Some of the brands “generating the most buzz” in this summer’s World Cup “aren’t even official sponsors of the tournament,” according to Laya Neelakandan of CNBC.com. The list of official sponsors for this year’s World Cup include global household names like Adidas, Coca-Cola and Qatar Airways. But even before the tournament began, the spotlight fell on companies like Levi Strauss & Co., Taco Bell and Texas-based convenience store chain Buc-ee’s. Some have “garnered traction on social media for their creative marketing strategies,” while others have benefited from “organic customer response with the influx of international players and fans.” Market research firm Meltwater noted that in the ramp-up to the World Cup, non-sponsor brand collaborations “generated nearly double the engagement of official sponsors, reaching roughly 61 million engagements versus just 33 million.” The firm said that while “sponsored advertisements led in volume, distribution and creative quality helped propel non-sponsors to higher engagement.” The company added that since the tournament began, “non-sponsor brands have surpassed 57,000 mentions on social media versus just over 43,000 for official sponsors.” Meltwater CEO John Box said, “A big takeaway from this World Cup is that you don’t need an official sponsorship to own the cultural moment anymore” (CNBC.com, 6/26).
