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Soccer Soccer Soccer - Epi 21 · WOI Unfiltered

• speaker-0: Alright ⁓ I just hit record. speaker-1: Wait a second, wait a second, let me grab coffee. John I am doing great. It's like a game of chicken. Who's gonna say hello? speaker-0: It's exactly we're staring at each other being like, Who's gonna talk first? speaker-1: I know speaker-0: It is gorgeous today. I am not outside, but it is almost 90. I'm so excited. Tomorrow is gonna be really warm. I'm taking my littlest guy has his last day of one of his preschools. So planning little beach trip with his friends. I'm very excited. speaker-1: That's so fun. How fun. Yeah. Welcome to summer. So good. speaker-0: ⁓ well speaking of summer, we wanted to chat today about the World Cup. It is officially upon us. My kids have been talking about this nonstop. Like I think every like in school it's been discussed and amongst friends and at soccer practices. My little guy even, who's only four, when I mentioned it to my bigger kids today, he goes, I know what that is. speaker-1: Do they all play soccer? Your kiddos, Gemma? I know I live. speaker-0: They do. I mean like air quotes on, you know, the little one playing, like he does like soccer classes and stuff. But yes, they they do. And soccer's I just it's a sport, yeah, we've all kind of embraced my husband. Loves watching it. He watches it most weekends, so yeah. speaker-1: Okay, so the Matthews household is very excited about it. I cannot say the Fisher household has mentioned it even once, but it was only only myself who played soccer back in the old days. Yeah. I mean, we're still hoping for a Cubs rebound here. So anyway, I I am excited though, from a marketing perspective. It's very, very cool. I had to write some stats down because it is it's got tentacles everywhere. Obviously, it comes around every four years. It has an international scale. ⁓ kind of like the Olympics. It is a very welcome fanatic sport soccer. ⁓ so the FIFA World Cup, it goes through mid-July, basically. 48 teams, 104 matches, 16 host cities across three countries, which is the new part. the US, of course, Canada, and Mexico. speaker-0: Can we please pause and mention Boston? speaker-1: Yeah. I mean, I honestly when I was looking up, I'm like, ⁓ wait, it's in Jenna's backyard. So that's incredible. speaker-0: So I will tell you, ⁓ I was reading this is the first time in thirty years it's been back in the States, which wow. Okay. So with it being in Boston, my daughter had asked to go. We looked into tickets and by the time we looked, I wanna say they were like over a thousand dollars a person. Oof. Not surprising. So we kinda said, never mind. but funny enough, my husband's company is putting something on and he is going to one of the games. So I have sworn him to secrecy in terms of telling our kids because they would just be Bummed out by that. Very glad he gets to enjoy it. speaker-1: Yes, good for him and hopefully Matthews kids, you will not listen to this pod any time soon. speaker-0: No. And maybe Brian may get to experience some of what we're talking about today. Cause some of what we're talking about is general campaigns that we've seen, how brands are activating on this, and some of that is IRL activations at the stadiums. So I think that that's a really cool part and I'm interested to to dig in a little bit. speaker-1: Me too. And I also think, you know, there's a there's limited number of seats at the stadium. So others are activating IRL in places we gather. It happens to be a sport where a lot of people get together to co view, alongside strangers. So I know we've been saying the word ritual a lot, but it is the ritual of attending these games even if you are not there in the stadium. I think that camaraderie gives you that adrenaline and that sense of belonging, a shared moment. So it's a really nice time for brands to activate, even though it is very crowded. But hey, you can't be more relevant right now than to be a World Cup activating brand. speaker-0: Well, and the funny thing is, ⁓ so first category we wanted to talk about is the beer and alcohol space. and what just popped in my mind, and it's not one of the big advertisers for this, but is a campaign I just saw from Modello. So they had, I think it was a 30-second spot that I watched, but it was basically about the real game happens off the field and out of the stadium when you're gathered with like small groups of friends just enjoying that. modello, that beer. and I thought that that it was a really cool campaign. It was showing kind of the emotional ties that people have to the sport. but it really did pull you in. It was a great piece of content. And again, I don't think they're an official advertiser of the World Cup, but it was a nice way for them to jump on board and and participate. speaker-1: Yeah, I mean, we had talked about Adidas, right? With this you know, kind of hero content that really is the centerpiece of the activation itself to spark that emotion behind the moment in the brand. Others are doing iterations of things that you can touch and feel and creating that sense of, ⁓ I want to get that. One of these brands that is doing the I wanna get my hands on it item is Miller Light, and they are making a soccer ball. that is also acts like a cooler and holds twelve of their cans. It's sort of cool. It's like a s ⁓ you know, a big sphere that's gold gilded and kind opens like Pac-Man. speaker-0: I saw that and loved that. And I think go ahead with your next one. I think I know the other one you saw too. