All eyes are on South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. The opportunities for brand visibility are endless for its sponsors, and many companies have benefitted from the heavy international exposure. According to online intelligence service Experian Hitwise, South African Airways’ World Cup Brands Index score has jumped from 109 to 205, and its internet search queries have more than doubled, making it the brand that has benefitted the most from its official sponsorship of the game according to Hitwise. The World Cup generates a lot of demand for travel, and the increased traffic to SAA’s website could represent a greater number of travelers choosing this airline after seeing the brand as a World Cup sponsor.

With the celebration of Canada’s 143rd birthday last week and the upcoming G8/G20 summits in Toronto later this month, Canada has recently received a lot of attention in international media. The question being asked domestically is centered on its national identity; specifically, people want to know: does Canada have a “brand” that it can export overseas?

“Drink Tsingtao, Understand China” reads one ad from the Chinese beer label’s newest campaign. Others play on Chinese drinking customs, like “In China, there’s a penalty for arriving late to drinks: down 3 beers.” Even though they are only displayed domestically, these ads are in English. Approximate Chinese “translations” in much smaller characters are also included below the main text.

Gap has unveiled its plans to enter the Chinese market as part of its global expansion strategy. The retailer will open stores and launch an online site by the end of 2010.

This is the final post from a three part series discussing approaches brands are using during the 2010 World Cup. These three approaches included new product introductions, social media campaigns, and creative brand communication activities.
This post will discuss creative brand communication activities seen during the World Cup this year.

Social network game developer Zynga recently launched a promotional deal with 7-Eleven that will connect virtual goods from its online games with roughly 200 million real products sold in 7-Elevens in the U.S. and Canada.

After a hiatus lasting almost two decades, Kraft has revived the media presence of its Bull’s-Eye barbeque sauce through a campaign called “The Bold Choice.” The company took out a 15-second TV ad during Game 6 of the NBA Finals that emphasizes the sauce’s strong taste through a humorous play on the word “bold.” In the clip, a voiceover declares, “Bold versus sweet. Let’s see. They build statues of bold men. They don’t build statues of sweet men. Well, they do. But they’re call figurines,” as a figurine of a small boy flashes on the screen.

This is Part 2 of a three part series of blog posts discussing approaches brands are using during the 2010 World Cup. These approaches include new product introductions, social media campaigns, and creative brand communication activities.
Now, let’s have a look at the social media campaigns surrounding the event.

This year we can clearly see that brand communication approaches have become more diversified and creative. From sports-apparel companies like Nike and Adidas, to online brands like Yahoo and Facebook, to financial-services firms such as JPMorgan Chase, numerous companies are striving to communicate their brand names and messages as the world enjoys the football extravaganza from June 11 to July 11, 2010.