VISA, McDonald’s and Hyundai Fare Strongly from World Cup Sponsorship

The huge investment in a World Cup sponsorship is paying off for some companies, while others are seeing little return for their money. A new study with Survey Sampling International’s (SSI) global panels — comparing sponsorship awareness before and after the World Cup — reveals that VISA, McDonald’s and Hyundai are seeing gains among both men and women around the world. Men in all age groups and women 20 – 29 are fueling VISA’s awareness increases, while men 30 – 39 are the primary drivers behind McDonald’s improvements. Women 20 – 29 and men 30 – 39 are the groups most responsible for the gains Hyundai achieved in sponsorship awareness after the event.

Not all World Cup sponsors, however, are benefiting from added awareness as a result of their participation. Budweiser, MTN (Mobile Telephone Network), and Seara are among those not seeing the needle move on their awareness levels. Findings show respondents were no more likely to recognize these companies as sponsors during the last week of the event than they were before it began.

“Clearly, some companies are doing a better job than others in putting their sponsorships to work building awareness and recognition,” says Rene Bos, SSI’s Managing Director, Asia Pacific. “Every sponsor has the goal of making sure its name is seen and remembered by the millions around the globe whose attention is riveted by the World Cup. Not all, however, are equally successful at achieving that objective. Companies choosing to sponsor should carefully plan and test their strategies to ensure they realize the full return on their substantial investment — and make the most of this global branding opportunity.”

SSI findings also show that Coca-Cola remains the brand most recognized as a World Cup sponsor. Both men and women in all age groups name Coke most frequently as a sponsor. Adidas is the second most widely-named brand as a World Cup sponsor, both before and after the event. While neither Coke nor Adidas is experiencing significantly increased recognition for their sponsorship, that is most likely due to the strong connection both brands already had to the World Cup, even prior to the event.

SSI’s findings are based on two studies — one before and one after the 2010 World Cup — with over 5,000 adults on its online panels in the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, China, South Korea, New Zealand and Singapore interviewed. SSI offers extensive worldwide reach to support survey research through SSI Dynamix(TM), its dynamic sampling platform that links to its own online panels, as well as Web sites, social media, affiliate partnerships and more.

Interest in the World Cup Remains High for 2014

Companies considering a World Cup sponsorship in 2014 should keep in mind that interest remains high. Post the 2010 event, 68% of men 20 – 29 and 64% of men 30 – 39 say that they are interested or very interested in the 2014 World Cup. Though those numbers are impressive, they represent declines from SSI’s 2010 pre-event study, in which 74% of men 20 – 29 and 72% of men 30 – 39 expressed interest in the 2014 World Cup.

Women around the globe also are looking forward to the 2014 World Cup, though not in as large numbers as their male counterparts. After the 2010 event, 53% of women 20 – 29 and 41% of women 30 – 39 say they are interested or very interested in the 2014 matches. For women in their 20s, that represents a slight increase over the pre-event study, when just 50% expressed interest. Women in their 30s, however, show a decline in their interest from the pre-event study, when 48% said they were interested or very

The Technical Sub-Committee of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved several requests from member associations and confederations to implement the experiment with two additional assistant referees during the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 seasons at a meeting held today, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 in Cardiff, Wales. The full list of approved requests can be found below.

At a previous Special Meeting of the IFAB held in Zurich on 18 May 2010, the Board had reviewed the experiment with two additional assistant referees that was carried out in the 2009/2010 UEFA Europa League, and had decided to continue the experiment until the 126th IFAB Annual General Meeting in 2012, but not to limit it to a single confederation. Therefore, confederations and member associations wishing to conduct this experiment were invited to inform IFAB of their interest for a decision to be taken at the meeting of the Technical Sub-Committee in Wales.

Four basic criteria had been established in order to approve the experiment:

1. The experiment must be conducted in member associations’ professional leagues and competitions or at confederation level (club competitions only).

