Companies who splashed out on expensive World Cup sponsorships and short term tournament related ad campaigns without any history of involvement in the sport may have scored an own goal it seems.

A study conducted by Engage Research found that World Cup newcomers may have wasted their money after finding their brands engaged with consumers to a lower degree than those firms which had fostered a long term relationship with football over the years.

It is thought that this discrepancy is down to savvy consumers picking up on which brands are merely latching on to the event and those perceived to be investing in the game.

Cup sponsorship has become big business with some firms priced out of the tournament opting for “ambush marketing” stunts to push their wares to fans.
 
A consumer poll however found that amongst official tie ins Kit Kat’s £10m promotion, ‘Cross Your Fingers’ was less effective than confectionary rival Mars’s John Barnes fronted campaign, thought to be because Mars already has a five year partnership with the FA and is an official supplier to the England team.

McDonalds was found to have achieved the greatest association between its brand and the tournament, pipping Coca-Cola to the top spot with 53% of respondents linking it to the sporting event.

Perhaps the most impressive feat was performed by Sky however; their brand was associated with the South African clash in the eyes of 39.2% of those polled, despite never showing any live matches.