World Cup Sponsorship Boosts Some Brands, but has Little Impact for Others, New SSI Study Reveals

SHELTON, Conn., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- 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™, 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

Survey Sampling International (www.surveysampling.com) is the premier 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