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah, buzzballs, which is ⁓ pre made cocktails, is doing a really cute bar cart that looks like the world. It it's in essence a very similar idea that Miller Light has, ⁓ just to hold their buzzballs in because buzzballs themselves come in little spheres as well. So another exciting thing. speaker-0: You know what I'll say about that is I had n I am not familiar with buzz balls. I've never seen it that I can recall. I've never purchased it. ⁓ but I saw them included because of this one thing they're doing, and I wanna say it was only like forty-eight or so to buy, like in two rounds. But not much. But but not much. ⁓ but they were included in all the roundup coverage. And so this is a way that brands are able to jump on to a trend, jump on that something's happening and Buzzballs in and of itself may not normally break through, but they made it into people and marketing dive and all these other pieces of coverage because they're being included in these roundups. So it is a really smart tactic. Yeah. speaker-1: Absolutely. And they just raised awareness. Yeah. That's a really smart point, Jenna, in terms of, you know, let's let's announce ourselves to wh whole different segments. speaker-0: Now, AB InBev is the the key ⁓ alcohol sponsor for the World Cup. And so their brands are popping up in a variety of different ways. They haven't, I haven't seen them announce what every single one of their brands will be doing. I did see that McLobe Ultra will be doing some IRL at stadiums. They called them FanFests and Beer Gardens. So that was what I was kind of hinting at. I wonder if that'll be which stadiums they'll activate at and what that'll look like. ⁓ Stella is another one that I think may be doing IRL. Stella's just such a fun brand. And I personally Yeah. I I think they've done a really great job kind of creating a brand identity. And ⁓ I'm very interested in seeing kind of what they end up doing because it should be. speaker-1: Think of that Dana. speaker-0: fun and vibrant and very aligned with the World Cup. And, you know, obviously there's multiple A, B, and VEV brands, so all of them will have an opportunity to activate in their own way. Some will probably go smaller scale and some will probably do these larger activations. speaker-1: Yeah, and and it's a really smart place generally for alcohol and beer brands to activate. It is a gathering, it's a celebration. Alcohol and and beer is at the center of that. ⁓ so this global moment in particular for these brands that have a truly global footprint, very exciting. speaker-0: And we didn't even touch on this at the top, but you know, we we've talked about it before actually in one of our episodes when we had Renee on the alcohol industry has seen declines, right? With the shift either to spirits or the lack of ⁓ people drinking in general. So they yes. So they've they've faced some challenges there. ⁓ and I think that this is a really key time. Summer is typically a big drive time for a lot of these brands anyway. And then you have this heightened global moment for them to really stand out and really make a splash. And I don't think we're gonna suddenly change consumer behavior in a massive way, but I do think you're gonna get a decent amount of people who are more willing over the next 39 days or so to, you know. indulge a little bit in those drinks that that just make it feel festive and fun and like they're watching a game. So I I think that they'll they should see a lift. So ⁓ speaking of kind of industry trends, another category that we've seen really activating and doing a lot around the World Cup is in the food and beverage non elk space. What I actually saw, and it didn't click immediately, was a good amount happening with coffee brands. And it at first I was like, wait, what what is this? I don't quite get it. I don't think that I associate drinking coffee with soccer. but if you take a look, especially in the United States, there's like 18 or so games that are happening after 10 p.m. So I can certainly see people standing up. Making a coffee, even if it's not for the game, even if it's like 8 PM, you know, before the game starts or so, so that you can be engaged and get excited and and stay up to watch it. ⁓ so Cafe Bustello, I'm not familiar with them. I had to look them up a little bit, but they have these cool limited edition cans that have temporary tattoos that are tied to Latin Pride. and are just kind of pushing like fan self equipment. ⁓ expression. So it's a cool campaign. There are these like yellow tin cans that I saw. ⁓ and I thought that was a really fun way to do it. And just again, another brand that's like popping up and being included in a lot of roundup pieces. ⁓ and then you have Nescalf. They did this whole third half campaign built around postgame conversation. So built around the idea maybe it's not for the 10 p.m game maybe it's an afternoon game where You've sat there, you've watched it, maybe you've had a few beers and done all that. And then afterward you're catching up with your friends or your family or whoever you watched it with. And that's when you're having some coffee and kind of settling in, but making sure you're still awake and chatty and able to converse. Those were two that I found to be quite interesting. NASCAF also featured some well known players, including Landon Donovan. so I thought that that was really fun and Of course a lot of these players are gonna get in on some of these campaigns. So it was good. speaker-1: I love both of those examples, Jenna. Now I want to pivot into food because it's my favorite topic. Let's talk about dominoes. I feel as though they always do a a trigger moment where it's kind of like if this, then that. But this one's really smart. It's kind of betting on the chaos of soccer and the award and the rewarding of red cards, which is never a good thing, right? ⁓ so US fans can sign up on their website. For the chance to win a free pizza from Domino's. I'm gonna register after this because my son is really into their stuffed crest pizza, which was news to me. but yeah, he loves it. So the idea is if any US player does get a red card, you could be the recipient of a free pizza from Domino's, but you need to be on their website in their infrastructure, and then you may be able to to win if a red card is handed out. You know throughout all these matches, a ton will be. I think it's a great conversation driver. People will get on social media to say, hey, I'm the winner of this. So it's something that creates, ⁓ you know, kind of