At the beginning of April, Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s secretary general, issued an honest, and somewhat alarming, statement: “We are not ready.”
Amid additional reports that the host country’s internal infrastructure isn’t prepared to handle the massive World Cup crowds set to descend—not to mention security and ground and air transport issues—it’s up to Brazilian brands to make sure their marketing is sensitive to what’s happening on the ground. Global brands should also keep their ears and eyes open; Coca-Cola, for example, has said it plans to temper the celebratory tone of its marketing in case of any unrest during the games.
But there is a silver lining for Brazilian brands who want to avoid condemnation on social channels and elsewhere. According to eCRM123, 96% of people believe that social media will help companies improve their services during the World Cup—especially using Facebook, with Twitter coming in at a distant second.
