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The long-awaited 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ will kick-off today at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium. The South African “Bafana Bafana” will face Mexico in the opening game of the finals. It will be a tournament related with lots of desires and hopes for the African continent and the search for the legacy on African soil. We will see 32 nations in action and we can expect many interesting matches in South Africa. But the biggest match of the tournament has already begun long before the kick-off: ADIDAS vs NIKE!
Adidas Vs Nike
Adidas and Nike are the leading sports brands in the world and both of these biggies are well present at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. The two brands are kitting most of the participating teams and they are counting on a successful campaign of their “own” teams. “Success” would go along with bigger brand awareness and an increase of merchandise sales.
German giants Adidas are looking forward to additional revenues through their brand ambassadors like Argentine wonder boy Lionel Messi and teams like Germany, while Nike is counting on their flagship Brazil, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and England’s Wayne Rooney [VIDEO].
According to Nike CEO Mark Parker, his company’s global annual revenue from football totals US$ 1.7 billion (€ 1.38 billion), while their subsidiary UMBRO adds another US$ 200 million (€ 162 million) to the total revenue of the parent company.
Adidas claim to grab a global market share of 34% in the football business, while their market share in the US is above 50%. Their global annual revenue from football totals US$ 1.57 billion (€ 1.3 billion).
The World Cup will be a crucial event for a successful year 2010 for both brands. Adidas is the official kit sponsor of 12 national teams, while Nike (incl. Umbro) has 10 teams on their account.
Both brands are investing a lot of money into their World Cup campaigns and the internet is a crucial platform to reach the goals! Campaigns on Facebook, YouTube, special brand websites and online media [VIDEO] are aiming to reach out to the young consumers. The focus has shifted from “normal” media like television and print publications to the online market.
Social communities are enjoying a special interest by the sports brands. We are able see lots of interactive campaigns, video blogs and more. Well done campaigns during the World Cup could see many football fans turning into Adidas or Nike fans with the number of merchandise sales increasing dramatically in countries like India.
Adidas and Nike have already increased their revenues in the first two quarters of the year and they are expecting an even more profitable year ahead after the finals. The competition between the big brands is always an interesting battle for the supremacy in the market and we, the consumers, are enjoying the campaigns, the special offers and more.
But one shouldn’t forget the most important part of the World Cup: The beautiful game of football!