2. The experiment must be completed in time to allow a decision to be taken in 2012.

3. The additional costs incurred by conducting such an experiment must be covered by the relevant league, member association or confederation.

4. It is mandatory for all matches in the applicable competition to be officiated with two additional assistant referees.

Based on these criteria, the following requests were approved, provided that the protocol established by the IFAB for the experiment is followed:

Asian Football Confederation (AFC): AFC President’s Cup 2010 (24-26 September)

Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF): Campeonato Baiano de Futebol Feminino 2010 (Sept-Dec 2010), Campeonato Carioca de 2011

Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación (FMF): Torneo Clausura 2011, Torneo Apertura 2011 and Torneo Clausura 2012

Fédération Française de Football (FFF): Coupe de la Ligue 2010/2011 (League Cup)

Union des associations européennes de football (UEFA): UEFA Champions League 2010/2011 and 2011/2012, UEFA Europa League 2010/2011 and 2011/2012, and UEFA Super Cup 2010 and 2011.

Also approved, but pending confirmation of the specific competitions, were official competitions of the Federação Baiana, the Federação Paulista and Federação Pernambucana in Brazil.

Finally, FIFA and the Technical Sub-Committee confirmed that goal-line technology will be on the agenda of the next Annual Business Meeting of the IFAB in October 2010.

In keeping with a tournament that aims to demonstrate “The Beautiful Side of 20Eleven”, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee are extremely proud to unveil the most elegant FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 signing so far, in the form of a cat named Karla Kick!

The typically curious Karla Kick, presented today during the opening game of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Germany 2010 in Bochum, will be ever-present at all nine venues in Germany next summer, reflecting the unique qualities and emotions associated with the women’s game as a demanding, exciting and highly watchable sport in its own right. Fans can catch a first glimpse of the Official Mascot this year at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany, which kicks off on 13 July.

“Our mascot fully conveys the attributes of women’s football, namely passion, enjoyment and dynamism. Thanks to her charisma, I’m sure she will become an appealing figure and a strong symbol of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2010 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011™,” states Steffi Jones, President of the Local Organising Committee.

“The Official Mascot is a magnificent representative for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 in Germany. Karla Kick displays all the attributes necessary for such an important tournament role and perfectly captures the joy, grace and athleticism of women’s football. I’m convinced that this cat’s elegance and enthusiasm will be a big hit among fans and players alike,” says Thierry Weil, FIFA Marketing Director.

As well as at the stadiums, fans will be able to meet the mascot in the Host Cities, fan parks and at additional venues where people gather to celebrate our magnificent game. As well as fulfilling her important duties as a FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 ambassador, Karla Kick will proudly help to welcome visitors to her beloved country – from north to south and east to west.

The recruitment of the Official Mascot is another landmark on the road to a FIFA Women’s World Cupä that is rapidly gaining the public’s attention. With over a year still to go before the kick-off in Berlin on 26 June, more than 200,000 tickets have already been snapped up and the tournament’s sponsorship programme is completely sold out.

About the Official Mascot:
Born in Germany in 1995, on the very same day that the German team played in a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ final for the first time, Karla Kick will be 16 years old when the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ kicks off in Berlin next June.

Typically for a cat, Karla Kick is very curious and, although she cannot speak, she will be able to interact with all fans on a non-verbal, emotional level. As the Official Mascot of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011™, she is fully aware of her role as an ambassador for host country Germany and its people.

The Official Mascot, designed by the creative agency GMR Marketing GmbH in Frankfurt, embodies German virtues such as thoroughness and discipline, but she is also adventurous, spontaneous, bubbly, fond of children and very playful. She will often be found carrying around her football, which she uses to overcome all cultural and language barriers. Most importantly, she absolutely believes in fair play and is keeping her fingers crossed for all of the participating teams.

2010 saw a FIFA World Cup of firsts: the first on African soil, the first won by Spain and the first to be assessed second-by-second by the Castrol Index. Using advanced technology and objective analysis to evaluate every single player movement, the FIFA World Cup(TM) now has Sergio Ramos as its first Castrol Index winner.

