Which brands are activating the best Social Media campaigns during the 2010 FIFA World Cup? Does being an official World Cup sponsor or FIFA partner like Adidas give the brand an edge over an unaffiliated competitor like Nike?
 
Even more interestingly, does focusing budgets on ambush marketing actually present a greater value proposition for brands such as Pepsi whose main competitor Coca-Cola is spending millions of dollars to be officially affiliated with the most popular sporting event in the world? Why does polling by reputation auditors Echo Research show only 1 of 8 companies has been correctly recognized as a FIFA World Cup sponsor?
 
Activ8Social has set out to answer these questions by ranking the Top 12 brands that executed popular campaigns utilizing Social Media. Elite brands, targeting numerous markets, made the cut for our list. However, our ranking criteria required all Social Media accounts to be official (or directly affiliated with the brand). All of the social properties evaluated by our team were activated by the brand to encourage a two-way conversation between the fan/consumer and the product.
 
Recently, research has been released that supports the correlation between the interaction of a consumer with a brand on Social Media platforms and the likelihood of that consumer spending more money on the product(s) involved. While some may debate the methodology of such reports, we do believe brands have enormous opportunity to build customer loyalty and increase consumer exposure during major events through innovative digital marketing.
 
In our study, the follow criteria were rated on a scale of 1-10 for each brand:

• Size: Extent and reach of the campaign; resources used
• Engagement: Authenticity, quality, and quantity of user interaction
• Content: Variety and value of media and updates
• Creativity: Originality, use of platforms, and innovation in the Social Media medium

The 12 brands above have attempted to build strong relationships with World Cup fans. Official sponsors and partners have leveraged multiple platforms to add value to the monies already spent gaining direct association with FIFA. Conversely, each of the unofficial World Cup brands have taken their best shot at stealing consumer attention away from recognized sponsors with viral campaigns of their own.

Social Media campaigns such as those we’ve highlighted can give brands that “cool” edge that many so desperately seek.  Moreover, every communications plan should incorporate a social strategy. An engaged and attentive audience on social platforms offer an opportunity for brands to counter negative publicity and equally important, it affords brands the chance to measure consumer sentiment toward their company and products possibly identifying a PR crisis before it occurs.

So, who deserved the title of Top World Cup Social Campaign? We’ve answered that question above. Read about all 12 social campaigns, and let us know what you think. Agree or disagree? Please leave a comment below for our team.

Do you like  ”Top 12 Brands Utilizing Social Media in the World Cup”? Then check out our popular post on the “Top 30 Athletes on Facebook.”