Livewire Euros Insider
Each week throughout the Euros , Sport for Business will bring members marketing insights to the tournament, the teams and the official partners courtesy of sponsorship specialists Livewire.
The Livewire Euros Insider includes analysis of areas including social and digital media, search stats, broadcast ratings, advertising and sponsorship activations.
Livewire is a full member of Sport for Business. For more information or to contact them please visit www.livewire.ie.
Belief
If you can’t enjoy a belief in your team before the start of a tournament then sport might not really be for you. Realism might come as early as the first few minutes but in advance everything is possible.
One third of Republic of Ireland football fans believe we will progress beyond the group stage, despite a tough group draw and harsh memories of four years ago. 18 per cent believe we will make it to the quarter finals and one in twelve think, that maybe, just maybe, we can emulate outsiders Greece from 2004 and go all the way.
That positivity will rise as the next six days count down to our opening clash against Sweden and it is this anticipation and excitement that fuel the investment of sponsors in associating to the team.
Throughout the tournament Sport for Business will publish regular reports from Livewire, part of Core Media, who are giving us access to their Euros Insider. This is the output from an ongoing survey of 1,000 people and will cover their reaction to media, sponsors and advertisers through the next five weeks.
The interest in the tournament with fifty per cent saying they will be watching, and optimism for how Martin O’Neill’s side will do, coupled with an improving economy, means there is a golden opportunity for brands to capitalise on and to channel the national excitement towards various business objectives.
Over the coming days we will be looking in depth at how each of the main sponsors have been and will be activating their partnership.
The main challenge they face will be to leverage this excitement with strategic activations that add real and measureable value to it, rather than interrupt it.
Anticipation
Whatever the outcome, every sporting event starts with the same ingredients: anticipation and excitement, and this one is no different. Already ahead of Euro 2016, 60% of people believe the team has a connection with fans, with a similar number of people stating that they like this current crop of players. Tapping into this lift is the key opportunity for sponsors.
A brand who has already capitalised on and contributed to the high spirits of the nation is National Team sponsor Three, which recently extended its sponsorship with the FAI to 2020. Three launched its Euro 2016 #MakeHistory campaign in April, the centre piece is undoubtedly their TV ad which, with millions of views on TV and online, has been shared and received extensive positive commentary in social media.
After six years of sponsoring the team, almost 70% of people are aware that the brand sponsors the Rep. of Ireland soccer team. This long-term association also gives the brand legitimacy to tap into the emotion and heritage associated with Irish teams and big tournaments, something it has absolutely nailed with the current campaign.
Livewire’s research shows that over a third of people feel more positively about the brand as a result of its team sponsorship – demonstrating the power of sponsorship, when you get it right.
Despite the optimism and return to growth for advertising spend, it is surprising to hear that there is still availability for advertisers on TV3 and RTE. According to Frankie Carty, broadcast director of Core Media, some advertisers are leaving it late to commit to spend, preferring to see how the team performs before making a move. Perhaps the legacy of 2012 explains this cautious approach. Viewing figures for Irish matches at Euro 2012 dropped from a high of 1.2m for the opening game against Croatia to 900k when Ireland was beaten 2-0 by Italy. Having said that, 900k is still a phenomenal viewing figure for a dead-rubber match.
Team performance is not the only unknown factor heading into the tournament. While it unlikely that the prospect of terrorism is playing a role towards advertiser caution, it is important to note that 65% of people have concerns over fan safety at the tournament.
Sponsor Impact
While the excitement around Euro 2016 provides brands with an opportunity to engage football fans, only tournament sponsors are entitled to associate with the tournament itself. In particular this creates a challenge for FAI sponsors looking to leverage their association with the team playing in the competition.
The money invested by sponsors for the right to associate with either the Irish team or Euro 2016 serves to create an opportunity to engage football fans. The trick is maximising this opportunity with an activation strategy that connects.
Despite the increasing amount of content being created by sponsors, especially on digital platforms, our research shows that it is tangible benefits such as free merchandise and opportunities to enter competitions that is most appealing to fans. In fact, over half of people identify free merchandise as the most appealing sponsor activity.
For example SPAR’s recent promotion to send a Team of Gary Breen’s to France to support the boys in green, along with the former Irish international himself seems to have had a positive impact. Our research shows that 23% of people state they are more likely to shop at SPAR as a result of its sponsorship.
Every sponsor wants to ‘cut through’ the noise and access football fans. Our research highlights that certain sponsors have work to do to keep ahead of competitors.
For example Nike, a non-Euro 2016 sponsor, came sixth on a list of Euro 2016 sponsors and non-sponsors, enjoying 55% attribution compared to 62% for Adidas, an official sponsor. In addition, Barclays Bank (35%) and Mastercard (58%) enjoy considerable tournament attribution.
Combined with Heineken 62%, it is clear that a number of non-sponsors are achieving a significant ‘halo’ effect from other sponsorships, such the Champions League and Premier League. This serves to re-enforce the role and impact that sponsorship can have when activated properly.
