Making brands more distinctive

FIFA and the world cup is in the news for all the wrong reasons again due to accusations of corruption and dodgy dealing that can only make the beautiful game seem ugly. Those who sell sponsorship of sports, festivals and events argue that it can give your brand instant access to grass roots credibility, celebrity, huge global audiences and patriotic loyalty. All seen as building blocks of successful brands. And if you can buy it rather than create it from scratch then why not?

However, if those that grant access to these instant brand riches employ dirty tricks to bypass rules and regulations then the consequence for your brand is that it will instantly be associated with these same dodgy activities. I bet the brand guardians at Coca Cola, Visa and Adidas, all major sponsors of FIFA’s world cup, are all getting a bit twitchy now, even if they weren’t before.

Sponsorship shouldn’t be seen as a quick fix either. Communications of any kind still require a thorough understanding and insight into your audience. A sponsor suddenly appearing alongside a much loved football team or event can often bring howls of protest from the loyal fan base and genuine loathing of the sponsoring brand.

Subbing out your brand’s activities to create loyalty and credibility may be appealing and a quick fix but may also leave the future of the brand in the hands of those east likely to have its best interests at heart.

Joe.