I find it funny after watching Spain defeat Germany in the EURO Cup Final, that along the sidelines, you can view about 12 major US brand advertisements. Why? I have no idea really. Understandably, US brands are very powerful overseas. It seems like Europeans have always been drawn to Western folklore. However, the folklore is all hype really. And I firmly believe that Europe is bored of our clutter.
The oddest ads to see were McDonald’s, KIA and MasterCard. Nothing like promoting bad health while getting in debt driving a poorly engineered vehicle! Kind of ironic to see KIA in a place where Germany is represented.
That’s not the point I’m getting at. There were over 15 million viewers watching this final. 15 million! How much do you think KIA made because of it’s advertising? How many new card members did MasterCard receive because of this banner? I bet that number is close to Zilch!
Problem: There are too may major brands that think that by plastering their name and logo everywhere, they can get a good return. They miss opportunity when it’s right in front of their face. The world was their stage, and once again, major US brands failed.
Solution: Be smart! NikeSoccer had a genius campaign that kept everyone engaged! I already signed up for the Bootcamp and may be purchasing some shoes here soon. Why did it work for me? Because they showed me a video from a soccer player’s perspective. It was action packed! As soon as the match was over though, they had a NikeSoccer Bootcamp commercial that led everyone to the website. They seized the opportunity of leading 15 million viewers to their website. If not 15 million, they at least captured the American viewers. I bet those numbers are high in return.
Lesson: Sponsorships are a must and a good thing to promote your brand. It was obvious that Adidas was a key sponsor just by all the uniforms. But I did not see one McDonald’s commercial. Not one KIA commercial. Not one MasterCard commercial. If you were going to promote an American brand, why not promote yourself to a loyal American audience?. Stay true to yourself! There are countless Americans that watched this final. Why weren’t these brands creative in their approach? Even soccer.com was prepared for selling! The lesson is this: When the world is watching, they want to see something they’ve never seen before. McDonald’s, KIA and MasterCard missed this opportunity horribly! The world was watching , and you failed once again.
Just because you can promote yourself in a traditional matter, doesn’t mean that you should. Know the audience you are presenting to and be creative. Be smart. Be innovative. Once again, thank you Nike for being a smart brand. When will McDonald’s learn? So far, I’m not lovin’ anything!
