With the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, the marketing and media world is turning its attention to the strategies being employed by brands to cash in on the football bonanza. But while big-spending brands like adidas, Nike, Coca-Cola and Pepsi have committed to running big World Cup campaigns in order to cash in on the excitement, campaigns of this nature are never straightforward. Those same marketers will remember when sponsor-bashing had a brief spell as one of the UK's favourite past times during the 2012 Olympic Games.
To discuss the role brands can play in big sporting events, the Media Network is bringing together a panel of experts for a live debate which will take place on Friday 6 June at 14.00 BST. As part of the discussion, we'll cover the following questions:
• With so many brands clamouring to grab people's attention, are big events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games too commercial? Can big event sponsorship backfire? Is negative coverage par for the course for sports sponsorship today?
• With smartphone adoption reaching peak saturation in the Western world, how are new digital channels transforming sports marketing?
• Why are live sporting events so highly valued by marketers?
• What role does reactive marketing play around big sporting events? What are the risks and opportunities of this tactic and how important is forward planning in this? Have brands learned what does and doesn't work with real time marketing?
• What can we learn from the approach brands took for the Olympic Games?
• Are events like the World Cup an opportunity for small businesses as well as big budget, well known brands?
• How does official sponsorship compare with the ambush marketing tactics employed by outsider brands?
Panel lineup:
Cameron Day, marketing director, The Marketing Store
Mostyn Goodwin, partner, OC&C Strategy Consultants
Omaid Hiwaizi, chief strategy officer, UK, Geometry Global
Michael Parker, director of sponsorship, Dentsu Aegis Network Sport & Entertainment
Get involved
Take part on the day, simply click the video link which will appear at the top of the page just before 14.00 BST to watch the live stream and click the link to ask live questions. Submit your questions in advance on Twitter using the hashtag #GMNliveChat.
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