Brands and sponsors have been leveraging these heightened emotions to engage with supporters from all over the world, including Nike’s Footballverse ad featuring football legends like CR7, Ronaldinho, Kylian Mbappe, and Alex Morgan.
Most ads and marketing communications dominating our TV screens and social feeds seem to focus on the fandom and soccer superstars rather than on real people and their love for the game itself.
It seems like the right approach, but is it really?
According to new insights from iStock’s VisualGPS, brands are missing out on an opportunity to connect the feeling, emotion and action of the professional game to its similarities in recreational football.
As it turns out, 33 per cent of Aussies feel equally as motivated to watch and play sports when they see images and videos that focus on the mental, emotional and physical benefits of playing sports, followed by the wish to see “more people like me” as the protagonists of sports stories (32 per cent).
Further, 26 per cent of people are motivated by seeing inspirational action moments of pro athletes, compared to 31 per cent are motivated by real-life athletes or fitness experts such as their gym coaches. In fact, in the last 6 months, the most popular visuals related to the search term “soccer” solely focus on images and videos that portray professional players or a professional game, reflecting the very limited approach brands use to engage with their consumers during the World Cup.
Dr Rebecca Swift, Global Head of Creative Insights at iStock, said: “When analysing the most popular visuals downloaded, the absence of visuals that show ordinary people practising soccer in a recreational way is striking.
“We know during this time audiences want to see professionals and not amateurs; however, as we know from previous World Cups, there is always a longtail or halo effect from these events which filters down to grassroots, and it is at that stage that there is a ton of opportunity to connect the sport to recreational players, amateurs, and ordinary people.”
Some of the factors that stood out for people asked about the visual elements depicting sports or athletes that would motivate them to participate in, and/or watch sports, had to do with its social benefits. For many, sport is a chance to connect with friends and family, and a space for mental escape and release of stress.
The research revealed that 2 out of 3 people globally recognise that engaging in sports is good for their mental health.
The VisualGPS research highlights that there is a great opportunity for brands and small and medium-sized businesses that want to connect with sports and soccer fans all year round – and when marketing budgets can’t compete with the world’s biggest brands. To leverage the power of sport to engage better with their customers, there are three things that brands can do, no matter their size or industry.
Be relatable
It is important to promote genuine settings where people of all ages, gender identities and expressions, body types and ethnicities, from various backgrounds and cultures, demonstrate their passion for sport. This is especially important for women, 1 in 3 of whom feel motivated by images and videos of people with a range of body types practising sports.
Consider social connections
Share scenes where simplicity and passion stand out over the spectacular. Focus on the value of camaraderie and shared time, where sports are the excuse that enables the social meeting and therefore becomes that holistic benefit for the well-being of all the people that are practising it.
Be mindful
While men are likely to be inspired by professional athletes in action more than other groups, both females and males from all generations connect with visuals that show people motivated by their overall well-being, including the emotional benefits of participating in sports. People want to see what sports can do for them personally. Choose images and videos with authentic depictions of people with varying degrees of athletic ability or skill that feel more relevant to their personal experiences, such as female leaders and coaches or people with disabilities playing a sport.
