UNICEPTA Data-driven Insights: Edition #2

Every six weeks we explore what is moving the world of communication. Join us, as we share inspiring data-driven insights for #corporatecommunication experts in every edition. Today, we analyze public debates towards sustainability in sports and explore how the Chinese automotive market evolved over the past year and what brands you should keep an eye out for.

ESG on the pitch: Sustainability in football

#Sustainability has made to the top of almost all corporate agendas. Nowadays, it really does make a difference when companies manage to communicate credibly on ESG issues and proactively integrate them into their corporate strategy. This has also become very relevant for sports clubs and related sponsors.

We have unpacked how the sports industry feels these changes and explored when they are particularly impacted by ESG-related issues. On the research subject of Premier League football clubs, we analyzed how public discourse evolves towards sustainability topics in sports. As short-haul flights and other travel for football fixtures have severe impacts on our environment it becomes crucial for clubs and their sponsors to monitor how the public perceives their efforts to contribute to more sustainability in professional sport.

Does the public really care about sustainability in sport? As we see, the public clearly condemns the behavior of some clubs and commends those who manage to drive change in the industry. Manchester United has been heavily criticized on social and news media for missteps and overused short-haul flights while Forest Green Rovers is appraised for their efforts. This is particularly important when we keep in mind that the sponsors (often large-scale corporations and global acting market leaders) of these clubs are highly visible.

It becomes apparent that in sports sponsoring corporations need to consider their affiliations to certain clubs as there lie reasonable threats for their reputation if football clubs do not act accordingly.

It shows that local allegiance is not a relevant factor in the public perception of football clubs. Whether in media coverage or on social media accounts, the public is not happy about environmental faux pas – even in sports and even if they support a specific team. Negative sentiment shows that short-haul flights in professional football are viewed critically by the public.

It remains to be seen whether football clubs will not only succeed in communicating on these issues in the future, but also follow up promises with action. If you want to find out more about this research, you can download the full report for free here: https://www.unicepta.com/sustainability-in-football-study.html

Chinese car brands to keep an eye on in 2024

Electromobility is the most important topic in the automotive industry. Traditional manufacturers are investing in new technology and series, while their Chinese competitors are entering the market.

In 2023, they have managed to increase their visibility in the European market. BYD, NIO, MG, Polestar and VinFast are the Chinese EV players to watch out for in 2024, as they have driven the greatest volume of social media content in a 12-month-period from 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023.

BYD generated more social media mentions than any other manufacturer – although showed modest (+4%) growth in volume between the first six-month period and the second. The Chinese manufacturer’s key story, on 12 March, orientated around its decision not to invest in any factories in the UK owing to Brexit. Recurrence of this story was visible with ripple effect on 26 March when financial commentators reiterated how large corporates like BYD, Tesla and Intel are opting to invest elsewhere in Europe rather than in the UK.

NIO generated second highest volume of content. With few standout spikes, its coverage was relatively evenly distributed across the period, – meaning it has drawn on a wide range of themes, stories, and events to maintain attention. This said, all its largest stories appeared in the second six-month period, helping it achieve second-highest growth at +119% on already significant volume (up from 3K mentions in the first six-month period to 6.5K in the second). Its top stories focused on unit sales and on its contribution towards China’s success in becoming the largest EV market. This said, some suggested NIO’s performance reflected Tesla’s “crush[ing]” dominance of the EV market.

MG must also be considered a key player (volume at 4.4K mentions, rank #3 and growth at +84%). Two What Car? award wins (‘Best Small EV’ and ‘Best Electric Family Car) for its MG4 underlined its success.

Polestar’s key stories included its CEO publicly thanking Elon Musk for allowing access to Tesla’s charging network, and speculation that Polestar’s margins are poor.

SAIC led on volumetric growth at +498% (albeit with much smaller volume than many competitors), increasing its mention volume from 125 in the first six-month period to 748 in the second six-month period. A product launch in Africa helped drive coverage in the second month period, amid discussion about how regulation may hinder or open up new markets. SAIC’s engagement growth also relied heavily on the announcement of a development partnership with Audi in July 2023.

VinFast showed greatest growth, thanks to suggestions in August 2023 that the Vietnamese EV maker is valued at more than Ford or GM and subsequent surge in share price.

Sensing What’s Next

Lastly, we at UNICEPTA would like to thank all our followers, colleagues and clients for a successful year and are eagerly looking forward to 2024. We hope you enjoy lovely and cheerful holidays and wish you all the best for New Year’s Eve. See you next year! ?

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