Local Organising Committee (LOC) CEO, Danny Jordaan, warned yesterday that local companies already infringing on world cup regulations would face prosecution. This included the legions of websites already registered in every permutation to capitalise on the 2010 World Cup... and FIFA has 1200 lawyers on its payroll to back him up!
Speaking on marketing opportunities for South African corporates leading up to 2010 at a seminar in Johannesburg, Tuesday, 15 August 2006, Jordaan emphasised that while South Africa is the event host, the event celebration and legacy is for the entire African continent.
While a little thin on the ground with real content in terms of specific marketing opportunities, a more holistic picture emerged of opportunities to brand South Africa and Africa, and the partnership that can go with that, including lessons from past global tournaments and basic brand guidelines from the experts.
This was the first in these such marketing events hosted by the LOC and the International Marketing Council (IMC) and set the groundwork for the way forward for a brand plan for South Africa 2010.
Ambush marketing, such as airships that just happen to be flying over a stadium on the day of a Soccer World Cup tournament, free buses (heavily branded, of course) provided to gullible municipalities for their fans, streakers with brand logos painted on their bodies, fake 'demonstrations' with branded posters... you name it, it's been tried... and it's all illegal in the 10km FIFA zone around each of the official World Cup venues.
"We have hundreds of Internet sites already set up which are in infringement of the FIFA rules, with every variation of 2010... tata my world cup... tata my 2010... tata my tickets... We will have to tata my scorpions and see you in court!" Jordaan warned, to laugher from the audience. But make no mistake, he was dead serious.
So, for frustrated marketers who will see their leading South African brands overshadowed by international competitors already signed to the FIFA World Cup circus, where are the opportunities?
Partnership marketing seems to be key, according to most of the speakers at the 2010 marketing event yesterday. Because this is not just about soccer or the year 2010, this is about building South Africa and Africa as brands with positive brand messages and an outcome that will greatly benefit the entire continent. This is where the LOC and the IMC will need your help.
Yvonne Johnston, IMC CEO, said 2010 success will be enhanced by branding: "building a brand creates a premium product. When we get this right, we all stand to benefit."
Johnston, who is always stunningly arrayed in local creative jewellery and design at these outings, yesterday with a skirt decorated with beading in unique SA tradition - living and representing the brand she promotes - is again, always positive: "This is bigger than one company/city/organisation - this is for your country, because we will all benefit if the economy grows. The 2010 FIFA World Cup provides opportunities for those companies who are not affiliated with FIFA to become actively involved in the activity leading to the World Cup and beyond."
So what needs to be done? Johnston explains:
Johnston gave the audience of high profile marketers, communicators and government and local government stakeholders some homework: "What are you doing to be alive with possibility? Are we delivering on our promise... what did you do today to be proud of?"
And it's a challenge indeed. As with many gatherings these days, the lunchtime conversation turned to crime and the organisers who steered the conversation away from the problems to future positives.
As Johnston pointed out: "South Africa will be in the international spotlight from now on. We need to fully exploit this opportunity to project our image in the most positive light possible. The soccer and the athletes who participate will be important. But the challenge for South Africa will be to elevate the country to centre stage. We now find ourselves in the planning phase where we can plan the 'global coming out party'. We can decide what clothes we want to wear, and which images should make a lasting impression to the millions who will tune in."
An event of this magnitude provides us with core opportunities more than a mere emphasis on the country's physical beauty, its tourism attractions, economy political stability, and so on. We need to celebrate culture and talent, Johnston emphasised.
"The 2006 World Cup Soccer may have been won by Italy, but Germany was the winner. Danny Jordaan showed today that we are ahead of the game - let's stick with that and take an overwhelmingly positive message forward," Johnston reiterated.
Jordaan whizzed through his 39MB presentation which summarised where South Africa is with infrastructure, funding, and so on, in his usual humorous and easygoing style. Inspiring, funny, great graphics, but without much meat. No doubt that will come later.
He did emphasise opportunities at planned 2010 soccer Fan Parks which would be set up in various centres around the country for soccer fans to congregate and interact with the game and watch the games on massive screens. Branding partnership opportunities will abound at venues such as these. Jordaan said one of the reasons fans go to "Fan Parks" is because the quality of visuals is excellent. In the stadiums, depending on where you are sitting, you can't always see very much.
"We only have three million tickets - we will have one million available for South Africans (in a population of 44.5 million!). That's the reality. So Fan Parks become a serious option."
Johnston's wish list would include:
Success factors would be determined by:
Working with brand South Africa going forward, Johnston said the following steps would be taken:
The IMC can also provide an array of marketing material to stakeholders and indeed any company going overseas or addressing an international audience, with research, presentations, DVD videos, PR stories about success, and creative templates with a variety of look and feel.
Current resources include the web portal www.southafrica.info and an ideas page which will be established on the IMC website, www.imc.org.za, which interested parties can submit project ideas to. There are also case studies from Sydney, Barcelona and Germany on the site for more info. All the papers from the 2010 seminar in Johannesburg will also be up on the site for further reference, shortly.