1 SERGIO RAMOS DF SPAIN 9.79
2 JOAN CAPDEVILA DF SPAIN 9.74
3 CARLES PUYOL DF SPAIN 9.70
4 PHILIPP LAHM DF GERMANY 9.66
5 GERARD PIQUE DF SPAIN 9.63
6 DAVID VILLA FW SPAIN 9.59
7 WESLEY SNEIJDER MF NETHERLANDS 9.56
8 LUIS SUAREZ FW URUGUAY 9.53
9 THOMAS MUELLER MF GERMANY 9.51
10 MANUEL NEUER GK GERMANY 9.48
11 SERGIO BUSQUETS MF SPAIN 9.46
12 JOHN PANTSIL DF GHANA 9.43
13 MARK VAN BOMMEL MF NETHERLANDS 9.41
14 BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER MF GERMANY 9.39
15 PAULO DA SILVA DF PARAGUAY 9.36
16 XABI ALONSO MF SPAIN 9.34
17 ARNE FRIEDRICH DF GERMANY 9.32
18 GREGORY VAN DER WIEL DF NETHERLANDS 9.30
19 JORIS MATHIJSEN DF NETHERLANDS 9.28
20 MAXIMILIANO PEREIRA DF URUGUAY 9.26

Source: FIFA.com/castrolindex

From the second it starts until its final dramatic moments, each FIFA World Cup™ takes on its own specific identity, a unique image that is projected around the world.

This evening at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, the Official Emblem for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil was unveiled in the presence of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Brazil 2014 Organising Committee and FIFA Executive Committee member Ricardo Teixeira, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter as well as former Seleção players Cafu, Carlos Alberto Torres, Romario and 1994 FIFA World Cup winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.

Prior to the emblem unveiling, 500 guests, including international media, were treated to a small taste of what they can expect from the first FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil since 1950. Brazilian music groups Barbatuques and Bossa Cuca Nova and Grammy award-winning singer Vanessa da Mata appeared on stage in an hour-long show hosted by the Brazilian celebrity couple Fernanda Lima and Rodrigo Hilbert.

FIFA and the Brazil LOC invited 25 Brazilian-based agencies to submit designs for the Official Emblem of the 2014 tournament and the task of picking the winner was awarded to a high-profile seven-strong judging panel. The panel was made up of one of the most influential figures in Brazilian architecture Oscar Niemeyer, designer Hans Donner, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, author Paulo Coelho, singer Ivete Sangalo as well as Ricardo Teixeira and FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

The winning design was “Inspiration”, created by Brazilian agency Africa. The design stems from an iconic photograph of three victorious hands together raising the world’s most famous trophy. As well as depicting the humanitarian notion of hands interlinking, the portrayal of the hands is also symbolic of the yellow and green of Brazil warmly welcoming the world to their country.

The next major milestone on the road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the preliminary draw to be conducted in Brazil in July 2011.

Attensity Analysis of Social Media Indicates Holland Is Sentimental Favorite to Win

Attensity Group, the leader in Customer Experience Management software applications that generate value from unstructured text, has issued its analysis of the sentiment expressed in social media about the World Cup finalists.  This analysis, drawn from the full spectrum of social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, blogs, videos, online forums), has shown The Netherlands to be the sentimental favorite to win, despite having a smaller share of social media conversations than its competitor Spain.

Fifty-four percent of the total conversation about the World Cup is being directed toward Spain, yet, of that total amount, only 47 percent of the chatter has been positive in sentiment. While only garnering 46 percent of the total conversation, Holland, on the other hand, has seen greater positive sentiment (53 percent).

Attensity is not attempting to predict the World Cup winner, as the champion wins on skill and ability to play better than the competitor, not social media popularity or “voting.”

