FROM WHERE I SAT
Brand Building Lessons From 2022 Soccer World Cup In Qatar
By Robert Wamai
Today more than ever before marketing and marketers are crucial in organisations given the very competitive and unpredictable arena we are operating in . For the ultimate role of marketing is to generate demand through building a stronger brand than competition . Strong brands have particular advantages to the marketer including resisting price wars , market leadership and most are highly profitable . To build strong brands marketers leverage or manipulate the four P ’ s , for products and seven in the case of services .
It is now February 2023 and the World Cup , which ended on Sunday 18th December 2022 with an epic final between France and Argentina or rather Mbappe and Messi , seems such a long time ago . From where I sat watching the games I realised there are useful lessons for us marketers as we fulfil our calling of brand building .
Team Work
The first lesson is that brands are built by a team . Just as a child is brought up by a village it takes many hands to build a brand .
Football teams have behind them a team who bring to the table different talents , skills , and resources . The most visible of them is the coach but behind and supporting the coach is a team of up to 12 members . These includes Assistants coaches , performance analysts , goal keeping coach , nutritionists , physical coaches , psychologists ( for mental health ) and physiotherapists . There is of course external support from the football federations and sponsors .
This is the same with strong brands that are built by teams that are passionate , patient , knowledgeable , and resilient . The team must be competitive , are continually improving , working in harmony and are focused on results . The coach in particular is critical , for he or she is the driver behind the wheel , the leader who is in the trenches with the team , guiding them through thick and thin . They must earn the respect of the team by being humane but also a hardnosed cop when need be . He must make decisions , some which may be unpopular with the team , the fans , and even the press . He must be ready to carry the cross when these decisions , tactical or strategic , don ’ t work out .
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Brands are built by a team . Just as a child is brought up by a village it takes many hands to build a brand . Football teams have behind them a team who bring to the table different talents , skills , and resources . The most visible of them is the coach but behind and supporting the coach is a team of up to 12 members .
Power Of Focus
The second lesson is that of focus . There are many distractions and side-shows that could derail the brand builder from their goals just like in the beautiful game . This World Cup had its full share . Right from the start when Qatar was awarded to host the game back in 2012 the tournament was entering into unchartered waters and the critics went on full gear . To begin with it had to take place in November , not in June and July , to avoid the scorching summer heat . This disrupted the major football leagues which are played from August to June .
As time went on there were reports of mistreatment of workers building the stadiums as well as the issue of human rights , intolerance to diversity , and the limited ‘ opportunities to enjoy alcohol ’ given that Qatar is a predominantly Muslim Nation . But in the end , the teams and the fans proved all critics wrong and it turned out to be one of the best World Cup tournaments ever .
The games were entertaining with some upsets which surprised us all - don ’ t we all love when an underdog beats a big team ? The use of technology also ensured seamless buying of tickets and entry into the stadiums . To bring down the temperature air conditioners were placed under the seats for the benefit of the fans . For the first time in history a stadium was built of containers and has since been dismantled . Therefore Qatar was not distracted by the noise and focused on giving the world a memorable tournament .
This too can be applied to coaches who face a lot of distractions . Everybody thinks they are an expert in team selection and tactics
94 MAL52 / 23 ISSUE