Engaging fans
The Ignite consumer impact survey for Livewire Euros Insider shows fans expect to increase spending on a variety of goods and services during the tournament. Over a third of people expect to spend more on alcohol.
In fact, the average spend on alcohol according to the survey is likely to be as high as €185 over the course of the tournament. The grocery sector will look to capitalise on these intentions, as well as tapping into the collective home viewing experience.
In addition, 35% of people list the pub as a destination for watching some of the tournament. As official partner of both the FAI and Euro 2016, Carlsberg will expect to capitalise on these trends.
The good news for Carlsberg is that 59% of people are aware that the brand is a sponsor of the tournament. However, the bad news is that 62% list Heineken as a tournament sponsor.
Heineken is a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, but not of the Euro 2016. In fact, Heineken comes out on top of the research, alongside tournament sponsors Adidas.
17% of people expect to spend more money on gambling during Euro 2016. Those who take a punt expect to spend an average of €85 during the tournament. With increasing amounts of gambling now taking place online, it is not surprising that the gambling sector will be highly visible and will likely contribute more than 20% of spend on television advertising during the tournament with the aim of encouraging people to go online to place a bet.
The role of social media and digital
Almost without exception, brands are choosing social media to assist with this form of engagement, attempting to tap into the passion of fans for as long as possible.
The sharing of football related branded content is rich territory for sponsors. The fact that 90% of people say they will watch some matches at home is good news for digital advertisers.
As with other recent sports events, the explosion in second screening and digital activity during matches is expected to continue over the next month. While this is just one form of fan engagement, opportunities will exist for brands with real-time content strategies wishing to capitalise on big game moments.
Interestingly 46% people claim they will only watch the matches on TV, preferring not to use smartphones, tablets or lap tops during matches. However we do expect an explosion in social media use immediately prior to and especially after matches, especially if the team is successful. The key to success for brands is to be ready in advance and reactive to these moments is the key to success. Think Guinness’ reactive activity during the Rugby World Cup.
Recent UK studies highlighted that 60% Euro 2016 fans will share Euro 2016 related content online.
Over half of fans online during matches will be using Facebook. This is double the amount who plan to use Twitter, which is often considered the perfect platform for engaging fans during live sport. Regardless, Twitter continues to be an interesting platform for gauging fan sentiment and interests. Already, a week out from the tournament, #COYBIG has been trending in Ireland while SSE Airtricity’s #PowerofGreen is the most widely used sponsor related hash-tag.
Notably 16% of people will use Whatsapp to follow matches or look at content related to the tournament. This provides a good indication to the volume of activity that can be expected to take place on ‘dark social media.’ Some have been taking advantage of this, offering branded Whatsapp group opportunities such as at Balls.ie.
Our research highlights more women than men will use second devices while watching matches. In fact over a third of men say they will use no device compared with just 20% of women. This stat suggests digital and social media could provide brands with access to female fans during the tournament. An important consideration then is to have content which appeals to both sexes.
The Role of TV
Television will continue to play an important role for sponsors, advertisers and fans alike. It is 26 years since ‘a nation held its breath’ yet television remains the central medium for watching live sport.
In Ireland, the Euro 2012 final had a share of 50% of the TV audience, peaking at 740,000 viewers on RTE2. Figures for the Ireland matches were higher with 1.2 million tuning into our opening fixture and 900,000 staying the course all the way to our third match against Italy despite the dream being well and truly over by then.
The kick-off times of the European Championships are favourable for Irish television audiences. We expect viewing figures to be as strong, if not stronger over the next four weeks. Our research highlights that only 10% of people will watch Euro 2016 live matches online, the rest choosing television, the vast majority (90%) at home. This statistic cements the role that television advertising will play over the course of the next four weeks.
UEFA operates a similar sponsorship structure for the Euros as it does for the Champions League – only the top tier tournament sponsors have access to television sponsor stings. RTE recently announced that Hyundai will sponsor its Euros coverage.
For the first time in Ireland, the television coverage will be split between RTE and TV3 giving brands greater choice and access. While RTE is showing all Rep. of Ireland matches, TV3 will air other key matches with teams such as England and Germany.
Interestingly, should the Rep. of Ireland be knocked-out, almost 20% of people will be supporting England and over 10% supporting Germany as their second team. Group games featuring these teams will play an important role for TV3’s commercial sales.
Awareness of FAI sponsors
The figures above are a starting point for brands to measure how effective their campaigns have been. Through the tournament we will also be looking at sentiment towards brands, an area that Ford have done well in through the build up to the tournament tapping into nostalgia around the Euro ’88 tournament.
Almost 45% of fans are feeling more positive towards the brand as a result of its sponsorship of the Irish team. Let’s revel in the memory then…
The Livewire Euros Insider is a collaboration between Livewire and Ignite Research – both members of Core Media Group. To find out more visit www.livewire.ie.
