FIFA World Cup: The ultimate marketing tool.
Can the world’s most popular sporting event re-position South Africa on the tourism map?
The scene is Johannesburg Sports City Stadium, 11th June 2010. The Bafana Bafana (South Africa's national football team) kicked-off the biggest marketing event of the year against Mexico. For the duration of four weeks, 26 billion prospects devoured coverage of their favourite players and teams as they tested themselves on the World's biggest stage. However, the football wasn't the only attraction for potential viewers. Alongside the sport itself imagery of the host nation: its sights, people and atmosphere, were broadcast into the homes of a global audience. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for a country so troubled by its past - and a continent looking to the future - to position themselves in the hearts and minds of the world.
Major sporting events invariably have an effect on the industries of a host nation, with the most lasting effect being on tourism. After the 2006 World cup in Germany, figures show that not only was there a significant increase in tourism during the year of the tournament, but also that those tourism figures continued to grow at a substantial rate in 2007 and 2008. This shows that the effect coverage has on the perceptions of the audience is retained to ensure high levels of recall. In almost all cases, media coverage on the host nation dramatically improves the global perception of the country due to the exposure of carefully selected locations and the nuances of the nation. The effects of major sporting events spreads much further than just the tourism industry, in most cases a level of improved economic growth results from an increased willingness for investors to consider the host country. The effect of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing helped to supplement the already booming economic growth to ensure a level of sustainability in Chinese economic growth during the global recession.
South African tournament organisers had the opportunity to clearly position themselves and indeed the entire African continent in the minds of tourist prospects and potential investors, with careful consideration of both the locations and, importantly, the attitudes and behaviour of the locals. Alongside live coverage there was extensive media and press coverage as journalists assessed and discussed their experiences in the country. Now that the tournament has been and gone, interest in the country must be retained and built upon through effective promotion in targeted markets: specifically European, Commonwealth and American countries which offer the highest value potential. The repercussions of a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup could be a lasting positive influence on the development of African countries for the next decade and beyond.
