Communicating in Latin America during the World Cup definitely has its challenges and idiosyncrasies. Those familiar with one or more countries in the region will tell you that if there’s one thing that can bring the region to a halt and get people’s full attention, it’s the World Cup, especially in those countries whose national teams are taking part. But don’t be fooled – even people whose teams didn’t qualify will read the news, watch the games and root against rival teams.
In Brazil, for example, even those who proudly reject the stereotype of the Brazilian super-fan will take their green, yellow and blue clothes out of the closet to cheer on the Seleção. You’d be amazed at the amount of tweets and memes Latin Americans — especially Argentines and Mexicans — produce to tease their rivals during World Cup games.
And that’s just the beginning. The region is home to some of the greatest talents in the game, as well as heavyweight content creators making a fortune and boosting brand awareness with their daily content, whether on live streams, Tik Toks or YouTube videos. And there’s no sign that the popularity of these types of content, or the visibility they grant to brands, will decrease any time soon.
It follows that several opportunities exist for brands looking to communicate in Latin America during the World Cup. So if you haven’t got anything planned for 2022, or are already looking forward to 2026, we have separated some key tips to do so effectively.
Brands that aren’t official FIFA partners are restricted in their use of the official World Cup logo and other branding materials, as described in FIFA’s Intellectual Property Guidelines. Campaigns containing their images or mascots are prohibited, for example. And remember: these rules are valid all over the world, not just in Latin America.
Does this mean you can’t do anything related to the World Cup? Not at all! In fact, as thoughts turn to Qatar in most Latin American countries, any football-related communications you produce will end up being connected with this major event. You can also make use of some of the sentiments typically associated with fans during the games — competitiveness, anxiety, excitement — when delivering your message.
When deciding to hop on the World Cup train, keep in mind that people expect companies to show them something new. Simply talking about scores or good performances on Social Media is common sense. But what could you be doing as a company to have your brand connected to the largest football event in the world?
Exclusive studies, groundbreaking watch-party events, creative influencer campaigns or even partnering up with other brands are all potential options. You can also rely on local specialists to provide further insight into local habits during this time, and produce a communications campaign that is attuned to that behavior.
One example of an effective partner-based advertising campaign in Brazil was the one run by the paint brand Lukscolor and the beer brand Brahma. The partners combined two very Brazilian World Cup habits – painting the street in the colours of Brazil’s flag, and drinking beer while watching the games – to create a collection of paintings with key colours that relate to both Brahma’s beer and the Brazilian flag. Semiotics really played an important role here.
Latin American countries are major sources of memes, especially Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. So if your brand wants to adopt a lighter, friendly approach to the event, a nice way of doing so is to keep an eye out for local memes and ways of “hijacking” them, to communicate with your audience in a fun and effective way.
This activity works best for companies that are active on social media, and are looking to establish a closer relationship with existing and potential customers. It also helps to consult with a PR professional or agency in Latin America that speaks the local language and is attuned to local trends in the target country, so you don’t make decisions that could backfire – like accidentally using a meme that offends a minority group, for example.
The 2022 World Cup began in November to protect players from the heat of the Qatari summer. This coincides with Black Friday, a quintessentially North American sales date that has also been adopted by most Latin American countries, allowing stores and brands to run campaigns that combine both events.
This is unlikely to happen again in the future, but this doesn’t mean relevant local key dates can’t be referenced to create unique campaigns. So don’t hesitate to study the calendar of the country where you’d like to run your campaign during World Cup season.
Bear in mind that if your event or press release doesn’t relate to the World Cup, you should be prepared for it to be overlooked by journalists, especially in Brazil.
During the World Cup, even non-sports journalists are more likely to cover topics that relate to this massive football event somehow, and good media relations won’t change that.
Be ready to think outside the box: how can your niche relate to the World Cup? If you’re a Travel Company, why not share data about the increase in plane ticket sales to the host country? Retailers can explore the increase of interest among certain products during this time, such as beverages or clothes in a specific colour.
You can also go for a cross-communications strategy, by partnering with relevant sports content creators or publishing new versions of memes to your social media channels — always staying true to your brand guidelines, of course.
When it comes to communicating in Latin America during the World Cup — whether in 2022 or in upcoming editions — the main takeaway from this article is to not take this event for granted. Even though you may not be fond of football yourself as a communicator or marketing professional, there’s no denying the power this event has to get people’s attention in Latin America.
This content was produced in collaboration with several Sherlock Communications professionals, including Karen Barbosa (SEO Team Lead), Mariana Nadaleto (Social Media Team Lead) and Karol Oliveira (Social Media consultant).
If you’d like to learn more about communicating in Latin America as a foreign company, keep reading our blog posts to learn more from our specialists.
