From 14 June to 15 July, almost half of the world’s population will divert its attention to the 32 hopefuls fighting it out for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
In the periphery, marketers will engage in a battle of their own, with brands scrambling to ride the hype and global reach of the tournament to push effective campaigns.
While the 2014 World Cup in Brazil was marked by social media, the upcoming tournament in Russia is set to be the World Cup of Mobile. Internet penetration has grown from 42% to 55% since the last tournament, and mobile now makes up 73% of total internet consumption.
Tentpole sporting events are particularly suited to mobile app targeting, as sports fans are typically never far from their mobile devices, and a large portion of content related to the tournament will be consumed on a mobile device.
Live streaming has grown massively over recent years, to the extent that the 2018 Winter Olympics was live streamed by twice the people compared to 2014. In addition, 30% of fans stream sporting events on their mobile devices because it allows them to watch games and events “on their own terms”. Second screening in live sports is also huge – 80% of viewers use their mobile devices to search for player stats and to replay videos of key plays.
Beyond live streaming, several other mobile app categories see uplifts during major sporting events:
- Sport – fans use mobile sports apps to find out more about their favourite teams and players throughout the tournament, both during and between games
- Gaming – all sorts of football games, from quizzes to multiplayer football simulations, see increased usage as consumers seek to emulate their heroes and keep the excitement of the tournament alive
- Food delivery – take away ordering increase on average 20% to 30% during major sporting events, with McDonalds looking to triple McDelivery drivers during the World Cup tournament period
- Transport and Ride Sharing – as people get out and about to watch games, transport and ride share apps see increased usage
A new App Annie reports covers everything brands and agencies need to know about mobile marketing during World Cup 2018.
The App Marketer’s Guide to the World Cup [White Paper]
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