Game On!

Ladies and gentlemen, the flags are waving, the crowds are cheering, and the ball is rolling; the biggest and most watched sporting event on the entire planet is finally here: the FIFA World Cup!
Held in Brazil, this edition is bringing together 32 nations, 14 languages and a multitude of cultures united by a passion for soccer and a deep love for their nation’s colors.
Naturally, an event that draws hundreds of millions of people to their televisions and social media pages represents nothing less than an amazing business opportunity for those looking to grab attention to their brands. This is a fact supported by record-high numbers of viewership in countries like the US, Mexico and Brazil. Inside social media, the hype has also been massive. Companies like Adidas and Coca-Cola have launched viral campaign videos that have already amounted to over 1.2 billion minutes of watched advertising. To put that into perspective, it represents over 4 times the air time for the Super Bowl ads, with the World Cup not even halfway done. The U.S. men’s national soccer team also capitalized on the opportunity and made their “One Nation One Team” campaign to increase the popularity of their team and the sport in this country. The results? Unprecedented ratings in every US match on this World Cup.
So, how can your business learn from this and reap some benefits?
Embrace the Market Globalization
We live in a globalized world, and the World Cup stats mentioned above are the living proof of it.  But when it comes to running your business, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy that can apply to all demographics. Therefore, having the ability to analyze the market and customize your efforts toward your desired target is essential. You don’t have to look further than Twitter to find an example. Want to communicate to U.S. fans during the World Cup? Use #WorldCup. Reaching to Hispanics? Use #Brasil2014.  Trying specifically for Brazilians? Use #Copa2014. As you see, a simple translation doesn’t cut it.
Adapt to the Landscape
Knowing your market and approaching it accordingly can make an enormous difference. Just ask Antonio Swad, a man who almost 3 decades ago fulfilled a dream of opening his own business: “Pleasant Grove Pizza”. Things weren’t going as well as he had hoped until he made a realization: the neighborhood around his restaurant was predominantly Hispanic. He immediately changed strategy, first by hiring bilingual employees, and then renaming his restaurant “Pizza Patron”. Fast-forward to today, Pizza Patron is now a chain of famous pizzerias expanding across the U.S. with over 100 locations. He saw an opportunity, adapted to his market, and success followed.
Research shows that the Hispanic population in the U.S. will continue to increase, reaching 31% by 2060. That is 129 million people or almost one-third of the country. The impact in states like Florida is even more staggering. Can you afford to ignore them? The ball is in your court.
Do It Right
At Different Perspective, we don’t intend to start any sort of gambling activities but bear with us for a moment… Imagine that you want to put down a large bet on the team winning the World Cup, how would you go at it? You don’t want to throw away your money, so you’d have to sit down and carefully determine which group has the best overall combination of experience, strategy and skills. Do it right, and you’ll soon have double the money and some nice bragging rights, too.
When it comes to your business you deserve nothing less, and at Different Perspective we fill all the requirements to be your winning pick: a team of highly-skilled professionals with a multicultural background, years of experience helping businesses succeed in national and international markets, and one passion: to see you succeed.
If you have any questions or want more information about what we can do for you, please contact us!