on their laurels, or hope their opponents can be contained. It’s not over till the referee blows his whistle, and it’s critical to keep fighting and trying to gain share instead of merely defending with a passive game.

Energy and enterprise can overcome opponents who may seem to be in the lead.

As this World Cup ends thankfully with the “good guys” of Spain winning, marketers should ponder these lessons, while FIFA plots another entertaining installment.

Sandeep Joseph is the CEO and co-founder of Ampersand Advisory, an independent agency with over 600 awards in creative, media, data and PR. Ampersand Advisory was the APPIES Media Agency of the Decade 2016-2025. He can be reached at sandeep@ampersand-advisory.com