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010(TM) OFFICIAL SONG “WAKA WAKA (THIS TIME FOR AFRICA)” BY SHAKIRA FEATURING FRESHLYGROUND PASSES ONE MILLION SOLD MARK Single Proceeds Benefit 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Campaign “20 Centers for 2010″

Shakira and special guest Freshlyground will be performing the #1 Hit “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” during the closing ceremonies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The performance will take place on the field at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on July 11 at 6:42 local time to precede the final match of the cup and will be available to all FIFA network partners.

Sony Music announced today that Shakira featuring Freshlyground’s Waka Waka (This Time For Africa), the Official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, has reached one million singles sold since it became available May 11. In the history of the World Cup. “Waka Waka” is the fastest-selling single and the biggest-selling World Cup single of the digital age. All proceeds from the song will benefit FIFA’s Official Campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup”20 Centers for 2010.”

The song was written and co-produced by global superstar Shakira. The song is as international as the games themselves. It is inspired by an African marching chant, “Zangalewa” made popular by the Cameroonian group Golden Voices and combines Afro-Colombian instrumentation and rhythms with a rousing Soca beat and Southern African choir and guitar. It is also included on “Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album(TM)” released by Sony Music Entertainment.

Raul Gonzales, the Real Madrid legend, is finally switching clubs for Schalke 04, according to a lot of reports.

Here are some important things to know about the legendary striker.

1. He is 33 years old. He was born on June 27, 1977.

2. He has 102 caps for Spain. He has scored 44 goals for the national team.

3. Even if he played for Atletico Madrid in his youth career, he moved to rivals Real early on, in 1992. He has only played for Real since.

4. Since 1994, he has played for the senior team. He has a whopping 550 appearances for the club, scoring 228 times.

5. He is third in the all-time La Liga top goalscorers charts.

6. He is also the top active La Liga goalscorer.

7. He has scored 66 times for Real Madrid in European competitions.

8. Raul has been the captain of Real Madrid since 2003.

9. He has five children: four sons and a daughter.

10. After a fabulous Real Madrid career, he will move to German club Schalke 04, for a Euro 4 million per season contract. The deal has not been confirmed yet, but has a huge chance of materializing.

“Bafana Bafana are out of the World Cup but they won the hearts and minds of all South Africans and the whole world tonight,” said 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC) CEO Danny Jordaan after South Africa’s final group stage match against France in Mangaung/Bloemfontein.

South Africa won the match but it was not enough for the host nation to progress past the group stage of the tournament.

“Yes they did not make it past the group stage but they did what the country asked of them – they played with pride, passion, skill and commitment, they gave their best. They did the national team jersey and every single South African proud and we want to thank them for what they’ve done for this country,” he added.

Jordaan also thanked South Africans for the tremendous support they have shown for the South African team.

“The passion and enthusiasm we have seen across the length and breadth of South Africa in recent weeks has made this tournament truly come alive for locals and visitors alike,” he said.

Jordaan does not believe that South Africa’s exit will affect the overall success of the tournament.

“It may be over for Bafana Bafana but it is not over for South Africa. This is still South Africa’s World Cup. We are not going home, the World Cup is happening in our home,” he said.

“South Africans have already proven their support for Team South Africa. Without millions of them we would not have delivered ten world-class stadiums, opened new airports, highways and train stations in record time or welcomed hundreds of thousands of new visitors to our country. We would not have already hosted more than half of the World Cup matches successfully,” he explained.

“I remain confident that South Africans will continue to be fantastic hosts for the next two and a half weeks and make the most of this incredible time in our country’s history, which has already seen us achieve so much,” said Jordaan.

Jordaan said that support for the tournament to date has met all expectations with a total of 1 570 447 people attending the first 32 matches (an average of 49,076). More than a million people have watched the matches at the ten FIFA Fan Fests in South Africa and hundreds of thousands more have watched the games in public viewing areas around the country, with World Cup matches also shattering television audience records in the country.

Durban has proved to be the most popular FIFA Fan Fest with 238,546 visitors from the start of the tournament until 20 June.