MEDIA RELEASE PR40597
World Cup Sponsorship Boosts Some Brands, but has Little Impact for Others, New SSI
Study Reveals
SHELTON, Conn., July 28 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
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
interested in the 2014 games.
About Survey Sampling International
global provider of sampling solutions for survey research. SSI reaches
respondents in 72 countries via Internet, telephone and mobile/wireless.
Client services include questionnaire design consultation, programming and
hosting, and data processing. SSI serves more than 2,000 clients, including
48 of the top 50 research organizations. Founded in 1977, SSI has 17 offices
in 15 countries.
SOURCE: Survey Sampling International
CONTACT: Ilene Siegalovsky,
Vice President,
Global Marketing,
+1-203-567-7230
ilene_siegalovsky@surveysampling.com
NEWS 
