The World Cup: More Than Just Soccer

Ever since FIFA’s 2014 World Cup kicked off two weeks ago, there has been a buzz lingering in the air and a common topic to bond family, friends, colleagues and strangers when we meet. Amidst the excitement and celebration surrounding soccer’s most significant event, we realize that the World Cup is magical as it is because it is much more than soccer.

Beyond the 90-minute, 11-a-side game, the World Cup is also about the fans, the culture and the event. In a similar vein, your business should be more than just the products and services; it is your fans, your culture and your events that ultimately lead to success. Whilst your products and services are the epicenter of your business (just as soccer is the epicenter of the World Cup – imagine a World Cup with the stadium and fans without the game!), the surrounding elements are what differentiates a successful business from one that is not.

The Fans

Your business has customers, but how many of them are fans? Who would strongly advocate your products/services to their peers, staking their own reputation and relationship to recommend your business?

Genuine customers who are advocates of your business are the best marketing asset any business can have. Not only is it cost effective to nurture this advocacy (as compared to advertising), advocacy leads to virality. If you have 10 advocates who absolutely love what you offer to them and they share it with 2 friends each, you immediately have 20 new customers and more advocates.

The reason why the World Cup is soccer’s largest global event is because of the fans, not because of the soccer teams playing on a field or the television media crew who stream the matches. Soccer teams and media do not cause a global stir and craze. Fans do. It is the person seated next to you, or your spouse who fervently shares with you the latest World Cup happenings that stirs excitement.

You want to stir excitement over your products and services, so who are the fans for your business?

The Culture

The World Cup projects a strong culture of active lifestyle, sports, health and wellness. This culture is embodied by the stakeholders, from fans to sponsors. From advertisements with soccer players all over them to more soccer games played in the neighborhood’s park, we don’t have to watch a World Cup match to know the season is here. We only need to look out our window and the surrounding environment seems to be in ‘World Cup’ mode.

Can your business create that culture for stakeholders (customers, partners, suppliers, investors) to identify with? An example would be The Body Shop, which creates a culture of environmental friendliness and ethical practices. Any interaction with The Body Shop as a customer or supplier results in confidence and satisfaction that the environment and animals were not harmed. This powerful association forms your brand positioning and has a ripple effect to what you and your business stand for.

The Events

Just received yet another brochure inviting you to a large-screen soccer match screening? Although the World Cup is held in Brazil, thousands of miles away from where we are in Asia, a multitude of events are organized on almost on a daily basis to keep the fans excited and the culture strong.

Likewise, your business needs events to nurture and grow your fan base and culture. An event does not have to be a company D&D or a rock-star concert. Simple get-togethers or happenings can help to engage your customers and convert them into advocates whilst reinforcing the culture which represents your brand positioning.

Now that you know what makes the World Cup a global phenomenon, are you ready to leverage on the fans, the culture and the events in order to build a successful business?

This article was first published by The Straits Times on 11 July 2014.

Image Credits: https://static.goal.com/329400/329457.jpg; https://stcommunities.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/bxslider_photo/chong-pang-cc-1306e.jpg; https://maxcdn.fooyoh.com/files/attach/images/3004/927/011/014/worldcup8.jpg