World cup advertisers reflect shift in economic powers

Chinese characters appear in the fifa world cup stadium perimeter advertisements

Fifa world cup: global event, global brands

The world cup football is almost at its end. A European country is about to win the tournament – that’s for sure.

However, if one digs a little deeper into the entire phenomenon of the world cup – one could see that the “economic powers” from the past (let’s say USA, Western Europe) are loosing power.

I’ve been a dedicated world cup watcher since the ‘Mundiale’ in Italy, 1990. Since that day I mainly see “Western brands”: brands from manufacturers in the classic economic powerzones – they were the only ones who could afford the investment.

With today’s shift in economic and financial power, it should not be a surprise that we see non-western brands on the global advertising platform (which the world cup football definitely is)

Fifa partners and their core market

To demonstrate the reflection in powershift, one can start looking at the “general fifa sponsors”. These are well-known companies from the past with their headquarters in Western (industrial?) economies. Brands that match this example: adidas (Europe), coca-cola (US), visa (US), sony (Japan), hyundai(South Korea). One of the upcoming economic (financial) powers is the Middle-East. You shouldn’t be surprised then that the Dubai-based Emirates Group is an official sponsor nowadays…

Stadium perimeter advertisers

The driving factor in this analysis however came from looking at the stadium perimeter advertisements during the game. By seeing exotic alphabet (chinese) and an Indian inspired font next to the pitches, my attention was drawn.

Here’s a list of non-western brands that I’ve noticed to be advertising on football pitches during the world cup. In my opinion, they reflect the shift in economic and financial powers.

• mahindra satyam > Mahindra Group; India
  Yingli Solar > China
  Seara > Brasil

Proving the shift in powers

• Credit crunch : US ; Europe
  Economic slowdown: US, Europe
  New regions (India, China, Brazil): economic growth in 2010?


Belgium - economic growth rate ; 2010 Trading Economics. All Rights Reserved.



United-States economic growth rate 2010; Trading Economics. All Rights Reserved.



Brazil economic growth rate; Trading Economics. All Rights Reserved.



Indian economic growth rate; Trading Economics. All Rights Reserved.



China economic growth rate; Trading Economics. All Rights Reserved.