Brand winners and losers in run-up to World Cup

4 Jun 2010

BANGKOK, THAILAND: With just over a week before the 2010 World Cup, Coca-Cola and adidas have harnessed the highest return from their sponsorships in terms of share of consumers' minds in Australia, China, Singapore, and Thailand, reveals research from media agency MEC, today, 4 June 2010.

Both brands consistently emerged as top mentioned sponsors in terms of spontaneous sponsor awareness. This is partly based on the long-standing sponsorship and association with the World Cup.

First-time sponsor Sony made an impression in China and Thailand, coming fifth and third in the sponsor list. The level of awareness is anticipated to increase with the brand's rising involvement in football, having been a UEFA Champions League sponsor since 2006.

Digital channels will be highly significant

The research showed that for this World Cup, digital channels will be highly relevant, and will likely substitute TV when viewers have no access to a TV set. People will log onto the web while sitting at their work desks, and mobile devices would likely be used in China and Singapore to follow the World Cup during a commute.

Between 21% and 27% of the respondents are likely to follow via mobile internet in Singapore and Thailand, with the Chinese most likely to do so at 45%.
In the eyes of the Chinese viewers, South American teams Brazil and Argentina are slated to win the World Cup title this year, and consequently the matches of these two teams are likely to be viewed by 85% and 72% of the Chinese respondents.

The popularity of the Barclays Premier League is apparent in Bangkok, with the English team likely to be watched by 74% of the people in the capital of Thailand.