a little bit of its own chaos given the moment. People are charged and there's a lot of buzz and excitement about every moment that a US player might get one. So I think that's just fun. You know, I love an easy get, and certainly it is that. speaker-0: I was gonna say, like pizza and soccer just go together. Pizza and sports go together. Just it's it's an easy, like you said, it's an easy get. the red card is a really curious idea, and I'm deciding if I love it or hate it because like it's not the best thing. If one your players gets a red card, you don't want that, but then guess you're turning a negative into a positive with like, ⁓ that's a bummer, but also I get a free pizza. The other food one that I saw, outside of Domino's. speaker-1: Because everyone needs Exactly. speaker-0: was little Debbie. I didn't see a full campaign though behind there. I just saw some really cute packaging updates. And I'm not gonna lie, like I love a good campaign. I think to stand out you need a good campaign. To get press coverage, you need a good campaign. But just to get purchases, I can promise you, if my children are in the grocery store with me and they see these packaging updates, we are 100% buying them. Like they will those will be the things they grab off of the shelves and stick in the cart without me even knowing. Even if they're things they don't normally eat. So I did want to call that out too. Because I think in this in this space of like great content, you know, how to capture attention, how to do great storytelling, there is always something to be said for just really fun, refreshed packaging that makes sense. speaker-1: Yeah. ⁓ I would agree. And to your point, it's really getting the youngins in the fold who just love these products and they don't even really know it. They're not tracking on it. They're just thinking to themselves, that's special. And it pairs two of their loves in one little moment. Well, the third industry we're gonna chat about is travel. Obviously, with this kind of scale on a global level, people are traveling to see To see the event in many, many different countries and many, many different markets. So specifically, let's talk about the Visa Marriott Bonvoy partnership, which is really about access, actually. So if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member using your Visa card for your transactions, you can win different layers of access to the events in the United States. There's a pricing system across quite a few markets. So some are the Cordof. quarterfinals in Miami and then one winner actually gets access to the final match in the New York, New Jersey area. So high stakes for if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member and a Visa Card user. ⁓ as you said at the top, Jenna, these tickets are hard to get. speaker-0: Both Marriott Bonvoy member, long time, and Visa user. So I am definitely going to look into this one a little bit more. the last thing it's and it sticks with hospitality and kind of on the same line is you know, you have the cities that are host cities have been preparing for this. So you have a good amount of restaurants and hotels that are preparing for people to be in town. In Houston, there are several different restaurants and locations that are planning themed promotions or game day specials, ⁓ or you know, different experiences for its customers. Yeah. So lots of really fun things happening, lots of cool ways for brands to be getting in on the action. We've talked about this many times. It's the year of sport. We have the Olympics, now the World Cup. You'll see All-Star Games happening this summer as well. Like things are gonna continue to happen. And this is just a big year for Brins to be able to jump on and take advantage and really bring back some excitement to to the fans. speaker-1: You need to keep all of us posted on your ticket hunt also for the World Cup, Jenna. ⁓ I mean speaker-0: To be honest, I'm probably gonna give up and just let Brian go enjoy it and make him take pictures. But we'll see. We'll see. speaker-1: V Visa and Marriott Bonvoy. We'll leave you with that. speaker-0: We go. All right. ⁓ our very last question that we always ask each other. What is our impact? Do you want me to go first? So I am gonna go on the I'm gonna go on the personal side of the house right now. Okay, because we have some fun stuff happening with our clients. We have some clients in the sports space and we're seeing really great coverage and conversation for them. So that's all great. speaker-1: Would love you to go first. speaker-0: But we were talking at the top of this conversation. It's also end of the school year for all of our kids. and you know, kind of i r in line with the theme of celebrating in sports and having fun and socializing with your community. I am putting together ⁓ an event for our neighborhood, let's call it friends and neighborhood. ⁓ for the the kids to come on the last day of school and just kind of have a blast and have that end of the school year party. and it's something it just kind of dawned on me recently. I was like, these kids are only gonna be little so long, let's just do it. And also let's keep bringing our community and our neighbors and our friends together. so I actually think as much as fun things are happening on the business side, I'm really looking forward to that because it feels very aligned to. Everything else we just talked about that's happening out there in the world too, and just kind of stepping into summer in a really positive and exciting way. speaker-1: Love to just ride yours, Jenna. I think that is absolutely amazing. I am not hosting such things. I am going to such things with my kids. ⁓ but I will give kudos to the team just for the amazing amount of awareness raising we're doing for sportball. ⁓ and and frankly, I think it ties in with the theme. So, you know, I I think that the relevancy of the year is helping that out. So, well, well done. Big claps. speaker-0: Yay! Well kudos to the team. Happy summer, everybody. Happy soccer watching. And we'll see you next time.